Vector abundance determines Trypanosoma prevalence in nestling blue tits.

The effect of insect vectors on avian exposure to infection by pathogens remains poorly studied. Here, we used an insect repellent treatment to reduce the number of blood-sucking flying insects in blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus nests and examined its effect on nestling health status measured as body mass, nestling phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) response and blood parasite prevalence. We found that (i) the insect repellent treatment significantly reduced the number of blood-sucking flying insects in nests and (ii) the number of blood-sucking flying insects had a significant effect on the prevalence of the blood parasite Trypanosoma independently of the treatment. In addition, we found support for an adverse effect of parasite infections on nestling PHA response. Nestlings infected by Trypanosoma mounted a weaker response against PHA than non-parasitized ones. In addition, the number of blowflies in the nest was negatively associated with nestling PHA response. Overall, we found support for the hypothesis that blood-sucking flying insects attacking nestlings increase their exposure to parasite infections. Our results further substantiate the adverse effect of parasites on nestling condition.

[Work commitment of middle-line managers in health-care: Manageable organizational factors]. / Compromiso laboral de los directivos intermedios en sanidad: factores organizativos gestionables.

Middle-line managers are a key element in the management of health-care organizations. Reinforcing their commitment to their job could contribute to improving the health outcomes of the population they serve. OBJECTIVE: Analyzing the work commitment of middle-line managers to the health-care organizations they work for, as well as their profile and perception of the main manageable organizational factors involved. METHODOLOGY: Descriptive multicenter study based on a questionnaire about work commitment and 20 associated manageable factors, analyzing 60 variables (scale 1-10). The theoretical framework on which it was based was adapted from the model of demands and resources, along with 2organizational commitment questionnaires. It was distributed among the professionals of 23 non-profit health-care organizations belonging to the Health and Social Care Consortium of Catalonia, in the period 2015-2019. RESULTS: A number of 2,060 surveys were obtained; 60% were answered by women; 69% declared an antiquity of more than 10 years. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.974. The overall indicator of work commitment received 7.94 points. Overall, job resources received higher scores than demands (7.39 versus 6.69 points). The 3highest-scoring manageable organizational factors were demand, equality policies with 8.27 points, and 2resources: professional autonomy (7.81 points) and job stability (7.79 points). The 3lowest scoring factors were 3demands: Remuneration (5.52 points), time and personnel resources (5.74 points) and social benefits (6.10 points). Seventy-one percent of middle-line managers' work commitment to their institution was explained by 4manageable factors: Trust and coherence, professional autonomy, institutional image, and training and development. CONCLUSIONS: The middle-line managers showed a high level of work commitment to their institutions. The main predictor of this commitment was the perception of trust in the institution and coherence in the management of the centers.

A restriction site to differentiate Plasmodium and Haemoproteus infections in birds: on the inefficiency of general primers for detection of mixed infections.

Avian Plasmodium and Haemoproteus parasites are easily detected by DNA analyses of infected samples but only correctly assigned to each genus by sequencing and use of a phylogenetic approach. Here, we present a restriction site to differentiate between both parasite genera avoiding the use of those analyses. Alignments of 820 sequences currently listed in GenBank encoding a particular cytochrome B region of avian Plasmodium and Haemoproteus show a shared restriction site for both genera using the endonuclease Hpy CH4III. An additional restriction site is present in Plasmodium sequences that would initially allow differentiation of both genera by differential migration of digested products on gels. Overall 9 out of 326 sequences containing both potential restriction sites do not fit to the general rule. We used this differentiation of parasite genera based on Hpy CH4III restriction sites to evaluate the efficacy of 2 sets of general primers in detecting mixed infections. To do so, we used samples from hosts infected by parasites of both genera. The use of general primers was only able to detect 25% or less of the mixed infections. Therefore, parasite DNA amplification using general primers to determine the species composition of haemosporidian infections in individual hosts is not recommended. Specific primers for each species and study area should be designed until a new method can efficiently discriminate both parasites.

