Antropología educativa aplicada a las prácticas clínicas en Enfermería: las diferencias culturales implicadas en el proceso de prácticas clínicas en Enfermería. Una aportación desde la antropología de la complejidad y el pensamiento crítico

En los estudios de la Diplomatura de Enfermería existe una división, tanto a nivel secuencial-cronológico (transmisión gradual y lógica de los contenidos), como en la dimensión espacio-ambiental (aula, sala simulación y servicio sanitario: comunitario u hospitalario). Estas divisiones tienen consecuencias en la estructura curricular de la disciplina: módulo teórico, módulo práctico y módulo práctico-clínico, confiriéndole a estos estudios una peculiaridad asentada en las diferencias en los tipos de escenarios, ambientes, instituciones, normas, y personas que se manifiestan en los contrastes percibidos (Merleau Ponty, 1988) por los alumnos en su proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje según se dé éste en un módulo u otro. La enorme variabilidad de la práctica se ve también afectada por las características del escenario en el que tienen lugar las prácticas clínicas: centros de atención primaria y/o instituciones hospitalarias, en los que el alumno debe iniciar sus prácticas de enfermería con el que va a constituir su objeto-sujeto de trabajo durante toda su vida profesional: el ser humano (individuo, familia y comunidad) atendiendo a sus necesidades fisiológicas, psicológicas y sociales desde una perspectiva holística. Los contrastes entre el aula y el servicio sanitario suponen a veces contradicciones que desenfocan la visión lógica con la que el alumno pretende interpretar su realidad formativa en esta compleja fase de sus estudios, y esta visión borrosa puede derivar en situaciones de disminución o pérdida de significado que esta experiencia educativa debe tener en el alumno (Bruner, 1991).

Reflexiones sobre la actividad grupal en Atención Primaria

Esta investigación forma parte de una tesis doctoral Análisis de la intervención de enfermería en grupos de ayuda a madres con hijos menores de un año. El proyecto de esta tesis fue presentado al Colegio de Enfermería de Barcelona, obteniendo una financiación parcial en el marco de ayudas a Proyectos de Investigación PR 5326-11.

Aplicación práctica de los modelos de Mercer y Beck en las especialidades de enfermería

El vínculo afectivo es la atracción que un individuo siente por otro. La conducta de apego busca la unión emocional y seguridad del bebé hacia su madre. Distintas especialidades de enfermería indican la importancia de trabajar el vínculo afectivo, las relaciones familiares y utilizar el proceso enfermero partiendo de modelos conceptuales. Los modelos conceptuales de Mercer y Beck estudian factores a considerar en la formación y desarrollo de vínculos afectivos entre madres e hijos. Este estudio pretende desarrollar conocimientos, habilidades y actitudes que permitan una atención óptima al bebé y su familia. Analizando los elementos comunes y diferenciadores de ambos modelos y justificando la necesidad de prestar especial atención a la formación y mantenimiento del vínculo maternofilial desde la perspectiva de las diferentes especialidades de enfermería, se utiliza el proceso enfermero para la detección y resolución de problemas que afecten al vínculo afectivo y a las relaciones familiares.

Role of the denitrifying Haloarchaea in the treatment of nitrite-brines

Haloferax mediterranei is a denitrifying halophilic archaeon able to reduce nitrate and nitrite under oxic and anoxic conditions. In the presence of oxygen, nitrate and nitrite are used as nitrogen sources for growth. Under oxygen scarcity,this haloarchaeon uses both ions as electron acceptors via a denitrification pathway. In the present work, the maximal nitriteconcentration tolerated by this organism was determined by studying the growth of H. mediterranei in minimal medium containing30, 40 and 50 mM nitrite as sole nitrogen source and under initial oxic conditions at 42 °C. The results showed theability of H. mediterranei to withstand nitrite concentrations up to 50 mM. At the beginning of the incubation, nitrate wasdetected in the medium, probably due to the spontaneous oxidation of nitrite under the initial oxic conditions. The completeremoval of nitrite and nitrate was accomplished in most of the tested conditions, except in culture medium containing 50 mMnitrite, suggesting that this concentration compromised the denitrification capacity of the cells. Nitrite and nitrate reductases activities were analyzed at different growth stages of H. mediterranei. In all cases, the activities of the respiratory enzymeswere higher than their assimilative counterparts; this was especially the case for NirK. The denitrifying and possibly detoxifyingrole of this enzyme might explain the high nitrite tolerance of H. mediterranei. This archaeon was also able to remove60 % of the nitrate and 75 % of the nitrite initially present in brine samples collected from a wastewater treatment facility.These results suggest that H. mediterranei, and probably other halophilic denitrifying Archaea, are suitable candidates for thebioremediation of brines with high nitrite and nitrate concentrations.

