Psychometry and estimation of cutoff points of Jefferson Scale of empathy in dental students.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of the 3-dimensional latent model of empathy on the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy instrument (version S), and to verify the existence of cutoff points capable of differentiating empathy measures classified as: "high," "medium," and "low" using data collected from observations of students from 11 dental faculties of 5 Central American and Caribbean countries (n = 3082) between 2015 and 2019.

Methods: This is an exploratory, "a posteriori," and non-experimental study. Factor structure and factor invariance by country and gender were analyzed.

Dataset related to the characteristics of the champion that influence the implementation of quality improvement programs in health facilities.

Analyses of the present data are reported in the article "What are the characteristics of the champion that influence the implementation of quality improvement programs?" [5]. Data were collected from April to September 2019 using a qualitative data collection tool, an interview guide (see Appendix 1). A total of 21 staff were interviewed from three different health facilities in the Northern Department of Haiti.

What are the characteristics of the champion that influence the implementation of quality improvement programs?

Background: Quality improvement in Healthcare is the new fashion actually. Rich countries and developing countries alike are trying to implement quality improvement initiatives to improve their performance and the quality of care. There is evidence in the scientific literature that the existence of a "champion" can play an important role in the successful implementation of quality improvement strategies.

Phylogenetic rewiring in mycorrhizal-plant interaction networks increases community stability in naturally fragmented landscapes.

Although ecological networks are usually considered a static representation of species' interactions, the interactions can change when the preferred partners are absent (rewiring). In mutualistic networks, rewiring with non-preferred partners can palliate extinction cascades, contributing to communities' stability. In spite of its significance, whether general patterns can shape the rewiring of ecological interactions remains poorly understood.

Understanding and acceptability by Hispanic consumers of four front-of-pack food labels.

Background: Front-of-pack food labels (FOPL) can help consumers make healthy and informed food choices. FOPL are used in the food market but evaluations of their understanding and acceptability are scanty. This study aimed to explore the subjective understanding and acceptability of four FOPL among Hispanic consumers.

A Cytotoxic and Anti-inflammatory Campesterol Derivative from Genetically Transformed Hairy Roots of Lopezia racemosa Cav. (Onagraceae).

The genetically transformed hairy root line LRT 7.31 obtained by infecting leaf explants of Cav with the strain ATCC15834/pTDT, was evaluated to identify the anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic compounds reported previously for the wild plant. After several subcultures of the LRT 7.

Co-occurrence of Pain Symptoms and Somatosensory Sensitivity in Burning Mouth Syndrome: A Systematic Review.

Background: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic and spontaneous oral pain with burning quality in the tongue or other oral mucosa without any identifiable oral lesion or laboratory finding. Pathogenesis and etiology of BMS are still unknown. However, BMS has been associated with other chronic pain syndromes including other idiopathic orofacial pain, the dynias group and the family of central sensitivity syndromes.

In vitro evaluation of a soluble Leishmania promastigote surface antigen as a potential vaccine candidate against human leishmaniasis.

PSA (Promastigote Surface Antigen) belongs to a family of membrane-bound and secreted proteins present in several Leishmania (L.) species. PSA is recognized by human Th1 cells and provides a high degree of protection in vaccinated mice.

Long-term effects of irrigation with waste water on soil AM fungi diversity and microbial activities: the implications for agro-ecosystem resilience.

The effects of irrigation with treated urban wastewater (WW) on the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) diversity and soil microbial activities were assayed on a long-term basis in a semiarid orange-tree orchard. After 43 years, the soil irrigated with fresh water (FW) had higher AMF diversity than soils irrigated with WW. Microbial activities were significantly higher in the soils irrigated with WW than in those irrigated with FW.

[Mixed design for the evaluation of the Mesoamerica Health 2015 initiative].

Since the Salud Mesoamerica 2015 initiative (SM-2015) aim is to improve health and nutrition conditions of those most vulnerable in Mesoamerica, the goal of the evaluation is to generate evidence of the joint effectiveness of a package of interventions designed to improve the health conditions. We propose a mix design for the evaluation, which will allow to know the magnitude of changes attributable to the interventions, as well as the meanings of these changes for the target population, taking into account the specificities of each country. The main axis of this design is a locality panel where information about individuals, households, and health facilities (first and second level) will also be collected.

Short communication: RNASEL alleles and susceptibility to infection by human retroviruses and hepatitis viruses.

RNASEL seems to function as an intracellular restriction factor blocking the establishment of infections caused by viral agents. Herein, we investigated whether allelic variants at the RNASEL gene might influence the susceptibility to viral infections or conditions potentially linked to viral agents. The allelic distribution at codon 462 was 139 (33.

Pretreatment axillary ultrasonography and core biopsy in patients with suspected breast cancer: diagnostic accuracy and impact on management.

Unlabelled: Preoperative diagnosis of axillary metastases in breast cancer patients enables treatment planning. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of axillary ultrasonography and percutaneous biopsy, both alone and in combination, in detecting axillary metastases in patients with breast cancer and to assess the impact of these techniques on the patients' management.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective study of consecutive patients with suspected breast cancer examined between October 2006 and December 2008.

Efficacy of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA screening and characterization of acute and occult HBV infections among blood donors from Madrid, Spain.

Background: Screening of blood units for hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA identifies donations collected during the window period (WP) of the acute infection and may improve viral safety of the blood supply. It also leads to the detection of occult hepatitis B infection (OBI).

