RESUMEN

The identities of five subspecies of Pleurota bicostella (Clerck, 1759) are studied, and each is raised from subspecies to species: P. andalusica Back, 1973, stat. nov.; P. aragonella Chrétien, 1925, stat. rev.; P. asiatica Back, 1973, stat. nov.; P. illucidella Chrétien, 1915, stat. rev.; P. lepigrei Lucas, 1937, stat. rev. Nine new Pleurota species which all belong to the P. bicostella species group are described: P. agadirensis Tabell, sp. nov.; P. aprilella Tabell, sp. n.; P. karsholti Tabell, sp. nov.; P. kullbergi Tabell, sp. nov.; P. monochroma Tabell, sp. nov.; P. murina Tabell, sp. nov.; P. paragallicella Tabell, sp. nov; P. phaeolepida Tabell, sp. nov., all from Morocco; and P. dalilae Tabell, sp. nov. from Tunisia. Adult males and females, and their genitalia are illustrated. DNA barcodes of the aforementioned species are compared with those of all other Pleurotinae available to us in the BOLD database. Each of the presented and barcoded species has a unique BIN (Barcode Index Number).

Asunto(s)

Lepidópteros , Mariposas Nocturnas , Distribución Animal , Animales , Femenino , Genitales , Masculino

RESUMEN

PURPOSE: To evaluate the pharmacokinetic parameters of a single oral dose of vardenafil in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). METHODS: Sixteen patients with PH received vardenafil in single oral doses (20, 10 or 5 mg), and repeated blood sampling for up to 9 h was performed. Vardenafil plasma concentration was determined using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using model-independent analysis. RESULTS: The plasma vardenafil concentration increased rapidly and exhibited a median time to maximum plasma concentration (t(max)) of 1 h and a mean elimination half-life (t(1/2)) of 3.4 h. The geometric mean and standard deviation of (1) the peak plasma concentration (C(max)) was 21.4 ± 1.7 µg/L, (2) the normalized C(max) (C(max, norm)) 79.1 ± 1.6 g/L, (3) the area under the time-concentration curve (AUC) 71.5 ± 1.6 µg · h/L and (4) the normalized AUC (AUC(norm)) 261.6 ± 1.7 g · h/L. Patients co-medicated with bosentan reached t(max) later and had a 90% reduction of C(max), C(max, norm), AUC and AUC(norm). CONCLUSION: The pharmacokinetic profile of vardenafil overall revealed considerable inter-individual variability in patients with PH. Co-medication with bosentan resulted in a pharmacokinetic drug interaction, leading to significantly decreased plasma concentrations of vardenafil. Therapeutic drug monitoring for individual dose optimization may be warranted.

Asunto(s)

Hipertensión Pulmonar/sangre , Imidazoles/farmacocinética , Inhibidores de Fosfodiesterasa 5/farmacocinética , Piperazinas/farmacocinética , Vasodilatadores/farmacocinética , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Femenino , Humanos , Hipertensión Pulmonar/tratamiento farmacológico , Hipertensión Pulmonar/fisiopatología , Imidazoles/sangre , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Inhibidores de Fosfodiesterasa 5/sangre , Piperazinas/sangre , Sulfonas/sangre , Sulfonas/farmacocinética , Triazinas/sangre , Triazinas/farmacocinética , Diclorhidrato de Vardenafil , Vasodilatadores/sangre

