Reducing the learning curve for the treatment of morphoeic (sclerosing) basal cell carcinoma of the face.

The treatment of morphoeic (or sclerosing) basal cell carcinoma (mBCC) of the face is associated with high rates of incomplete excision and recurrence. A principal risk factor for incomplete resection is the grade of surgeon. We did a prospective, randomised study of 40 consecutive patients with mBCC of the face. The extent of the tumour was assessed under standard conditions by consultant surgeons and compared with assessments by resident surgeons with the help of the Varioscope, a combination of microscope and loupe glasses with strong illumination and a maximal magnification of 7x. The data from a former retrospective study of all excisions of mBCC of the face during a five-year period at the hospital served as control. Residents with the support of the Varioscope achieved a rate of incomplete excisions similar to that of consultants under standard conditions. There was a significant reduction of the rate of incomplete resections by resident surgeons thanks to high magnification and good lighting (p=0.02). High magnification and good lighting were useful in learning how to recognise skin changes associated with mBCC of the face and achieving a low rate of incomplete excisions.

Higher memory responses in HIV-infected and kidney transplanted patients than in healthy subjects following priming with the pandemic vaccine.

BACKGROUND: Memory responses require immune competence. We assessed the influence of priming with AS03-adjuvanted pandemic vaccine (Pandemrix®) on memory responses of HIV patients, kidney recipients (SOT) and healthy controls (HC). METHOD: Participants (HIV: 197, SOT: 53; HC: 156) were enrolled in a prospective study and 390/406 (96%) completed it. All had been primed in 2009/2010 with 1 (HC) or 2 (patients) doses of Pandemrix®, and were boosted with the 2010/2011 seasonal influenza vaccine. Geometric mean titres and seroprotection rates were measured 12 months after priming and 4 weeks after boosting. Primary and memory responses were directly compared in 191 participants (HCW: 69, HIV: 71, SOT: 51) followed during 2 consecutive seasons. RESULTS: Most participants (HC: 77.8%, HIV: 77.6%, SOT: 66%) remained seroprotected at 12 months post-priming. Persisting A/09/H1N1 titers were high in HIV (100.2) and HC (120.1), but lower in SOT (61.4) patients. Memory responses reached higher titers in HIV (507.8) than in HC (253.5) and SOT (136.9) patients. Increasing age and lack of HAART reduced persisting and memory responses, mainly influenced by residual antibody titers. Comparing 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 titers in 191 participants followed for 2 seasons indicated lower post-2010/2011 titers in HC (240.2 vs 313.9), but higher titers in HIV (435.7 vs 338.0) and SOT (136 vs 90.3) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Priming with 2 doses of Pandemrix® elicited persistent antibody responses and even stronger memory responses to non-adjuvanted seasonal vaccine in HIV patients than 1 dose in healthy subjects. Adjuvanted influenza vaccines may improve memory responses of immunocompromised patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01022905.

