Potential cellular targets of platinum in the freshwater microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Nitzschia palea revealed by transcriptomics

Platinum group element levels have increased in natural aquatic environments in the last few decades, in particular as a consequence of the use of automobile catalytic converters on a global scale. Concentrations of Pt over tens of μg L-1 have been observed in rivers and effluents. This raises questions regarding its possible impacts on aquatic ecosystems, as Pt natural background concentrations are extremely low to undetectable. Primary producers, such as microalgae, are of great ecological importance, as they are at the base of the food web. The purpose of this work was to better understand the impact of Pt on a cellular level for freshwater unicellular algae. Two species with different characteristics, a green alga C. reinhardtii and a diatom N. palea, were studied. The bioaccumulation of Pt as well as its effect on growth were quantified. Moreover, the induction or repression factors of 16 specific genes were determined and allowed for the determination of possible intracellular effects and pathways of Pt. Both species seemed to be experiencing copper deficiency as suggested by inductions of genes linked to copper transporters. This is an indication that Pt might be internalized through the Cu(I) metabolic pathway. Moreover, Pt could possibly be excreted using an efflux pump. Other highlights include a concentration-dependent negative impact of Pt on mitochondrial metabolism for C. reinhardtii which is not observed for N. palea. These findings allowed for a better understanding of some of the possible impacts of Pt on freshwater primary producers, and also lay the foundations for the investigation of pathways for Pt entry at the base of the aquatic food web.

[Smoking, vaping among hospital staff during the Covid-19 pandemic: Appraisal of the "tobacco-free hospital, campus" campaign in Brest]

INTRODUCTION

In the framework of a "tobacco-free hospital and campus" campaign, we conducted a study on the prevalence of smoking and vaping among a university hospital (CHRU) staff. The study took place in late 2020 (from 1 September to 15 December), and involved self-assessment of the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on smoking.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

A cross-sectional study was carried out using an online questionnaire, which was distributed by email and QR code posting and included socio-professional details as well as data on participants' smoking and vaping.

RESULTS

There were 782 responses, representing a participation rate of 13.5%. The sample included 73.3% women and 22.7% men; 28.9% nurses, 24.9% medical staff, 3.6% nursing assistants and 42.6% other professional categories. The overall smoking rate was 13%. Sixty-two (7.9%) participants vaped; 37 (5%) vaped exclusively, 25 (3.2%) combined smoking and vaping. Men smoked more than women: 23.7% vs. 9.4% (P < 0.01). Medical staff smoked and vaped less than other categories; 6.2% vs 14.8% (P < 0.01) and 4.1% vs 9.1% respectively (P=0.02). Doctors were more often non-smokers: OR=2.71 (95% CI: 1.14-6.46). Among smokers, 25% said they had increased their cigarette consumption during the covid-19 pandemic, frequently as a means of combating stress or fatigue.

CONCLUSION

This study showed a lower smoking rate than in the literature, possibly due to the high participation of physicians. Ours were the initial estimates of vaping among hospital staff.

Competition Among Trivalent Elements (Al, Eu, Fe, Gd, Nd, Tm, and Y) for Uptake in Algae and Applicability of the Biotic Ligand Model

Rare earth elements (REE) are essential in many new technologies. While anthropogenic dispersion of REE into the environment are expected in the future, their biogeochemical fate and interactions at biological interfaces are still largely unexplored. Due to their chemical nature (generally trivalent and hard metals), REE can potentially compete among themselves or with other ubiquitous trivalent metals for uptake sites at the surface of aquatic organisms. In the current study, the bioavailability and uptake of gadolinium (Gd) was assessed in the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, while in the presence of various trivalent elements (Al, Eu, Fe, Nd, Tm, and Y). In the absence of competitors, Gd uptake was well described by a Michaelis-Menten equation with an affinity constant (K_Gd) of 10^7.1 and a maximum internalization flux (J_max) of 1.95 ± 0.09 × 10^-2 amol µm^-2 min^-1. Neither Al(III) nor Fe(III) had notable effects on Gd uptake in the conditions tested; however, Gd uptake was reduced with increasing concentrations of other REE. These had binding constants with uptake sites very similar to that of Gd (K_{Nd, Y, Tm, Eu} = 10^7.0). Our results suggest that the different REE likely share common transport sites and that the biotic ligand model (BLM) can be used to predict their uptake.