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVES: Seventy-five centers from many countries have applied for a login code to the WAA apheresis registry. Fifteen centers from 7 countries have been actively entering data at the internet site from 2003 until 2007. We report on data from the registry so far. METHODS: This is a web-based registry. A link is available from the WAA homepage (www.worldapheresis.org). So far data from 2013 patients (12,448 procedures) have been included. A median of 6 treatments have been performed (range 1-140). Mean age 51 years (range 1-94 years; 45% women). Seven percent of the patients were < or = 21 years and 4% were < or = 16 years. RESULTS: The purpose of the apheresis procedure was therapeutic in 67% and retrieval of blood components in 33%. Main indications: neurological and hematological diseases, lipid apheresis and stemcell collection (autologous, and some allogeneic). Blood access: peripheral vessels (71%), central dialysis catheter through jugular (6.5%) or subclavian veins (6.7%), femoral vein (8%) and AV fistula (4%). ACD was used for anticoagulation in 73% of the procedures. Albumin was mainly used as replacement fluid. Adverse events (AE) were registered in 5.7% of the procedures. AE was graded as mild (2.5%), moderate (2.7%) or severe (0.5%). No death occurred due to treatment. The procedures were interrupted in 2.6%. Most frequent AEs were blood access problems (29%), tingling around the mouth (20%), hypotension (18%), and urticaria (9%). There were significant differences between the centers regarding mild and moderate AEs. Data indicate that centers using continuous infusion of calcium had fewer AEs. CONCLUSION: There was a limited number of severe AEs. Centers use various standard procedures for apheresis. By learning from the experience of others the treatment quality will improve further. In the near future, an update of the registry will enable more extensive evaluation of the data.

Asunto(s)

Eliminación de Componentes Sanguíneos , Bases de Datos Factuales , Internet , Sistema de Registros , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVE: The Swedish Registry for Active Treatment of Uraemia (SRAU) was founded in 1991 with the objective of documenting demographic data on patients treated for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence, incidence, comorbidity risk factors and survival of patients with ESRD who underwent dialysis treatment and/ or kidney transplantation in Sweden between 1991 and 2002. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All dialysis and transplant units (n = 65) presently report to the SRAU and almost all patients are reported and followed until death. RESULTS: The prevalence of patients on dialysis and transplantation, being approximately 750 per million population (PMP), has increased by 75% in 12 years. The recent annual rise is approximately 3% (200 patients). The incidence has been stable since 1997 at approximately 125 patients PMP. In 2002, there were 1113 new patients, the majority of whom were aged > or =65 years. Their original kidney disease was most often diabetic nephropathy (23.7%), with nephrosclerosis (19.0%) being the second most common disease. The total number of renal transplantations performed has decreased to some extent. The overall 5-year patient survival rate was 23.1% in patients on dialysis and 85.5% after kidney transplantation. The major cause of death was cardiovascular disease (48%) and an increasing frequency of malignancy after transplantation (26%) was noted. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of ESRD has nearly doubled since 1990 and the number of new patients being referred for dialysis has increased. These patients are becoming older, with a large proportion having non-renal complicating diseases. Survival after transplantation was excellent. The shortage of cadaveric donors in Sweden in recent years and increasing mortality from malignant disease after transplantation are issues of great concern.

Asunto(s)

Causas de Muerte , Fallo Renal Crónico/mortalidad , Fallo Renal Crónico/terapia , Trasplante de Riñón/estadística & datos numéricos , Diálisis Renal/estadística & datos numéricos , Adolescente , Adulto , Distribución por Edad , Anciano , Niño , Preescolar , Estudios de Cohortes , Femenino , Humanos , Incidencia , Fallo Renal Crónico/diagnóstico , Pruebas de Función Renal , Trasplante de Riñón/métodos , Trasplante de Riñón/mortalidad , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Diálisis Renal/métodos , Diálisis Renal/mortalidad , Estudios Retrospectivos , Medición de Riesgo , Distribución por Sexo , Análisis de Supervivencia , Suecia/epidemiología

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the early myocardial biochemical inflammatory response with the microdialysis technique during porcine endotoxemia and to simultaneously monitor systemic hemodynamics. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with parallel groups. SETTING: Animal research laboratory at the University Hospital of Uppsala, Sweden. SUBJECTS: Thirteen piglets aged 12-14 wks receiving general anesthesia. INTERVENTIONS: After thoracotomy and the insertion of microdialysis probes in standardized locations in the left ventricle of the heart and in the quadriceps muscle, seven pigs received a continuous infusion of endotoxin, initiating a severe endotoxemic shock. Six pigs received saline instead of endotoxin. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Endotoxemia caused a rapid and pronounced elevation of a metabolite obtained from prostaglandin degradation, 15-keto-dihydro-PGF(2alpha), in myocardial microdialysate fluid being specific of cyclooxygenase (COX)-mediated inflammation (p <.001 vs. saline-infused controls). Simultaneously, we observed a decrease in left ventricular stroke work index in the endotoxemic pigs (p <.01 vs. saline-infused controls). Endotoxemia did not alter 15-keto-dihydro-PGF(2alpha) levels in quadriceps muscle. Endotoxemia caused increases in taurine, hypoxanthine, and magnesium in myocardial microdialysate (p <.05 vs. saline-infused controls), whereas the contents of pyruvate, lactate, inosine, adenosine, and calcium were not significantly changed. CONCLUSION: Endotoxemia induced a myocardial COX-mediated inflammation without signs of ischemia. In parallel, a depletion of myocardial energy substrates and a deterioration in myocardial performance were seen.