Regulation of horizontal gene transfer of the catabolic island ICEclc

ICEclc is a mobile genetic element found in two copies on the chromosome of the bacterium Pseudomonas knackmussii B13. ICEclc harbors genes encoding metabolic pathways for the degradation of chlorocatechols (CLC) and 2-aminophenol (2AP). At low frequencies, ICEclc excises from the chromosome, closes into a circular DNA molecule which can transfer to another bacterium via conjugation. Once in the recipient cell, ICEclc can reintegrate into the chromosome by site-specific recombination. This thesis aimed at identifying the regulatory network underlying the decisions for ICEclc horizontal transfer (HGT). The first chapter is an introduction on integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) more in general, of which ICEclc is one example. In particular I emphasized the current knowledge of regulation and conjugation machineries of the different classes of ICE. In the second chapter, I describe a transcriptional analysis using microarrays and other experiments to understand expression of ICEclc in exponential and stationary phase. By overlaying transcriptomic profiles with Northern hybridizations and RT- PCR data, we established a transcription map for the entire core region of ICEclc, a region assumed to encode the ICE conjugation process. We also demonstrated how transcription of the ICEclc core is maximal in stationary phase, which correlates to expression of reporter genes fused to key ICEclc promoters. In the third chapter, I present a transcriptome analysis of ICEclc in a variety of different host species, in order to explore whether there are species-specific differences. In the fourth chapter, I focus on the role of a curious ICEclc-encoded TetR-type transcriptional repressor. We find that this gene, which we name mfsR, not only controls its own expression but that of a set of genes for a putative multi-drug efflux pump (mfsABC) as well. By using a combination of biochemical and molecular biology techniques, I could show that MfsR specifically binds to operator boxes in two ICEclc promoters (PmfsR and PmfsA), inhibiting the transcription of both the mfsR and mfsABC-orf38184 operons. Although we could not detect a clear phenotype of an mfsABC deletion, we discuss the implications of pump gene reorganizations in ICEclc and close relatives. In the fifth chapter, we find that mfsR not only controls its own expression and that of the mfsABC operon, but is also indirectly controlling ICEclc transfer. Using gene deletions, microarrays, transfer assays and microscopy-based reporter fusions, we demonstrate that mfsR actually controls a small operon of three regulatory genes. The last gene of this mfsR operon, orf17162, encodes a LysR-type activator that when deleted strongly impairs ICEclc transfer. Interestingly, deletion of mfsR leads to transfer competence in almost all cells, thereby overruling the bistability process in the wild-type. In the final sixth chapter, I discuss the relevance of the present thesis and the resulting perspectives for future studies.

La evaluación de la aceptabilidad de las traducciones: un estudio exploratorio sobre la idoneidad de los puntos ricos para evaluar traducciones

Aquest treball de recerca aborda l’Acceptabilitat (qualitat) de les traduccions des de diversos àmbits de la traducció: teoria de la traducció, àmbit professional, didàctica de la traducció i estudis empírics. Per allò, a partir de les publicacions fetes en aquest distints àmbits per diversos autors, grups de recerca i organismes oficials, es dedueix el que entén per una traducció de qualitat i es sintetitza fins a obtenir aquells criteris essencials d’Acceptabilitat que es desprenen de les seves publicacions, de manera que ens permeti contrastar-los entre si. Així mateix, insereix dins de la primera fase del projecte de recerca del grup PACTE (Adquisició de la Competència Traductora i Avaluació) es realitza un estudi exploratori sobre la idoneïtat dels Punts Rics com a mètode d’avaluació de la Acceptabilitat

Validesa, generalització i seguiment del programa prosocial. Un estudi transversal i longitudinal

Aquest projecte és una continuació lògica de la investigació realitzada durant l’any 2005. Ha consistit en l’aplicació del programa a un conjunt de joves infractors de les terres de Lleida i el seu seguiment per conèixer la possible reincidència en el delicte. L’objectiu general era disposar d’un instrument d’intervenció eficaç en Medi Obert per al tractament de menors amb mesures judicials, de manera que els menors es vegin beneficiats pel contingut d’un programa que augmenta la competència i autoestima prosocial. L’estudi s’ha fet amb 10 menors, 5 en el grup experimental i 5 en el grup de control, dintre de la població que al començament de 2006 es trobava sota mesura imposada pel jutge de llibertat vigilada o sota mesura de realització de tasques socioeducatives. Els resultats del seguiment dels menors que han realitzat el programa porta als autors a concloure que la taxa de reincidència en el delicte és molt inferior en els joves que han seguit el programa que en els que no l’han seguit. Aquesta taxa també és inferior a la mitjana de reincidència per mesures de medi obert de Lleida i Catalunya

Descripció i anàlisi dels factors protectors d’adolescents en la prevenció del delicte: el perfil de l’adolescent desistent i les competències emocionals associades

