Formación de cuidadores en un programa de estimulación cognitiva: efectos diferenciales según el tipo de cuidador

Background and objectivesThe ageing population and the increasing dependency associated with it, makes the caregiver a highly relevant figure nowadays. The present study analyzes the socio-demographic differences between family and professional caregivers and their satisfaction and implication in a training program for caregivers.MethodsThe sample consisted of 59 caregivers of older people (37 were family caregivers and 22 professional caregivers) which received and implemented a caregivers training program in their daily care functions. These caregivers were trained in communication skills and cognitive stimulation strategies so they could use them in their daily care activities with the older adults under their care during a period of 3 months. All the participants were assessed with a socio-demographic questionnaire, 2 questionnaires to analyze their satisfaction with their work and the training received and one questionnaire to analyze their ability to detect and react to memory and behavior problems in the older adults they attended.ResultsThe results showed socio-demographic differences, improvements in satisfaction in family caregivers and a greater commitment in their daily work after the treatment in both groups although these effects could be due to different reasons.ConclusionsThe research shows the benefits of carrying out training programs for caregivers as they significantly increase the quality and satisfaction with caregiving. The study also displays the need to adjust such programs taking into account that the socio-demographic characteristics and training needs are different depending on whether de caregiver is a family member or a professional.     

Catheter ablation in children and young adults: is there an additional benefit from remote magnetic navigation?

Purpose

Although rare, children and young adults can suffer from significant cardiac arrhythmia, especially in the context of congenital malformations and after cardiac surgery.

Methods

A total of 62 patients (32 female, median age 20 years) underwent an invasive electrophysiology study between 2008–2011: half had normal cardiac anatomy, whereas the remaining patients had various types of congenital heart disease. All patients were treated using either conventional techniques (CVN) or remote magnetic navigation (RMN).

Results

Patients treated with the RMN system differed substantially from patients in the CVN group with respect to presence of congenital heart disease (67 % vs. 37 %), previous cardiac surgery (59 % vs. 20 %) or failed previous conventional ablation (22 % vs. 9 %), respectively. Although these more complex arrhythmias resulted in longer median procedure duration (180 vs. 130 min, p = 0.034), the median overall fluoroscopy exposure in the RMN group was significantly lower (4.1 vs. 5.2 min, p = 0.020). Clinical outcome was comparable in both groups without complications caused by the ablation.

Conclusions

Catheter ablation using remote magnetic navigation is safe and feasible in children and young adults and is especially valuable in patients with abnormal cardiac morphologies. RMN resulted in significantly lower radiation exposure compared with the conventional technique.     

湖北省钟祥市粘虫发生规律研究

为了明确粘虫Mythimna separata(Walker)在湖北省钟祥市的发生规律,对小麦玉米轮作田粘虫成虫和幼虫种群的发生动态、粘虫雌蛾卵巢发育进度以及粘虫越冬虫量作了调查,分析了粘虫种群虫源性质。结果表明,钟祥市为1代粘虫多发区,其虫源为外地迁入的越冬代成虫,1代粘虫危害高峰期在4月中下旬,羽化盛期在5月中下旬,羽化后以迁出为主。第2代粘虫发生量很小,羽化后基本全部迁出;在田间未调查到第3代粘虫幼虫,本区发现的第3代成虫可能为由北方南迁的过境种群;第4代粘虫发生量也很小,羽化后全部迁出,不在本区繁殖危害。在田间未调查到准备越冬的粘虫。     

Different positions of males approaching towards females and male choices between webs with and without stabilimentum in a sexually cannibalistic orb‐web spider,Argiope bruennichi

Males of the orb‐weaving spider species Argiope bruennichi (Araneidae) are frequently victims of sexual cannibalism. Therefore, a male spider approaching a female should have strategies to avoid being killed before copulation. Our present field study detected six types of A. bruennichi male positions vis‐à‐vis the female web. In 78% of situations (39/50), only one male attached to a female. Two males attached to the same female in 11 cases. We observed no cases of three or more males on the same female web. We most commonly observed the situation of a male staying in its own web and connecting to a female's web with its silk thread (46% of cases). Of the female webs chosen by males, 68% were decorated with both an upper and lower portion of stabilimentum – a conspicuous white silk structure that reflects much more ultraviolet light than other spider silks in the web. Only 14% (7/50) of the selected webs lacked stabilimentum. Therefore, we conducted an experiment to investigate the males' choice between females' webs with and without stabilimentum. Of the 24 males used in the experiment, 10 chose webs with stabilimentum. This result did not show a strong preference of the male for stabilimentum between equally sized webs, and thus did not support an earlier suggestion that stabilimentum in A. bruennichi might function to guide males to females for mating.     

Effect of age,sex, and mutual interaction on the locomotor behavior of Orchestia gammarellus in the supralittoral zone of Ghar El Melh lagoon (Bizerte,Tunisia)

Freshly collected individuals of Orchestia gammarellus from the supralittoral zone of Ghar El Melh lagoon (Northern of Tunisia) were housed in spring in a controlled-environment cabinet. Locomotor activity rhythm of this species was recorded in spring, at a constant temperature of 18 ± 0.5 °C. In the first experiment, juveniles and adults specimens were kept under light-dark cycle in phase with the natural diel cycle. In the two other experiments (males/females and mixed/unmixed groups), individuals of O. gammarellus were maintained under constant darkness. According to double-plotted actograms, waveforms and periodogram analysis, results revealed different locomotor pattern. However, locomotor rhythm of juveniles was more stable than adults. Also, the locomotor activity rhythm of groups was more defined than that of the isolated individuals. Moreover, the activity of mixed groups as well as unmixed groups was more pronounced than the activity of the isolated individuals. Furthermore, results showed no significant difference between locomotor rhythm pattern of males and females of this species.     

