Evaluation of the Larval Therapy in the Healing Process of Infected Wounds with Pseudomonas Aeruginosa in Rabbits

Introduction. During the last two decades the larval therapy has reemerged as a safe and reliable alternative for the healing of cutaneous ulcers that do not respond to the conventional treatments. Objective. To evaluate the use of the larvae of Lucilia sericata as a treatment for infected wounds with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in an animal model. Materials and methods. Twelve rabbits were randomly distributed in 3 groups: the first group was treated with larval therapy; the second was treated with antibiotics therapy and to the third no treatment was applied, therefore was established as a control group. To each animal a wound was artificially induced, and then a suspension of P. aeruginosa was inoculated into the lesion. Finally, every rabbit was evaluated until the infection development was recognized and treatment was set up for the first two groups according with the protocols mentioned above. Macroscopic evaluation of the wounds was based on the presence of edema, exudates, bad odor, inflammation around the wound and the presence of granulation tissue. The healing process was evaluated by monitoring histological changes in the dermal tissue. Results. Differences in the time required for wound healing were observed between the first group treated with larval therapy (10 days) and the second group treated with conventional antibiotics therapy (20 days). Conclusion. The L. sericata larva is and efficient tool as a therapy for infected wounds with P. aeruginosa.

Physical therapy: The challenge of developing the best scientific evidence of their practice

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Performance indicators for the physical therapy program’s field academic programs at the Universidad del Rosario for 2004-2007.

Introducción: El programa de Fisioterapia de la Universidad del Rosario, en su responsabilidad social de generar un impacto positivo en la comunidad y en su propósito de formar profesionales, cuenta con los Programas Académicos de Campo (PAC) que se consideran una fuerte estrategia de extensión de la Universidad. Los PAC contribuyen a la adquisición de competencias para el desarrollo de procesos de acción-actuación-creación en los estudiantes para que resuelvan problemas en un espacio real de ejercicio profesional. Bajo esta perspectiva los PAC del programa de Fisioterapia muestran su comportamiento a través de la medición de indicadores de proceso y resultados propuestos desde el Programa con el fin de proveer información útil para la reorientación y permanente actualización de los contenidos programáticos en las asignaturas y en los mismos PAC. Materiales y métodos: En el siguiente artículo se presenta un análisis de los indicadores de demanda por género, régimen de Seguridad Social en Salud, procedimiento y morbilidad de los Programas Académicos de Campo Integral Pediátrico, Integral de Adultos y Rehabilitación cardíaca y/o pulmonar, con el fin de establecer las características de la población objeto de la prestación de los servicios y procurar información verificable que dé soporte para la construcción de procesos de cambio dentro de la dinámica de mejoramiento continuo que debe tener cualquier institución. Este seguimiento es útil para la toma de decisiones de planeación académica que contribuye a mejorar los procesos de planeación y a facilitar el cumplimiento de los propósitos de formación para cada práctica, y de esta manera ayuda a ser elemento de análisis para directivas, instructores y estudiantes en la orientación del proceso de gestión académico-administrativo, y a retroalimentar los procesos de planeación y programación académica. Resultados: Los resultados arrojados en el análisis de los datos de la morbilidad en los programas académicos de campo muestran el siguiente comportamiento durante los años 2004, 2005, 2006 y 2007. Conclusiones: En el PAC pediátrico la mayor incidencia es de asma con un 37,2% y la más baja incidencia es para luxación congénita de cadera y enfermedad mental de origen central con un 0,1%. El 58% de los usuarios es de género masculino, y el 81% del total pertenece al régimen contributivo. En la morbilidad del PAC de adultos la mayor incidencia es de EPOC, con un 23,2%, y la menor incidencia es de lumbalgia, con un 2,4%. La mayoría de usuarios atendidos (58%) son hombres, y el 58% de los usuarios pertenece al régimen contributivo. En el PAC de rehabilitación cardíaca y/o pulmonar la mayor incidencia fue de EPOC, con un 40%; seguido de neumonía, con 17%; y con una menor incidencia para asma, con un 2%. El 54% de los usuarios son hombres y el 91% del total pertenece al régimen subsidiado.