Intracellular signalling pathways: targets to reverse immunosenescence

Ageing is a very complex process, the result of the dysregulation of multiple systems interacting in many ways. A prominent change occurring with ageing is related to the architecture and functioning of the immune system, viewed commonly as detrimental and termed 'immunosenescence'. However, age-associated changes may also lead to increased function in certain respects, which can be viewed as adaptive. None the less, on balance it is well-recognized that immunosenescence is accompanied by the low-grade inflammation observed commonly in elderly people, which has been dubbed 'inflamm-ageing'. The exact cause and significance of all these changes is not clear, but there is a consensus that they are related to the occurrence of chronic non-infectious age-associated disease, as well as increased susceptibility to infections. Alterations to immune cell signalling may be a prominent cause of malfunctioning immunity. Emerging attempts to reverse immunosenescence have recently targeted the signalling pathways in various different cell types of the immune system. Here, we review and discuss alterations in the signalling pathways of immune cells with ageing and consider current targets and means to modulate altered functions. We discuss the potential dangers as well as the benefits of these interventions, and consider future approaches to this problem.

Early Initiation Rather Than Prolonged Duration of Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV Infection Contributes to the Normalization of CD8 T-Cell Counts

BACKGROUND

CD8 T-cell counts remain elevated in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection even after long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART), which is associated with an increased risk of non-AIDS-related events. We assessed the impact of ART initiation in early versus chronic HIV infection on trajectories of CD8 cell counts over time.

METHODS

Of 280 individuals enrolled during primary HIV infection (PHI), 251 were followed up for 24 months; 84 started ART before 6 months of infection (eART), 49 started between 6 and 24 months, and 118 remained untreated. Plasma HIV viral load (VL), CD4 and CD8 cell counts were assessed at each study visit. CD8 counts were also examined in 182 age-matched HIV-infected individuals who started ART during chronic infection and maintained undetectable plasma VL for ≥5 years.

RESULTS

At PHI baseline, higher CD8 cell counts were associated with more recent infection (P = .02), higher CD4 cell counts (P < .001), and higher VL (P < .001). The CD8 count in the eART group decreased from 797 to 588 cells/µL over 24 months (P < .001), to a level lower than that in untreated PHI (834 cells/µL; P = .004) or in long-term-treated patients with chronic HIV infection (743 cells/µL; P = .047). More prominent CD4 T-cell recovery was observed in the eART group than in the delayed ART group.

CONCLUSIONS

ART initiated in early HIV infection is associated with improved resolution of CD8 T-cell elevation compared with long-term ART initiated in chronic infection. Early ART may help reduce the risk of non-AIDS-related events by alleviating this elevation.

Subthreshold traits of the broad autistic spectrum are distributed across different subgroups in parents, but not siblings, of probands with autism

Autism is a categorical developmental disorder characterized by impairment in socialization, communication, and by restricted and circumscribed interests. Several authors have described the presence of subthreshold autistic traits in the general population, pervasive developmental disorders representing the extreme end of their distribution. In this study, we explored the presence of autistic traits in siblings and parents of a proband with autism, and in siblings and parents of a normally developing child, using the previously validated self-report French Autism Quotient, an adaptation of the AQ developed by S. Baron-Cohen. Scores were distributed between two main factors, F1 corresponding to socialization and communication, F2 to imagination and rigidity. Here, we show that both parents and siblings of a child with autism have more symptomatic scores in the domains of communication and socialization. In addition, we show that in these families the parents, but not the siblings, are distributed across different subcategories, according to their scores for the F1 and F2 domains. We hypothesize that these different subgroups may correspond to different underlying genetic mechanisms.

Disseminated Histoplasma capsulatum infection presenting with panniculitis and focal myositis in rheumatoid arthritis treated with etanercept

We report the case of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on etanercept who presented with panniculitis and focal myositis as manifestations of disseminated histoplasmosis. Systematic search of the literature showed 11 additional case reports of disseminated histoplasmosis with tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) blockade therapy (infliximab, n = 8; etanercept, n = 3). Although disseminated histoplasmosis may manifest with classical symptoms of fever and respiratory complaints, it may also present atypically, such as with panniculitis and focal myositis. This review illustrates and emphasizes the importance of being highly suspicious for infection, including by opportunistic organisms, and to exclude such process in patients treated with a TNFalpha inhibitor when faced with unusual complications, even when an alternative aetiology appears plausible.

Intérêt de l’autoquestionnaire FAQ dans le repérage d’un endophénotype chez les parents d’enfants autistes

INTRODUCTION

Autism is characterized by impairments in communication and socialization and by the presence of circumscribed and stereotyped interest. Previous studies have shown that genetic mechanisms may enhance the vulnerability to autism. These mechanisms are complex and may involve the combination of several genes, in interaction with the environment. The genetic mechanism involved in the vulnerability to autism may also concern other disorders and some features, with enhanced prevalence in relatives of autistic patients. It has been shown, for example, that the frequency of language disorders or serial difficulties is increased in the siblings of autistic patients. Characterization and taking into account the presence of such phenotypic traits in the relations may help in understanding the results of genetic studies, in particular association studies in sibling pairs or trios.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we used a new self-report in order to identify endophenotype traits in socialization, communication, rigidity and imagination in parents of autistic children. This self-report is the French adaptation of the previous self-report created by Baron-Cohen et al., aimed at the identification of Asperger profiles in a population of students studying science.