Response to rearing in laboratory of the xylophagous grape pest,Xylotrechus arvicola (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Xylotrechus arvicola (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is an important pest in vineyards (Vitis vinifera) in the main Iberian wine‐producing regions. Larvae were reared with Semi‐Synthetic Iglesias (SSI) diet over 27 months and two generations in the laboratory. Larval mortality was highest during the first (49.49 %) and second (9.38 %) month of rearing, increasing to 50.52 % during the first month if F2 reared larvae were obtained from an F1 adult female obtained in laboratory. The diet had sufficient nutrients to enable the pest to complete its life cycle within nine months, with F1 larval viability ranging from 23.49 % to 27.97 % and F2 larval viability reduced to 2.07 %. However, the diet did not allow for the completion of additional life cycles and generations (F3, F4,…). Larval mortality increased as the months of rearing (66.13 %, 69.51 % and 89.50 %) and generations (59.10 % and 76.93 % in F1 and F2, respectively) progressed in the laboratory. The larva–adult period of females obtained in the laboratory was longer than for males. In the laboratory, the life cycle was shortened in relation to the life cycle in the field because larvae did not require a cold period to break diapause and start pupation. This indicates that X. arvicola has the potential to complete its life cycle inside grape wood in vineyards of wine‐producing regions with warmer winters.     

安徽省蜜蜂种群消长及其分布与自然环境的关系

2002～2004年,对淮北平原、江淮丘陵、沿江平原及皖西和皖南山区四大类型生态区域的蜜蜂种群数量动态与环境因子进行了调查.结果表明,复杂的自然环境与蜜蜂种群特性密切相关.皖南山区和皖西大别山区蜜粉源植物分别为46和37种,中华蜜蜂群体数量多,分布密度分别为2.01和1.95群·km^-2;江淮地区和淮北平原蜜粉源植物分别为17和12种,花期短而集中,且面积大,适宜于意大利蜜蜂采集与生产,中华蜜蜂群体数量少,分布密度分别为0.06和0.02群·km^-2.胡蜂捕食影响蜜蜂种群消长与分布.皖南山区、皖西大别山区、江淮地区和淮北平原,中华蜜蜂分别占本地区蜂群的41.5%、36.8%、3.1%和1.1%,意大利蜜蜂分别占本地区蜂群的58.5%、63.2%、96.9%和98.9%.     

桉树精油及其活性物质对干鱼害虫白腹皮蠹的熏蒸毒性

为了评估桉树精油和α-蒎烯对白腹皮蠹Dermestes maculatus Degeer的杀虫作用,采用生测方法测定了不同剂量和不同处理时间下,其幼虫和成虫的死亡率。结果表明:用桉树精油及其活性成分α-蒎烯处理白腹皮蠹成虫和幼虫后,可显著影响其死亡率（P＜0.001）。白腹皮蠹的反应因化学物种类、剂量和暴露时间不同而异。当剂量为32 μL/cm³的桉树精油处理白腹皮蠹幼虫72 h后,死亡率可超过90%。同样的剂量对其成虫熏蒸72 h后也表现高毒。在相同的剂量和相同的暴露时间下,α-蒎烯对白腹皮蠹的成虫和幼虫也表现高毒,且成虫的抗性比幼虫强。Probit检验结果表明桉树精油比α-蒎烯更有效。以上结果说明这些天然产物对白腹皮蠹种群的控制是很有用的。     

Structure–function relationships of the peptide Paulistine: A novel toxin from the venom of the social wasp Polybia paulista

Background

The peptide Paulistine was isolated from the venom of wasp Polybia paulista. This peptide exists under a natural equilibrium between the forms: oxidised — with an intra-molecular disulphide bridge; and reduced — in which the thiol groups of the cysteine residues do not form the disulphide bridge. The biological activities of both forms of the peptide are unknown up to now.

Methods

Both forms of Paulistine were synthesised and the thiol groups of the reduced form were protected with the acetamidemethyl group [Acm-Paulistine] to prevent re-oxidation. The structure/activity relationships of the two forms were investigated, taking into account the importance of the disulphide bridge.

Results

Paulistine has a more compact structure, while Acm-Paulistine has a more expanded conformation. Bioassays reported that Paulistine caused hyperalgesia by interacting with the receptors of lipid mediators involved in the cyclooxygenase type II pathway, while Acm-Paullistine also caused hyperalgesia, but mediated by receptors involved in the participation of prostanoids in the cyclooxygenase type II pathway.

Conclusion

The acetamidemethylation of the thiol groups of cysteine residues caused small structural changes, which in turn may have affected some physicochemical properties of the Paulistine. Thus, the dissociation of the hyperalgesy from the edematogenic effect when the actions of Paulistine and Acm-Paulistine are compared to each other may be resulting from the influence of the introduction of Acm-group in the structure of Paulistine.

General significance

The peptides Paulistine and Acm-Paulistine may be used as interesting tools to investigate the mechanisms of pain and inflammation in future studies.