Análisis de la producción escrita en revistas internacionales especializadas en terapia ocupacional (American Journal of Occupational Therapy – Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy) sobre el concepto de desempeño ocupacional en el periodo comprendido entre 1996 – 2006

En todas las etapas de la vida, las personas se encuentran influenciadas por el ambiente, el cual es un facilitador o inhibidor para el desarrollo de sus actividades, permitiéndole elegir qué ocupaciones desea desempeñar de acuerdo a sus intereses y habilidades. Es por ello que el presente trabajo sustenta el objeto de estudio por medio de la revisión, análisis y reflexión de textos especializados en terapia ocupacional en el periodo comprendido entre 1996 – 2006, en las revistas Canadiense y Americana de Terapia Ocupacional, encontradas en la Biblioteca Ciencias de la Salud de la Universidad del Rosario.

Occupational therapy and its relevance in social projects. relationships, learning and opportunities: collection of experiences of University of Alberta Mscot students in Bogotá, Colombia

Occupational therapists are equipped to promote wellbeing through occupation and to enable participation and meaningful engagement of people in their social and physical environments (WFOT, 2012). As such, the role of the occupational therapists is profoundly linked to the social, cultural and environmental characteristics of the contexts in which occupations take place. The central role that context plays in occupational performance creates an interesting dichotomy for the occupational therapist: on one hand, a profound understanding of cultural and social factors is required from the Occupational Therapy (OT) in order to develop a meaningful and successful collaboration with the person; on the other hand, the ability of the occupational therapists to recognize and explore the contextual factor of an occupation-person dyad transcends cultural and spatial barriers. As a result, occupational therapists are equipped to engage in international collaboration and practice, and as such face unique and enriching challenges. International fieldwork experiences have become a tool through which occupational therapists in training can develop the critical skills for understanding the impact of cultural and social factors on occupation. An OT student in an international fieldwork experience faces numerous challenges in leading a process that is both relevant and respectful to the characteristics of the local context: language, cultural perceptions of occupation and personhood, religious backgrounds, health care access, etc. These challenges stand out as ethical considerations that must be considered when navigating an international fieldwork experience (AOTA, 2009). For more than five years now, the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (FRM) of the University of Alberta (UoFA) and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario (UR), Bogota, Colombia, have sustained a productive and meaningful international collaboration. This collaboration includes a visit by Dr. Albert Cook, professor of the FRM and former dean, to the UR as the main guest speaker in the International Congress of Technologies for Disability Support (IBERDISCAP) in 2008. Furthermore, Dr. Cook was a speaker in the research seminar of the Assistive Technology Research Group of the Universidad del Rosario. Following Dr. Cook’s visit, Professors Liliana Álvarez and Adriana Ríos travelled to Edmonton and initiated collaboration with the FRM, resulting in the signing of an agreement between the FRM and the UR in 2009, agreement that has been maintained to this day. The main goal of this agreement is to increase academic and cultural cooperation between the UR and the UofA. Other activities have included the cooperation between Dr. Kim Adams (who has largely maintained interest and effort in supporting the capacity building of the UR rehabilitation programs in coordinating the provision of research placement opportunities for UR students at the UofA), an Assistive Technology course for clinicians and students led by Dr. Adams, and a research project that researched the use of basic cell phones to provide social interaction and health information access for people with disabilities in a low-income community in Colombia (led by Tim Barlott, OT, MSc, under the supervision of Dr. Adams). Since the beginning, the occupational therapy programs of the Universidad del Rosario and the University of Alberta have promoted this collaboration and have strived to engage in interactions that provide further development opportunities for students and staff. As part of this process, the international placement experience of UofA OT students was born under the leadership of: Claudia Rozo, OT program director at UR, placement and academic leadership of Elvis Castro and Angélica Monsalve, professors of the occupational therapy program at UR; and Dr. Lili Liu, OT department director at UofA, Cori Schmitz, Academic coordinator of clinical education at the UofA; and Tim Barlott and Liliana Álvarez leading the international and cross-cultural aspect of this collaboration.This publication summarizes and illustrates the process of international placement in community settings in Colombia, undertaken by occupational therapy students of the University of Alberta. It is our hope that this document can provide and document the ethical considerations of international fieldwork experience, the special characteristics of communities and the ways in which cultural and social competences are developed and help international students navigate the international setting. We also hope that this document will stimulate discussion among professional and academic communities about the importance and richness of international placement experiences and encourage staff and students to articulate their daily efforts with the global occupational therapy agenda.

Efectos a largo plazo del tratamiento de un adolescente con fobia social generalizada mediante el cognitive-behavioral group therapy for adolescents (CBGT-A).

Contiene tablas. Resumen tomado de la revista

Language therapy results with children of the autism spectrum. 'Resultados de terapia de lenguaje con niños del espectro autista'.

Resumen en español. Resumen basado en el de la publicación

Family education and family therapy : tools for relational change.