Asunto(s)

Dinoprost/análogos & derivados , Hemodinámica/inmunología , Inflamación/metabolismo , Miocardio/metabolismo , Prostaglandina-Endoperóxido Sintasas/metabolismo , Choque Séptico/inmunología , Análisis de Varianza , Animales , Dinoprost/metabolismo , Endotoxemia/inmunología , Femenino , Inflamación/microbiología , Masculino , Microdiálisis , Miocardio/inmunología , Prostaglandina-Endoperóxido Sintasas/inmunología , Distribución Aleatoria , Porcinos

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVES: To describe the relation between the Arctic Oscillation (AO) index and the incidence and mortality in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the northern, partly subarctic area of Sweden. DESIGN: Comparison of a time series of daily variations in the AO index and register data on the daily number of fatal and nonfatal AMIs. SETTING: The northernmost two Swedish counties, Norrbotten and Västerbotten. SUBJECTS: All inhabitants in the Norrbotten and Västerbotten counties were followed for the occurrence of an AMI between 1985 and 1999 within the framework of the WHO MONICA (multinational MONItoring of trends and determinants of CArdiovascular disease) Project. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Fatal and nonfatal AMIs. RESULTS: There was a consistent positive relation between increasing AO index and an increase in AMI incidence and mortality. The maximum impact on AMI incidence of the AO came after a lag phase of 3 days. A one unit increase in AO index was associated with an increase in: the daily number of AMIs (+3.8%), the case fatality in AMI within 28 days (+5.1%), the number of nonfatal AMIs (+3.4%), and the number of sudden cardiac deaths (+8.3%). CONCLUSIONS: An AO index increase, bringing warmer weather over Scandinavia, was associated with an increase in the incidence and mortality in AMI in northern Sweden.

Asunto(s)

Conceptos Meteorológicos , Infarto del Miocardio/epidemiología , Regiones Árticas , Muerte Súbita Cardíaca/epidemiología , Femenino , Humanos , Humedad , Incidencia , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Infarto del Miocardio/etiología , Infarto del Miocardio/mortalidad , Análisis de Regresión , Suecia/epidemiología , Temperatura

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVES: To investigate sex differences in reaching diagnosis, medical management and case fatality (CF) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the population aged 35-64 years in northern Sweden. METHODS: Within the framework of the World Health Organization Multinational Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Diseases (MONICA) Project, definite AMI was monitored in people aged 35-64 years from 1989 through 1995 (target population 510 000 in 1991). SETTING: In a population based coronary register, all coronary events were recorded in nine hospitals in 1989-95. RESULTS: The number of events included in the definite coronary myocardial infarction register was 2483 men and 669 women. On admission, a higher proportion of men with definite AMI had chest pain or ECG changes typical for AMI (P < 0.0001). Disagreement between clinical diagnosis and classification by MONICA criteria occurred more often in women (P=0.008). A significantly higher proportion of men was admitted in the coronary care unit and they were significantly more often treated with thrombolytics, nitroglycerine, beta-blockers, or antiplatelet agents. Women received significantly more diuretics, inotropics or calcium antagonists. Diabetes, conferring a worse prognosis, was more common in women (20 vs. 15%; P=0.003). Prehospital CF was significantly higher in men (24.1 vs. 18.3%; P=0.005), but in patients treated in hospital, the CF was significantly lower in men (12.7 vs. 21.2%; P < 0.001). Total CF was equal in men and women. CONCLUSIONS: Several factors contributing to the excess in-hospital CF in women were identified, including greater problems in diagnosis of AMI in women which may be one of the reasons for less intensive treatment in women. Differences in co-morbidity, most notably diabetes and medical treatment between men and women with acute AMI may also have played a part.

