GOIZ ZAINDU study: a FINGER-like multidomain lifestyle intervention feasibility randomized trial to prevent dementia in Southern Europe.

Background: GOIZ ZAINDU ("caring early" in Basque) is a pilot study to adapt the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) methodology to the Basque population and evaluate the feasibility and adherence to a FINGER-like multidomain intervention program. Additional aims included the assessment of efficacy on cognition and data collection to design a large efficacy trial.

Method: GOIZ ZAINDU is a 1-year, randomized, controlled trial of a multidomain intervention in persons aged 60+ years, with Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia (CAIDE) risk score ≥ 6, no diagnosis of dementia, and below-than-expected performance in at least one of three cognitive screening tests.

Brief cognitive tests as a decision-making tool in primary care. A population and validation study.

Introduction And Objectives: Brief cognitive tests (BCT) are used in primary care (PC) for the detection of cognitive impairment (CI). Still, there are little data on their diagnostic utility (DU) in a community setting. This work evaluates the DU at the population level of Fototest, T@M, AD8 questionnaire and MMSE.

Scale-free behavioral cascades and effective leadership in schooling fish.

Behavioral contagion and the presence of behavioral cascades are natural features in groups of animals showing collective motion, such as schooling fish or grazing herbivores. Here we study empirical behavioral cascades observed in fish schools defined as avalanches of consecutive large changes in the heading direction of the trajectory of fish. In terms of a minimum turning angle introduced to define a large change, avalanches are characterized by distributions of size and duration showing scale-free signatures, reminiscent of self-organized critical behavior.

Using String Metrics to Improve the Design of Virtual Conversational Characters: Behavior Simulator Development Study.

Background: An emergency waiting room is a place where conflicts often arise. Nervous relatives in a hostile, unknown environment force security and medical staff to be ready to deal with some awkward situations. Additionally, it has been said that the medical interview is the first diagnostic and therapeutic tool, involving both intellectual and emotional skills on the part of the doctor.

Collaborative modeling of an implementation strategy: a case study to integrate health promotion in primary and community care.

Background: Evidence-based interventions are more likely to be adopted if practitioners collaborate with researchers to develop an implementation strategy. This paper describes the steps to plan and execute a strategy, including the development of structure and supports needed for implementing proven health promotion interventions in primary and community care.

Results: Between 10 and 13 discussion and consensus sessions were performed in four highly-motivated primary health care centers involving 80% of the primary care staff and 21 community-based organizations.

Patterns of recurrence/persistence of criptoglandular anal fistula after the LIFT procedure. Long-term observacional study.

Objective: To study the recurrence/persistence rate of complex cripotoglandular anal fistula after the LIFT procedure and analyse the patterns of recurrence/persistence.

Patients And Methods: Observational study of patients with transe-sphincteric or supra-sphincteric anal fistula treated using the LIFT procedure from December 2008 to April 2016. Variables studied included clinical characteristics, surgical technique and results.

Feasibility of an implementation strategy for the integration of health promotion in routine primary care: a quantitative process evaluation.

Background: Process evaluation is recommended to improve the understanding of underlying mechanisms related to clinicians, patients, context and intervention delivery that may impact on trial or program results, feasibility and transferability to practice. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of the Prescribe Healthy Life (PVS from the Spanish "Prescribe Vida Saludable") implementation strategy for enhancing the adoption and implementation of an evidence-based health promotion intervention in primary health care.

Methods: A descriptive study of 2-year implementation indicators for the PVS clinical intervention was conducted in four primary health care centers.

Incidence and characterization of the anterior resection syndrome through the use of the LARS scale (low anterior resection score).

Introduction: Recently a score (LARS) has been internationally validates that quantifies the anterior resection syndrome (ARS). The objective of this study is to know the incidence and severity of the ARS using LARS and its correlation with selected variables or risk factors.

Methods: All operated patients with anterior resection for rectal cancer between October 2007 and February 2014, with curative intention and at least one year of functionality, were sent a LARS questionnaire.

Preventing complications in colorectal anastomosis: results of a randomized controlled trial using bioabsorbable staple line reinforcement for circular stapler.

Background: Anastomotic complications, including leaks, stenoses, and bleeding, cause considerable mortality and morbidity after colorectal surgery.

Objetive: The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of bioabsorbable staple line reinforcement in reducing colorectal anastomotic complications.

Design: This was a prospective randomized clinical study.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) plasma levels at oocyte retrieval and IVF outcomes.

Purpose: The aim of our study was to ascertain the influence of hCG levels at oocyte pick-up on IVF outcomes, and their relationship with clinical parameters.

Methods: A prospective study was performed including 473 women undergoing IVF, aged under 40 years. Blood samples to analyze hCG levels were obtained at the time of follicular aspiration, 36 h after the administration of 250 μg of recombinant hCG.

Prognostic value of serum progesterone and LH values on the day of hCG administration in IUI GnRH antagonist cycles.

Objective: to evaluate the effect of LH surge and progesterone rise in IUI cycles under gonadotropin stimulation with GnRH antagonist coadministration on pregnancy rates (PR).

Study Design: The population under study consisted of 152 women prospectively studied and subjected to IUI.

