Barriers in implementing research among registered nurses working in the care of the elderly: a multicenter study in Spain.

OBJECTIVE: This study identified barriers to the utilization of research results perceived by nurses who work in nursing homes in Spain. METHODS: An observational, cross-sectional, descriptive, and multicentre study was conducted in 126 nursing homes in different Spanish cities. The BARRIERS to Research Utilization Scale (BARRIERS scale) was used to identify barriers. RESULTS: A total of 756 nurses responded (92.48%). BARRIERS scale variables with the highest scores included Characteristics of the organization (mean=24.89, SD=4.37), followed by Professional features (mean=21.87, SD=4.85). The specific barriers that were rated the highest included "not enough time on the job to implement new ideas" (mean=3.89, SD=0.98), followed by "unknown nursing research" (mean=2.75; SD=1.22) and "Doctors do not cooperate in the implementation" (mean=3.01, SD=1.85). CONCLUSIONS: Geriatric nurses perceive time as the main barrier to implementing the results of research in practice. The number and nature of the barriers are consistent with studies from other countries. Knowledge of the barriers is crucial for institutions and educators to instigate measures that improve the implementation of nursing research, especially in an area like elderly care. To our knowledge, this is the first study conducted among geriatric nurses in Spain.

Plasma disposition kinetics of moxidectin after subcutaneous administration to pregnant sheep.

The plasma kinetic profile of moxidectin (MXD) in ewes during the last third of pregnancy was studied after the subcutaneous dose of 0.2 mg/kg of body weight (bw). Two groups of sheep (n = 7) that were equally balanced in body weight were used. Group I (control) was maintained unmated, while Group II (pregnant) was estrous-synchronized and mated with fertile rams. Both groups were maintained under similar conditions regarding management and feeding. When the ewes from Group II fulfilled 120 days of pregnancy, both groups were treated with a subcutaneous injection of 0.2 mg of MXD/kg bw. Blood samples were collected at different set times between 1 h and 40 days post-treatment. After plasma extraction and derivatization, the samples were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. A noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analysis was performed, and the data were compared using Student's t-test. The mean pharmacokinetic parameters, including Cmax , Tmax , and the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), were similar for both groups of sheep. The average of elimination half-life was significantly lower (P = 0.0023) in the pregnant (11.49 ± 2.2 days) vs. the control (17.89 ± 4.84 days) sheep. Similarly, the mean residence time (MRT) for the pregnant group (20.6 ± 3.8 days) was lower (P = 0.037) than that observed in the control group (27.4 ± 9.1 days). It is concluded that pregnancy produces a significant decrease in mean values of half-life of elimination of MXD, indicating that pregnancy can increase the rate of elimination of the drug reducing their permanence in the body.

Lactate minimum test during incremental running after a submaximal cycling exercise: a novel test with training applications for triathletes.

AIM: The purpose of the present study was to determine whether running speed determined in a lactate minimum test (lactate minimum intensity, LMI) during a treadmill incremental exercise performed just after submaximal cycling corresponds to the speed of a respiratory exchange ratio of 1.00 (RER-1) and, by extension, to the maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) previously obtained in a standard incremental exercise test. METHODS: Eighteen moderately trained triathletes (15 men, 3 women) underwent two exercise sessions 72 h apart in random order: 1) a standard incremental treadmill test to identify the speed corresponding to RER-1, and 2) a submaximal exercise test on a bicycle-ergometer to obtain the LT (lactate threshold) followed by the incremental portion of the lactate minimum test on the treadmill. RESULTS: No significant differences were detected between running speed and heart rate at RER-1 and LMI (14.44±1.24 vs. 14.11±1.36 km·h-1 and 166.38±9.30 vs. 169.55±8.97 beats·min-1, respectively). Moreover, 95% of the differences between the results of the two incremental tests for running speed and heart rate were within the limits of agreement. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest the possibility of obtaining a valid physiological profile of a triathlete using a single test to assess the level of training in both cycling and running.

[Aphallia associated to urethrorectal fistula: a case report]. / Afalia asociada a fístula recto-uretral: reporte de un caso.

Aphallia had an incidence of 1/30.000.000 newborn. This is a rare genitourinary anomaly derived from a faulty development of the genital tubercles. It usually coexists with series of other anomalies which are incompatible with normal life. This article presents a description of a 2 years old patient.

Transplacental exchange of moxidectin after maternal or fetal intravenous administration in sheep.

