The Human Sexual System in the Context of the Health Sciences

Before the lack of systematic sexual formation in the medical curriculum, we propose a sexual model based on the theory of the systems of Bertanalaffy, originator of the organisation of the paradigm of the sciences in the 20th century. A proof of it is that of medicine, abandoning the term apparatus to utilise systems, a concept that implies interrelationship, equilibrium and biogenesis, articulating its knowledge in locomotive, respiratory, digestive, excretory, circulatory endocrine, nervous and reproductive systems etc, The absence of the Sexual System is responsible for the scarcity of economic and research investment in the biological dimension of sexuality. Indeed, it does not exist as material on the page of knowledge, Throughout the article we present the anatomical subsystems that comprise it, the laws of the system and its ends. Its incorporation as a system would make obligatory instruction in sexuality, contribute to the advance of biological research and to assistance. It would end with the concept of quality to be constitutive and determinant of the human.     

The impact of education on chronic kidney disease patients' plans to initiate dialysis with self-care dialysis: a randomized trial

BACKGROUND: Compared with in-center hemodialysis, self-care dialysis (including home and self-care hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis) is less resource intensive and associated with similar clinical outcomes. However, utilization of self-care dialysis has been very low. We performed a randomized controlled trial in predialysis patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) (GFR <30 mL/min) to determine the impact of a patient-centered educational intervention on patients' intention to initiate dialysis with self-care dialysis. METHODS: Seventy patients with CKD who were receiving care in a multidisciplinary predialysis clinic were randomized to receive either (1) a two-phase patient-centered educational intervention (phase 1 included educational booklets and a 15-minute video on self-care dialysis; phase 2 included a 90-minute small group interactive educational session on self-care dialysis) in addition to their regular multidisciplinary care, or (2) ongoing standard care and education in the multidisciplinary predialysis clinic. The primary outcome was patients' intention to initiate dialysis with self-care dialysis, assessed by questionnaire. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were randomized to standard care; 34 completed the study. Thirty-five patients were randomized to the educational intervention; 30 completed phase 1 and 28 completed phase 2. By study end, significantly more patients in the intervention group (82.1%) intended to start dialysis with self-care dialysis compared with the standard care group (50%, P= 0.015). This difference persisted after controlling for the small baseline differences among patients in the two study groups (P= 0.004). CONCLUSION: A two-phase educational intervention can increase the proportion of patients who intend to initiate dialysis with self-care dialysis.     

Vein and artery growth after anastomosis with vascular closure staple clips vs interrupted polypropylene suture: application in pediatric vascular surgery

Background/Purpose

Alternatives are still being sought in vascular surgery to address the problem of arrested growth after anastomosis in growing vessels, and opinions differ widely regarding the most suitable technique. This study compared vascular growth and permeability after anastomosis using the latest-generation vascular closure staple (VCS) system and the conventional suture technique to ascertain which approach yielded better results.

Methods

Thirty 55-day-old lambs underwent end-to-end anastomosis of the carotid artery and jugular vein. Serial ultrasonography and angiography were carried out over the ensuing 6-month growth period, after which lambs were euthanized.

Results

Both VCS clips and polypropylene suture allowed longitudinal and transverse vessel growth; however, longitudinal growth was significantly greater in clip-closed vessels than in either sutured or untreated vessels.

Conclusions

The results obtained for vascular growth and permeability suggest that VCS clips may provide a suitable alternative to conventional suture in pediatric vascular surgery.     

The immunological effects of extracorporeal photopheresis unraveled: induction of tolerogenic dendritic cells in vitro and regulatory T cells in vivo

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) may represent an alternative to immunosuppression, as a means of reducing rejection after thoracic organ transplantation. The mechanism by which ECP exerts its protective effects has, until now, remained elusive. We analyzed peripheral blood mononuclear cells of four children with chronic heart and lung transplant rejection, who received ECP in addition to conventional immunosuppressive treatment. The effects of ECP were evaluated at each cycle, comparing blood samples from the same patient collected before and after treatment. In vitro, peripheral blood mononuclear cells treated with ECP undergo apoptosis and are phagocytosed by immature dendritic cells, which, in turn, acquire a tolerogenic phenotype. The frequency of T cells, with a regulatory phenotype and strong suppressive activity, was significantly increased in the blood of ECP-treated patients. The immunomodulatory effects of ECP may be explained by its ability to increase the frequency of regulatory T cells with inhibitory action on transplant immune rejection.     

Ionic calcium and magnesium from pharmaceutical product BEROCCA effects on neuromuscular excitability

The important physiological role of calcium and magnesium ions is all over recognised, about a lot of enzymatic reactions. Magnesium deficit produce neuromuscular hyper-reactivity, psychic reactions, functional hypoparathyroidism, increase of K+ channels membranes permeability, while hypermagnesemia decrease Ach release from neuromuscular synapsis, with post-synaptic excitability decreasing. Using BEROCCA (Hoffman la Roche) 1 cp/day, 30 days at the teenagers with behaviour troubles and at a goup of pregnant women (trimester I-III) with paresthesia, irritability, sleeplessness, we observed an improve of clinical signs, increasing plasma Ca2+ and Mg2+. EEG and EMG prove the beneficial effects of pharmaceutical product BEROCCA.