Biotechnological Strategies Adopted for Sugarcane Disease Management in Tucumán, Argentina.

Sugarcane diseases can be controlled by an integrated management approach where biotechnological tools can successfully contribute. The Obispo Colombres Agroindustrial Experimental Station (EEAOC) in Tucumán (Argentina's main sugarcane producer) has successfully implemented multiple strategies that greatly enhance the productivity of sugarcane fields. The local breeding program develops resistant varieties by applying molecular markers to reveal the presence of gene for brown rust resistance throughout the EEAOC germplasm collection.

The caregiver's perspective on end-of-life inpatient palliative care: a qualitative study.

Introduction: Understanding patient and caregiver experience is key to providing person-centered care. The palliative care approach includes holistic assessment and whole-person care at the end of life, that also involves the patient's family and loved ones. The aim of this study was to describe the way that family caregivers experienced patients' deaths during their loved ones' last hospital admission, comparing inpatient palliative care (PCU) and non-palliative care (Non-PCU) units.

Genetic diversity and population structure of Saccharum hybrids.

Sugarcane breeding programs incorporate foreign material to broaden the genetic base, expanding the gene pool. In South America, the Inter-university Network for the Development of the Sugarcane Industry (RIDESA) and Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC) sugarcane breeding programs from Brazil and Argentina, respectively, have never exchanged materials. In that sense, the knowledge of the genetic diversity and population structure among sugarcane genotypes of both germplasm banks, determined in a reliable way through their molecular profiles, will provide valuable information to select the best parental accessions for crossing aimed at the efficient introgression of desirable alleles.

Assessment of radiation hazard indices due to naturally occurring long-life radionuclides in the coastal area of Barra de Valizas, Uruguay.

The Uruguayan east coast has several mineral resources, which include black sand ores in the Barra de Valizas-Aguas Dulces area. Cancer in Uruguay shows non-homogeneous geographical distribution, with the highest standardized mortality ratio (SMR) in the northeast and east region, which includes the aforementioned area and the town of Barra de Valizas. The activity concentration of natural radionuclides (Ra, Th and  K) in Barra de Valizas´soil was determined by gamma spectrometry in order to evaluate the radiological hazard for inhabitants and tourists.

Accuracy of sentinel node mapping in patients with biopsy-proven metastatic axillary lymph nodes and upfront surgery: preliminary results of the Multimodal Targeted Axillary Surgery (MUTAS) trial.

Background: Some studies suggested that the patients included in the Z0011 trial may represent patients with ultrasound-negative axillary nodes and axillary invasion diagnosed by sentinel node (SN) biopsy. Nevertheless, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines recommend SN mapping if 1 or 2 suspicious lymph nodes are identified on axillary ultrasound (AU). The aim of this preliminary phase of the Multimodal Targeted Axillary Surgery (MUTAS) trial was to establish the accuracy of SN mapping in patients with axillary involvement undergoing upfront surgery.

End of Life Cost Savings in the Palliative Care Unit Compared to Other Services.

Context: Hospital deaths carry a significant healthcare cost that has been confirmed to be lower when palliative care units (PCUs) are available.

Objectives: To compare the last admission hospital health care cost of dying in a first-level hospital between the PCU and the rest of the hospital services.

Methods: A retrospective, comparative, observational study evaluating costs from the payer perspective on treatments and diagnostic-therapeutic tests performed on patients who die in first-level hospital, comparing whether they were treated by the PCU or another unit (Non-PCU).

Progressive retinal changes in pediatric multiple sclerosis.

Objectives To determine to what extent acute demyelinating episodes versus chronic degenerative phenomena drive retinal neuroaxonal damage in pediatric acquired demyelinating syndromes (ADS). Methods We acquired optical coherence tomography (OCT) data (follow-up range: 2 weeks - 5 years, at variable intervals from presentation) in pediatric participants who had multiple sclerosis (MS), monophasic ADS, or were healthy. Multivariable mixed effects models were used to assess the association of the number of demyelinating episodes (either optic neuritis [ON], or non-ON relapses) with changes in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) or ganglion cell layer-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness.

"This Project Helped Me to Grow": Experiences of Teaching Palliative Care Using the EDUPALL Project Medical Undergraduate Curriculum.

The WHO has proclaimed that palliative care (PC) should be integrated as a routine element of all undergraduate medical and nursing education. The EDUPALL Erasmus+project produced a PC curriculum for undergraduate medical education based on the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) recommendations for undergraduate training. This was tested in four Romanian Faculties of Medicine: Universities of Transilvania, Iasi, Targu Mures, and Timisoara.

Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Patterns Across Weekdays and Weekend Days in Youth With Multiple Sclerosis and Controls.

Background: This study quantified and compared weekday and weekend patterns of device-measured physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior between youth with pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) and controls for the purpose of informing future PA behavior change interventions.

Methods: Participant data were obtained from 3 ongoing observational studies, and the sample included 40 participants with pediatric MS and 41 controls. Light PA (LPA), moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA), and sedentary behavior data were collected using activity monitors (ActiGraph LLC) over 1 week.

Genetic Transformation of Sugarcane, Current Status and Future Prospects.

Sugarcane ( spp.) is a tropical and sub-tropical, vegetative-propagated crop that contributes to approximately 80% of the sugar and 40% of the world's biofuel production. Modern sugarcane cultivars are highly polyploid and aneuploid hybrids with extremely large genomes (>10 Gigabases), that have originated from artificial crosses between the two species, and .