The transplacental exchange of moxidectin after maternal or fetal intravenous (i.v.) administration was studied using the chronically catheterized fetal sheep model. Nine pregnant Suffolk Down sheep of 65.7 +/- 5.9 kg body weight (bw) were surgically prepared to insert polyvinyl catheters in the fetal femoral artery and vein and amniotic sac. The ewes were randomly assigned to two experimental groups. In group 1 (maternal injection) five ewes were treated with an i.v. bolus of 0.2 mg of moxidectin/kg bw. In group 2, (fetal injection) an i.v. bolus of 1 mg of moxidectin was administered to the four fetuses by femoral vein catheters. Maternal and fetal blood and amniotic fluid samples were taken before and after moxidectin administration for a 144 h post-treatment period. Samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography. A noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analysis was performed and statistical differences were determined by mean of parametric and nonparametric statistical tests. Pharmacokinetic differences observed in maternal variables were shorter elimination half-life and mean residence time compared with values previously reported for ivermectin. Drug diffusion from maternal to fetal circulation (AUC(0-t) = 232.6 +/- 72.5 ng.h/mL) was statistically not different (P = 0.09) compared with fetal to maternal diffusion (AUC(0-t) = 158.0 +/- 21.6 ng.h/mL). Fetuses showed significantly (P = 0.008) lower drug body clearance values compared with those observed in the maternal side. Considering the observed transplacental passages between materno-fetal or feto-maternal circulations, we conclude that the placental barrier is not effective in preventing the moxidectin diffusion between mother and fetus.

Pharmacokinetics of ivermectin after maternal or fetal intravenous administration in sheep.

In pregnant sheep at 120-130 days of gestational age, a study was undertaken in order to characterize the pharmacokinetics and transplacental exchange of Ivermectin after maternal or fetal intravenous administration. Eight pregnant Suffolk Down sheep of 73.2 +/- 3.7 kg body weight (bw) were surgically prepared in order to insert polyvinyl catheters in the fetal femoral artery and vein and amniotic sac. Following 48 h of recovery, the ewes were randomly assigned to two experimental groups. In group 1, (maternal injection) five ewes were treated with an intravenous bolus of 0.2 mg ivermectin/kg bw. In group 2, (fetal injection) three ewes were injected with an intravenous bolus of 1 mg of ivermectin to the fetus through a fetal femoral vein catheter. Maternal and fetal blood and amniotic fluid samples were taken before and after ivermectin administration for a period of 144 h post-treatment. Samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography (HPLC). A computerized non-compartmental pharmacokinetic analysis was performed and the results were compared by means of the Student t-test. The main pharmacokinetic changes observed in the maternal compartment were increases in the volume of distribution and in the half-life of elimination (t((1/2)beta)). A limited maternal-fetal transfer of ivermectin was evidenced by a low fetal Cmax (1.72 +/- 0.6 ng/mL) and AUC (89.1 +/- 11.4 ng.h/mL). While the fetal administration of ivermectin resulted in higher values of clearance (554.1 +/- 177.9 mL/kg) and lower values of t((1/2)beta) (8.0 +/- 1.4 h) and mean residence time (8.0 +/- 2.9 h) indicating that fetal-placental unit is highly efficient in eliminating the drug as well as limiting the transfer of ivermectin from the maternal to fetal compartment.

[Unifocal eosinophilic granuloma of the temporal bone]. / Granuloma eosinófilo unifocal de hueso temporal.

We present a case of a twelve year old child with a eosinophilic granuloma of the temporal bone. The eosinophilic granuloma is the most frecuent and most benign form of the histiocytosis of the Langerhans cells. The frecuency of the othological manifestations of this condition varies between 15-60 percent and radiologically, the images are characterized by litho-lesions with sharp edges. The diagnosis is histological and the treatment includes surgical intervention accompanied by inter-lesion corticoid-therapy and/or radiotherapy.

[Papilar thyroid carcinoma. An unusual clinic]. / Carcinoma papilar de tiroides de localizacion inusual.

The Papillary carcinoma is the most frequent neoplasic tumour of the thyroid gland. It accounts for 70-75% of all malignant thyroid tumours. In 80-90% of cases it presents as a slow-growing single thyroid node. Nevertheless, in 10-26% of cases, the initial presentation is a lateral neck mass without palpable thyroid mass. We present the case of a 67 year- old patient who attended to the ENT out-patient clinic with a lateral neck mass which had been growing slowly over the course of number of years.

Human anaplasmosis: the first Spanish case confirmed by PCR.

We report a case of human anaplasmosis (HA) fulfilling the confirmation criteria: epidemiologic data and clinical picture compatible with HA; presence of a morulae within polymorphonuclear leukocyte; and positive PCR assay for Anaplasma phagocytophilum: This case report shows the presence of HA in Spain.