Asunto(s)

Infarto del Miocardio/mortalidad , Adulto , Comorbilidad , Femenino , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Infarto del Miocardio/diagnóstico , Infarto del Miocardio/tratamiento farmacológico , Estudios Prospectivos , Factores de Riesgo , Factores Sexuales , Suecia/epidemiología

RESUMEN

The investigation was aimed to assess the link between visual art discussions and social interaction. The study was designed as a controlled intervention study. Participants were older women living in a block of specially designed older persons' flats in Sweden. Reproductions of well-known artists' works of art were used as an intervention instrument. Measurements were older women's self-reported social interaction. The results show significant improvement in the visual art group compared to the matched control group. The differences in ratings between the groups indicated increased social interaction in the visual art group, which continued to exist four months after the intervention. Visual art discussions encouraged reminiscence and stimulated the older women to be more socially active. The study is an example of how visual art could be used in order to stimulate older women to interact in a social network in order to remain in contact with the world instead of retreating from it.

Asunto(s)

Arte , Relaciones Interpersonales , Conducta Verbal/fisiología , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Análisis de Varianza , Femenino , Humanos , Suecia

RESUMEN

A novel fimbrial type in Escherichia coli was identified and characterized. The expression of the fimbria was associated with the O18acK1H7 clonal group of E. coli, which cause newborn meningitis and septicemia when grown at low temperature; hence, it was named the Mat (meningitis associated and temperature regulated) fimbria. The fimbriae were purified from a fimA::cat sfaA::Gm fliC::St derivative of the O18K1H7 isolate E. coli IHE 3034. The purified Mat fimbrillin had an apparent molecular mass of 18 kDa and did not serologically cross-react with the type 1 or S fimbria of the same strain. The matB gene encoding the major fimbrillin was cloned from the genomic DNA of the fimA::cat sfaA::Gm fliC::St derivative of IHE 3034. The predicted MatB sequence was of 195 amino acids, contained a signal sequence of 22 residues, and did not show significant homology to any of the previously characterized fimbrial proteins. The DNA sequence of matB was 97.8% identical to a region from nucleotides 17882 to 18469 in the 6- to 8-min region of the E. coli K-12 chromosome, reported to encode a hypothetical protein. The 7-kb DNA fragment containing matB of IHE 3034 was found by restriction mapping and partial DNA sequencing to be highly similar to the corresponding region in the K-12 chromosome. Trans complementation of the matB::cat mutation in the IHE 3034 chromosome showed that matB in combination with matA or matC restored surface expression of the Mat fimbria. A total of 27 isolates representing K-12 strains and the major pathogroups of E. coli were analyzed for the presence of a matB homolog as well as for expression of the Mat fimbria. A conserved matB homolog was found in 25 isolates; however, expression of the Mat fimbriae was detected only in the O18acK1H7 isolates. Expression of the Mat fimbria was temperature regulated, with no or a very small amount of fimbriae or intracellular MatB fimbrillin being detected in cells cultivated at 37(o)C. Reverse transcriptase PCR and complementation assays with mat genes controlled by the inducible trc promoter indicated that regulation of Mat fimbria expression involved both transcriptional and posttranscriptional events.

Asunto(s)

Proteínas Bacterianas/genética , Escherichia coli/genética , Proteínas Fimbrias , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Proteínas Bacterianas/química , Clonación Molecular , Secuencia Conservada , Escherichia coli/clasificación , Escherichia coli/patogenicidad , Infecciones por Escherichia coli/microbiología , Pruebas de Hemaglutinación , Humanos , Recién Nacido , Meningitis Bacterianas/microbiología , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Pili Sexual/genética , Pili Sexual/ultraestructura , Plásmidos , Proteínas Recombinantes/química , Sepsis/microbiología , Homología de Secuencia de Aminoácido , Homología de Secuencia de Ácido Nucleico , Virulencia/genética

Asunto(s)

