Ammonia Solvation of Alkaline Earth Dications: Mg(II), Ca(II), Sr(II), and Ba(II); Hybrid Density Functional Theory Born-Oppenheimer Molecular Dynamics Studies.

Structural and dynamical properties of Sr2+ and Ba2+ dications in ammonia microsolvation environments were studied through hybrid density functional theory Born-Oppenhemier molecular dynamics of [Sr(NH3)n]2+ and [Ba(NH3)n]2+ clusters with n = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 27. The largest cluster models were used to explore bulk phase solvation of Sr2+ and Ba2+ in liquid ammonia for which experimental data are available. Results are discussed in the light of previous results obtained for the [Mg(NH3)n]2+ and [Ca(NH3)n]2+ systems with the same methodology. Vibrational and EXAFS spectra are reported for the first time for [Sr(NH3)n]2+ and [Ba(NH3)n]2+ systems. It was found that alkaline earth dications have coordination numbers (CN) in ammonia as follows: Mg2+ (6) < Ca2+ (8) < Sr2+ (8.3) < Ba2+ (9.4). The coordination structures found turn out to be rather flexible with CN greater than six and these structures depart from the simple geometry of hexamine in the solid phase.

A potential role of hippocampus on impulsivity and alcohol consumption through CB1R.

There are a few studies suggesting that the hippocampus is involved in the regulation of impulsivity, and which attempt to explain drug seeking behavior in addiction. In addition, cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) is highly expressed in the hippocampus (HPP). To further understand the potential role of the hippocampal CB1R in impulsive and drug seeking behaviors, we characterized impulsivity in adolescent and adult male rats, by means of a delay discounting task (DDT) by evaluating preference and seeking motivation for alcohol (10 % v/v) consumption, and analyzing CB1R expression in CA1, CA3 and the dentate gyrus (DG) of the HPP as well as in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Our results show that adolescent rats display more impulsive choices than adult rats in the DDT. The k value is statistically higher in adolescents, further supporting that they are more impulsive. Besides, adolescent rats have higher forced and voluntary alcohol consumption and display a higher alcohol conditioned place preference (CPP) vs. adult rats. In addition, CB1R expression in CA3 and the DG is higher in adolescent vs. adult rats. Our data further support the role of the hippocampus in impulsivity with the potential involvement of the endocannabinoid system, considering that CB1R in CA3 and DG is higher in adolescents, who display impulsivity and alcohol seeking and consumption.

Temporomandibular disorders and bullying: The mediating role of anxiety in young adults.

BACKGROUND: Bullying is a major social issue. Individuals who experience bullying victimization may develop stress-related health disorders, such as anxiety and temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). As school bullying can enhance or trigger stress and anxiety, individuals who experience bullying victimization are prone to develop TMD. However, it is still unclear whether this relationship is mediated by anxiety. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of anxiety in the relationship between bullying victimization and TMD among young adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional study among 578 students aged 18 to 25 years in Yucatan, Mexico. A mediation model was used to identify whether anxiety mediated the relationship between bullying victimization and the development of TMD. RESULTS: Our results showed that 14.2% of the students self-identified as victims of bullying, and 43.7% reported having a type of TMD. The indirect effect of the pathway "victimization → anxiety → TMD" was significant (ß= 0.660; p ⟨0.001). There was also an effect, not mediated by anxiety (ß= 0.31; p= 0.026). This means that the relationship between victimization caused by bullying and TMD is mostly mediated by anxiety. CONCLUSION: This study presents the first evidence of the role of anxiety as a mediator of the relationship between bullying victimization and TMD among young adults in Mexico.

Mg(II) and Ca(II) Microsolvation by Ammonia: Born-Oppenheimer Molecular Dynamics Studies.