Results: The higher the progesterone cutoff value, the lower the PR were 26.

[Perceptions of providers and clients about management and satisfaction with services in two public hospitals].

Background: Clients and providers of health care can have contrasting perceptions about the quality of service. Provider perceptions are mostly devoted to design and delivery of services while those of clients are focused in the attention received.

Aim: To assess perceptions of health care providers and clients about client management and satisfaction with services provided.

[Benign anastomotic strictures after oncologic rectal cancer surgery. Results of treatment with hydrostatic dilation].

Introduction: Benign anastomotic strictures after rectal cancer surgery are common and their treatment can vary from conservative measures to surgical resection.

Patients And Methods: Between March 2001 and August 2008, 422 patients with rectal cancer underwent anterior resection and 83.8% were treated with primary anastomosis.

[Ventral rectal sacropexy (colpo-perineal) in the treatment of rectal and rectogenital prolapse].

Introduction: Ventral sacral-rectopexy with mesh corrects rectal prolapse and minimises rectal dissection. Subsequent colpopexy corrects apical and posterior prolapses of the vagina. The combination of both procedures can lead to the simultaneous correction of pelvic organ prolapses (POP).

Rapid assessment of visual impairment due to cataract and cataract surgical services in urban Argentina.

Aim: To present results of a rapid assessment on visual impairment due to cataract and on cataract surgical services in the Northwestern districts of Buenos Aires, Argentina. These results will enable health managers to plan effective interventions in this area in line with VISION 2020.

Methods: One hundred fifteen clusters of 40 persons of 50 years and older in each cluster (4600 eligible persons) were selected by systematic sampling from the Northwestern districts of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

[Surgical treatment of rectocele and enterocele: an integrated view of disorders of the posterior vaginal compartment].

Genital prolapse, whether associated or not with urinary, anal or sexual dysfunction, should be evaluated globally to select the appropriate treatment. Rectocele and enterocele are defects of the posterior vaginal compartment, although they can be secondary to abnormalities of the central compartment, since lesions of the perineal raphe and rectovaginal septum can occur in isolation or accompanied by others that also affect the tissues involved in pelvic support. The various surgical approaches to rectocele alone or associated with other defects are reviewed.

Pyroglutamyl peptidase I and prolyl endopeptidase in human semen: increased activity in necrozoospermia.

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and its analogues have been reported to have important functions in human semen. In the present paper, we have characterized the activity of the TRH-degrading enzymes pyroglutamyl peptidase I and prolyl endopeptidase in the fluid and prostasomes of human semen and in subcellular fractions of the corresponding sperm. Enzymatic activities were measured fluorimetrically using beta-naphthylamine derivatives as substrate.

Echocardiographic modeling of cardiac dyssynchrony before and during multisite stimulation: a prospective study.

Multisite biventricular pacing therapy offers significant clinical improvement in some stimulated patients with electrocardiographic criteria of cardiac dyssynchrony. However, observational data increasingly suggest that patients suffering from congestive heart failure in presence of modest QRS widening may also derive benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), and that some patients can be significantly improved clinically after system implantation despite no apparent change in QRS width. This pilot study explored the value of an echocardiographic model to identify cardiac electromechanical dyssynchrony parameters (EDP) in candidates for CRT, and their potential correction after implantation.

Study of interactions between permanent pacemakers and electronic antitheft surveillance systems.

Interference of electronic antitheft systems (EASs) with pacemakers has been an object of controversy. This study was performed in 204 patients followed by our pacemaker surveillance center. The data from a total of 408-patient exposures to the EAS were analyzed.

Reduction in energy pacing thresholds by overlapping biphasic stimulation versus conventional bipolar pacing.

Unlabelled: Overlapping biphasic (OLBI) stimulation is a new pacing waveform consisting of two simultaneous monophasic pulses of opposite polarities applied to a bipolar electrode. The goal of this prospective study was to compare, using conventional pacing leads, the acute energy pacing thresholds, measured at 0.5-ms pulse duration, associated with bipolar versus OLBI (mode 7 and mode 8) pulse delivery.

Reliability of an automatic sensing test with beat-to-beat display of the signal amplitude.

In contrast to testing of the capture threshold, the reliability of sensing tests has been little studied. This study was performed to test the automatic sensing algorithm included in the Biotronik pacing systems. The automatic measurements made by the devices were compared with the direct manual measurements made of 271 atrial (72%) or ventricular (28%) electrograms recorded in ten patients.

[Comparative study of secretory IgA].

Objective: The aim of this study was measure and compare Secretory IgA levels in the respiratory tract.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Neumology Department of General Hospital.

Permanent left ventricular pacing with transvenous leads inserted into the coronary veins.

This paper describes a preliminary experiment-conducted jointly by 2 centers-of permanent left ventricular pacing using leads inserted by the transvenous route and through the coronary sinus into the cardiac veins of the left ventricle free wall. The aim was to obtain permanent biventricular pacing in a totally endocavitary configuration in patients with severe LV dysfunction and drug-refractory heart failure. Two types of leads were used: nonspecific unipolar leads at the beginning of the experiment, followed by leads specifically designed to be used in the coronary sinus in a second step.