Perceived self-image in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: an integrative review of the literature

Objective: To learn about the experiences of adolescents diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis. Method: Integrative review of the literature published within a specified time frame. Results: For both sexes, the predominant clinical symptom of this condition appears to be the negative effect that the deformity exerts on perceived self-image. Quantitative studies used numerical scores to assess perceptions of body image but did not analyse emotional aspects. Patients treated surgically were found to have a better self-image than patients treated with a brace. Quality of life was improved by a reduction in the magnitude of the curve. Conclusion: Spinal deformity exerts a psychological effect on adolescent girls.


Experience of spouses of women with breast cancer: an integrative literature review

Objective: To gather, to characterize, to analyze, to synthesize and to integrate primary studies that addressed the experiences of spouses / husbands / partners of women with breast cancer, presenting the current state of knowledge. Method: Integrative literature review carried out in the databases of VHL, PubMed, CINHAL e SciELO. Results: The sample consisted of eight studies published between 2000-2012, which pointed to the experiences of the involvement and the care of the husbands towards their ill wives. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for attention and assistance to those spouses, as well as guidance and education to exercise the care the same way as the health staff has done with women. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of further studies in order to deepen the knowledge on this topic, and thus, improve the care with better scientific basis.

Genetic counseling for individuals with hemoglobin disorders and for their relatives: a systematic literature review

Objective: To identify genetic counseling programs that do not encourage therapeutic abortion for individuals with hemoglobin disorders and/or for their relatives. Method: Systematic literature review of articles published from 2001 to 2012 that are located in the PubMed, LILACS, SciELO and SCOPUS databases using keywords in Portuguese, English and Spanish and that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria described on a standardized form. Results: A total of 409 articles were located, but only eight (1.9%) were selected for analysis. Conclusion: Although seldom mentioned in the literature, educational/preventive programs targeting hemoglobinopathies are feasible and allow the affected individuals to acquire knowledge on the consequences of this condition and their odds of transmitting it.



Reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction reference genes in the spared nerve injury model of neuropathic pain: validation and literature search.

BACKGROUND: The reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is a widely used, highly sensitive laboratory technique to rapidly and easily detect, identify and quantify gene expression. Reliable RT-qPCR data necessitates accurate normalization with validated control genes (reference genes) whose expression is constant in all studied conditions. This stability has to be demonstrated.We performed a literature search for studies using quantitative or semi-quantitative PCR in the rat spared nerve injury (SNI) model of neuropathic pain to verify whether any reference genes had previously been validated. We then analyzed the stability over time of 7 commonly used reference genes in the nervous system - specifically in the spinal cord dorsal horn and the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). These were: Actin beta (Actb), Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), ribosomal proteins 18S (18S), L13a (RPL13a) and L29 (RPL29), hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase 1 (HPRT1) and hydroxymethylbilane synthase (HMBS). We compared the candidate genes and established a stability ranking using the geNorm algorithm. Finally, we assessed the number of reference genes necessary for accurate normalization in this neuropathic pain model. RESULTS: We found GAPDH, HMBS, Actb, HPRT1 and 18S cited as reference genes in literature on studies using the SNI model. Only HPRT1 and 18S had been once previously demonstrated as stable in RT-qPCR arrays. All the genes tested in this study, using the geNorm algorithm, presented gene stability values (M-value) acceptable enough for them to qualify as potential reference genes in both DRG and spinal cord. Using the coefficient of variation, 18S failed the 50% cut-off with a value of 61% in the DRG. The two most stable genes in the dorsal horn were RPL29 and RPL13a; in the DRG they were HPRT1 and Actb. Using a 0.15 cut-off for pairwise variations we found that any pair of stable reference gene was sufficient for the normalization process. CONCLUSIONS: In the rat SNI model, we validated and ranked Actb, RPL29, RPL13a, HMBS, GAPDH, HPRT1 and 18S as good reference genes in the spinal cord. In the DRG, 18S did not fulfill stability criteria. The combination of any two stable reference genes was sufficient to provide an accurate normalization.

Scientific Literature on the Reliability and Validity of the Manchester Triage System (MTS) Protocol: A Integrative Literature Review

OBJECTIVE To analyze the scientific production about the validity and reliability of the Manchester Triage System (MTS) protocol. METHOD A descriptive study of an integrative literature review. Articles on the validity and reliability of the MTS developed with children and adults published between 1999 and 2013 were included. RESULTS 14 articles were selected from a total of 8438, nine of validity and five of reliability. The reliability of the MTS ranged from moderate to almost perfect, with higher intra-evaluation. Regarding validity, the results seem to point to equivalent and satisfactory sensibility and specificity levels of the MTS. The instrument proved to be a good predictor of the need for hospitalization and of hospital mortality. CONCLUSION The reliability and validity of the MTS obtained in the studies is varied. It is recommended that new studies indicate necessary modifications to the MTS so that it is more safely used by nurses.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathies: an integrative review of the literature

OBJECTIVE: To identify scientific studies and to deepen the knowledge of peripheral neuropathies induced by chemotherapy antineoplastic, seeking evidence for assistance to cancer patients. METHOD: Integrative review of the literature conducted in the databases Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences (LILACS), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Medical Literature Analysis (PubMed/MEDLINE), the Cochrane Library and the Spanish Bibliographic Index Health Sciences (IBECS). RESULTS: The sample consisted of 15 studies published between 2005-2014 that met the inclusion criteria. Studies showed aspects related to advanced age, main symptoms of neuropathy and chemotherapy agents as important adverse effect of neuropathy. CONCLUSION: We identified a small number of studies that addressed the topic, as well as low production of evidence related to interventions with positive results. It is considered important to develop new studies proposed for the prevention and/or treatment, enabling adjustment of the patient's cancer chemotherapy and consequently better service.