We report the structural and energetic features of the Mg2+ and Ca2+ cations in ammonia microsolvation environments. Born-Oppenhemier molecular dynamics studies are carried out for [Mg(NH3)n]2+ and [Ca(NH3)n]2+ clusters with n = 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 20, and 27 at 300 K based on hybrid density functional theory calculations. We determine binding energies per ammonia molecule and the metal cation solvation patterns as a function of the number of molecules. The general trend for Mg2+ is that the Mg-N distances increase as a function of n until the first solvation shell is populated by six ammonia molecules, and then the distances slightly decrease while CN = 6 does not change. For Ca2+, the first solvation shell at room temperature is populated by eight ammonia molecules for clusters with more than one solvation shell, leading to a different structure from that of [Ca(NH3)6]2+ hexamine. The evaporation of NH3 molecules was found at 300 K only for Mg2+ clusters with n ≥ 10; this was not the case for Ca2+ clusters. Vibrational spectra are obtained for all of the clusters, and the evolution of the main features is discussed. EXAFS spectra are also presented for the [Mg(NH3)27(NH3)27]2+ and [Ca(NH3)27]2+ clusters, which yield valuable data to be compared with experimental data in the liquid phase, as previously done for the aqueous solvation of these dications.

Capsaicin intake and oral carcinogenesis: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Chili is the most heavily and frequently consumed spice, either as a flavouring or colouring agent, and it is also a major source of pro-vitamin A, vitamin E and C. The main capsinoidcapsaicinoid found in chili peppers is capsaicin. It has been demonstrated that capsaicin acts as a cancer-suppressing agent through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, by blocking several signal transduction pathways. Oral squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most prevalent cancer worldwide. It is noteworthy that in countries where populations of diverse ethnic groups co-exist, differences have been observed in terms of incidence of oral cancer. The variances in their diet could explain, at least in part, these differences. The objective of this systematic review is to explore if there is evidence of a possible relationship between capsaicin intake and the incidence of oral squamous cell carcinoma, and discuss such association. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A bibliographical search was made in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases, and finally 7 experimental studies were included; OHAT risk of bias tool was used to assess their quality. RESULTS: allAll the studies confirm that capsaicin is a chemopreventive agent that prevents the development of oral cancer, through inhibition of malignant cell proliferation and increase of apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: More human studies are needed in order to clarify the real link between consumption of chili (capsaicin) and the prevalence of oral cancer.

Primer ensayo clínico empleando la estimulación cerebral profunda en pacientes con esquizofrenia resistente / Deep brain stimulation in treatment resistant schizophrenia: A pilot randomized cross-over clinical trial

No disponible

Influence of social cognition as a mediator between cognitive reserve and psychosocial functioning in patients with first episode psychosis.

BACKGROUND: Social cognition has been associated with functional outcome in patients with first episode psychosis (FEP). Social cognition has also been associated with neurocognition and cognitive reserve. Although cognitive reserve, neurocognitive functioning, social cognition, and functional outcome are related, the direction of their associations is not clear. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to analyze the influence of social cognition as a mediator between cognitive reserve and cognitive domains on functioning in FEP both at baseline and at 2 years. METHODS: The sample of the study was composed of 282 FEP patients followed up for 2 years. To analyze whether social cognition mediates the influence of cognitive reserve and cognitive domains on functioning, a path analysis was performed. The statistical significance of any mediation effects was evaluated by bootstrap analysis. RESULTS: At baseline, as neither cognitive reserve nor the cognitive domains studied were related to functioning, the conditions for mediation were not satisfied. Nevertheless, at 2 years of follow-up, social cognition acted as a mediator between cognitive reserve and functioning. Likewise, social cognition was a mediator between verbal memory and functional outcome. The results of the bootstrap analysis confirmed these significant mediations (95% bootstrapped CI (-10.215 to -0.337) and (-4.731 to -0.605) respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive reserve and neurocognition are related to functioning, and social cognition mediates in this relationship.

