Demographic history and genetic structure in pre-Hispanic Central Mexico.

Aridoamerica and Mesoamerica are two distinct cultural areas in northern and central Mexico, respectively, that hosted numerous pre-Hispanic civilizations between 2500 BCE and 1521 CE. The division between these regions shifted southward because of severe droughts ~1100 years ago, which allegedly drove a population replacement in central Mexico by Aridoamerican peoples. In this study, we present shotgun genome-wide data from 12 individuals and 27 mitochondrial genomes from eight pre-Hispanic archaeological sites across Mexico, including two at the shifting border of Aridoamerica and Mesoamerica. We find population continuity that spans the climate change episode and a broad preservation of the genetic structure across present-day Mexico for the past 2300 years. Lastly, we identify a contribution to pre-Hispanic populations of northern and central Mexico from two ancient unsampled "ghost" populations.

Hotspots of geogenic arsenic and manganese contamination in groundwater of the floodplains in lowland Amazonia (South America).

Arsenic enrichment in groundwater resources in deltas and floodplains of large sediment-rich rivers is a worldwide natural hazard to human health. High spatial variability of arsenic concentrations in affected river basins limits cost-effective mitigation strategies. Linking the chemical composition of groundwater with the topography and fluvial geomorphology is a promising approach for predicting arsenic pollution on a regional scale. Here we correlate the distribution of arsenic contaminated wells with the fluvial dynamics in the Amazon basin. Groundwater was sampled from tube wells along the Amazon River and its main tributaries in three distinct regions in Peru and Brazil. For each sample, the major and trace element concentrations were analyzed, and the position of the well within the sedimentary structure was determined. The results show that aquifers in poorly weathered sediments deposited by sediment-rich rivers are prone to mobilization and accumulation of aqueous arsenic and manganese, both in sub-Andean foreland basins, and in floodplains downstream. Two zones at risk are distinguished: aquifers in the channel-dominated part of the floodplain (CDF) and aquifers in the overbank deposits on the less-dynamic part of the floodplain (LDF). Some 70 % of the wells located on the CDF and 20 % on the LDF tap groundwater at concentrations exceeding the WHO guideline of 10 µg/L arsenic (max. 430 µg/L), and 70 % (CDF) and 50 % (LDF) exceeded 0.4 mg/L manganese (max. 6.6 mg/L). None of the water samples located outside the actual floodplain of sediment-rich rivers, or on riverbanks of sediment-poor rivers exceed 5 µg/L As, and only 4 % exceeded 0.4 mg/L Mn. The areas of highest risk can be delineated using satellite imagery. We observe similar patterns as in affected river basins in South and Southeast Asia indicating a key role of sedimentation processes and fluvial geomorphology in priming arsenic and manganese contamination in aquifers.

The genetic legacy of the Manila galleon trade in Mexico.

The population of Mexico has a considerable genetic substructure due to both its pre-Columbian diversity and due to genetic admixture from post-Columbian trans-oceanic migrations. The latter primarily originated in Europe and Africa, but also, to a lesser extent, in Asia. We analyze previously understudied genetic connections between Asia and Mexico to infer the timing and source of this genetic ancestry in Mexico. We identify the predominant origin within Southeast Asia-specifically western Indonesian and non-Negrito Filipino sources-and we date its arrival in Mexico to approximately 13 generations ago (1620 CE). This points to a genetic legacy from the seventeenth century Manila galleon trade between the colonial Spanish Philippines and the Pacific port of Acapulco. Indeed, within Mexico we observe the highest level of this trans-Pacific ancestry in Acapulco, located in the state of Guerrero. This colonial Spanish trade route from East Asia to Europe was centred on Mexico and appears in historical records, but its legacy has been largely ignored. Identities and stories were suppressed due to slavery, assimilation of the immigrants as 'Indios' and incomplete historical records. Here we characterize this understudied Mexican ancestry. This article is part of the theme issue 'Celebrating 50 years since Lewontin's apportionment of human diversity'.

Paths and timings of the peopling of Polynesia inferred from genomic networks.

