Personality disorders and the Five-Factor Model among French speakers in Africa and Europe

Objective: Several authors have suggested that Personality Disorders (PDs) might be more accurately described using a dimensional model instead of a categorical one. The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between PDs and the Five-Factor Model (FFM)-a dimensional model describing normal personality traits known for its invariance across cultures-in two different cultural settings. Method: Subjects from nine French-speaking African countries (n = 2,014) and from Switzerland (n = 697) completed both the French-version of the IPDE screening questionnaire, assessing the ten DSM-IV PDs, and the French-version of the NEO-PI-R, assessing the five domains and thirty facets of the FFM. Results: Correlations between PDs and the five domains of the FFM were similar in both samples. For example, Neuroticism was highly correlated with Borderline, Avoidant, and Dependent PDs in both Africa and Switzerland. The total rank-order correlation (rho) between the two correlation matrices was very high (rho = 0.93) and significant (P < 0.001), as were the rhos for all domains of the FFM and all PDs, except Paranoid and Dependent PDs. However, the rhos for PDs across facet-scales were all highly significant (P < 0.001). Moreover, 80% of Widiger and colleagues' predictions and 70 % of Lynam and Widiger's prototypes, concerning the relationship between PDs and the FFM, were confirmed in both samples. Conclusions: The relationship between PDs and the FFM was stable in two samples separated by a great cultural distance. These results suggest that a dimensional approach and in particular the FFM might be useful for describing PDs in a variety of cultural settings.

Adaptación y validación al español del cuestionario 4CornerSAT para la medida de la satisfacción profesional del personal médico de atención especializada.

BACKGROUND Satisfaction of physicians is a concern in the healthcare sector, and it requires a multi-dimensional questionnaire in Spanish which studies their high-order needs. The objectives of this study are to adapt the 4CornerSAT Questionnaire to measure career satisfaction of physicians and to evaluate its validity in our context. METHOD The 4CornerSAT Questionnaire was adapted into Spanish, validating it among physicians of hospitals in Andalusia, Spain. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to corroborate the a priori model, and it was evaluated the internal consistency and the construct validity through the Cronbach's alpha and the correlation between the scale and the global item, respectively. RESULTS The adapted questionnaire was administrated to 121 specialist physicians. The CFA corroborated the four dimensions of the questionnaire (χ2=114.64, df=94, p<0.07; χ2/df=1.22; RMSEA=0.04). The internal consistency obtained an α=0.92 and the correlation between the summed scale and the global item verified the construct validity (r=0.77; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS The 4CornerSAT questionnaire was adapted to Spanish, identifying an adequate construct validity and internal consistency.

El Papel del Bibliotecario Integrado en las Comisiones Clínicas, Docencia Postgraduada e Investigación en el Área Sanitaria Este de Málaga-Axarquía (ASEMA)

The concept of Library of the Health Sciences has noticeably changed during the last decade. The embedded librarian is a recently emerged figure, who works as a member of multidisciplinary groups with the mission of providing them with relevant literature as well as media for acquisition, exchange and dissemination of information. This figure has been gradually implanted in some committees of the ASEMA. The objective of the present work is to describe the functions of the embedded librarian and its results in our area.