Benzodiazepines block long-term potentiation in slices of hippocampus and piriform cortex.

The effects of two benzodiazepines, diazepam and triazolam, on long-term potentiation were tested in slices of hippocampus and piriform cortex. The drugs had little influence on baseline synaptic responses but both were very effective in blocking LTP elicited by theta pattern stimulation. The effects were fully reversible upon washout. Diazepam reduced the increase in burst responses that occurs during theta stimulation and thus appears to interfere with the initial triggering events for long-term potentiation. This may reflect the enhancing action of the drug on GABA-mediated inhibitory potentials. Triazolam did not detectably change the burst responses elicited by theta pattern stimulation. Experiments with slices of piriform cortex indicated that triazolam also failed to disrupt the development of long-term potentiation but instead caused the potentiation to decay back to baseline in 15-30 min. Triazolam thus seems to act on the mechanisms that stabilize long-term potentiation. These results provide a possible explanation for the amnestic effects of benzodiazepines in humans and animals and support the hypothesis that long-term potentiation contributes to memory encoding.

Naloxone prevents the facilitatory effect upon retention induced by adrenaline administration in rats.

The possible involvement of endogenous opioid peptides in the development of the facilitatory effect of adrenaline on memory has been investigated. For this purpose post-training administration of adrenaline and/or naloxone was carried out in rats tested in an inhibitory avoidance paradigm and subjected or not to pre-training (extensive familiarization with the training situation prior to the acquisition trial). Adrenaline injected subcutaneously in a dose of 500 micrograms/kg facilitated retention performance in rats both subjected or not to pre-training. Naloxone administered SC (400 micrograms/rat) did not influence retention behaviour in rats subjected or not to pre-training, nor did ICV (0.80 ng/rat) administration. Interestingly, the opiate antagonist when injected SC (400 micrograms/rat) prevented the facilitatory effect exerted by adrenaline in pretrained as well as in not pre-trained rats. However, ICV administration of naloxone (0.80 microgram/rat) dit not influence the behavioral effects exerted by the bioamine. These data suggested a role of endogenous opioid peptides on the facilitatory effect of adrenaline on memory, possibly independent of novelty factors and thus of the brain beta-endorphin system. In addition, our results point to the periphery as the most likely site for such interaction.

Interleukin-1 affects the behavioral despair response in rats by an indirect mechanism which requires endogenous CRF.

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) administered intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) to rats significantly reduces the level of immobility in animals forced to swim in a confined space. Immunoneutralization of endogenous CRF (corticotropin-releasing factor) by i.c.v. administration of CRF-antiserum prevents the IL-1-induced sinking in rats. This shows that the release of cerebral CRF, probably from the hypothalamus, may mediate the behavioral effect promoted by IL-1. Taken together our results suggest the existence of a complex interface between immune, neuroendocrine and behavioral regulation.

Development of hippocampal long-term potentiation is reduced by recently introduced calpain inhibitors.

The effects of two recently synthesized inhibitors of calpains, calpain inhibitor I (CiI) and calpain inhibitor II (CiII) were tested on the development of long-term potentiation (LTP) in region CA1 of rat hippocampus. Slices maintained in 100 microM of CiI or CiII showed an initial degree of potentiation after theta burst stimulation that, in contrast to controls, slowly decayed across time. The effects of CiI and CiII appeared to be independent of possible actions on the physiological mechanisms that take place during the induction stage of LTP. Since these inhibitors are more potent and specific than leupeptin in blocking calpain activity, their effects on LTP can be more convincingly ascribed to a selective blockade of the calcium-sensitive protease. Accordingly, the results favor the idea that a proteolytic event of the kind found after N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor activation is an intermediary step in the development of LTP.

Stimulation of NMDA receptors activates calpain in cultured hippocampal slices.