Widespread Increased Diffusivity Reveals Early Cortical Degeneration in Huntington Disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Huntington disease is a devastating genetic neurodegenerative disorder for which no effective treatment is yet available. Although progressive striatal atrophy is its pathologic hallmark, concomitant cortical deterioration is assumed to occur, but it is poorly characterized. Our objective was to study the loss of cortical integrity and its association with clinical indicators throughout the course of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a cohort of 39 patients with Huntington disease and 25 controls with available MR imaging (T1WI and DTI), we compared cortical atrophy and intracortical diffusivity across disease stages. Intracortical diffusivity is a DTI-derived metric that has recently been suggested to detect incipient neuronal death because water can diffuse more freely in cortical regions with reduced neural density. RESULTS: We observed progressive thinning and increasing diffusivity within the cerebral cortex of patients with Huntington disease (P < .05, corrected for multiple comparisons). Most important, in the absence of pronounced atrophy, widespread increased diffusivity was already present in individuals with premanifest Huntington disease, correlating, in turn, with clinical and disease-specific progression markers. CONCLUSIONS: Intracortical diffusivity may be more sensitive than cortical thinning for tracking early neurodegeneration in Huntington disease. Moreover, our findings provide further evidence of an early cortical compromise in Huntington disease, which contributes to our understanding of its clinical phenotype and could have important therapeutic implications.

Alteraciones retinocoroideas y cáncer pulmonar: primer reporte en población mexicana / Retinochoroidal findings and lung cancer: first report in mexican population

Introducción: El cáncer pulmonar (CP) es el tumor con mayor frecuencia y mortalidad a nivel mundial. Casos de metástasis coroideas y retinopatía asociada a cáncer han sido publicados en CP, sin embargo no existen estudios en población mexicana que describan las posibles alteraciones retinocoroideas y su relación con el estadio de CP. Objetivo: Evaluar a pacientes con CP para determinar la presencia de alteraciones en el segmento posterior y su relación con el estadio del mismo. Materiales y métodos: Estudio transversal y descriptivo de 50 pacientes (100 ojos) con CP. Datos demográficos: edad, sexo, tipo histológico, tiempo de evolución, estadio, tratamiento y comorbilidades. Variables de medición: agudeza visual (LogMAR), biomicroscopía del segmento anterior, registro fotográfico de retina, fluorangiografía retiniana, tomografía de coherencia óptica y electrorretinograma. Cada paciente fue evaluado por dos oftalmólogos. Resultados: Un total de 26 hombres y 24 mujeres fueron evaluados, el promedio de edad fue de 65 años, el tiempo medio del diagnóstico de CP fue de 6 meses siendo el adenocarcinoma el principal tipo histológico (70%), al momento de la evaluación 50% presentaban estadio II y 30% estadio IV. Las alteraciones del segmento posterior encontradas fueron: metástasis coroideas (16%), metástasis retinianas (10%), retinopatía asociada a cáncer (6%) y oclusiones vasculares (4%). La mayoría de los pacientes con alteraciones retinocoroideas se encontraban en estadio IV. Conclusiones: En el CP pueden encontrarse oclusiones vasculares, retinopatía asociada a cáncer y metástasis a coroides y retina con una incidencia mayor a la publicada en la literatura, siendo más frecuentes en estadios avanzados de la enfermedad aunque pueden encontrarse desde el estadio II en pacientes asintomáticos

Introduction: Lung cancer (LC) is the most common tumour, and the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Although cases of choroidal metastasis and cancer-associated retinopathy have been reported in LC, no studies have been conducted on the Mexican population to describe retinochoroidal findings during the course of LC, and the relationship with its stage. Objective: To evaluate patients with a diagnosis of LC, and to describe the posterior segment findings in relationship to the stage of LC. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted on 50 patients with LC (100 eyes). The demographic data included age, gender, histological type, evolution time, stage, treatment, and comorbidities. The measurement variables included visual acuity (LogMAR), anterior segment biomicroscopy, retinal photography, fluorescein retinal angiography, optical coherence tomography, and electroretinogram. All patients were evaluated by two ophthalmologists. Results: The study included a total of 26 men and 24 women, with a mean age of 65 years, and a mean time from LC diagnosis of 6 months. The principal histological type was adenocarcinoma (70%), and most (50%) were in stage II at the time of evaluation, with 15 (30%) patients having a metastasis (stage IV). The changes in the posterior segment included choroidal metastasis (16%), retinal metastasis (10%), cancer-associated retinopathy (6%), and vascular occlusions (4%). The majority of patients who presented with posterior segment alterations were in stage IV. Conclusions: Vascular occlusions, cancer-associated retinopathy, choroidal and retinal metastases may be found in LC, with an incidence higher than that reported in the literature, especially in advanced stages of LC, although they can be found from stage II in asymptomatic patients