METHODOLOGY

Ten autistic children and their parents from a clinical setting were asked to participate in the study. Autistic children were characterized using the ADI-R and various psychometric tests, according to the possibilities of the child (PEP-R, WPPSI-R, WISC3). Twenty parents of normal children were recruited from three different professional settings. There were no differences between the two groups of parents in terms of age or social status. Parents of both groups were asked to fill in the FAQ self-report.

RESULTS

We performed a post-hoc analysis comparing the scores of the parents in the two groups. We found a main group, but no sex effect [F (1,37)=5.46; p<0.05]. Scores of autistic parents were higher in all domains compared to the control parents (p<0.05). However, the score on the socialization subscale was the only one that significantly differed from the scores on the imagination, language and rigidity subscales [F (3,111)=20.75, p<0.001].

CONCLUSION

Our results show significant differences between the two groups of parents in the socialization domain. This is of interest both for the interpretation of the presence of allelic variants in the genetic association studies, and for the understanding of the interplay between genotype and phenotype in the development of the autistic disorder.

Cadmium uptake in rat hepatocytes in relation to speciation and to complexation with metallothionein and albumin

Cadmium (Cd) uptake has been studied in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes focusing on the impact of inorganic and organic speciation. Uptake time-course studies over a 60-min exposure to 0.3 microM (109)Cd revealed a zero-time uptake and a slower process of accumulation which proceeds within minutes. (109)Cd uptake showed saturation kinetics (K(m) = 3.5 +/- 0.8 microM), and was highly sensitive to inhibition by Zn and Hg. There was no evidence for sensitivity to the external pH nor for any preferential transport of the free cation Cd(2+) over CdCl(n) (2-n) chloro-complexes. According to the assumption that only inorganic metal species are available, metal uptake decreased upon albumin (BSA) addition to the exposure media. In contrast, higher levels of (109)Cd accumulation were obtained under optimal conditions for Cd complexation by MT. Comparison among uptake data obtained under inorganic and organic conditions revealed that Cd-MT would be taken up 0.4 times as rapidly as Cd(inorg). We conclude that uptake of Cd in rat hepatocytes involves specific transport mechanism(s) subjected to Zn or Hg interactions. Uptake of inorganic Cd is not proportional to the levels of free Cd(2+) and does not involve the divalent cation transporter DCT1 nor the co-transporter Fe(2+)-H(+) NRAMP2. We found Cd-MT but not Cd-BSA to be available for the liver cells, and have estimated a binding affinity four orders of magnitude higher for Cd complexation with MT compared to BSA; MT may have a significant role in Cd delivery to the liver.

Assessment and comparison of intraoperative and postoperative pain associated with NovaSure and ThermaChoice endometrial ablation systems

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To assess and compare intraoperative and postoperative pain associated with NovaSure impedance-controlled endometrial ablation system and ThermaChoice system.

DESIGN

Prospective, international, multicenter, double-arm study (Canadian Task Force classification II-1). Setting. Academic medical centers and private offices.

PATIENTS

Sixty-seven premenopausal women with menorrhagia.

INTERVENTION

Endometrial ablation with either the NovaSure (37 women) or ThermaChoice (30) system. NovaSure-treated patients received no endometrial pretreatment; those treated with ThermaChoice received the recommended 3-minute suction dilatation and curettage.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Standard pain measurement instruments (visual analog scale, numeric rating scale) were used to assess intraoperative and postoperative pain. Serum levels of prostaglandin-F(2alpha) were measured before and 5, 30, and 60 minutes after the procedure. Patients treated with the NovaSure system reported statistically significantly lower intraoperative and postoperative pain than those treated with the ThermaChoice system (p <0.0001). Procedure time was statistically significantly shorter with the NovaSure system (p <0.0001). Prostaglandin-F(2alpha) values did not differ statistically between groups.

CONCLUSION

The NovaSure system is associated with statistically significantly lower intraoperative and postoperative pain than ThermaChoice system, and endometrial ablation with NovaSure could become an office-based procedure.

Feasibility study of patient-specific surgical templates for the fixation of pedicle screws

Surgery for scoliosis, as well as other posterior spinal surgeries, frequently uses pedicle screws to fix an instrumentation on the spine. Misplacement of a screw can lead to intra- and post-operative complications. The objective of this study is to design patient-specific surgical templates to guide the drilling operation. From the CT-scan of a vertebra, the optimal drilling direction and limit angles are computed from an inverse projection of the pedicle limits. The first template design uses a surface-to-surface registration method and was constructed in a CAD system by subtracting the vertebra from a rectangular prism and a cylinder with the optimal orientation. This template and the vertebra were built using rapid prototyping. The second design uses a point-to-surface registration method and has 6 adjustable screws to adjust the orientation and length of the drilling support device. A mechanism was designed to hold it in place on the spinal process. A virtual prototype was build with CATIA software. During the operation, the surgeon places either template on patient's vertebra until a perfect match is obtained before drilling. The second design seems better than the first one because it can be reused on different vertebra and is less sensible to registration errors. The next step is to build the second design and make experimental and simulations tests to evaluate the benefits of this template during a scoliosis operation.