The hypothesis that intense stimulation of NMDA receptors activates calpain was tested in long-term cultures of hippocampus. Slices prepared from 10-day-old rats were maintained for periods of up to 6 weeks and then assayed for a stable breakdown product that results from the proteolysis of spectrin by calpain. The breakdown product increased dramatically during the first 24 h after tissue preparation and then decreased to a low level that remained unchanged for weeks. NMDA caused a 2- to 3-fold increase in breakdown product that rose linearly with time (5-30 min) and was blocked by the receptor antagonist MK-801. The effect of NMDA was the same throughout the culture period and was dependent upon the concentration of extracellular calcium with no effect at 2 mM and maximal effect at 4 mM calcium. These results indicate that rapid activation of calpain occurs in undamaged hippocampal neurons following stimulation of NMDA receptors.

Beta-endorphin impairs forced extinction of an inhibitory avoidance response in rats.

The effect of subcutaneous administration of beta-endorphin on forced extinction (FE) of an inhibitory avoidance behavior has been studied in rats. Animals subjected to FE displayed significantly shorter retention latencies than those of the corresponding control group, not subjected to FE. Subcutaneous administration of 0.1, 1 and 10 micrograms/kg of beta-endorphin 10 min before or immediately after FE session, delayed extinction of the inhibitory avoidance behavior in an inverted U-shaped dependent manner. The opiate antagonist naloxone (NX) administered subcutaneously (0.4 mg/kg) did not influence extinction behavior. However, the same dose of NX, when injected previously to the administration of beta-endorphin (1 microgram/kg), prevented the effect on extinction induced by the opioid. Our results suggest that beta-endorphin may be involved in modulating forced extinction of a recently acquired information, likely influencing relearning phenomena associated with this particular way of forgetting.

Dynorphin1-17 can enhance or impair retention of an inhibitory avoidance response in rats.

The possible effects of subcutaneous administration of dynorphin1-17 on retention of an inhibitory avoidance behavior have been studied in rats. Post-training or pre-test administration of dynorphin1-17 in doses of 25 or 50 micrograms/kg facilitated retention performance in rats subjected to a footshock of 0.2 mA n the acquisition trial. However, the same doses of the opioid peptide exerted a deleterious effect on retention performance when a footshock of 0.4 mA was used after either post-training or pre-test administration. Post-training injection of the kappa-receptor antagonist MR-2266 in doses of 0.5, 1 or 2.5 mg/kg failed to affect retention behavior. However, the previous administration of 2.5 mg/kg of MR-2266 prevented the facilitatory effect exerted by dynorphin1-17 after post-training, as well as after pre-test administration. Our results suggest that dynorphin1-17 may be involved in modulating the consolidation, as well as the retrieval, of recently acquired information.

Naloxone influences retention behaviour depending on the degree of novelty inherent to the training situation.

The effects of immediate posttraining subcutaneous administration of naloxone (0.25, 1 or 5 mg/kg) on retention behaviour of rats trained in an inhibitory avoidance task, subjected or not to familiarization with the training situation prior to the training trial (pretraining) have been investigated. Naloxone did not influence performance of pretrained rats not subjected to footshock at training. The drug did not significantly modify retention latencies of pretrained rats subjected to a weak footshock. However, administration of naloxone facilitated retention behaviour of non-pretrained rats subjected to a weak footshock. Likewise, naloxone significantly increases retention latencies of pretrained rats subjected to a high footshock at the training trial. These data indicate that naloxone influences retention behaviour depending on the degree of novelty linked to the training situation: a facilitatory effect of the drug is observed when the training trial becomes associated with a clear novel situation for the animals (high footshock in pretrained rats or a weak footshock in non-pretrained animals).

Interacting effects of aromatic plants and female age on nest-dwelling ectoparasites and blood-sucking flies in avian nests.