Anemia/tratamiento farmacológico , Eritropoyetina/uso terapéutico , Fallo Renal Crónico/fisiopatología , Anemia/etiología , Darbepoetina alfa , Monitoreo de Drogas , Eritropoyetina/efectos adversos , Eritropoyetina/análogos & derivados , Eritropoyetina/farmacocinética , Hemoglobinas/análisis , Humanos , Fallo Renal Crónico/complicaciones , Fallo Renal Crónico/terapia , Diálisis Peritoneal/normas , Diálisis Renal/normas

RESUMEN

The N-terminal proatrial natriuretic peptide (proANP) has become an important parameter for assessing the prognosis of patients with cardiac disease. Its use for evaluating the hydration status in patients with chronic renal failure, however, is still under investigation. The present study comprised 12 haemodialysis (HD) and 17 pre-dialysis patients. In the HD patients, the inferior vena cava diameter during quiet expiration (IVCe) was estimated by ultrasonography and plasma concentrations of N-terminal proANP, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) were measured before and 4 h after termination of HD. In the pre-dialysis patients venous blood samples were taken during rest to measure plasma N-terminal proANP and ANP and serum creatinine. Normal values for N-terminal proANP and ANP were obtained from 18 healthy volunteers. The plasma concentrations of N-terminal proANP and ANP in healthy volunteers were 328 +/- 92 and 11.4.0 +/- 3.1 pM L-1, respectively. In pre-dialysis patients, serum creatinine ranged from 110 to 447 microM L-1 and was significantly correlated to plasma N-terminal proANP (r = 0.60, P < 0.05) but not to ANP. This may indicate that N-terminal proANP is more dependent on renal function for its clearance than ANP, which is probably cleared by extrarenal mechanisms as well. In HD patients, IVCe was significantly correlated to the three hormones before HD, most strongly to N-terminal proANP. After dialysis, IVCe was significantly correlated to ANP and cGMP but was not correlated to N-terminal proANP. This may suggest that proANP takes a longer time than other hormones to reflect changes in intravascular volume. In conclusion, N-terminal proANP is a hormone closely related to degree of renal function. Furthermore, it is a sensitive marker reflecting the interdialytic hydration status in HD patients, as indicated by its high correlation to IVCe, a standard method which is used frequently nowadays to assess the body hydration. However N-terminal proANP could not reflect the acute changes in fluid volume induced by HD, probably because it is slowly metabolized.

Asunto(s)

Factor Natriurético Atrial/sangre , Fallo Renal Crónico/sangre , Fallo Renal Crónico/diagnóstico por imagen , Precursores de Proteínas/sangre , Equilibrio Hidroelectrolítico , Adulto , Anciano , Creatinina/sangre , GMP Cíclico/sangre , Femenino , Humanos , Fallo Renal Crónico/terapia , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Pronóstico , Valores de Referencia , Diálisis Renal , Ultrasonografía , Vena Cava Inferior/diagnóstico por imagen

RESUMEN

The pls gene, coding for a large surface protein of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, was cloned from a strain which adheres poorly to several mammalian proteins. The structure of pls revealed three distinct repeat regions, one of which was a serine-aspartate repeat characteristic of the Clf-Sdr family of surface proteins in staphylococci. The lengths of the repeat regions varied in different clinical strains and could be used as epidemiological markers. pls was found to be closely associated with the mecA gene by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis of SmaI-digested DNA. A pls mutant constructed by allele replacement adhered well to immobilized fibronectin and immunoglobulin G, in contrast to the parental strain, suggesting that Pls could have a role in preventing adhesion at some stages during an infection.

Asunto(s)

Adhesinas Bacterianas , Adhesión Bacteriana , Proteínas Portadoras/genética , Genes Bacterianos , Hexosiltransferasas , Muramoilpentapéptido Carboxipeptidasa/genética , Peptidil Transferasas , Staphylococcus aureus/genética , Antígenos Bacterianos/análisis , Proteínas Bacterianas/análisis , Proteínas Portadoras/análisis , Clonación Molecular , Proteínas de Unión a las Penicilinas , Secuencias Repetitivas de Aminoácido , Staphylococcus aureus/fisiología

