Development process and initial validation of the ethical conflict in nursing questionnaire-critical care version

Background: Ethical conflicts are arising as a result of the growing complexity of clinical care, coupled with technological advances. Most studies that have developed instruments for measuring ethical conflict base their measures on the variables"frequency" and"degree of conflict". In our view, however, these variables are insufficient for explaining the root of ethical conflicts. Consequently, the present study formulates a conceptual model that also includes the variable"exposure to conflict", as well as considering six"types of ethical conflict". An instrument was then designed to measure the ethical conflicts experienced by nurses who work with critical care patients. The paper describes the development process and validation of this instrument, the Ethical Conflict in Nursing Questionnaire Critical Care Version (ECNQ-CCV). Methods: The sample comprised 205 nursing professionals from the critical care units of two hospitals in Barcelona (Spain). The ECNQ-CCV presents 19 nursing scenarios with the potential to produce ethical conflict in the critical care setting. Exposure to ethical conflict was assessed by means of the Index of Exposure to Ethical Conflict (IEEC), a specific index developed to provide a reference value for each respondent by combining the intensity and frequency of occurrence of each scenario featured in the ECNQ-CCV. Following content validity, construct validity was assessed by means of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), while Cronbach"s alpha was used to evaluate the instrument"s reliability. All analyses were performed using the statistical software PASW v19. Results: Cronbach"s alpha for the ECNQ-CCV as a whole was 0.882, which is higher than the values reported for certain other related instruments. The EFA suggested a unidimensional structure, with one component accounting for 33.41% of the explained variance. Conclusions: The ECNQ-CCV is shown to a valid and reliable instrument for use in critical care units. Its structure is such that the four variables on which our model of ethical conflict is based may be studied separately or in combination. The critical care nurses in this sample present moderate levels of exposure to ethical conflict. This study represents the first evaluation of the ECNQ-CCV.

Development process and initial validation of the ethical conflict in nursing questionnaire-critical care version

Background: Ethical conflicts are arising as a result of the growing complexity of clinical care, coupled with technological advances. Most studies that have developed instruments for measuring ethical conflict base their measures on the variables"frequency" and"degree of conflict". In our view, however, these variables are insufficient for explaining the root of ethical conflicts. Consequently, the present study formulates a conceptual model that also includes the variable"exposure to conflict", as well as considering six"types of ethical conflict". An instrument was then designed to measure the ethical conflicts experienced by nurses who work with critical care patients. The paper describes the development process and validation of this instrument, the Ethical Conflict in Nursing Questionnaire Critical Care Version (ECNQ-CCV). Methods: The sample comprised 205 nursing professionals from the critical care units of two hospitals in Barcelona (Spain). The ECNQ-CCV presents 19 nursing scenarios with the potential to produce ethical conflict in the critical care setting. Exposure to ethical conflict was assessed by means of the Index of Exposure to Ethical Conflict (IEEC), a specific index developed to provide a reference value for each respondent by combining the intensity and frequency of occurrence of each scenario featured in the ECNQ-CCV. Following content validity, construct validity was assessed by means of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), while Cronbach"s alpha was used to evaluate the instrument"s reliability. All analyses were performed using the statistical software PASW v19. Results: Cronbach"s alpha for the ECNQ-CCV as a whole was 0.882, which is higher than the values reported for certain other related instruments. The EFA suggested a unidimensional structure, with one component accounting for 33.41% of the explained variance. Conclusions: The ECNQ-CCV is shown to a valid and reliable instrument for use in critical care units. Its structure is such that the four variables on which our model of ethical conflict is based may be studied separately or in combination. The critical care nurses in this sample present moderate levels of exposure to ethical conflict. This study represents the first evaluation of the ECNQ-CCV.

Post coitum, animal triste : Animals tristos, de Jordi Puntí: una lectura

Aquest treball proposa un estudi del recull de contes de Jordi Puntí, Animals tristos, des d'una directriu bàsica: el plantejament teòric sobre la fragilitat dels vincles humans de la postmodernitat postulat pel sociòleg Zygmunt Bauman en la seva obra Amor líquido. Acerca de la fragilidad de los vínculos humanos. Així, l'objectiu de l'estudi és demostrar que els personatges d'Animals tristos són un reflex de la societat urbana actual i de la naturalesa canviant en les relacions de parella de principis del s. XXI que descriu Bauman. D'aquesta forma, l'anàlisi de l'obra de Puntí, especialment dels seus personatges, és realitzada a través d'un marc teòric de naturalesa sociològica.

