Introducing a Realistic, Low-Cost Simulation Model for Clipping of Brain Aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: The current trend toward endovascular treatment of brain aneurysms may have a negative impact on young neurosurgeons who are less exposed to these lesions, thus affecting the acquisition of surgical skills in the field. Different training models have emerged to help cope with this issue, but these have specific pitfalls. Training models based on live animals or cadaveric specimens face increasing restrictions as regulations become a barrier in accessibility for everyday skills development. We introduce a novel, realistic, and inexpensive simulation model using a fresh bovine brain, and we assess its face and content validity as a training tool. METHODS: A fresh bovine brain is used to simulate microsurgical fissure dissection. Arterial and aneurysmal components are created with arteries and veins harvested from chicken thigh. A 12-item questionnaire using the Likert numeric scale (grades 1 - 5) was used to assess the validity of model in 10 surgeons. RESULTS: Ten neurosurgeons performed the simulated clipping of the aneurysm and completed a questionnaire. All surgeons surveyed responded "agree" or "strongly agree" that the simulator, and the skills trained with it, are comparable to clipping brain aneurysms. All respondents believed that this simulator could improve patient safety. CONCLUSIONS: We present a novel, realistic, and inexpensive simulation model for the clipping of brain aneurysms. This model was partially validated by the opinion of field experts. We believe this model has the potential to become a useful training tool for young neurosurgeons who have little exposure to real aneurysm cases.

El Contexto Escolar y la Salud Mental de Adolescentes Migrantes y no Migrantes en la Ciudad de Barcelona / School context and mental health of migrant and non-migrant adolescents in Barcelona

El constante flujo migratorio a nivel internacional invita a reinventarnos para crear sociedades inclusivas a nivel intercultural. La convivencia, como modelo basado en la integración mutua entre locales y migrantes, es todavía un desafío a enfrentar en Europa y España. Este estudio busca identificar qué variables de salud mental y resiliencia afectan a la integración escolar entendida como ejemplo del bienestar psicosocial, comparando una muestra de adolescentes migrantes con adolescentes locales. A través de una metodología cuantitativa, se estudiaron factores escolares, conductas problemáticas y factores de resiliencia en 132 estudiantes de entre 12 y 18 años. Los resultados revelan que los niveles de salud mental son semejantes en ambos grupos, pero la salud mental y la resiliencia contextual son más determinantes en la población adolescente migrante. Identificar con claridad las relaciones entre factores escolares y salud mental ofrece la posibilidad de diseñar intervenciones eficaces en el ámbito educativo. (AU)

The continuous international migration flow invites us to reinvent ourselves to create inclusive societies at intercultural level. Coexistence, as a model based on the mutual integration of locals and migrants, is still a challenge to face in Europe and Spain. This study aims to identify which mental health and resilience variables influence school integration used as a proxy for psychosocial well-being by comparing a sample of migrant and local adolescents. Through a quantitative methodology, school factors, disruptive behaviors, and resilience were measured in 132 students aged between 12 and 18 years old. The results reveal that although mental health scores are similar in both groups, mental health and contextual resilience are more critical for the migrant adolescent population than for the local one. Clearly identifying the relationships between school related factors and mental health offers the possibility of designing effective interventions within the educational context. (AU)

Melatonin reduces lead levels in blood, brain and bone and increases lead excretion in rats subjected to subacute lead treatment.

Melatonin, a hormone known for its effects on free radical scavenging and antioxidant activity, can reduce lead toxicity in vivo and in vitro.We examined the effects of melatonin on lead bio-distribution. Rats were intraperitoneally injected with lead acetate (10, 15 or 20mg/kg/day) with or without melatonin (10mg/kg/day) daily for 10 days. In rats intoxicated with the highest lead doses, those treated with melatonin had lower lead levels in blood and higher levels in urine and feces than those treated with lead alone, suggesting that melatonin increases lead excretion. To explore the mechanism underlying this effect, we first assessed whether lead/melatonin complexes were formed directly. Electronic density functional (DFT) calculations showed that a lead/melatonin complex is energetically feasible; however, UV spectroscopy and NMR analysis showed no evidence of such complexes. Next, we examined the liver mRNA levels of metallothioneins (MT) 1 and 2. Melatonin cotreatment increased the MT2 mRNA expression in the liver of rats that received the highest doses of lead. The potential effects of MTs on the tissue distribution and excretion of lead are not well understood. This is the first report to suggest that melatonin directly affects lead levels in organisms exposed to subacute lead intoxication.