Polynesia was settled in a series of extraordinary voyages across an ocean spanning one third of the Earth1, but the sequences of islands settled remain unknown and their timings disputed. Currently, several centuries separate the dates suggested by different archaeological surveys2-4. Here, using genome-wide data from merely 430 modern individuals from 21 key Pacific island populations and novel ancestry-specific computational analyses, we unravel the detailed genetic history of this vast, dispersed island network. Our reconstruction of the branching Polynesian migration sequence reveals a serial founder expansion, characterized by directional loss of variants, that originated in Samoa and spread first through the Cook Islands (Rarotonga), then to the Society (Totaiete ma) Islands (11th century), the western Austral (Tuha'a Pae) Islands and Tuamotu Archipelago (12th century), and finally to the widely separated, but genetically connected, megalithic statue-building cultures of the Marquesas (Te Henua 'Enana) Islands in the north, Raivavae in the south, and Easter Island (Rapa Nui), the easternmost of the Polynesian islands, settled in approximately AD 1200 via Mangareva.

Native American gene flow into Polynesia predating Easter Island settlement.

The possibility of voyaging contact between prehistoric Polynesian and Native American populations has long intrigued researchers. Proponents have pointed to the existence of New World crops, such as the sweet potato and bottle gourd, in the Polynesian archaeological record, but nowhere else outside the pre-Columbian Americas1-6, while critics have argued that these botanical dispersals need not have been human mediated7. The Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl controversially suggested that prehistoric South American populations had an important role in the settlement of east Polynesia and particularly of Easter Island (Rapa Nui)2. Several limited molecular genetic studies have reached opposing conclusions, and the possibility continues to be as hotly contested today as it was when first suggested8-12. Here we analyse genome-wide variation in individuals from islands across Polynesia for signs of Native American admixture, analysing 807 individuals from 17 island populations and 15 Pacific coast Native American groups. We find conclusive evidence for prehistoric contact of Polynesian individuals with Native American individuals (around AD 1200) contemporaneous with the settlement of remote Oceania13-15. Our analyses suggest strongly that a single contact event occurred in eastern Polynesia, before the settlement of Rapa Nui, between Polynesian individuals and a Native American group most closely related to the indigenous inhabitants of present-day Colombia.

Population History and Gene Divergence in Native Mexicans Inferred from 76 Human Exomes.

Native American genetic variation remains underrepresented in most catalogs of human genome sequencing data. Previous genotyping efforts have revealed that Mexico's Indigenous population is highly differentiated and substructured, thus potentially harboring higher proportions of private genetic variants of functional and biomedical relevance. Here we have targeted the coding fraction of the genome and characterized its full site frequency spectrum by sequencing 76 exomes from five Indigenous populations across Mexico. Using diffusion approximations, we modeled the demographic history of Indigenous populations from Mexico with northern and southern ethnic groups splitting 7.2 KYA and subsequently diverging locally 6.5 and 5.7 KYA, respectively. Selection scans for positive selection revealed BCL2L13 and KBTBD8 genes as potential candidates for adaptive evolution in Rarámuris and Triquis, respectively. BCL2L13 is highly expressed in skeletal muscle and could be related to physical endurance, a well-known phenotype of the northern Mexico Rarámuri. The KBTBD8 gene has been associated with idiopathic short stature and we found it to be highly differentiated in Triqui, a southern Indigenous group from Oaxaca whose height is extremely low compared to other Native populations.

Informal Caregivers of Palliative Oncohematologic Patients: The Invisible Guests: An Exhaustive Review of the Literature Available.

Informal caregivers are crucial members of the teams that care for palliative patients with cancer, including those with oncohematological malignancies. Publications concerning specific aspects of this latter group of carers are limited. This literature review indicates that palliative oncohematologic patients' caregivers do not differ from those of patients with solid tumors in ethical and related problems. However, there are specific problems for the former group with regard to negotiating the curative system, which are experienced as distressing, often without support from the health system and without offers of the possibility of being referred to palliative teams that they would have valued as very positive. Although this tendency seems to be changing, there is still considerable work to be done to improve the role of these carers.

Updating executive function and performance in reading comprehension and problem solving / La función ejecutiva de actualización y el rendimiento en comprensión lectora y resolución de problemas

In this investigation, the capacity of the working memory (WM) updating executive function to predict individual differences in reading comprehension and problem solving was analyzed in 5th-graders of Primary Education. In addition, we examined whether this relation is direct or mediated by domain-general or domain-specific variables. For this purpose, a series of tasks was administered to assess fluid intelligence, WM information updating, arithmetic abilities, arithmetic problem solving, lexical processing, and reading comprehension in 49 students aged between 10and 11 years. The results support the idea that updating is an important predictor of reading comprehension, beyond the influence of domain specificskills and fluid intelligence. In the case of problem solving, our findings confirm that updating plays an important role although, perhaps due to task content, the relation seems to be mediated by fluid intelligence at this developmental stage