Acquired form of angioedema of the head and neck related to a deficiency in c1-inhibitor: a case report with a review of the literature.

Angioedema related to a deficiency in the C1-inhibitor protein is characterized by its lack of response to therapies including antihistamine, steroids, and epinephrine. In the case of laryngeal edema, mortality rate is approximately 30 percent. The first case of the acquired form of angioedema related to a deficiency in C1-inhibitor was published in 1972. In our paper, we present a case of an acquired form of angioedema of the oropharyngeal region secondary to the simultaneous occurrence of two causative factors: neutralization of C1-inhibitor by an autoantibody and the use of an angiotensin convertin enzyme inhibitor.

Lost in translation : euro-compatibility, legal security, and the autonomous implementation of EU law in Switzerland

This article presents the legislative and judicial practice relating to the "autonomous implementation" of EU law in Switzerland. Given that "euro-compatibility" is the central consideration behind this legislative policy, one would expect Swiss authorities to have devised legislative and hermeneutical techniques guaranteeing high fidelity to EU "mother law". That is not the case, however, and as this article shows much is lost in the translation from EU to Swiss Law

Dysfunctional psychological responses among Intensive Care Unit nurses: a systematic review of the literature

AbstractOBJECTIVETo systematically review evidence on dysfunctional psychological responses of Intensive Care Units nurses (ICUNs), with focus on anxiety and depressive symptoms and related factors.METHODA literature search was performed in CINAHL, PubMed and Scopus databases, from 1999 to present, along with a critical appraisal and synthesis of all relevant data. The following key words, separately and in combination, were used: "mental status" "depressive symptoms" "anxiety" "ICU nurses" "PTSD" "burnout" "compassion fatigue" "psychological distress".RESULTSThirteen quantitative studies in English and Greek were included. The results suggested increased psychological burden in ICUNs compared to other nursing specialties, as well as to the general population.CONCLUSIONSStudies investigating psychological responses of ICUNs are limited, internationally. Future longitudinal and intervention studies will contribute to a better understanding of the phenomenon.

Quelques conséquences de l'application du nouveau code pénal suisse sur la psychiatrie légale [Some consequences of the application of the new Swiss penal code on legal psychiatry]

The new text of the Swiss penal code, which entered into effect at the beginning of 2007, has many incidences on the practice of the psychiatrists realizing expertises in the penal field or engaged in the application of legal measures imposing a treatment. The most notable consequences of this text are, on the one hand, a new definition of the concept of penal irresponsibility which is not necessarily any more related to a psychiatric diagnosis and, on the other hand, a new definition of legal constraints that justice can take to prevent new punishable acts and which appreciably modifies the place of the psychiatrists in the questions binding psychiatric care and social control.

Composition of the electrocautery smoke: integrative literature review

Abstract OBJECTIVE To identify the composition of the smoke produced by electrocautery use during surgery. METHOD Integrative review with search for primary studies conducted in the databases of the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences, covering the studies published between 2004 and 2014. RESULTS The final sample consisted of 14 studies grouped into three categories, namely; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile compounds and volatile organic compounds. CONCLUSION There is scientific evidence that electrocautery smoke has volatile toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds, and its inhalation constitutes a potential chemical risk to the health of workers involved in surgeries.

Toward a Statistically Robust Assessment of Social and Solidarity Economy Actors. Conceptual Development and Empirical Validation

Many definitions and debates exist about the core characteristics of social and solidarity economy (SSE) and its actors. Among others, legal forms, profit, geographical scope, and size as criteria for identifying SSE actors often reveal dissents among SSE scholars. Instead of using a dichotomous, either-in-or-out definition of SSE actors, this paper presents an assessment tool that takes into account multiple dimensions to offer a more comprehensive and nuanced view of the field. We first define the core dimensions of the assessment tool by synthesizing the multiple indicators found in the literature. We then empirically test these dimensions and their interrelatedness and seek to identify potential clusters of actors. Finally we discuss the practical implications of our model.

Property as an economic concept: Reconciling legal and economic conceptions of property rights in a Coasean framework

Adopting a simplistic view of Coase (1960), most economic analyses of property rightsdisregard both the key advantage that legal property rights (that is, in rem rights) provide torightholders in terms of enhanced enforcement, and the difficulties they pose to acquirers interms of information asymmetry about legal title. Consequently, these analyses tend to overstatethe role of "private ordering" and disregard the two key elements of property law: first, theessential conflict between property (that is, in rem) enforcement and transaction costs; and,second, the institutional solutions created to overcome it, mainly contractual registries capable ofmaking truly impersonal (that is, asset-based) trade viable when previous relevant transactionson the same assets are not verifiable by judges. This paper fills this gap by reinterpreting bothelements within the Coasean framework and thus redrawing the institutional foundations of bothproperty and corporate contracting.

Title IIIB Legal Assistance Program Activity Report for SFY 2006

This report is prepared from data submitted by the Title IIIB legal providers and Area Agencies on Aging.