Incidence and risk factors of hypoxaemia after preoxygenation at induction of anaesthesia.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of hypoxaemia related to airway management is still a matter of concern. Our aim was to determine the factors that contribute to hypoxaemia during induction of anaesthesia after a standardised preoxygenation procedure. METHODS: The study was a multicentre and prospective observational trial. It evaluated the incidence of hypoxaemia at induction of anaesthesia in adult patients. The primary endpoint was the incidence of hypoxaemia defined as pulse oximetry of arterial oxyhaemoglobin saturation (SpO2) <95%. RESULTS: Of 2398 patients, hypoxaemia was observed in 158 (6.6%). We identified five preoperative independent risk factors: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, anticipated difficult mask ventilation and difficult tracheal intubation, and emergency surgery. There were also three pre-induction independent risk factors: difficult preoxygenation, difficult mask ventilation, and difficult tracheal intubation. We found a high negative predictive value of preoperative risk factors for difficult mask ventilation of 0.96 (0.95-0.96), and for difficult tracheal intubation (0.95 [0.94-0.96]). A total of 723 patients (30%) experienced difficult preoxygenation (FeO2 <90% at the end of preoxygenation). Male sex, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, emergency surgery, and predictable difficult mask ventilation were independent patient risk factors for difficult preoxygenation. CONCLUSIONS: Difficult mask ventilation and difficult tracheal intubation are risk factors for hypoxaemia at induction of general anaesthesia. Difficult preoxygenation was observed in 30% of patients and was also identified as a risk factor for hypoxaemia. This suggests that techniques improving preoxygenation should be implemented in daily practice.

Retinochoroidal findings and lung cancer: first report in mexican population. / Alteraciones retinocoroideas y cáncer pulmonar: primer reporte en población mexicana.

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer (LC) is the most common tumour, and the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Although cases of choroidal metastasis and cancer-associated retinopathy have been reported in LC, no studies have been conducted on the Mexican population to describe retinochoroidal findings during the course of LC, and the relationship with its stage. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patients with a diagnosis of LC, and to describe the posterior segment findings in relationship to the stage of LC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted on 50 patients with LC (100 eyes). The demographic data included age, gender, histological type, evolution time, stage, treatment, and comorbidities. The measurement variables included visual acuity (LogMAR), anterior segment biomicroscopy, retinal photography, fluorescein retinal angiography, optical coherence tomography, and electroretinogram. All patients were evaluated by two ophthalmologists. RESULTS: The study included a total of 26 men and 24 women, with a mean age of 65 years, and a mean time from LC diagnosis of 6 months. The principal histological type was adenocarcinoma (70%), and most (50%) were in stage II at the time of evaluation, with 15 (30%) patients having a metastasis (stage IV). The changes in the posterior segment included choroidal metastasis (16%), retinal metastasis (10%), cancer-associated retinopathy (6%), and vascular occlusions (4%). The majority of patients who presented with posterior segment alterations were in stage IV. CONCLUSIONS: Vascular occlusions, cancer-associated retinopathy, choroidal and retinal metastases may be found in LC, with an incidence higher than that reported in the literature, especially in advanced stages of LC, although they can be found from stage II in asymptomatic patients.

On the aqueous solvation of AsO(OH)3vs. As(OH)3. Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics density functional theory cluster studies.