Esta investigación analizó, en niños de 5º curso de Educación Primaria, la capacidad predictora de la función ejecutiva de actualización de la Memoria Operativa (MO) en las diferencias individuales en comprensión lectora y resolución de problemas aritméticos. Además, se estudió si esta relación es directa o está mediada por variables de dominio general o específico. Con este fin se administró un conjunto de pruebas que evalúan la inteligencia fluida, la actualización de la información en la MO, la competencia aritmética, la resolución de problemas aritméticos, el procesamiento léxico y la comprensión lectora a 49 alumnos con edades comprendidas entre los 10 y 11 años. Los resultados apoyan la idea que la actualización de la MO es un importante predictor de la comprensión lectora, más allá de la influencia de las habilidades de dominio específico y de la inteligencia fluida. En el caso de la resolución de problemas, nuestros hallazgos confirman que la actualización juega un papel importante aunque, en este momento evolutivo, quizá por el propio contenido de la tarea, la relación parece mediada por la inteligencia fluida

Transfusion in palliative cancer patients: a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Transfusion is not an exceptional circumstance in palliative cancer patients (PCPs). This makes it necessary to confront not only medical aspects but also those of infrastructure and ethical issues. On some occasions, literature needs to be consulted to work out the best approach in a patient's particular case. Our aim was to review the literature contained in PubMed and EMBASE so as to find out about the information available on transfusion in PCPs. METHODS: A search for literature was carried out in databases PubMed and EMBASE, using "transfusion," "cancer," "end-of-life care," "terminal care," and "palliative care" as key words. Publications were classified according to the main topic discussed (clinical, infrastructure, and ethics) and the information included in each article critically assessed. RESULTS: We found 334 articles but only 43 were considered valuable for the present study. Of these 43 articles, 21 deal with clinical topics while 12 deal with infrastructure and 10 with ethical issues. There is an absolute lack of randomized controlled trials or clinical guidelines. Trigger parameters for transfusion are not clearly established. Benefits of the procedure are shortly experienced and remain controversial. Home transfusions are encouraged, but this sole procedure has not been demonstrated to be cost effective. Different cultures, cases, and realities illustrate the diversity of the ethical management of transfusion in PCPs. DISCUSSION: Although transfusion is certainly a common practice in PCPs, there is a relative lack of literature on this topic. Publications are unconnected and hardly any prospective studies have been performed. A large part of the little literature available only concerns descriptive and very general aspects of the issue. As transfusional products and financial and human resources are finite, it would be desirable to establish clear research lines on the different aspects considered (clinical, infrastructure, and ethical) that can help clinicians, nurses, patients, and carers to make a decision.

Factores de riesgo psicosocialesen el profesorado de Enfermería Geriátrica de universidadesespañolas (2. ª parte) / Psychosocial risk factors in the faculty of Nursing Geriatric universities Spanish (Part 2)

La Universidad se constituye actualmente como motorde formación y guía de los nuevos cambios sociales ytecnológicos, lo que obliga al profesorado a realizaractividades relacionadas con la docencia, investigación ygestión del ámbito universitario. El nuevo rol docente sebasa en la capacidad para asumir los retos de una nuevaeducación en la que es necesario conjugar los avancestecnológicos, los nuevos enfoques pedagógicos y nuevasmetodologías que implican un nivel alto de exigenciaspara los docentes, que sumados a las condiciones detrabajo, salario, relaciones interpersonales, las continuasmuestras de competencias y las evaluaciones sufridas poreste colectivo, son aspectos importantes que ejercen graninfluencia sobre el bienestar psicológicos e incidendirectamente sobre la salud física. El objetivo general denuestro estudio es la realización de una evaluación de losfactores psicosociales en un colectivo de profesoresuniversitarios de la titulación de Enfermería, medianteel instrumento ISTAS21, herramienta de evaluación deriesgos laborales de naturaleza psicosocial quefundamenta una metodología para la prevención en suversión media. Las exposiciones más problemáticasencontradas son, entre otras, la doble presencia, lasexigencias psicológicas cuantitativas y cognitivas,requiriendo todas ellas intervenciones tempranas paraevitar problemas de salud (AU)