Some avian species incorporate aromatic plants to their nests. The "nest protection hypothesis", which posits that volatile secondary compounds contained in these plants may have antiparasite properties, has not received full support. All previous tests of this hypothesis have only considered effects on nest-dwelling ectoparasites, but not on blood-sucking flies. The "drug hypothesis" posits that aromatic plants may stimulate nestling immune system, development, or condition. We tested these hypotheses experimentally in wild blue tits, Cyanistes caeruleus, a species that adds aromatic plants to their nests. We supplemented aromatic plants to half of a sample of nests, while adding grass to the other half of nests. We quantified abundance of two groups of blood-sucking flies (blackflies and biting midges) at two different stages of the reproductive period, and abundance of three nest-dwelling ectoparasites (fleas, mites, and blowflies). Experimental supplementation of aromatic plants reduced abundance of fleas only in nests of yearling females and not in nests of older females. Blackflies and biting midges were both more numerous in nests of yearling females than in nests of older females. Mass of aromatic plants added by females was negatively related with abundance of fleas in control nests but not in experimental nests supplied with aromatic plants. Mass of plants added by females was also positively related with abundance of blackflies during the nestling stage. Finally, aromatic plants did not affect nestling growth or immune responses. We conclude that several factors such as female experience and their ability to add plants to the nest interact to explain effects of aromatic plants on different parasites.

In vitro adrenocortical responsiveness to ACTH in rats subjected to different emotional situations.

Corticosterone production in isolated adrenocortical cells from adult male Wistar rats subjected to different emotional situations and the possible relationship between adrenocortical and behavioral responses were studied. On the basis of an inhibitory avoidance paradigm (IAP), in which the innate preference of rats for a dark environment is suppressed by application of an aversive electric footshock (acquisition trial, AT), the following set of conditions was studied: Rats trained in the IAP (a) without application of electric footshock; (b) with application of electric footshock; (c) rats trained as in (b) but subjected to forced extinction (by staying for 5 min in the dark compartment 24 h after the AT, the animals overcome their fear for the dark box). Rats trained in conditions (a) and (c) displayed significantly shorter retention latencies, and concomitantly showed a significantly lower adrenocortical responsiveness than rats trained under condition (b). However, no significant differences in circulating ACTH or corticosterone levels among the various experimental groups were found. Furthermore, animals tested for retention 24, 48, 72 or 168 h after the AT showed an increased loss of the behavioural response so that the greater the time lapse, the more the retention behavior diminished concomitantly with the adrenocortical responsiveness to ACTH. Our results suggest that a good retention of the newly acquired behavior is related to an increased adrenocortical responsiveness to ACTH. Forced or innate extinction of the same behavior is accompanied by a diminished adrenocortical responsiveness. Taken together, these results also emphasize that altered adrenal responsiveness to ACTH is a better and more accurate index of the degree of emotionality associated with different behavioral performances than 'punctual' ACTH or corticosterone plasma levels.

Neuroactive steroids regulate astroglia morphology in hippocampal cultures from adult rats.

Recent evidence indicates that astroglia may be involved in the synthesis of endogenous neurosteroids. The extension of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-immunoreactive astroglial cell processes was assessed in hippocampal slice cultures from adult gonadectomized male rats under the influence of the neurosteroids dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, dehydroepiandrosterone estereate, pregnenolone, pregnenolone sulfate, and pregnenolone oleate. The effects of neurosteroids were compared to those induced by the gonadal steroids testosterone, 17 beta-estradiol and progesterone. Astrocytes in hippocampal slice cultures had a morphology that was indistinguishable from that observed in the hippocampus fixed in situ. Castration of adult male rats resulted in a significant decrease in the extension of GFAP-immunoreactive processes, both in tissues fixed in situ and in slice cultures. In contrast, incubation of slice cultures from gonadectomized animals with pregnenolone, pregnenolone sulfate, 17 beta-estradiol, and testosterone enhanced the extension of GFAP-immunoreactive processes. While other steroids tested did not affect this parameter, dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate and estereate derivatives induced the transformation of astroglial cells into hypertrophic and highly GFAP immunoreactive cells with the morphological characteristics of reactive astroglia. We conclude that neurosteroids regulate the morphology and/or GFAP distribution of astrocytes in hippocampal slice cultures from adult rats.