En els darrers anys, ha augmentat l’interès per l’estudi de la prevenció i la protecció de la delinqüència juvenil. En aquest context els conceptes vinculats són els de desistiment i resiliència. L’objectiu principal d’aquest estudi és aprofundir en el concepte de desistiment i els factors de protecció, primer en el pla teòric i després en l’àmbit empíric. L’estudi consta de dues parts: la primera descriptiu el perfil del menor desistent a la Direcció General de Justícia Juvenil, i la segona mostra enquestes en què s’avaluen les dimensions de la competència emocional en un grup d’adolescents infractors. A partir d’una mostra de 288 adolescents infractors, 86 reincidents i 202 desistents, de les comarques del Baix Llobregat, Garraf, Alt Penedès i d’alguns municipis de l’Anoia, s’analitzen les diferències sociodemogràfiques, criminològiques i de recorregut educatiu fet a la Direcció General de Justícia Juvenil. A continuació, participen de l’estudi per enquesta una mostra accidental de 101 adolescents, 45 reincidents i 56 desistents, procedents dels programes de mediació, medi obert i internament. Els adolescents desistents en el delicte obtenen puntuacions superiors als reincidents, diferències que són estadísticament significatives en la dimensió de competència social i en la puntuació total de competència emocional.

Report on the Regulation of Practitioners of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Ireland

This report has been written in the context of this interest and in response to a request from the Department of Health and Children. It follows a Forum on regulatory issues that was held at the IPA in June 2001 and attended by many CAM practitioners. The Minister for Health and Children asked the Institute to build on the discussions at the Forum by preparing a report on possible options in the regulation of CAM practitioners in Ireland. The focus of the report is on regulatory and policy issues in general. It is not within the Instituteâ?Ts competence or brief to comment on more specific clinical or technical issues. Download the document here

Eye colour as a genetic marker for fertility and fecundity of Triatoma infestans (Klug, 1834) Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae

Eye colour of Triatoma infestans is controlled at a single autosomal locus, with black-eye as the dominant gene and red-eye as the recessive. Inheritance of these characters follows a classical Mendelian system, enabling eye colour to be used as a marker for studies of mating frequency. We found no significant differences in oviposition rates and egg hatching rates irrespective of parental phenotypes. Different mating schedules between red-eye and black-eye parents showed that eye colour did not affect mating competence. Females mated with a single male or with different males together or in succession produced similar numbers of fertile eggs, with the eye colour of the offspring reflecting exposure to the different males. We conclude that although a single mating can provide sufficient sperm for the whole reproductive life of the female, multiple matings can result in balanced assortative sperm usage from the spermatheca.

Feeding and defaecation behaviour of Triatoma patagonica (Del Ponte, 1929) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)

Among the vectors of Chagas disease, Triatoma patagonica is a species in the process of adaptation to the human environment being recently registered in urban and suburban zones. However, its importance as a vector of Chagas disease is unknown. The aim of this work was to evaluate two aspects of vectorial competence: the feeding behaviour and the defaecation pattern. These processes were studied in females of T. patagonica fed ad libitum on a restrained pigeon. The results showed that the blood meal size was negatively correlated with the time of first defaecation (r = -0.42). The first defaecation was emitted before the first 10 min and defaecations during feeding were frequent. A total of 73% of females, defaecated during the first 30 min post-feeding. These results suggest that if this species subsequently colonizes the domicile, it would be capable of transmitting Trypanosoma cruzi.

Medical Practitioners Act 2007

Medical Practitioners Act 2007 ACT FOR THE PURPOSE OF BETTER PROTECTING AND INFORMING THE PUBLIC IN ITS DEALINGS WITH MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS AND, FOR THAT PURPOSE, TO INTRODUCE MEASURES, IN ADDITION TO MEASURES PROVIDING FOR THE REGISTRATION AND CONTROL OF MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS, TO BETTER ENSURE THE EDUCATION, TRAINING AND COMPETENCE OF MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS, TO AMEND THE MEMBERSHIP AND FUNCTIONS OF THE MEDICAL COUNCIL, TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS AGAINST MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS AND TO INCREASE THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY OF THEMEDICAL COUNCIL; Click here to download PDF 266kb

Malpighian tubule polytene chromosomes of Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera, Culicinae)