Biodiversity of Archaea and floral of two inland saltern ecosystems in the Alto Vinalopó Valley, Spain

Background. The extraction of salt from seawater by means of coastal solar salterns is a very well-described process. Moreover, the characterization of these environments from ecological, biochemical and microbiological perspectives has become a key focus for many research groups all over the world over the last 20 years. In countries such as Spain, there are several examples of coastal solar salterns (mainly on the Mediterranean coast) and inland solar salterns, from which sodium chloride is obtained for human consumption. However, studies focused on the characterization of inland solar salterns are scarce and both the archaeal diversity and the plant communities inhabiting these environments remain poorly described. Results. Two of the inland solar salterns (termed Redonda and Penalva), located in the Alto Vinalopó Valley (Alicante, Spain), were characterized regarding their geological and physico-chemical characteristics and their archaeal and botanical biodiversity. A preliminary eukaryotic diversity survey was also performed using saline water. The chemical characterization of the brine has revealed that the salted groundwater extracted to fill these inland solar salterns is thalassohaline. The plant communities living in this environment are dominated by Sarcocornia fruticosa (L.) A.J. Scott, Arthrocnemum macrostachyum (Moris) K. Koch, Suaeda vera Forsk. ex Gmelin (Amaranthaceae) and several species of Limonium (Mill) and Tamarix (L). Archaeal diversity was analyzed and compared by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based molecular phylogenetic techniques. Most of the sequences recovered from environmental DNA samples are affiliated with haloarchaeal genera such as Haloarcula, Halorubrum, Haloquadratum and Halobacterium, and with an unclassified member of the Halobacteriaceae. The eukaryote Dunaliella was also present in the samples. Conclusions. To our knowledge, this study constitutes the first analysis centered on inland solar salterns located in the southeastern region of Spain. The results obtained revealed that the salt deposits of this region have marine origins. Plant communities typical of salt marshes are present in this ecosystem and members of the Halobacteriaceae family can be easily detected in the microbial populations of these habitats. Possible origins of the haloarchaea detected in this study are discussed.

Nitrogen metabolism in haloarchaea

The nitrogen cycle (N-cycle), principally supported by prokaryotes, involves different redox reactions mainly focused on assimilatory purposes or respiratory processes for energy conservation. As the N-cycle has important environmental implications, this biogeochemical cycle has become a major research topic during the last few years. However, although N-cycle metabolic pathways have been studied extensively in Bacteria or Eukarya, relatively little is known in the Archaea. Halophilic Archaea are the predominant microorganisms in hot and hypersaline environments such as salted lakes, hot springs or salted ponds. Consequently, the denitrifying haloarchaea that sustain the nitrogen cycle under these conditions have emerged as an important target for research aimed at understanding microbial life in these extreme environments. The haloarchaeon Haloferax mediterranei was isolated 20 years ago from Santa Pola salted ponds (Alicante, Spain). It was described as a denitrifier and it is also able to grow using NO3-, NO2- or NH4+ as inorganic nitrogen sources. This review summarizes the advances that have been made in understanding the N-cycle in halophilic archaea using Hfx mediterranei as a haloarchaeal model. The results obtained show that this microorganism could be very attractive for bioremediation applications in those areas where high salt, nitrate and nitrite concentrations are found in ground waters and soils.