While arsenous acid, As(OH)3, has been the subject of a plethora of studies due to its worldwide ubiquity and its toxicity, pentavalent As in the form of arsenic acid, AsO(OH)3, has recently been found in rivers in central Mexico as the most abundant naturally occurring arsenic species. To better understand the solvation patterns of both toxic acids at the molecular level, we report the results of Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations on the aqueous solvation of the AsO(OH)3 and As(OH)3 molecules at room temperature using the cluster microsolvation approach including 30 water molecules at the B3LYP/6-31G** level of theory. We found that the average per-molecule water binding energy is ca. 1 kcal mol-1 larger for the As(v) species as compared to the As(iii) one. To account for the asymmetry of both molecules, the hydration patterns were studied separately for a "lower" hemisphere, defined by the initially protonated oxygens, and for the opposite "upper" hemisphere. Similar lower hydration patterns were found for both As(iii) and As(v), with the same coordination number CN = 7. The upper pattern for As(iii) was found to be of a hydrophobic type, whereas that for As(v) showed the fourth oxygen to be hydrogen-bonded to the water network, yielding CN = 3.7; moreover, a proton "hopped" from the lower to the upper side, through the Grotthuss mechanism. Theoretical EXAFS spectra were obtained that showed good agreement with experimental data for As(iii) and As(v) in liquid water, albeit with somewhat longer As-O distances due to the level of theory employed. Proton transfer processes were also addressed; we found that the singly deprotonated H2AsO3- species largely dominated (99% of the simulation) for the As(iii) case, and that the deprotonated H2AsO4- and HAsO42- species were almost equally present (45% and 55%, respectively) for the As(v) case, which is in line with the experimental data pKa1 = 2.24 and pKa2 = 6.96. Through vibrational analysis the features of the Eigen and Zundel ions were found in the spectra of the microsolvated As(iii) and As(v) species, in good agreement with experimental data in aqueous solutions.

Aqueous solvation of Mg(ii) and Ca(ii): A Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics study of microhydrated gas phase clusters.

The hydration features of [Mg(H2O)n]2+ and [Ca(H2O)n]2+ clusters with n = 3-6, 8, 18, and 27 were studied by means of Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations at the B3LYP/6-31+G** level of theory. For both ions, it is energetically more favorable to have all water molecules in the first hydration shell when n ≤ 6, but stable lower coordination average structures with one water molecule not directly interacting with the ion were found for Mg2+ at room temperature, showing signatures of proton transfer events for the smaller cation but not for the larger one. A more rigid octahedral-type structure for Mg2+ than for Ca2+ was observed in all simulations, with no exchange of water molecules to the second hydration shell. Significant thermal effects on the average structure of clusters were found: while static optimizations lead to compact, spherically symmetric hydration geometries, the effects introduced by finite-temperature dynamics yield more prolate configurations. The calculated vibrational spectra are in agreement with infrared spectroscopy results. Previous studies proposed an increase in the coordination number (CN) from six to eight water molecules for [Ca(H2O)n]2+ clusters when n ≥ 12; however, in agreement with recent measurements of binding energies, no transition to a larger CN was found when n > 8. Moreover, the excellent agreement found between the calculated extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy spectra for the larger cluster and the experimental data of the aqueous solution supports a CN of six for Ca2+.

Volumetric and morphological characteristics of the hippocampus are associated with progression to schizophrenia in patients with first-episode psychosis.