Telehealth system (e-CUIDATE) to improve quality of life in breast cancer survivors: rationale and study protocol for a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND Breast cancer survivors suffer physical impairment after oncology treatment. This impairment reduces quality of life (QoL) and increase the prevalence of handicaps associated to unhealthy lifestyle (for example, decreased aerobic capacity and strength, weight gain, and fatigue). Recent work has shown that exercise adapted to individual characteristics of patients is related to improved overall and disease-free survival. Nowadays, technological support using telerehabilitation systems is a promising strategy with great advantage of a quick and efficient contact with the health professional. It is not known the role of telerehabilitation through therapeutic exercise as a support tool to implement an active lifestyle which has been shown as an effective resource to improve fitness and reduce musculoskeletal disorders of these women. METHODS / DESIGN This study will use a two-arm, assessor blinded, parallel randomized controlled trial design. People will be eligible if: their diagnosis is of stages I, II, or IIIA breast cancer; they are without chronic disease or orthopedic issues that would interfere with ability to participate in a physical activity program; they had access to the Internet and basic knowledge of computer use or living with a relative who has this knowledge; they had completed adjuvant therapy except for hormone therapy and not have a history of cancer recurrence; and they have an interest in improving lifestyle. Participants will be randomized into e-CUIDATE or usual care groups. E-CUIDATE give participants access to a range of contents: planning exercise arranged in series with breathing exercises, mobility, strength, and stretching. All of these exercises will be assigned to women in the telerehabilitation group according to perceived needs. The control group will be asked to maintain their usual routine. Study endpoints will be assessed after 8 weeks (immediate effects) and after 6 months. The primary outcome will be QoL measured by The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 version 3.0 and breast module called The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Breast Cancer-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire. The secondary outcomes: pain (algometry, Visual Analogue Scale, Brief Pain Inventory short form); body composition; physical measurement (abdominal test, handgrip strength, back muscle strength, and multiple sit-to-stand test); cardiorespiratory fitness (International Fitness Scale, 6-minute walk test, International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form); fatigue (Piper Fatigue Scale and Borg Fatigue Scale); anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale); cognitive function (Trail Making Test and Auditory Consonant Trigram); accelerometry; lymphedema; and anthropometric perimeters. DISCUSSION This study investigates the feasibility and effectiveness of a telerehabilitation system during adjuvant treatment of patients with breast cancer. If this treatment option is effective, telehealth systems could offer a choice of supportive care to cancer patients during the survivorship phase. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01801527.

Drug assessment by a Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee: from drug selection criteria to use in clinical practice.

BACKGROUND In Spain, hospital medicines are assessed and selected by local Pharmacy and Therapeutics committees (PTCs). Of all the drugs assessed, cancer drugs are particularly important because of their budgetary impact and the sometimes arguable added value with respect to existing alternatives. This study analyzed the PTC drug selection process and the main objective was to evaluate the degree of compliance of prescriptions for oncology drugs with their criteria for use. METHODS This was a retrospective observational study (May 2007 to April 2010) of PTC-assessed drugs. The variables measured to describe the committee's activity were number of drugs assessed per year and number of drugs included in any of these settings: without restrictions, with criteria for use, and not included in formulary. These drugs were also analyzed by therapeutic group. To assess the degree of compliance of prescriptions, a score was calculated to determine whether prescriptions for bevacizumab, cetuximab, trastuzumab, and bortezomib were issued in accordance with PTC drug use criteria. RESULTS The PTC received requests for inclusion of 40 drugs, of which 32 were included in the hospital formulary (80.0%). Criteria for use were established for 28 (87.5%) of the drugs included. In total, 293 patients were treated with the four cancer drugs in eight different therapeutic indications. The average prescription compliance scores were as follows: bevacizumab, 83% for metastatic colorectal cancer, 100% for metastatic breast cancer, and 82.3% for non-small-cell lung cancer; cetuximab, 62.0% for colorectal cancer and 50% for head and neck cancer; trastuzumab, 95.1% for early breast cancer and 82.4% for metastatic breast cancer; and bortezomib, 63.7% for multiple myeloma. CONCLUSION The degree of compliance with criteria for use of cancer drugs was reasonably high. PTC functions need to be changed so that they can carry out more innovative tasks, such as monitoring conditions for drug use.

Uso y percepción social de los recursos naturales en la cuenca media del río Lules, provincia de Tucumán (Argentina)

És conegut que arreu del món hi ha moltes poblacions aïllades que encara viuen a partir de l’agricultura i la ramaderia de subsistència i que utilitzen tots aquells recursos del seu entorn per tal de cobrir les serves necessitats bàsiques. Aquest ús acostuma a ser insostenible, fent que l’entorn tendeixi a degradar-se cada cop més. El projecte representa una peça bàsica en la inserció del desenvolupament sostenible per a moltes d’aquestes poblacions, com és el cas de les comunes el riu Lules (Tucumán, Argentina). Basat en entrevistes i enquestes als pobladors, es fa una anàlisi estadística per determinar l’ús i la percepció de canvi que tenen els habitants, i a la vegada, es relaciona amb altres variables com el nivell socioeconòmic i l’edat, entre d’altres. Aquesta anàlisi juntament amb l’observació directa, permet fer una diagnosi de l’àrea i, conseqüentment, una llista de propostes (i desenvolupament de les més urgents) per tal de crear un pla de gestió de la zona i poder assegurar el seu desenvolupament sostenible