RESUMEN

The GafD lectin of the G (F17) fimbriae of diarrhea-associated Escherichia coli was overexpressed and purified from the periplasm of E. coli by affinity chromatography on GlcNAc-agarose. The predicted mature GafD peptide comprises 321 amino acids, but the predominant form of GafD recovered from the periplasm was 19,092 Da in size and corresponded to the 178 N-terminal amino acid residues, as judged by mass spectrometry and amino acid sequencing, and was named DeltaGafD. Expression of gafD from the cloned gaf gene cluster in DegP-, Lon-, and OmpT-deficient recombinant strains did not significantly decrease the formation of DeltaGafD. The peptide was also detected in the periplasm of the wild-type E. coli strain from which the gaf gene cluster originally was cloned. We expressed gafD fragments encoding C-terminally truncated peptides. Peptides GafD1-252, GafD1-224, GafD1-189, and the GafD1-178, isolated from the periplasm by affinity chromatography, had apparent sizes closely similar to that of DeltaGafD. Only trace amounts of truncated forms with expected molecular sizes were detected in spheroplasts. In contrast, the shorter GafD1-157 peptide was detected in spheroplasts but not in the periplasm, indicating that it was poorly translocated or was degraded by periplasmic proteases. Pulse-chase assays using gafD indicated that DeltaGafD was processed from GafD and is not a primary translation product. The DeltaGafD peptide was soluble by biochemical criteria and exhibited specific binding to GlcNAc-agarose. Inhibition assays with mono- and oligosaccharides gave a similar inhibition pattern in the hemagglutination by the G-fimbria-expressing recombinant E. coli strain and in the binding of [(14)C]DeltaGafD to GlcNAc-agarose. DeltaGafD bound specifically to laminin, a previously described tissue target for the G fimbria. Our results show that a soluble, protease-resistant subdomain of GafD exhibits receptor-binding specificity similar to that for intact G fimbriae and that it is formed when gafD is expressed alone or from the gaf gene cluster.

Asunto(s)

Adhesinas Bacterianas/genética , Proteínas de Escherichia coli , Escherichia coli/genética , Proteínas Fimbrias , Fimbrias Bacterianas/genética , Genes Bacterianos , Lectinas/genética , Familia de Multigenes , Acetilglucosamina/metabolismo , Adhesinas Bacterianas/inmunología , Anticuerpos Antibacterianos , Especificidad de Anticuerpos , Compartimento Celular , Escherichia coli/patogenicidad , Lectinas/inmunología , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Fragmentos de Péptidos , Periplasma , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusión , Solubilidad , Esferoplastos , Virulencia/genética

RESUMEN

Visual art dialogues were used in student nurses' education as a teaching and learning complement to theoretical knowledge of nursing care. An intervention group as well as a control group discussed what was characteristic of good nursing care. The control group was used to control for the effects of visual art dialogues in the intervention group. The study was undertaken at two university colleges of health sciences in Sweden. Data were collected from student nurses (n = 267) during their first year of study. The Wheel Questionnaire was used in the intervention group and control group. It measured three aspects of student nurses' perception of nursing situations: structure, the extent of emotional involvement, and motivation. The results showed statistical differences (one way ANOVA) between the intervention group in which visual art dialogues were implemented and the control group. Students in the intervention group, compared to the control group, were more structured, motivated and emotionally balanced when they expressed the elements most typical of good nursing care. They showed personal readiness in caring situations.

Asunto(s)

Arte , Actitud del Personal de Salud , Recursos Audiovisuales/normas , Bachillerato en Enfermería/métodos , Atención de Enfermería/psicología , Estudiantes de Enfermería/psicología , Materiales de Enseñanza/normas , Enseñanza/métodos , Análisis de Varianza , Evaluación Educacional , Emociones , Grupos Focales , Humanos , Conocimiento , Motivación , Relaciones Enfermero-Paciente , Atención de Enfermería/métodos , Investigación en Educación de Enfermería , Investigación Metodológica en Enfermería , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Suecia

RESUMEN

The visual art programme was an approach used to facilitate students' discovery of personal knowledge of empathy. The research programme constituted the first phase of an existing theory course in empathy. It involved a visual-verbal-writing process in which a reproduction of Edvard Munch's The Sick Child was studied and interpreted with a focus on personal knowledge of empathy. Data were collected from two university colleges of health sciences in Sweden during a period of 4 years (1995-1998). Student nurses (n = 428) in the undergraduate programme served as the study population. In the first stage, the students worked alone on written reports. Then, in small-groups, they discussed whether the picture facilitated the discovery of a personal knowledge of empathy. The results showed that the visual art programme stimulated the students to discuss and write about empathy. The ambiguity in the painting and the relaxed study situation was favourable to the students' discovery of their personal knowledge of empathy.