The University is currently training as a driver and guideof the new social and technological change, forcing teachersto conduct activities related to teaching, research anduniversity management. The new role of teachers is basedon the ability to meet the challenges of a new educationthat is necessary to combine technological advances, newpedagogical approaches and new methodologies that involvea high level of requirements for teachers, which added tothe conditions work, salary, interpersonal relations, thecontinuing signs of competence and evaluations suffered thisgroup are important aspects that exert great influence onpsychological well-being and directly affect physical health.The objective of our study is an assessment of psychosocialfactors in a group of university professors in the Degree inNursing, through the vehicle ISTAS21 a tool for riskassessment of psychosocial work that supports a methodologyfor prevention half version. The problems encountered areexhibitions including the double presence, quantity andcognitive psychological demands, requiring all earlyinterventions to prevent health problems (AU)

Factores de riesgo psicosociales en el profesorado de Enfermería Geriátrica de universidades españolas (1ª parte) / Psychosocial risk factors in the faculty of Nursing Geriatric universities Spanish (Part 1)

La Universidad se constituye, actualmente, como motor de formación y guía de los nuevos cambios sociales y tecnológicos,lo que obliga al profesorado a realizar actividades relacionadas con la docencia, investigación y gestión del ámbito universitario. El nuevo rol docente se basa en la capacidad para asumir los retos de una nueva educación en la que es necesario conjugar los avances tecnológicos,los nuevos enfoques pedagógicos y las nuevas metodologías que implican un alto nivel de exigencias para los docentes que, sumado a las condiciones de trabajo,salario, relaciones interpersonales, las continuas muestras de competencias y las evaluaciones que padece este colectivo,son aspectos importantes que ejercen gran influencia sobre el bienestar psicológico e inciden directamente sobre la salud física. El objetivo general de nuestro estudio es la realización de una evaluación de los factores psicosociales en un colectivo de profesores Universitarios de la Titulación de Enfermería, mediante el instrumento ISTAS21, herramienta de evaluación de riesgos laborales de naturaleza psicosocial que fundamenta una metodología para la prevención en su versión media. Las exposiciones más problemáticas encontradas son, entre otras, la doble presencia, las exigencias psicológicas, cuantitativas y cognitivas, requiriendo todas ellas intervenciones tempranas para evitar problemas de salud (AU)

The University is currently training as a driver and guide of the new social and technological change, forcing teachers to conduct activities related to teaching, research and university management. The new role of teachers is based on the ability to meet the challenges of a new education that isnecessary to combine technological advances, new pedagogical approaches and new methodologies that involve ahigh level of requirements for teachers, which added to the conditions work, salary, interpersonal relations, the continuing signs of competence and evaluations suffered this group are important aspects that exert great influence on psychological well-being and directly affect physical health.The objective of our study is an assessment of psychosocial factors in a group of university professors in the Degree inNursing, through the vehicle ISTAS21 a tool for risk assessment of psychosocial work that supports a methodology for prevention half version. The problems encountered are exhibitions including the double presence, quantity and cognitive psychological demands, requiring all early interventions to prevent health problems (AU)

Manejo de las complicaciones hemorrágicas en cuidados paliativos oncológicos / Medical management of hemorrhagic complications in oncologic palliative care

Las neoplasias son ampliamente reconocidas como entidades capaces de alterar el equilibrio hemostático del organismo predisponiendo fundamentalmente a la trombosis, aunque también pueden generarse fenómenos hemorrágicos. Este hecho obliga a los equipos de cuidados paliativos a realizar en ocasiones el diagnóstico y tratamiento de estas últimas eventualidades. El presente trabajo realiza primeramente una revisión de la fisiopatología de los fenómenos hemorrágicos en relación con los procesos tumorales y, posteriormente, de las medidas médicas disponibles destinadas al tratamiento de dichos fenómenos y que incluyen: antifibrinoliticos, transfusión de plaquetas, vitamina K, transfusión de plasma fresco congelado, factores específicos, concentrado de factores del complejo protrombínico o factor VII recombinante activado, con especial énfasis en sus indicaciones, complicaciones, problemas en el manejo y aspectos prácticos en este tipo de pacientes.