Evidence of different thermoregulatory mechanisms between two sympatric Scarabaeus species using infrared thermography and micro-computer tomography

In endotherms insects, the thermoregulatory mechanisms modulate heat transfer from the thorax to the abdomen to avoid overheating or cooling in order to obtain a prolonged flight performance. Scarabaeus sacer and S. cicatricosus, two sympatric species with the same habitat and food preferences, showed daily temporal segregation with S. cicatricosus being more active during warmer hours of the day in opposition to S. sacer who avoid it. In the case of S. sacer, their endothermy pattern suggested an adaptive capacity for thorax heat retention. In S. cicatricosus, an active ‘heat exchanger’ mechanism was suggested. However, no empirical evidence had been documented until now. Thermographic sequences recorded during flight performance showed evidence of the existence of both thermoregulatory mechanisms. In S. sacer, infrared sequences showed a possible heat insulator (passive thermal window), which prevents heat transfer from meso- and metathorax to the abdomen during flight. In S. cicatricosus, infrared sequences revealed clear and effective heat flow between the thorax and abdomen (abdominal heat transfer) that should be considered the main mechanism of thermoregulation. This was related to a subsequent increase in abdominal pumping (as a cooling mechanism) during flight. Computer microtomography scanning, anatomical dissections and internal air volume measurements showed two possible heat retention mechanisms for S. sacer; the abdominal air sacs and the development of the internal abdominal sternites that could explain the thermoregulation between thorax and abdomen. Our results suggest that interspecific interactions between sympatric species are regulated by very different mechanisms. These mechanisms create unique thermal niches for the different species, thereby preventing competition and modulating spatio-temporal distribution and the composition of dung beetle assemblages.

Breaking down complex saproxylic communities: understanding sub-networks structure and implications to network robustness

Saproxylic insect communities inhabiting tree hollow microhabitats correspond with large food webs which simultaneously are constituted by multiple types of plant-animal and animal-animal interactions, according to the use of trophic resources (wood- and insect-dependent sub-networks), or to trophic habits or interaction types (xylophagous, saprophagous, xylomycetophagous, predators and commensals). We quantitatively assessed which properties of specialised networks were present in a complex networks involving different interacting types such as saproxylic community, and how they can be organised in trophic food webs. The architecture, interacting patterns and food web composition were evaluated along sub-networks, analysing their implications to network robustness from random and directed extinction simulations. A structure of large and cohesive modules with weakly connected nodes was observed throughout saproxylic sub-networks, composing the main food webs constituting this community. Insect-dependent sub-networks were more modular than wood-dependent sub-networks. Wood-dependent sub-networks presented higher species degree, connectance, links, linkage density, interaction strength, and were less specialised and more aggregated than insect-dependent sub-networks. These attributes defined high network robustness in wood-dependent sub-networks. Finally, our results emphasise the relevance of modularity, differences among interacting types and interrelations among them in modelling the structure of saproxylic communities and in determining their stability.

Acorn consumption improves the immune response of the dung beetle Thorectes lusitanicus

Thorectes lusitanicus, a typically coprophagous species is also actively attracted to oak acorns, consuming, burying them, and conferring ecophysiological and reproductive advantages to both the beetle and the tree. In this study, we explored the possible relation between diet shift and the health status of T. lusitanicus using a generalist entomopathogenic fungus (Metarhizium anisopliae) as a natural pathogen. To measure the health condition and immune response of beetles, we analysed the protein content in the haemolymph, prophenoloxidase (proPO) content, phenoloxidase (PO) activity and mortality of beetles with diets based on either acorns or cow dung. Protein content, proPO levels and PO levels in the haemolymph of T. lusitanicus were found to be dependent on the type of diet. Furthermore, the beetles fed with acorns developed a more effective proPO-PO system than the beetles fed with cow dung. Furthermore, a significant decrease in mortality was observed when infected individuals were submitted to an acorn-based diet. In addition to enhancing an understanding of the relevance of dietary change to the evolutionary biology of dung beetles, these results provide a more general understanding of the ecophysiological implications of differential dietary selection in the context of fitness.

Does Müller cell differentiation occur prior to the emergence of synapses in embryonic turtle retina?