Asunto(s)

Educación en Enfermería/métodos , Empatía , Medicina en las Artes , Enseñanza/métodos , Niño , Humanos , Solución de Problemas , Suecia , Pensamiento

RESUMEN

The cbsA gene of Lactobacillus crispatus strain JCM 5810, encoding a protein that mediates adhesiveness to collagens, was characterized and expressed in Escherichia coli. The cbsA open reading frame encoded a signal sequence of 30 amino acids and a mature polypeptide of 410 amino acids with typical features of a bacterial S-layer protein. The cbsA gene product was expressed as a His tag fusion protein, purified by affinity chromatography, and shown to bind solubilized as well as immobilized type I and IV collagens. Three other Lactobacillus S-layer proteins, SlpA, CbsB, and SlpnB, bound collagens only weakly, and sequence comparisons of CbsA with these S-layer proteins were used to select sites in cbsA where deletions and mutations were introduced. In addition, hybrid S-layer proteins that contained the N or the C terminus from CbsA, SlpA, or SlpnB as well as N- and C-terminally truncated peptides from CbsA were constructed by gene fusion. Analysis of these molecules revealed the major collagen-binding region within the N-terminal 287 residues and a weaker type I collagen-binding region in the C terminus of the CbsA molecule. The mutated or hybrid CbsA molecules and peptides that failed to polymerize into a periodic S-layer did not bind collagens, suggesting that the crystal structure with a regular array is optimal for expression of collagen binding by CbsA. Strain JCM 5810 was found to contain another S-layer gene termed cbsB that was 44% identical in sequence to cbsA. RNA analysis showed that cbsA, but not cbsB, was transcribed under laboratory conditions. S-layer-protein-expressing cells of strain JCM 5810 adhered to collagen-containing regions in the chicken colon, suggesting that CbsA-mediated collagen binding represents a true tissue adherence property of L. crispatus.

Asunto(s)

Proteínas Bacterianas/metabolismo , Colágeno/metabolismo , Lactobacillus/genética , Glicoproteínas de Membrana , Proteínas de la Membrana/metabolismo , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Animales , Fusión Artificial Génica , Proteínas Bacterianas/genética , Pollos , Clonación Molecular , Genes Bacterianos , Lactobacillus/química , Proteínas de la Membrana/genética , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Mutación Puntual

RESUMEN

AIM: The investigation was aimed towards constructing a visual art programme for communication with elderly. METHODS: Pictures of works of art were used in a controlled intervention study. Dialogues were performed with elderly persons (age 82.6 years) at a senior's apartment building. The Wheel Questionnaire parameters structure, motivation, and emotional investment were analysed using ANOVA (mixed model). FINDINGS: Significant improvement was found in the visual art group (n = 20) compared with a matched control group (n = 20) over the studied period of time. Communication directions were different in the intervention group compared with the control group. In the intervention group there was an inexhaustible source of topics to be discussed that originated from pictures of works of art. In the control group the dialogues dealt with daily events in the elderly persons' lives. During the final phase of the intervention period it was difficult to find topics of conversation in the control group compared with the intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: The visual art programme is an example of how the language of works of art could be used for nursing management. The findings show a new way to care for elderly persons that builds upon elderly persons' knowledge and personal experience.

Asunto(s)

Arteterapia/métodos , Comunicación , Enfermería Geriátrica/métodos , Relaciones Enfermero-Paciente , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Análisis de Varianza , Humanos , Investigación en Evaluación de Enfermería , Satisfacción Personal , Evaluación de Programas y Proyectos de Salud , Encuestas y Cuestionarios