Co-morbidities and sleep apnoea severity. A study in a cohort of Portuguese patients. / Comorbilidades y gravedad de la apnea del sueño. Estudio en una cohorte de pacientes portugueses.

INTRODUCTION: Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is frequently associated to other morbid conditions that act as risk factors influencing OSAS morbidity and mortality. AIM: To analyse the presence of co-morbidities in OSAS patients, recruited from a sleep outpatient clinic in Northern Portugal, stratified as a function of OSAS severity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cohort of 319 sleep-disordered patients was assessed by clinical and sleep video-polygraphic recording. Patients (n = 209) with sleep respiratory distress had OSAS (n = 145) and severity defined according to Apnoea/Hypopnea Index (AHI); 64 had primary snoring or respiratory distress with AHI < 5; and 110 had other sleep disorders. A full individual background study was possible in 128 OSAS patients. The association to unique or multiple co-morbidities was assessed by clinical and analytical studies in general group or as a function of OSAS severity. RESULTS: The presence of co-morbidities was of 75% in all OSAS patients and of 79.5% in the severe group of OSAS. Forty seven of patients had only one co-morbidity. The most common was obesity (56.3%) followed by high blood pressure, diabetes and other cardiovascular disorders. Obesity was present in 84% among the most severe OSAS cases and always present in those with multiple co-morbidities. When compared with the group of patients without sleep respiratory distress the co-morbidity condition was more frequently related to OSAS (p = 0.0196). CONCLUSION: Comorbidities are commonly associated to OSAS independently of disease severity. Among the comorbidities present obesity was the most common in the most severe OSAS cases.

TITLE: Comorbilidades y gravedad de la apnea del sueño. Estudio en una cohorte de pacientes portugueses.Introduccion. El sindrome de apnea obstructiva del sueño (SAOS) se asocia frecuentemente a otras enfermedades que actuan como factores de riesgo que influyen en la morbilidad y mortalidad del SAOS. Objetivos. Analizar la presencia de comorbilidades en pacientes con SAOS, seleccionados en una clinica del sueño ambulatoria en el norte de Portugal y clasificados atendiendo a la gravedad del SAOS. Pacientes y metodos. Una cohorte de 319 pacientes con trastornos del sueño fueron evaluados mediante estudios clinicos y registro videopoligrafico durante el sueño. Del total de pacientes (n = 209) con distres respiratorio durante el sueño, 145 tenian SAOS con gravedad definida segun el indice de apnea/hipopnea (IAH); 64 presentaban ronquidos primarios o distres respiratorio con IAH < 5; y 110 tenian otros trastornos del sueño. Resultados. La presencia de comorbilidades fue del 75% en todos los pacientes con SAOS y del 79,5% en el grupo de pacientes con SAOS grave; 47 pacientes presentaban una unica comorbilidad, la mas comun de las cuales fue la obesidad (56,3%), seguida de hipertension, diabetes y otros trastornos cardiovasculares. La obesidad estuvo presente en el 84% de los casos mas graves de SAOS y en el 100% de casos con multiples comorbilidades. En comparacion con el grupo de pacientes con distres respiratorio durante el sueño, la comorbilidad aparece normalmente relacionada con el SAOS (p = 0,0196). Conclusion. Las comorbilidades se asocian con frecuencia al SAOS, independientemente de la gravedad de la enfermedad. Entre las comorbilidades presentes, la obesidad resulto ser la mas comun en los casos mas graves de SAOS.

Serotonin upregulates the activity of phagocytosis through 5-HT1A receptors.

1 In this study, we investigated whether serotonin could regulate the in vitro activity of phagocytosis through 5-hydroxytryptamine or serotonin (5-HT(1A)) receptors. 2 Mouse peritoneal macrophages were cultured with serotonin and the activity of phagocytosis was assessed by the uptake of zymosan and latex particles added to the culture media. Specific binding of [(3)H]8-OH-DPAT and immunohistochemistry using an affinity-purified anti-5-HT(1A)-receptor antibody were assayed in the macrophages. In addition, we took advantage of the availability of pharmacological inhibitors of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) to explore its role in the regulation of the 5-HT(1A) receptor. 3 Serotonin increased the in vitro activity of phagocytosis in a dose-dependent manner. The 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist (+/-)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propyl-amino)-tetralin (R(+)-8-OH-DPAT) reproduced these effects. Serotonin- or R(+)-8-OH-DPAT-induced increases in phagocytosis were blocked by the 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist WAY100635 and the NF-kappaB inhibitor pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate. Moreover, mouse peritoneal macrophages expressed specific binding sites for [(3)H]8-OH-DPAT when cultivated in the presence of zymosan or latex beads. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the expression of the 5-HT(1A) receptor protein in the macrophages. 4 These results show that serotonin can upregulate the activity of peritoneal macrophages through 5-HT(1A) receptors.