Neurosteroids modulate the reaction of astroglia to high extracellular potassium levels.

The extracellular concentration of potassium ([K+]o) in brain tissue is modified by neuronal activity and is increased under several pathological conditions. The influence of neurosteroids on the astroglia response to high [K+]o was assessed on cultured slices from rat hippocampus. Exposure to [K+]o above physiological (3 mM) levels resulted in the progressive appearance of cell processes immunoreactive for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The maximal effect was observed at 50 mM [K+]o, and further increases of [K+]o did not increase the extension of GFAP-immunoreactive processes. The effect was observed as early as 10 min after increasing [K+]o, was independent of new protein synthesis, and was reversible, reaching control conditions by 15 h after resetting [K+]o to physiological levels. Gonadal hormones and neurosteroids had prominent and variable effects on the stimulatory influence of high [K+]o on astroglia morphology. At physiological [K+]o, 17beta-estradiol and pregnenolone, as well as its sulfate derivative, increased the extension of GFAP-immunoreactive processes. However, at high [K+]o, testosterone, pregnenolone, and dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate derivative decreased the extension of GFAP-immunoreactive processes. Effects of gonadal hormones and neurosteroids were blocked by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. These results suggest that non-genomic effects of high [K+]o on glial cells interact with genomic effects of steroids to modulate astroglia morphology.

Estigma y lepra / Stigma and leprosy

El objetivo de este travajo muldisciplinario es estudiar el estigma del enfermo de lepra y sus connotaciones psicológicas y sociales. Su principal fundamento es "Estigma", de Goffman. El método ha consistido en ir de lo general a lo particular, o sea del estudio del estigma en general al estudio del estigma en lepra, dando ejemplos concretos. Los resultados obtenidos fueron: El estigma en lepra posee cuatro componentes: físico, psíquico, moral y social. El enfermo no cumple con las normas de identidad impuestas por la sociedad y es rechazado. Los enfermos forman un característico endogrupo. La lepra es una interferencia en al comunicación con los demás. El estigma es contagioso. La perceptibilidad es una característica fundamental del hanseniano. El enfermo recorre a una "carrera moral" en la cual influye notablemente la internación en un establecimiento específico. Se encubre para manejar la información sobre él mismo, utilizando técnicas de control de la información. El paciente sufre ambivalencia respecto a sí mismo y a su grupo. En conclusión esta investigación ayuda a encarar integralmente el tratamiento de hanseniano, pues tiene en cuenta sus aspectos somáticos, mentales y sociales

Soporte nutricional post-operatorio de cirugía abdominal en paciente pediátrico / Nutritional support post-operative of abdominal surgery in pediatric patient

Paciente varón de 11 años, ingresa a UTI con diagnóstico de traumatismo cerrado abdomino-pelviano. El día posterior al ingreso se realiza la parotomía exploradora donde se constata sección completa de yeyuno a 20 cm del angulo Treitz y perforación a 10 cm del aza fija; resecándose 30 cm de yeyuno con anastomosis término-terminal. Se realiza nutrición parenteral total (NPT) desde las 72 horas posteriores al ingreso. Debido a la mala evolución del paciente debe reintervenirse en varias oportunidades, realizandose finalmente ostomía a cabos divorciados (a los 10 días del ingreso). Además desarrolla sépsis que debe tratarse con antibióticoterápia de amplio espectro. Tan pronto como fue posible (3 días de la yeyunostomía) y acompañando a la NPT, se indicó nutrición enteral a débito continuo con formula semielemental y reinfusión del débito de ostomía proximal por el cabo distal. A los 40 días pudo suspenderse la nutrición parenteral ...

Acantoma de células claras: presentación de 5 casos / Clear cells acanthomas: report of 5 cases

Se presentan 5 casos de Acantoma de células claras. Cuatro de ellos tenían características clínicas típicas, el N§ 5, presentó un gran tamaño. En todos los casos el estudio histopatológico fue concluyente