BACKGROUND: Abnormalities in the hippocampus have been implicated in the pathophysiology of psychosis. However, it is still unclear whether certain abnormalities are a pre-existing vulnerability factor, a sign of disease progression or a consequence of environmental factors. We hypothesized that first-episode psychosis patients who progress to schizophrenia after one year of follow up will display greater volumetric and morphological changes from the very beginning of the disorder. METHODS: We studied the hippocampus of 41 patients with a first-episode psychosis and 41 matched healthy controls. MRI was performed at the time of the inclusion in the study. After one year, the whole sample was reevaluated and divided in two groups depending on the diagnoses (schizophrenia vs. non-schizophrenia). RESULTS: Patients who progressed to schizophrenia showed a significantly smaller left hippocampus volume than control group and no-schizophrenia group (F=3.54; df=2, 77; P=0.03). We also found significant differences in the morphology of the anterior hippocampus (CA1) of patients with first-episode psychosis who developed schizophrenia compared with patients who did not. CONCLUSIONS: These results are consistent with the assumption of hyperfunctioning dopaminergic cortico-subcortical circuits in schizophrenia, which might be related with an alteration of subcortical structures, such as the hippocampus, along the course of the disease. According with these results, hippocampus abnormalities may serve as a prognostic marker of clinical outcome in patients with a first-episode psychosis.

Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics studies of Pb(ii) micro hydrated gas phase clusters.

In this work, a theoretical investigation was made to assess the coordination properties of Pb(ii) in [Pb(H2O)n]2+ clusters, with n = 4, 6, 8, 12, and 29, as well as to study proton transfer events, by means of Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations at the B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ-pp/6-311G level of theory, that were calibrated in comparison with B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ-PP/aug-cc-pVDZ calculations. Hemidirected configurations were found in all cases; the radial distribution functions (RDFs) produced well defined first hydration shells (FHSs) for n = 4,6,8, and 12, that resulted in a coordination number CN = 4, whereas a clear-cut FHS was not found for n = 29 because the RDF did not have a vacant region after the first maximum; however, three water molecules remained directly interacting with the Pb ion for the whole simulation, while six others stayed at average distances shorter than 4 Å but dynamically getting closer and farther, thus producing a CN ranging from 6 to 9, depending on the criterion used to define the first hydration shell. In agreement with experimental data and previous calculations, proton transfer events were observed for n≤8 but not for n≥12. For an event to occur, a water molecule in the second hydration shell had to make a single hydrogen bond with a water molecule in the first hydration shell.

Experiencias del personal de enfermería con pacientes hospitalizados por abuso de alcohol / Nursing personnel experiences with alcohol-abusing hospitalized patients / Experiências do pessoal de enfermagem com pacientes hospitalizados por abuso de álcool

Introducción: Enfermería se ha caracterizado por tener una mejor disposición de ayudar/orientar a los pacientes con uso nocivo de alcohol; sin embargo, tener un mayor conocimiento sobre las experiencias y prácticas actuales de atención ayudaría a diseñar mejores estrategias para implementar la detección y la intervención. Objetivo: Caracterizar las experiencias de atención de los profesionales de enfermería hacia los pacientes hospitalizados por enfermedades atribuibles al alcohol. Método: Estudio exploratorio en el que se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas a enfermeras/os de un hospital general. Se utilizaron preguntas abiertas agrupadas en 2 áreas generales: a) experiencias de atención durante el tratamiento médico, y b) experiencias de intervención específica para reducir el consumo de alcohol en los pacientes. Se utilizó el modelo de sistema de actividad como guía conceptual para organizar e interpretar los datos. Resultados: Se realizaron 21 entrevistas. La acumulación de experiencias con pacientes violentos por intoxicación alcohólica o supresión etílica genera actitudes negativas, por ejemplo, el rechazo, y condiciona la atención. Por otro lado, el antecedente de un familiar con alcoholismo entre el personal de enfermería se asocia a una mayor empatía y disposición. Conclusiones: Se identificaron 4 grupos de condicionantes para la atención que se brinda: 1) actitudes, emociones; 2) creencias y percepciones sobre el alcoholismo; 3) historia personal, y 4) limitaciones institucionales. Las experiencias de atención del personal de enfermería con antecedentes familiares de alcoholismo y sus acciones orientadas a reducir el consumo de alcohol son básicas para desarrollar un modelo de intervención.