RESUMEN

Expression of foreign peptides as fusions to bacterial cell surface proteins has gained increasing attention in basic, as well as applied research during the last decade. A wide range of heterologous peptides have been expressed, and the spectrum of available carrier proteins is also wide. The choice of carrier protein is frequently ruled by the application of the fusion protein constructed. This review is focused on flagella display, which is based on genetic fusion of foreign peptides into a surface-exposed, dispensable region of flagellin, the flagellar major subunit present in thousands of copies per filament. Expression of these constructs in flagellin-deficient host strains results in hybrid flagella carrying the heterologous peptides in thousands of intimately-associated copies. The first and still most frequent application of flagella display is the construction of novel recombinant vaccines. Flagella display has also been used in peptide display as an alternative to the phage-display technique. One application involves fusion into a disulfide loop of Escherichia coli thioredoxin that has been inserted into flagellin, this system facilitates expression of random peptides in a conformationally constrained manner readily accessible on the flagellar surface. The random peptide library has been applied in antibody epitope mapping and is suitable for biopanning procedures in the study of ligand-receptor interactions. Many bacterial adhesins are of complex nature and thereby difficult to analyse by conventional methods. Direct flagella display has proven to be applicable also in bacterial adhesion technology since large fragments, up to 302 amino acid residues in length, of bacterial adhesins can be functionally expressed as fusions to flagellin. Hybrid flagella are easily purified and can easily be analysed for binding to various targets, such as immobilized proteins, tissue sections, as well as cell cultures.

Asunto(s)

Escherichia coli/metabolismo , Flagelos/metabolismo , Proteínas de la Membrana/metabolismo , Péptidos/metabolismo , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusión/metabolismo , Adhesinas Bacterianas/genética , Adhesinas Bacterianas/inmunología , Adhesinas Bacterianas/metabolismo , Animales , Epítopos , Escherichia coli/genética , Flagelos/genética , Humanos , Proteínas de la Membrana/genética , Péptidos/genética , Péptidos/inmunología , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusión/inmunología , Vacunas Sintéticas

RESUMEN

A multivalent, bifunctional flagellum carrying two different adhesive peptides in separate flagellin subunits within a filament was constructed in Escherichia coli. The inserted peptides were the fibronectin-binding 115-mer D repeat region of Staphylococcus aureus and the 302-mer collagen-binding region of YadA of Yersinia enterocolitica. Western blotting, immunoelectron microscopy, and adhesion tests with hybrid flagella from an in trans-complemented DeltafliC E. coli strain showed that individual filaments consisted of both recombinant flagellins.

Asunto(s)

Adhesinas Bacterianas/genética , Adhesión Bacteriana , Proteínas Bacterianas/genética , Proteínas Portadoras/genética , Escherichia coli/metabolismo , Flagelos/metabolismo , Flagelina/genética , Yersinia enterocolitica/metabolismo , Adhesinas Bacterianas/química , Adhesinas Bacterianas/metabolismo , Proteínas Bacterianas/química , Proteínas Bacterianas/metabolismo , Biotecnología/métodos , Proteínas Portadoras/química , Proteínas Portadoras/metabolismo , Escherichia coli/genética , Flagelina/metabolismo , Péptidos/química , Péptidos/genética , Péptidos/metabolismo , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusión/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusión/metabolismo , Staphylococcus aureus/química , Staphylococcus aureus/genética , Staphylococcus aureus/metabolismo , Yersinia enterocolitica/química , Yersinia enterocolitica/genética

RESUMEN

PURPOSE: To introduce an experiential teaching-learning method in nursing education based on art gallery visits. Works of art communicate a broad spectrum of human experiences and thoughts, and can be useful when studying interpersonal relations. DESIGN: Theoretical framework on experiential learning was based on writings of Dewey and Burnard. Data were collected from nursing students (N = 206) at a university college of health sciences in Sweden during a 3-year period, 1995-1998. METHOD: The pedagogical approach was experiential and based on three phases: observation, conceptualisation, and reflection. When students visited the art gallery, they were encouraged to look for metaphoric expressions of interpersonal relations. Students were asked to interpret the art, report findings to fellow-students, and evaluate the program. FINDINGS: Studying works of art was a powerful teaching-learning method for understanding interpersonal relations. Students related interpretations of a work of art to interpersonal relations in nursing. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing students' observations and understanding of interpersonal relations were enhanced by the art gallery program.

Asunto(s)

Arte , Educación en Enfermería/métodos , Enseñanza/métodos , Humanos , Suecia , Pensamiento