Dipteran polytene chromosomes provide an excellent model for understanding in species complexes, as well as for structural and functional cytogenetics. The status of species in the Culex pipiens complex is controversial and the use of polytene chromosomes for cytogenetic analysis in the subfamily Culicinae has been difficult because of methodological problems. In this study, Malpighian tubule polytene chromosomes were obtained from young (0 to 12 h, 20ºC) and old (20 to 42 h, 28ºC) laboratory-bred C. pipiens quinquefasciatus pupae. The chromosome maps for this species were constructed and compared with published data for C. pipiens pipiens and C. p. quinquefasciatus. Although the banding patterns were conserved between subspecies, analysis of the structural variations in the bands and interbands revealed differences apparently related to the physiological stage and ecogeographical strain. The organization of the centromeric regions in larval and pupal chromosomes showed greater similarity to each other than did those of pupal and adult chromosomes. The use of pupal polytene chromosomes for in situ hybridization with vector competence probes is discussed.

A technique for preparing polytene chromosomes from Aedes aegypti (Diptera, Culicinae)

Polytene chromosome preparations were obtained from larval, pupal and adult female Malpighian tubules of Aedes aegypti. The Malpighian tubules of the pupae (0-4 h old) from larvae reared at 20ºC provided the best cytogenetic analysis. The interaction of nucleic acids and proteins that influence the spreading of the chromosomes could be reduced with the preparation technique of the sheets submitted to a stronger treatment starting with the hypotony of tissue and successive bathings with acetic acid. A simple technique should facilitate molecular cytogenetics used in the location of resistance and vector competence genes.

Les TIC a les webs dels museus d'història i arqueologia

El repte que es planteja als museus en el nou mil·leni és molt important. Han de ser capaços no només de mantenir un públic fidel sinó també de captar noves generacions amb comportament diferents, habituades a altres formes d'accés a la informació. I el camí per aconseguir-ho passa per l'explotació de les possibilitats conceptuals i comunicatives que les TIC proposen.

Competencias profesionales del ingeniero en informática

Este proyecto final de carrera pertenece al área de Competencias Profesionales y tiene como objetivo el análisis de experiencias de enseñanza-aprendizaje de la competencia de comunicación escrita en currículos TIC. El estudio se compone de tres partes: contextualización, investigación y reflexión. En la contextualización se define el concepto de competencia profesional y se clasifican las competencias genéricas o transversales en: competencias instrumentales, competencias interpersonales y competencias sistémicas. Por último, se indicarán las competencias genéricas para un Ingeniero en Informática, según el libro blanco para el título de grado de Ingeniería Informática. La investigación se ha llevado a cabo en los planes de estudio de Grado en Ingeniería Informática de 20 universidades españolas. En una primera parte se buscará qué universidades contemplan, en sus planes de estudio, competencias genéricas y realizaremos una clasificación. La segunda parte de investigación, se centrará en localizar la competencia de comunicación escrita y los objetivos de competencia de comunicación escrita. En la parte de la reflexión se identificarán las competencias genéricas explícitas e implícitas desarrolladas en el plan de estudios cursado en el itinerario formativo de la UOC. En esta parte también se analizará el modelo educativo de la UOC. El motivo de este proyecto de investigación es comprobar si los planes de estudio de Grado en Ingeniería Informática se han adaptado al EEES, en concreto, ver si las universidades seleccionadas tienen la intención de desarrollar la competencia comunicativa escrita. Esto nos permitirá analizar si un Graduado en Ingeniería Informática ha recibido una formación adecuada para conseguir dicha competencia.

Urgences préhospitalières: mieux valoriser le travail des professionnels pour prévenir les troubles mentaux

On savait déjà que la détresse psychique touchait souvent les professionnels des interventions d'urgence préhospitalières. Voici qu'une étude chez des ambulanciers suisses, qui, à l'instar des pompiers français, prennent en charge les patients avant leur admission à l'hôpital, montre que le surinvestissement dans le travail et la perception d'un travail faiblement valorisé sont des facteurs nettement associés à des troubles de la santé mentale. [Auteurs]