Study of post-deposition contamination in low-temperature deposited polysilicon films

The presence of hydrogen in polysilicon films obtained at low temperatures by hot-wire CVD and the post-deposition oxidation by air-exposure of the films are studied in this paper. The experimental results from several characterization techniques (infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry and wavelength dispersive spectroscopy) showed that hydrogen and oxygen are homogeneously distributed at grain boundaries throughout the depth of the films. Hydrogen is introduced during the growth process and its concentration is higher in samples deposited at lower temperatures. Oxygen diffuses along the grain boundaries and binds to silicon atoms, mainly in Si 2O groups.

Validation study of the Spanish Version of the Work-Family Conflict Questionnaire (CCTF)

In this study, a brief Work-Family Conflict (WFC) Questionnaire in the Spanish language is proposed that takes into account the two directions commonly reported in the literature: work interference with family (WIF), and family interference with work (FIW). The results obtained through exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) with two independent samples, carried out for women and men, showed acceptable validity and reliability. A copy of the instrument in Spanish language is provided, together with the Amos 4 syntax to perform the factor invariance analysis for women and men. The suggested Work-Family Conflict Questionnaire (in Spanish, abbreviated as CCTF) may be useful in studies performed in the work setting, considering the special relevance of the concept in this line of research.

Perspectivas del empleo del control biológico en post-cosecha de fruta

Actualmente se estudian diversos métodos alternativos a los procedimientos habituales de control de plagas y enfermedades de la fruta en post-cosecha, algunos de los cuales se utilizan ya a nivel comercial, como el empleo de microorganismos antagónicos, método en el que se centra el presente artículo. La fruta almacenada en cámaras frigoríficas supone una buena oportunidad para emplear sistemas de lucha biológica en el control de las enfermedades de post-cosecha, puesto que la fruta se encuentra bajo condiciones ambientales controladas, tanto de humedad relativa y temperatura como por la concentración de gases.

El estudio de los itinerarios escolares y post-escolares como pauta de reflexión en la construcción de una escuela y una sociedad para todos

La consecuencia lógica de la integración de las personas con necesidades educativas especiales en la institución escolar tendría que ser la anexión de estas a ámbitos normalizados de su colectividad una vez finalizada la escolaridad obligatoria. El discurso de la integración, por tanto, no se tendría que situar única y exclusivamente en el ámbito escolar, sino que debería extrapolarse a todos los ámbitos donde la persona se desarrolla. En este trabajo analizamos los itinerarios escolares y post-escolares que siguen las personas con discapacidad psíquica en la comarca del Segrià (Cataluña), apuntamos las posibles causas por las que se configuran unos itinerarios u otros y, a partir de ahí, establecemos pautas de reflexión para ir construyendo una escuela y una sociedad para todos.

Post-market environmental monitoring of Bt maize in Spain: Non-target effects of varieties derived from the event MON810 on predatory fauna

The Spanish Government has established post-market environmental monitoring (PMEM) as mandatory for genetically modified (GM) crop varieties cultivated in Spain. In order to comply with this regulation, effects of Bt maize varieties derived from the event MON810 on the predatory fauna were monitored for two years in northeast and central Spain. The study was carried out with a randomized block design in maize fields of 3-4 ha on which the abundance of plant-dwelling predators and the activity-density of soil-dwelling predators in Bt vs. non-Bt near-isogenic varieties were compared. To this end, the plots were sampled by visual inspection of a certain number of plants and pitfall traps 6 or 7 times throughout two seasons. No significant differences in predator densities on plants were found between Bt and non-Bt varieties. In the pitfall traps, significant differences between the two types of maize were found only in Staphylinidae, in which trap catches in non-Bt maize were higher than in Bt maize in central Spain. Based on the statistical power of the assays, surrogate arthropods for PMEM purposes are proposed; Orius spp. and Araneae for visual sampling and Carabidae, Araneae, and Staphylinidae for pitfall trapping. The other predator groups recorded in the study, Nabis sp. and Coccinellidae in visual sampling and Dermaptera in pitfall trapping, gave very poor power results. To help to establish a standardized protocol for PMEM of genetically modified crops, the effect-detecting capacity with a power of 0.8 of each predator group is given.

Effects of a post-weaning cafeteria diet in young rats: metabolic syndrome, reduced activity and low anxiety-like behaviour.