Manejo de las complicaciones hemorrágicas en cuidados paliativos oncológicos / Medical management of hemorrhagic complications in oncologic palliative care

Las neoplasias son ampliamente reconocidas como entidades capaces de alterar el equilibrio hemostático del organismo predisponiendo fundamentalmente a la trombosis, aunque también pueden generarse fenómenos hemorrágicos. Este hecho obliga a los equipos de cuidados paliativos a realizar en ocasiones el diagnóstico y tratamiento de estas últimas eventualidades. El presente trabajo realiza primeramente una revisión de la fisiopatología de los fenómenos hemorrágicos en relación con los procesos tumorales y, posteriormente, de las medidas médicas disponibles destinadas al tratamiento de dichos fenómenos y que incluyen: antifibrinoliticos, transfusión de plaquetas, vitamina K, transfusión de plasma fresco congelado, factores específicos, concentrado de factores del complejo protrombínico o factor VII recombinante activado, con especial énfasis en sus indicaciones, complicaciones, problemas en el manejo y aspectos prácticos en este tipo de pacientes.(AU)

Nivel de dependencia y percepción de salud tras la valoración enfermera / Level of dependency and perceived health nurse after the valuation

Objetivo: Identificar la capacidad funcional de un colectivode ancianos medida a través de las actividades dela vida diaria y la percepción de salud. Método: Se realizóun estudio descriptivo de carácter retrospectivo enuna residencia geriátrica con un total de 156 ancianos.La muestra estuvo compuesta por todos los residentesque en el momento del estudio estaban valorados por laenfermera. Resultados: El perfil demográfico es el de unresidente de una media superior a 75 años. El 71,3% delos residentes son mujeres. Las actividades del Índicede Barthel que reflejan mayor grado de dependencia son“lavarse” y “subir y bajar escaleras” y, la que menos,“comer”. La percepción de salud mediante las láminasde Coop-Wonca refleja una percepción “regular” o “mala”en la mayoría de los casos. A mayor grado de limitaciónfísica para las actividades de la vida diaria mayorpercepción negativa de salud. Conclusiones: El uso deinstrumentos estandarizados para la valoración geriátricaintegral nos permite detectar de manera rápida el estadodel anciano en su globalidad. De esa manera, se mejoranla calidad prestada así como la aplicación de un plande actuación interdisciplinar(AU)

To identify the functional ability of a group of elderly measuredthrough the activities of daily living and perceivedhealth. Method: A descriptive study of retrospective in a geriatricnursing home with a total of 156 elderly. The samplewas composed of all residents at the time of the studywere rated by the nurse. Results: The demographic profile isa resident of an average exceeding 75 years. The 71.3% ofresidents are women. The activities of the Barthel Index reflectinggreater reliance are “washed” and “up and downstairs” and the least “to eat”. The perception of health byCoop-Wonca reflects a perception “regulate” or “bad” inmost cases. A higher degree of physical limitations to activitiesof daily living more negative perception of health. Conclusions:The use of standardized instruments for the integratedgeriatric assessment allows us to swiftly detect thestatus of the elderly as a whole, thus improving the qualityprovided, as well as implementing an action plan interdisciplinary(AU)