Effects of alprazolam on the development of MTV-induced mammary tumors in female mice under stress.

Female C3H/He mice carrying the mammary tumor virus (MTV) were monitored for mammary tumor incidence and latent periods while subjected to a daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of placebo or alprazolam (1 mg/kg per day). Although all of the mice were potential candidates for MTV-induced breast cancer, those injected with alprazolam were partially protected against adverse effects of stress induced by the daily administration of placebo.

Effects of alprazolam on T-cell immunosuppressive response to surgical stress in mice.

Mice submitted to surgical stress induced by laparotomy and treated with chronic alprazolam (1 mg/kg) showed a reduction in stress-induced suppression of thymus and spleen cellularity, as well as in peripheral T lymphocyte population. The blastic response of spleen lymphoid cells was also assessed and found to partially supress the inhibitory effect of surgery.

Effects of alprazolam on cellular immune response to surgical stress in mice.

Mice exposed to surgical stress induced by laparotomy and treated with chronic alprazolam (0.5-2 mg/kg) showed a dose-dependent reduction in stress-induced suppression of the natural killer (NK) cell activity. These immunoenhancing effects of alprazolam were more intense when it administered before the surgery was performed.

Effects of nefazodone on the immune system of mice.

Mice exposed to a chronic auditory stressor and treated with nefazodone (10 mg/kg/day s.c.), showed a reduction in stress-induced suppression of thymus and spleen cellularity, and in peripheral T-Iymphocyte population. The in vitro blastogenic response of spleen lymphoid cells to mitogen concanavalin A, the in vitro and in vivo activity of phagocytosis, both measured using the zymosan and carbon clearance tests, respectively, were also assessed and nefazodone was found to partially reverse the inhibitory effect of stress on those parameters. Nefazodone did not significantly affect those parameters in unstressed mice. In conclusion, this report provides evidence on the immunoprotective effects of this novel antidepressant drug against the adverse effects of stress in mice.

Scorpion envenoming in two regions of Colombia: clinical, epidemiological and therapeutic aspects.

To determine clinical and epidemiological features of scorpion stings in two departments of Colombia, a descriptive study was performed in the hospitals of 10 towns from Antioquia (2 256 071 inhabitants) and five from Tolima (630 424 inhabitants). One hundred and twenty-nine cases were admitted during one year, 51 in Antioquia, 78 in Tolima and 41 were children less than 15 years old. Most stings (70.5%) occurred inside the house; 27.9% were on the hands and 26.4% on the feet. The scorpion species involved were Tityus pachyurus (51), Centruroides gracilis (31), T. fuehrmanni (29), T. asthenes (7) and Chactas spp. (1). In 10 cases the scorpion involved was not identified. Systemic envenoming signs (e.g. vomiting, tachypnea) were significantly more frequent in children than in adults (P < 0.05). Four children had hypertension, but none developed pulmonary oedema. One 3-year-old girl, stung by T. asthenes, had acute oedematous pancreatitis. Ninety-eight patients had mild envenoming. Moderate (27 patients) and severe (four patients) envenoming was significantly more frequent in children than in adults (P = 0.003; relative risk = 2.97). A pepsin-digested anti-Centruroides spp. antivenom was administered to 19 of 31 patients presenting systemic envenoming signs. No adverse reactions to antivenom were observed.

Effects of amphetamine on the activity of phagocytosis in mice.

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the influences of chronic treatment with amphetamine (0.4 mg/kg/day) on the activity of phagocytosis in mice. Results show a decrease of the in vitro and in vivo phagocytosis measured by using the zymosan-particle uptake method and the carbon clearance test, respectively.

Effects of amphetamine on the development of MTV-induced mammary tumors in female mice.

Female C3H/He mice carrying the mammary tumor virus (MTV) were monitored for mammary tumor incidence and latent periods while submitted to a daily subcutaneous injection with amphetamine (0,4 mg/kg/day). Results show that amphetamine caused an increase in incidence and a decrease in latency of tumors compared with placebo. There was also appreciated a correlation with the lethality of mice.

Autoradiographic evidence of 125I-beta-endorphin binding sites in the articular cartilage of the rat.

After 125I-beta-endorphin was intravenously injected to rats, an autoradiographic study of distal femur articular cartilage was performed. Results show a specific binding of 125I-beta-endorphin to chondrocytes, suggesting the possible existence of an opiate modulation of articular cartilage.