Introduction: Nursing has been considered as a profession with a distinguished disposition towards helping patients with alcohol consumption problems; however, having a broader knowledge on the related actual attention practice and experiences could help design better detection and intervention strategies. Objective: To characterize the attention experiences of nursing professionals regarding patients hospitalized for alcohol-consumption-related illnesses. Method: This is an exploratory study. Semi-structured interviews were performed on nurses from a general hospital. Open questions were asked about 2 general areas: a) experiences related to attention during the medical treatment, and b) experiences related to specific interventions to reduce consumption. The activity system model was used as a conceptual guide to organize and conceptualize data. Results: Twenty-one interviews were performed. The accumulation of experiences with alcohol intoxication-or-suppression related violent patients tends to provoke negative attitudes on the side of the nursing professionals, including rejection and attention-conditioning. However, an antecedent of a relative with alcoholism among the nursing personnel is associated with a greater care empathy and disposition. Conclusion: Four attention conditioning factors were identified: 1) attitudes, emotions; 2) beliefs and perceptions on alcoholism; 3) personal history, and 4) institutional limitations. The attention experiences of the nursing personnel with relatives with alcoholism antecedents can be an important base to address the issue and develop an intervention model.

Introdução: A enfermagem tem se caraterizado por ter uma melhor disposição para ajudar/orientar aos pacientes sobre o uso nocivo do álcool, porém, ter um maior conhecimento sobre as experiências e práticas atuais de atenção, ajudaria a desenhar melhores estratégias para implementar a detecção e intervenção. Objetivo: Caracterizar as experiências de atenção dos profissionais de enfermagem nos pacientes hospitalizados por doenças atribuídas ao álcool. Método: Estudo exploratório, realizaram-se entrevistas semiestruturadas a enfermeiras/os de um hospital geral. Utilizaram-se perguntas abertas agrupadas em duas áreas gerais: a) Experiências de atenção durante o tratamento médico, b) Experiências de intervenção específica para reduzir o consumo de álcool nos pacientes. Utilizou-se o modelo de sistema de atividade como guia conceitual para organizar e interpretar os dados. Resultados: Realizaram-se 21 entrevistas. A acumulação de experiências com pacientes violentos por intoxicação alcoólica ou supressão etílica gera atitudes negativas, por exemplo, a recusa, e condiciona a atenção. Por outro lado, o antecedente de um familiar com alcoolismo entre o pessoal de enfermagem associa-se a uma maior empatia e disposição. Conclusões: Identificaram-se quatro grupos de condicionantes para a atenção que se brinda: 1) atitudes, emoções, 2) crenças e percepções sobre o alcoolismo, 3) história pessoal e 4) limitações institucionais. As experiências de atenção do pessoal de enfermagem com antecedentes familiares de alcoolismo e suas ações orientadas a reduzir o consumo do álcool, são base para desenvolver um modelo de intervenção.

Antiferromagnetic vs. non-magnetic ε phase of solid oxygen. Periodic density functional theory studies using a localized atomic basis set and the role of exact exchange.

The question of the non-magnetic (NM) vs. antiferromagnetic (AF) nature of the ε phase of solid oxygen is a matter of great interest and continuing debate. In particular, it has been proposed that the ε phase is actually composed of two phases, a low-pressure AF ε1 phase and a higher pressure NM ε0 phase [Crespo et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 2014, 111, 10427]. We address this problem through periodic spin-restricted and spin-polarized Kohn-Sham density functional theory calculations at pressures from 10 to 50 GPa using calibrated GGA and hybrid exchange-correlation functionals with Gaussian atomic basis sets. The two possible configurations for the antiferromagnetic (AF1 and AF2) coupling of the 0 ≤ S ≤ 1 O2 molecules in the (O2)4 unit cell were studied. Full enthalpy-driven geometry optimizations of the (O2)4 unit cells were done to study the pressure evolution of the enthalpy difference between the non-magnetic and both antiferromagnetic structures. We also address the evolution of structural parameters and the spin-per-molecule vs. pressure. We find that the spin-less solution becomes more stable than both AF structures above 50 GPa and, crucially, the spin-less solution yields lattice parameters in much better agreement with experimental data at all pressures than the AF structures. The optimized AF2 broken-symmetry structures lead to large errors of the a and b lattice parameters when compared with experiments. The results for the NM model are in much better agreement with the experimental data than those found for both AF models and are consistent with a completely non-magnetic (O2)4 unit cell for the low-pressure regime of the ε phase.