Ancianos válidos institucionalizados / Institutionalized, non-invalid old people

El ingreso en residencias ha sido denominado con el concepto de institucionalización, para diferenciarlo de la atención comunitaria y denotar su carácter de especialización. Los ancianos válidos al ingreso en un centro dejan de realizar tareas por un mecanismo de ajuste de su conducta a la vez que pueden adoptar una actitud pasiva; efecto generador de dependencia. Todos los ancianos al ingresar por primera vez en un centro geriátrico se someterán a un período de adaptación y observación establecido en 20 días tras el cual serán valorados por una Comisión Técnica. Objetivo general: Evaluar la influencia que ejerce la institucionalización en la autonomía de un anciano en el momento de su ingreso en una residencia geriátrica de válidos y compararlo con el obtenido tras el período de adaptacion. Materiales y método: Diseño preexperimental con estudio pretest-postest de un solo grupo en dos momentos diferentes, es decir, medición previa y posterior a una intervención, que en este caso sería el tiempo. Variables dependientes: Grado de autonomía: medir la capacidad del anciano/a referente a actividades cotidianas. Mediante el índice de Banhel: (ABVD). Actividades Básicas de la Vida Diaria y el índice de Lawton: (AIVD). Actividades Instrumentales de la Vida Diaria. Variable independiente: Ingreso del anciano/a en la Institución. Es la variable que puede modificar o no su grado de autonomía. Variables sociodemográficas: edad, sexo, procedencia, estado civil, capacidad adquisitiva, motivo de ingreso. Sujetos de estudio: Todos los ancianos ingresados la Residencia Mixta de Pensionistas de Huelva durante enero y la ultima semana de abril de 2002, muestra aproximada de 30 ancianos. Análisis de datos: El análisis estadístico se realizó mediante el programa Epi-info 6.0 y SPSS V 10. El test aplicado ha sido el test no paramétrico o de libre distribución de medias de muestras apareadas test de Wilcoxon, al no cumplirse las condiciones de distribución normal y ser la muestra obtenida menor de 30. Para comparar proporciones se usó el test de McNemman. En todos casos se consideraron significativos los niveles de probabilidad inferiores a 0,05. Resultados: El 40 por ciento de los residentes ingresados tiene entre 75 y 79 años, ninguno es menor de 70 años. Ingresan más hombres que mujeres. El índice de Barthel en el momento del ingreso refleja una media de 97 puntos con una DE: 3. Y tras el período de adaptación disminuyó con un valor de 92 y con DE: 6. En el Índice de Lawton en la primera medición presentaba independencia total un 45 por ciento de los casos. Tras los 20 días el 100 por ciento de los residentes era dependiente o necesitaba ayuda, no permaneciendo ninguno totalmente independiente. Discusión: Existe una relación significativa entre la autonomía e independencia de un anciano y su deterioro debido a la institucionalización. Las actividades que han sufrido mayor deterioro funcional han sido la deambulación y el subir y bajar escaleras, el lavado de la ropa, al igual que en el cuidado de la casa, preparación de comidas o la realización de compras. Conclusiones: Dentro de una institución el programa de adaptación del anciano debería tener como prioridad la adaptación organizativa del centro a las verdaderas necesidades de los usuarios y no al revés, implicando en este proceso siempre a la familia... todo en pro de fomentar en todo momento la autonomía tanto física como psicológica del anciano (AU)

Enfermería y el presente de las terapias complementarias / Nursing and the present for supplementary therapies

La situación actual de la enfermería es de claro avance, resultado de la búsqueda de lo que cada vez más enfermeros se plantean: el verdadero fin de la enfermería, "los cuidados" para mantener la salud o recuperarla. Para ello debemos utilizar todos los medios útiles a nuestro alcance. Sabemos que con una caricia de nuestras manos liberamos endorfinas que ayudan a disminuir el dolor, que la música nos relaja, que el color ilumina nuestra vida, que la reflexología nos libera de tensiones y que, en definitiva, tenemos a nuestro alcance un gran número de recursos que ofrecen alivio y bienestar a nuestros pacientes sin efectos secundarios y a bajo coste. Estos cuidados complementarios "no especializados de salud" se enseñan de forma no sistematizada y de forma optativa en las escuelas de enfermería españolas. Los profesionales de enfermería manifiestan un gran interés por las terapias alternativas y muchos de ellos son hoy especialistas en alguna de ellas. Sin embargo, a pesar de que las terapias alternativas están incluidas en los actuales planes de estudio, la producción científica de los enfermeros españoles en esta materia es escasa. Las líneas de investigación trazadas como prioritarias por el Instituto Carlos III y por el Comité Europeo de Salud, no reflejan de forma específica el estudio de estas formas de cuidados; pero sí está en nuestras manos demostrar, con líneas de investigación propias, hasta dónde llegan los beneficios de estas terapias (AU)

[Nursing and the current situation of complementary treatments]. / Enfermería y el presente de las terapias complementarias.

The present situation in nursing is one of a clear advance, as the result of the search which more and more nurses consider: a real end to nursing, "the treatments" to maintain health or to recuperate it. To this end, we should make use of all the useful methods available to us. We know that with a caress of our hands we loose endorphins which help reduce pain, that music relaxes us, that color illuminates our lives, that reflexology frees us from tensions, and that, definitely, we have available to us a large number of resources which offer relief and well-being to our patients without secondary efforts, and at a low cost. These supplementary non-specialized health treatments are taught in a non-systematic manner and an optional manner in Spanish nursing schools. Nursing professionals demonstrate great interest in alternative therapies and many nurses are specialists in some of these today. However, in spite of the fact that alternative therapies are included in current study programs, scientific production by Spanish nurses en these fields is scarce. The research and development guidelines published as priorities by the Carlos III Institute and by the European Health Committee do no reflect the study of these treatment methods in a specific manner; but we have the opportunity in our own hands to demonstrate by means of our own research the extent of the benefits which these therapies may provide.