Müller cells are the main glial cells in the retina, and are related to plexiform layer activity. Recent studies have demonstrated that Müller cells are involved in the synaptic conservation, plasticity, development and metabolism of glutamate. During turtle retinal development, layers, cells and synapses appear at different times. The aim of this research is to study the emergence of Müller cells during embryonic development and their relationship with the synaptogenesis. The authors used retinas from Trachemys scripta elegans embryos at stages S14, 18, 20, 23, and 26. Some retinas were processed with immunocytochemistry in order to detect the presence of glutamine synthetase in Müller cells, which was used as a marker of these cells. Other retinas from the same stages were processed for ultrastructural studies. Samples were observed in confocal and transmission electron microscopes, respectively. The present results show that glutamine synthetase expression in Müller cells occurs at S18, before the emergence of the retinal layers and the early synapses.

Experiencias en un grupo de apoyo para madres con hijos menores de un año

El proceso de la maternidad, según Mercer, implica que la madre nazca psicológicamente, dando lugar a una nueva identidad en constante crecimiento y desarrollo. El modelo de esta autora puede servir a la enfermera para valorar, planificar, ejecutar y evaluar el cuidado enfermero de las madres y sus bebés en sus intervenciones. Este estudio cualitativo, de enfoque etnográfico, dirigido a grupos de madres con hijos menores de un año, utilizará la observación participante y el diario de campo para describir y relacionar los contenidos de las dinámicas grupales con el desarrollo del rol maternal. Se identifican 3 categorías y 50 códigos y se destaca que las enfermeras, como profesionales competentes en aspectos conceptuales y técnicos propios de su disciplina, utilizan los modelos de Mercer y Beck para acompañar a las madres coordinándose con otros profesionales.

The comparative effectiveness of rodents and dung beetles as local seed dispersers in Mediterranean oak forests

The process of seed dispersal of many animal-dispersed plants is frequently mediated by a small set of biotic agents. However, the contribution that each of these dispersers makes to the overall recruitment may differ largely, with important ecological and management implications for the population viability and dynamics of the species implied in these interactions. In this paper, we compared the relative contribution of two local guilds of scatter-hoarding animals with contrasting metabolic requirements and foraging behaviours (rodents and dung beetles) to the overall recruitment of two Quercus species co-occurring in the forests of southern Spain. For this purpose, we considered not only the quantity of dispersed seeds but also the quality of the seed dispersal process. The suitability for recruitment of the microhabitats where the seeds were deposited was evaluated in a multi-stage demographic approach. The highest rates of seed handling and predation occurred in those microhabitats located under shrubs, mostly due to the foraging activity of rodents. However, the probability of a seed being successfully cached was higher in microhabitats located beneath a tree canopy as a result of the feeding behaviour of beetles. Rodents and beetles showed remarkable differences in their effectiveness as local acorn dispersers. Quantitatively, rodents were much more important than beetles because they dispersed the vast majority of acorns. However, they were qualitatively less effective because they consumed a high proportion of them (over 95%), and seeds were mostly dispersed under shrubs, a less suitable microhabitat for short-term recruitment of the two oak species. Our findings demonstrate that certain species of dung beetles (such as Thorectes lusitanicus), despite being quantitatively less important than rodents, can act as effective local seed dispersers of Mediterranean oak species. Changes in the abundance of beetle populations could thus have profound implications for oak recruitment and community dynamics.

Apoyo social formal a un grupo de madres con hijos menores de un año

Objetivo: este trabajo pretende analizar el apoyo social formal a un grupo de madres con hijos menores de un año. Método: estudio cualitativo, descriptivo interpretativo, en el cual participaron diez mujeres en un grupo focal que se reunió en siete ocasiones. Resultados: a partir del análisis de contenido de las dinámicas grupales se detecta que el apoyo formal informativo es el más frecuente y resulta difícil separarlo del emocional. Los profesionales, a través del apoyo informativo, tratan temas relacionados con la promoción de la salud y prevención de la enfermedad y acompañan a las madres en este rol. Conclusión: para las madres el apoyo formal brindado por el personal de enfermería es positivo y percibido como un refuerzo en su vivencia de la maternidad, y debe estar enmarcado en un contexto cultural.