An Assessment of the Primary Payer Variable among Breast and Colorectal Cancer Cases in the Massachusetts Cancer Registry, 2005-2009.

The Massachusetts Cancer Registry (MCR) reviewed the medical charts of 5,348 randomly selected breast and colorectal cancer cases diagnosed from 2005 to 2009. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of primary payer at diagnosis in the MCR database and to examine primary payer and the first course of treatment of individual cancer patients. For the first period (2005-2006), private insurance (72.6% agreement) and Medicare (84.3% agreement) indicated strong agreement with kappa values of 0.62 and 0.72, respectively. Agreement for the later period was again stronger in the private insurance and Medicare categories (kappa= 0.63 and 0.74, respectively).

Active tuberculosis patients have high levels of IgA anti-alpha-crystallin and isocitrate lyase proteins.

SETTING: Mexico City, Mexico. OBJECTIVE: To identify proteins synthetised by Mycobacterium tuberculosis in hypoxic culture, which resemble more closely a granuloma environment than aerobic culture, and to determine if they are recognised by antibodies from patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). DESIGN: Soluble extracts from M. tuberculosis H37Rv cultured under aerobic or hypoxic conditions were analysed using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and proteins over-expressed under hypoxia were identified by mass spectrometry. The presence of immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgA and IgM antibodies against these proteins was determined in the serum of 42 patients with active PTB and 42 healthy controls. RESULTS: We selected three M. tuberculosis H37Rv proteins (alpha-crystallin protein [Acr, Rv2031c], universal stress protein Rv2623 and isocitrate lyase [ICL, RV0467]) that were over-expressed under hypoxia. Titres of anti-Acr and anti-ICL IgA antibodies were higher in patients than in healthy controls, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.71 for anti-ICL IgA antibodies. CONCLUSION: ICL could be used in combination with other M. tuberculosis antigens to improve the sensitivity and specificity of current serological TB diagnostic methods.

Limited beneficial effects of piceatannol supplementation on obesity complications in the obese Zucker rat: gut microbiota, metabolic, endocrine, and cardiac aspects

Resveratrol is beneficial in obese and diabetic rodents. However, its low bioavailability raises questions about its therapeutic relevance for treating or preventing obesity complications. In this context, many related natural polyphenols are being tested for their putative antidiabetic and anti-obesity effects. This prompted us to study the influence of piceatannol, a polyhydroxylated stilbene, on the prevention of obesity complications in Zucker obese rats. A 6-week supplementation was followed by the determination of various markers in plasma, liver, adipose tissue and heart, together with a large-scale analysis of gut microbiota composition. When given in doses of 15 or 45 mg/kg body weight/day, piceatannol did not reduce either hyperphagia or fat accumulation. It did not modify the profusion of the most abundant phyla in gut, though slight changes were observed in the abundance of several Lactobacillus, Clostridium, and Bacteroides species belonging to Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. This was accompanied by a tendency to reduce plasma lipopolysaccharides by 30 %, and by a decrease of circulating non-esterified fatty acids, LDL-cholesterol, and lactate. While piceatannol tended to improve lipid handling, it did not mitigate hyperinsulinemia and cardiac hypertrophy. However, it increased cardiac expression of ephrin-B1, a membrane protein that contributes to maintaining cardiomyocyte architecture. Lastly, ascorbyl radical plasma levels and hydrogen peroxide release by adipose tissue were similar in control and treated groups. Thus, piceatannol did not exhibit strong slimming capacities but did limit several obesity complications (AU)

No disponible