Does Delirium Phenomenology in Persons with Advanced Cancer Follow a Specific Pattern?

Recognizing delirium phenomenology (DP) aids the early diagnosis of this syndrome and improves quality of life in patients with advanced cancer. The aim of this study was to identify the neurobehavioral and cognitive patterns of delirium-related symptoms in persons with advanced cancer. We conducted an observational comparative prospective study on delirium in patients with advanced cancer in different palliative care settings, assessing the presentation/evolution of DP with the Memorial delirium assessment scale (MDAS).

Exploring Perceptions of Shift Length: A State-Based Survey of Registered Nurses.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore clinical nurses' perspectives of shift length.

Background: Discussions about scheduling practices, work rotations, and shift length are pervasive among nurses and nursing leadership. However, the science surrounding nurse perceptions of longer shifts is limited.

From European Association for Palliative Care Recommendations to a Blended, Standardized, Free-to-Access Undergraduate Curriculum in Palliative Medicine: The EDUPALL Project.

The World Health Organization recommends that "palliative care should be integrated as a routine element of all Undergraduate Medical Education." However, the provision of training for medical undergraduates is variable; only 18% of 51 European countries have mandatory training in palliative medicine. EDUPALL is an ERASMUS+ funded international collaborative project to develop and pilot an undergraduate program for training in palliative medicine.

Proactive and systematic multidimensional needs assessment in patients with advanced cancer approaching palliative care: a study protocol.

Introduction: The benefits of palliative care rely on how healthcare professionals assess patients' needs in the initial encounter/s; crucial to the design of a personalised therapeutic plan. However, there is currently no evidence-based guideline to perform this needs assessment. We aim to design and evaluate a proactive and systematic method for the needs assessment using quality guidelines for developing complex interventions.

Delirium Rates in Advanced Cancer Patients Admitted to Different Palliative Care Settings: Does It Make the Difference?

Delirium in advanced cancer inpatient ranges between 13% and 85%. Reasons for this variability on the reported data could be related to the setting where they are admitted. This is an observational, comparative, prospective study on delirium diagnosis and delirium course of advanced cancer inpatients in two different palliative care settings.

Student's Inventory of Professionalism (SIP): A Tool to Assess Attitudes towards Professional Development Based on Palliative Care Undergraduate Education.

: Quality medical education, centered on a patient's needs, is crucial to develop the health professionals that our society requires. Research suggests a strong contribution of palliative care education to professionalism. The aim of this study was to design and validate a self-report inventory to measure student's professional development.

Types of Intermaxillary Fixation and Their Interaction With Palatine Fracture Reduction.

Purpose: To compare 3 types of intermaxillary fixation (IMF) and their behavior when subjected to tension forces in 3 study models with a palatine fracture feature.

Materials And Methods: An experimental study of 3 identical acrylic models was performed. All had the same palatine fracture pattern on the maxillary midline.

Palliative care teaching shapes medical undergraduate students' professional development: a scoping review.

Purpose Of Review: The aim of this review is to understand how palliative care teaching (PCT) as a patient-centered learning model, influences medical undergraduate students' professional development.

Recent Findings: To study PCT medical undergraduate students' learning experiences, we have employed the medical teaching concept, 'hidden curriculum,' as a way of describing attitudes and behavior conveyed implicitly by palliative care educators. Fifteen studies were selected: ten of those studies used a qualitative approach; two are theoretical explanations of the topic explored, one guideline, one review and just one quantitative study, made up the review.

How Do Experienced Professors Teach Palliative Medicine in European Universities? A Cross-Case Analysis of Eight Undergraduate Educational Programs.

Background: In Europe in recent decades, university teaching of palliative medicine (PM) has evolved. In some countries it has been introduced as a compulsory subject in all medical schools, but in a majority of countries it remains an isolated subject at few universities.

Objective: To explore how PM has been introduced into the curricula and how it is currently being taught at different European universities.

Silk flow-diverter stent for the treatment of complex intracranial aneurysms: A one-year follow-up multicenter study.

Background Flow-diverter stents have been successfully used in the treatment of complex aneurysms with limited therapeutic alternatives. We report our experience using the Silk flow diverter (SFD; Balt Extrusion, Montmorency, France) for the treatment of complex aneurysms in four Argentine centers. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of 246 consecutive patients who were treated with the SFD at four Argentine centers between January 2009 and January 2017.

The Diagnostic Sensitivity of the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale-Spanish Version.

Background: Although Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS) is a successful tool for delirium evaluation and monitoring, it is nevertheless important to determine whether cutoff scores vary according to the studied population. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity of the recently validated Spanish version of the MDAS. The secondary objective was to analyze possible diagnostic differences when used in a hospice or general hospital setting.

Concordance between brain F-FDG PET and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease.

Objectives: Cortical posterior hypometabolism on PET imaging with F-FDG (FDG-PET), and altered levels of Aß peptide, total Tau (tTau) and phosphorylated Tau (pTau) proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are established diagnostic biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease (AD). An evaluation has been made of the concordance and relationship between the results of FDG-PET and CSF biomarkers in symptomatic patients with suspected AD.

Material And Methods: A retrospective review was carried out on 120 patients with cognitive impairment referred to our Cognitive Neurology Unit, and who were evaluated by brain FDG-PET and a lumbar puncture for CSF biomarkers.