The Relationship between Media and Political Agendas : Variations across Decision-Making Phases

Previous studies have demonstrated that the extent to which media coverage influences the issue priorities of policy makers is contingent on the type of issue, media, and political agenda. This article contends that the relationship between media and political agendas varies across the phases of the decision-making process. Based on a comprehensive dataset on issue attention in media coverage and various policy-making channels covering the years 1996-2003, the article analyses the level of media coverage and, more importantly, the distribution and correspondence of issue attention between media and political agendas across the four successive phases of the decision-making process (initiation, preparatory, parliamentary, and referendum phases) in Switzerland. Despite inversely distributed levels of attention for successive decision-making phases, both media and political agendas are concentrated on fewer issues in the initiation and referendum phases, and they are more strongly correlated in the most decisive stages of the process, that is, the preparatory and referendum phases.

Riesgo de infección en pacientes de diálisis peritoneal: factores potencialmente relacionados

Comunicaciones Posters

Pigment production by Streptococcus agalactiae in quasi-defined media.

A quasi-defined medium that supports the growth of Streptococcus agalactiae as pigmented colonies has been developed. The medium contains starch, a peptic digest of albumin, amino acids, nucleosides, vitamins, and salts. The presence of free cysteine, which could be replaced with other sulphur-containing compounds and to a lesser degree by reducing agents, was required for pigment formation.

Social media and political change: The case of the 2011 revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt

Throughout the past decade, social media have come on the scene of various popular revolts. Their role as tools of information and coordination of social movements, from the Iranian Green Movement in 2009 to the Arab uprisings in 2011, has been widely debated. In most cases, online activism through blogs, Facebook, Twitter or other forms of social media has allowed citizens to be part of a social networking exercise and to engage in a public sphere that would have otherwise been unreachable to them due to severe repression. In Tunisia and Egypt, social media helped protests start and expand thanks to their ability to coordinate and disseminate information quickly. The new information and communication tools were an influential factor in accelerating the revolutionary processes across the Arab world, albeit they cannot be seen as neither the spur nor the drivers of any revolution.

Aterosclerosis cérvico-cerebral subclínica: evaluación del índice REGICOR, el grosor íntima-media y el índice tobillo-brazo en la detección de sujetos en riesgo en la población

La aterosclerosis cérvico-cerebral es una de las principales causas de ictus isquémico, y por tanto, de morbimortalidad en nuestro medio. La detección de la misma en su fase asintomática mediante instrumentos como la función REGICOR, el grosor íntima-media y el índice tobillo-brazo podría mejorar las estrategias de prevención primaria. Comprobamos que, en nuestra cohorte de 933 sujetos sin antecedentes cardiovasculares, los tres factores (REGICOR≥10, GIM≥0.9, ITB≤ 0.9) se asociaron de forma independiente con la presencia de aterosclerosis cérvico-cerebral y de cualquier localización (extracraneal-intracraneal-combinada). La utilización conjunta de REGICOR e ITB podría facilitar el diagnóstico precoz de la aterosclerosis cérvico-cerebral subclínica.

Speed of reaction-diffusion fronts in spatially heterogeneous media

The front speed problem for nonuniform reaction rate and diffusion coefficient is studied by using singular perturbation analysis, the geometric approach of Hamilton-Jacobi dynamics, and the local speed approach. Exact and perturbed expressions for the front speed are obtained in the limit of large times. For linear and fractal heterogeneities, the analytic results have been compared with numerical results exhibiting a good agreement. Finally we reach a general expression for the speed of the front in the case of smooth and weak heterogeneities