La heterogeneidad del alfabetismo en salud y el consentimiento informado en Chile / The case against template informed consent procedures in biomedical research: heterogeneity in health literacy in Chile

Se examinó el alfabetismo en salud en Chile con el fin de determinar si se pueden usar procedimientos de consentimiento informado estándares en esta población. Se evaluó el alfabetismo en salud con la versión abreviada de la prueba SAHLSA. Los resultados se expresaron como el porcentaje de respuestas correctas en cada prueba. El promedio global de respuestas correctas fue 85.4 ± 13.5 % (media aritmética ± desviación estándar, n=762). Hubo diferencias importantes entre los subgrupos examinados. El nivel más bajo de alfabetismo en salud se detectó en pescadores artesanales y sus familias y en estudiantes de liceos públicos, y el más alto en estudiantes universitarios y madres pobladoras atendidas en el sistema público de salud. Los resultados muestran la necesidad que los procedimientos de consentimiento informado tomen en cuenta la heterogeneidad del alfabetismo en salud de la población chilena.

Health literacy was examined in Chile to assess whether it is homogenous enough to allow the use of "templates" for informed consent, and to identity subgroups that may need special consideration when recruited for research because of their low health literacy abbreviated SAHLSA test of health literacy was used. Results were expressed as percent of correct answers out of the 50 items of the SAHLSA test. There was high health literacy with 85.4 ± 13.5 % (arithmetic mean ± standard deviation, «=762) of correct answers. There were important differences between groups, with lower scores in artisanal fishermen families and high-school students attending public schools, and higher scores in university students and mothers attending the public health system. Results show that a case by case approach is probably more appropriate when seeking informed consent in this population because of the variability of health literacy.

Ceftiofur-loaded PHBV microparticles: a potential formulation for a long-acting antibiotic to treat animal infections

Background: The infectious diseases in the livestock breeding industry represent a significant drawback that generates substantial economic loss and have led to the indiscriminate use of antibiotics. The formulation of polymeric microparticles loaded with antibiotics for veterinary use can: reduce the number of required doses; protect the drug from inactivation; and maintain a sustained-release of the antibiotic drug at effective levels. Accomplishing all of these goals would have a significant economic and animal health impact on the livestock breeding industry. Results: In this work, we formulated ceftiofur-loaded PHBV microparticles (PHBV-CEF) with a spherical shape, a smooth surface and diameter sizes between 1.65 and 2.37 μm. The encapsulation efficiency was 39.5 +/- 1.1 percent w/w, and we obtained a sustained release of ceftiofur in PBS-buffer (pH 7.4) over 7 days. The antibacterial activity of ceftiofur was preserved after the encapsulation procedure, and toxicity of PHBV-CEF microparticles evaluated by MTS was represented by an IC50 > 10 mg/mL. Conclusions: Our results suggest that PHBV-CEF particles have a potential application for improving the treatment of infectious diseases in the livestock breeding industry.

Modelos matemáticos del condicionamiento clásico: evolución y desafíos actuales / Mathematical models of classical conditioning: evolution and current challenges

From the beginning of the study of classical conditioning, the formulation of mathematical theories has been a major goal of theoreticians. After more than a century of research, the amount of empirical data accumulated is impressive and the theories have become progressively more complex and sophisticated. Nowadays, there is such a diversity of models, each addressing only certain categories of phenomena and using somewhat different formalisms, that a critical analysis seems opportune. This article attempts to provide such an analysis for the Spanish speaking audience.

Desde los inicios del estudio del condicionamiento clásico, la formulación de modelos matemáticos ha sido uno de los principales objetivos de los autores. Después de más de un siglo de investigación, la cantidad de información empírica acumulada es impresionante y los modelos teóricos han llegado a ser progresivamente más complejos y sofisticados. Hoy en día es tal la diversidad de modelos, cada uno implementado con distintos formalismos y destinado a explicar diferentes grupos de fenómenos, que una evaluación crítica nos parece oportuna. Este artículo pretende entregar este análisis al público de habla hispana.