Study Design And Methods: From January 2005 to December 2006, a total of 383,267 blood units were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and HBV DNA in two transfusion centers in Madrid, using either individual-donation nucleic acid testing (ID-NAT) or minipool (MP-NAT) of eight donations (MP8).

Transient occult hepatitis B virus infection in a blood donor with high viremia.

Background: Screening of blood donors for viral nucleic acids has recently been introduced in several countries. With the use of transcription-mediated amplification, a blood donor was detected who had 90,000 copies of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA/mL but no hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). One month later, anti-HBc and hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) appeared; HBV DNA disappeared after 2 months.

Family physician and endocrinologist coordination as the basis for diabetes care in clinical practice.

Background: To estimate the proportion of diabetic patients (DPts) with peripheral vascular disease treated at a primary health care site after an endocrinologist-based intervention, who meet ATP III and Steno targets of metabolic control, as well as to compare the outcome with the results of the patients treated by endocrinologists.

Methods: A controlled, prospective over 30-months period study was conducted in area 7 of Madrid. One hundred twenty six eligible diabetic patients diagnosed as having peripheral vascular disease between January 2003 and June 2004 were included in the study.

Evaluation of the Roche cobas s 201 system and cobas TaqScreen multiplex test for blood screening: a European multicenter study.

Background: The Roche cobas TaqScreen test, an automated, multiplex nucleic acid test for blood screening for hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA, hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) groups M and O, and HIV-2 RNA, on the cobas s 201 platform, was evaluated by six European blood screening laboratories.

Study Design And Methods: The 95 percent limit of detection (LOD) of the cobas TaqScreen test for HBV, HCV, and HIV-1, using dilutions of the WHO International Standards, were evaluated. The clinical performance was determined by testing between 2000 to 6000 routine donor samples.

Transfusional chagas disease: parasitological and serological monitoring of an infected recipient and blood donor.

Chagas disease is endemic to Latin America, but human migration is extending its distribution. This report describes the parasitological and serological course of disease in a Spanish patient fatally infected via a blood product transfusion, as well as the monitoring of the donor. Before undergoing immunosuppression, multitransfused patients should be screened for anti-Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies.

[A novel school-based strategy for the prevention of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted disease (STDs), and teen pregnancies].

Objective: To introduce the study design of an HIV/AIDS and unplanned pregnancy prevention program targeting high school students, and to present the results from the baseline survey.

Material And Methods: A school curriculum was developed to inform adolescent students about HIV/AIDS/STD prevention, which included information on emergency contraception (EC) for adolescent students. A randomized controlled study was conducted to simultaneously evaluate the effect of this intervention.

HIV prevention in Mexican schools: prospective randomised evaluation of intervention.

Objective: To assess effects on condom use and other sexual behaviour of an HIV prevention programme at school that promotes the use of condoms with and without emergency contraception.

Design: Cluster randomised controlled trial.

Setting: 40 public high schools in the state of Morelos, Mexico.

Multicenter performance evaluation of a transcription-mediated amplification assay for screening of human immunodeficiency virus-1 RNA, hepatitis C virus RNA, and hepatitis B virus DNA in blood donations.

Background: The performance of the recently launched Procleix Ultrio (Chiron/Gen-Probe) human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis B virus (HBV) blood screening assay was evaluated in a European multicenter study.

Study Design And Methods: Serial dilutions of reference materials were tested to determine the detection limits. Robustness and specificity were assessed by testing alternating high-load HCV RNA-positive and -negative samples, and 2912 test pools of eight donations.

Emergency contraception use is correlated with increased condom use among adolescents: results from Mexico.

Purpose: To evaluate the association between knowledge about, or experience with, emergency contraception (EC), and condom use among school-attending adolescents in the state of Morelos, Mexico.

Methods: We analyzed data from anonymously self-administered questionnaires (n = 10,918), from a cluster-randomized controlled trial among first year students from 40 (75%) public high schools in Morelos, Mexico. The survey included specific questions about EC knowledge and experience as well as questions about perceived ability to negotiate and condition sexual relations on condom use; and condom use at first and last sexual intercourse.

Effect of aging and physical activity on left ventricular compliance.

Background: Left ventricular compliance appears to decrease with aging, which may contribute to the high incidence of heart failure in the elderly. However, whether this change is an inevitable consequence of senescence or rather secondary to reduced physical activity is unknown.

Methods And Results: Twelve healthy sedentary seniors (69.

[Compensated sex: a practice at the heart of young Mexican women's vulnerabilities (STI/HIV/AIDS)].

Objective: To discuss the risks for Mexican young women who engage in sexual relations in exchange for social or economic benefits, also known as compensated sex (CS), with the objective of exploring its possible public health implications.

Material And Method: This is a qualitative study conducted in youths 15 to 25 years of age in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, between September 2001 and December 2002. The theoretical framework included sociology of knowledge, post-structuralism, and gender studies.

Biochemical differences in the alphabeta T cell receptor.CD3 surface complex between CD8+ and CD4+ human mature T lymphocytes.

We have reported the existence of biochemical and conformational differences in the alphabeta T cell receptor (TCR) complex between CD4(+) and CD8(+) CD3gamma-deficient (gamma(-)) mature T cells. In the present study, we have furthered our understanding and extended the observations to primary T lymphocytes from normal (gamma(+)) individuals. Surface TCR.