Among adolescents, overweight, obesity and metabolic syndrome are rapidly increasing in recent years as a consequence of unhealthy palatable diets. Animal models of diet-induced obesity have been developed, but little is known about the behavioural patterns produced by the consumption of such diets. The aim of the present study was to determine the behavioural and biochemical effects of a cafeteria diet fed to juvenile male and female rats, as well as to evaluate the possible recovery from these effects by administering standard feeding during the last week of the study. Two groups of male and female rats were fed with either a standard chow diet (ST) or a cafeteria (CAF) diet from weaning and for 8 weeks. A third group of males (CAF withdrawal) was fed with the CAF diet for 7 weeks and the ST in the 8th week. Both males and females developed metabolic syndrome as a consequence of the CAF feeding, showing overweight, higher adiposity and liver weight, increased plasma levels of glucose, insulin and triglycerides, as well as insulin resistance, in comparison with their respective controls. The CAF diet reduced motor activity in all behavioural tests, enhanced exploration, reduced anxiety-like behaviour and increased social interaction; this last effect was more pronounced in females than in males. When compared to animals only fed with a CAF diet, CAF withdrawal increased anxiety in the open field, slightly decreased body weight, and completely recovered the liver weight, insulin sensitivity and the standard levels of glucose, insulin and triglycerides in plasma. In conclusion, a CAF diet fed to young animals for 8 weeks induced obesity and metabolic syndrome, and produced robust behavioural changes in young adult rats, whereas CAF withdrawal in the last week modestly increased anxiety, reversed the metabolic alterations and partially reduced overweight.

Análisis de los protocolos de rehabilitación pre y post-cirugía del ligamento cruzado anterior (LCA) de la rodilla. Revisión bibliográfica.

Se realiza una revisión bibliográfica con el objetivo de conocer los protocolos actuales de rehabilitación tras la reconstrucción quirúrgica del ligamento cruzado anterior de la rodilla. Se efectúa una búsqueda de los estudios clínicos experimentales actuales que evalúan los procedimientos y protocolos de fisioterapia utilizados durante la rehabilitación del LCA. La búsqueda se realiza en las bases de datos: Medline, PEDro y Science Direct, entre diciembre de 2013 y enero de 2014. Se incluyen los publicados a partir del 2010, desarrollados en humanos con ruptura parcial o total del ligamento y redactados en español o inglés. Se analizan los 21 estudios que cumplen con los criterios de inclusión y exclusión estipulados y se valora el proceso metodológico empleado, la presencia de sesgos y limitaciones, la aplicabilidad de los resultados y la descripción precisa de los protocolos. Se concluye afirmando que no existe unanimidad en los protocolos y procedimientos de fisioterapia y que éstos no ofrecen diferencias destacables si se comparan con los diseñados 20 años atrás. Por lo que se propone y elaborar un protocolo de rehabilitación propio teniendo en cuenta la información obtenida y usando como referencia las guías clínicas más empleadas en la práctica clínica.

NAD+-dependent post-translational modification of Escherichia coli glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is a multifunctional housekeeping protein reported to be a target of several covalent modifications in many organisms. In a previous study we showed that enterohemorragic (EHEC) and enteropathogenic (EPEC) Escherichia coli strains secrete GAPDH and that this protein binds to human plasminogen and fibrinogen. Here we report that GAPDH of these pathogens is ADP-ribosylated either in the cytoplasm or in the extracellular medium. GAPDH catalyzes its own modification which involves Cys149 at the active site. ADP-ribosylation of extracellular GAPDH may play important role in the interaction with the host as it has been proposed in other pathogens.

The Impact of Catechol-O-Methyltransferase and Dopamine D4 Receptor Genotypes on Neurophysiological Markers of Performance Monitoring

Dynamic adaptations of one"s behavior by means of performance monitoring are a central function of the human executive system, that underlies considerable interindividual variation. Converging evidence from electrophysiological and neuroimaging studies in both animals and humans hints atthe importance ofthe dopaminergic system forthe regulation of performance monitoring. Here, we studied the impact of two polymorphisms affecting dopaminergic functioning in the prefrontal cortex [catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val108/158Met and dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-521] on neurophysiological correlates of performance monitoring. We applied a modified version of a standard flanker task with an embedded stop-signal task to tap into the different functions involved, particularly error monitoring, conflict detection and inhibitory processes. Participants homozygous for the DRD4 T allele produced an increased error-related negativity after both choice errors and failed inhibitions compared with C-homozygotes. This was associated with pronounced compensatory behavior reflected in higher post-error slowing. No group differences were seen in the incompatibility N2, suggesting distinct effects of the DRD4 polymorphism on error monitoring processes. Additionally, participants homozygous for the COMTVal allele, with a thereby diminished prefrontal dopaminergic level, revealed increased prefrontal processing related to inhibitory functions, reflected in the enhanced stop-signal-related components N2 and P3a. The results extend previous findings from mainly behavioral and neuroimaging data on the relationship between dopaminergic genes and executive functions and present possible underlying mechanisms for the previously suggested association between these dopaminergic polymorphisms and psychiatric disorders as schizophrenia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix) post-breeding movements and migration patterns: from knowledge to management.