Resumen tomado del autor

Dialectical behavioural therapy for oppositional defiant disorder in adolescents : A case series

Resumen tomado de la publicación

Analytical methodologies based on X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF) and Inductively Couple Plasma Spectroscopy (ICP) for the assessment of metal dispersal around mining environments

La investigació que es presenta en aquesta tesi es centra en l'aplicació i millora de metodologies analítiques existents i el desenvolupament de nous procediments que poden ser utilitzats per a l'estudi dels efectes ambientals de la dispersió dels metalls entorn a les zones mineres abandonades. En primer lloc, es van aplicar diferents procediments d'extracció simple i seqüencial per a estudiar la mobilitat, perillositat i bio-disponibilitat dels metalls continguts en residus miners de característiques diferents. Per altra banda, per a estudiar les fonts potencials de Pb en la vegetació de les zones mineres d'estudi, una metodologia basada en la utilització de les relacions isotòpiques de Pb determinades mitjançant ICP-MS va ser avaluada. Finalment, tenint en compte l'elevat nombre de mostres analitzades per a avaluar l'impacte de les activitats mineres, es va considerar apropiat el desenvolupament de mètodes analítics d'elevada productivitat. En aquest sentit la implementació d'estratègies quantitatives així com l'aplicació de les millores instrumentals en els equips de XRF han estat avaluades per a aconseguir resultats analítics fiables en l'anàlisi de plantes. A més, alguns paràmetres de qualitat com la precisió, l'exactitud i els límits de detecció han estat curosament determinats en les diverses configuracions de espectròmetres de XRF utilitzats en el decurs d'aquest treball (EDXRF, WDXRF i EDPXRF) per a establir la capacitat de la tècnica de XRF com a tècnica alternativa a les clàssiques comunament aplicades en la determinació d'elements en mostres vegetals.

The effects of group-based psychosocial therapy on conversational fluency and communication handicap

This paper studies whether a combination of group rehabilitation in conjunction with psychosocial therapy enhances conversational fluency and diminishes communication handicap in cochlear implant recipients.

Comparing cochlear implant users' and their partners' subjective assessment of verbal strategy use with objective assessment: does this change following psychosocial therapy?

This paper investigates the effectiveness of a group-based psychosocial rehabilitation program for cochlear implant patients and their frequent communication partners.

Efficacy of a combined drug therapy for ameliorating noise-induced hearing loss

Experiments investigated the median effective dose of antiepileptic drugs and synthetic glucocorticoids for the prevention and treatment of noise-induced hearing loss for C57BL/6J mice. We also tested the possible synergistic effects of combining drugs from the two drug families.

Delivering sustainability therapy in Sustainable Development projects

This paper explores the apparent contradiction between the 'linearity' of most Sustainable Development projects, with time-bound and defined outputs achieved at a fixed cost, and an implied 'circularity' of the theory whereby there is no 'end'. Projects usually have clear parameters within which they are implemented, and the inclusion of elements such as the need for accountability, measurable impact and,value for money' have grown in importance. It could be argued that we live in a 'projectified' and therefore linear world. The paper explores the potential contradiction between 'linearity' and 'circularity', and suggests that one way around this is to frame the project within a form of the Kolb Learning Cycle heuristic. This will facilitate a rationalisation from those implementing the sustainable development project as to why decisions are being made and for whom. If these questions are opened up to the project stakeholders, including beneficiaries, then the Kolb cycle could encourage learning and understanding by all involved. It could also provide Sustainability Therapy to those trapped in processes, which they find orthogonal to their own perceptions. It is suggested that such learning, therapy and reflective practice should be a valid output of the sustainable development project, although typically the focus is only upon the final outputs and how they feed into policy. Ironically funders would be well advised to take a broader perspective in order to achieve true 'value for money' within such projects, even if learning is not an easily measurable or tangible outcome. These points are explored within the context of the wider literature and experience with a sustainable development project undertaken in Malta. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combination therapy: opportunities and challenges for polymer-drug conjugates as anticancer nanomedicines.

The discovery of new molecular targets and the subsequent development of novel anticancer agents are opening new possibilities for drug combination therapy as anticancer treatment. Polymer-drug conjugates are well established for the delivery of a single therapeutic agent, but only in very recent years their use has been extended to the delivery of multi-agent therapy. These early studies revealed the therapeutic potential of this application but raised new challenges (namely, drug loading and drugs ratio, characterisation, and development of suitable carriers) that need to be addressed for a successful optimisation of the system towards clinical applications.