Hemos investigado los patrones de los movimientos postcría de la codorniz común (Coturnix coturnix) en la península ibérica con el fin de describir su fenología de paso migratorio y algunas características fisiológicas de los individuos. Esta información es necesaria para un ajuste óptimo de los períodos de caza. Hemos trabajado a partir de dos conjuntos de datos: a) capturas efectuadas en una zona que no es de cría (Garraf) de agosto a octubre en 2009 y 2010; b) recuperaciones, posteriores a la presunta época de cría, de individuos anillados en Europa y recapturados en España durante el período 1933-2005. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que los movimientos postcría en Garraf están formados por dos oleadas: una primera, que se produce sobre el 10 VIII, formada principalmente por jóvenes del año inactivos sexualmente que no son fisiológicamente migrantes; y una segunda, mucho más intensa, que se produce sobre el 17 IX, formada principalmente por migrantes jóvenes del año inactivos sexualmente. La época de caza en España tiene lugar principalmente durante la primera oleada, preservando el paso de los migrantes provenientes de España y de otros países europeos. La información de los movimientos postcría en otras regiones españolas y en otros países europeos en los que la codorniz común es una especie cinegética popular, permitiría mejorar el ajuste entre el período de caza y la migración, proporcionando recomendaciones de gestión cinegética más precisas para esta especie.

Mutant huntingtin impairs the post-Golgi trafficking of brain-derived neurotrophic factor but not its Val66Met polymorphism.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) polymorphism is associated with the pathophysiology of several neurodegenerative disorders, including Huntington"s disease. In view ofthese data andthe involvement of huntingtin in intracellular trafficking, we examined the intracellular transport and release of Val66Val BDNF (Val-BDNF) and Val66Met BDNF (Met-BDNF) in transfected striatal knock-in cells expressing wild-type or mutant full-length huntingtin. Colocalization studies with specific markers for endoplasmic reticulum showed no differences between the Val-BDNF and Met-BDNF and were not modified by mutant huntingtin. However, post-Golgi trafficking was altered by mutant huntingtin dependent on the BDNF form. Thus, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) and inverse FRAP analysis showed retention of Met-BDNF inthe Golgi apparatus with respectto Val-BDNF in wild-type cells. Strikingly, mutant huntingtin diminished post-Golgi trafficking of Val-BDNF, whereas Met-BDNF was not modified. Accordingly, a reduction in the number of transport vesicles was only observed in mutant huntingtin cells transfected with Val-BDNF but not Met-BDNF. Moreover, mutant huntingtin severely affectedthe KCl-evoked release of Val-BDNF, although it had little effect on Met-BDNF regulated release. The constitutive release of Val-BDNF or Met-BDNF in mutant cells was only slightly reduced. Interestingly, mutant huntingtin only perturbed post-Golgi trafficking of proteins that follow the regulated secretory pathway (epidermal growth factor receptor or atrial natriuretic factor), whereas it did not change those that follow the constitutive pathway (p75 NTR ). We conclude that mutant huntingtin differently affects intracellular transport and release of Val-BDNF and Met-BDNF. In addition, our findings reveal a new role for huntingtin in the regulation of the post-Golgi trafficking of the regulated secretory pathway.

Aggressivity, violence, sociability and conflict resolution: What genes can tell us.

Conflicts are inherent to the human condition, as they are for all living beings. Disputes about resources or access to mating partners are among the most common causes of conflict. Conflict is herein defined as a struggle or contest between individuals or parties, and may involve a variety of aggressive behaviours. In humans, aggressiveness, violence and conflicts, including individual predisposal to conflict resolution, have traditionally been said to have deep cultural roots, but recent research in both neuroscience and genetics has shown the influence of genes on such complex behavioural traits. In this paper, recent data on the genetic aspects of these interrelated behaviours will be put together, including the effects of particular genes, the influence of stress and gender on gene regulation, and gene-environment interactions, all of which may influence biological predisposal to conflict resolution. Other genetically influenced behavioural aspects involved in conflicts and conflict resolution, such as sociability, will also be discussed. The importance of taking into account genetic and biological data to provide strategies for conflict resolution will be highlighted.