Thiosulfate enhances silver uptake by a green alga: role of anion transporters in metal uptake

Short-term (< 1 h) silver uptake by the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was measured in the laboratory in defined inorganic media in the presence or absence of ligands (chloride and thiosulfate). In contradiction to the free-ion model of metal uptake, silver accumulation by the alga proved to be sensitive to the choice of ligand used to buffer the free silver concentration. For a low fixed free Ag+ concentration of 10 nM, silver uptake in the presence of thiosulfate (0.11 microM) was 2x greater than in the presence of chloride (4 mM). When sulfate was removed from the exposure medium (i.e., 81 microM-->0 microM), silver uptake in the presence of thiosulfate was even more markedly enhanced (more than 4x greater than in the presence of chloride). Varying the sulfate concentration in the exposure medium only affected silver uptake if thiosulfate was present. We conclude that silver-thiosulfate complexes are transported across the plasma membrane via sulfate/thiosulfate transport systems and that sulfate acts as a competitive inhibitor of this uptake mechanism.

Expecting a break in time estimation: attentional time-sharing without concurrent processing

The interference from nontemporal processing on concurrent time estimation is usually attributed to disruption in timing caused by attentional requirements of nontemporal processing. Here, we examined interruption in timing without concurrent nontemporal processing. Empty breaks of various durations, during time-interval production, lengthened produced intervals. Moreover, an effect of break location was observed: Intervals lengthened proportionally to prebreak duration. When cued and uncued uninterrupted trials were introduced, the lengthening was proportional to the duration for which a break was expected. It was concluded that attentional time-sharing between time estimation and expectation of its interruption contributed to the interference effect in time-estimation research, independently of any concurrent processing requirements during time estimation.

Spatial variation in mercury concentrations in wild mink and river Otter carcasses from the James bay territory, Québec, Canada

Mercury concentrations were analyzed in different organs/tissues of wild minks (Mustela vison) and river otters (Lutra canadensis) trapped during two seasons in the James Bay territory (49 degrees N to 55 degrees N, Québec, Canada). In 1993-94, mean total Hg concentration (microg/g, wet weight) in 39 wild mink and 12 river otter carcasses was greatest in fur/hair samples (30.1 and 20.7 microg/g, respectively) and least in brain samples (0.96 and 0.8 microg/g, respectively) with liver, kidney, and muscle samples showing intermediate values. Pooling data from the 1993-94 and 1994-95 trapping seasons revealed mean (SD) liver total Hg concentrations of 3.71 microg/g (3.91) in 316 wild mink carcasses and 4.05 microg/g (3.41) in 153 river otter carcasses. Log liver total Hg concentration increased with age in wild mink but not in river otter. Log liver total Hg concentration in each species was greatest in areas with moraine deposits and least in areas with rich clay deposits, but the effect of soil deposits could be confounded by uneven deposition of anthropogenic Hg. Controlling for type of soil deposits, log liver total Hg concentration decreased with increasing distance from local industrial centers in each species but varied little with changes in distance from hydroelectric reservoirs. In a subsample of carcasses from the moraine sector, log liver total Hg concentration was higher in wild mink than in river otter. Spatial variation in log liver total Hg concentration in relation to soil deposit type and proximity to industrial centers suggests that the two wild furbearer species could be useful indicators of environmental contamination.

Cadmium uptake by Caco-2 cells: effects of Cd complexation by chloride, glutathione, and phytochelatins

Short-term cadmium uptake by the highly differentiated TC7 clone of enterocytic-like Caco-2 cells was studied as a function of Cd speciation. For low metal concentrations and with a constant free [Cd(2+)] = 43 nM, initial uptake rates of (109)Cd increased linearly as a function of increasing concentration of chlorocomplexes (Sigma[(109)CdCl(2-n)(n)]) over the range from 0 to 250 nM. When normalized as a function of the metal concentration, the absorption rate for the chlorocomplexes was less than that estimated for uptake of the free Cd(2+) cation. Metal absorption decreased upon organic ligand addition in the exposure media, but much less than predicted from the assumption that only inorganic metal species would be transported. Under exposure conditions where the concentration of each of the inorganic species was kept constant, (109)Cd uptake increased with increasing concentrations of cadmium glutathione ((109)Cd-GSH) or phytochelatin ((109)Cd-hmPC(3)) complexes. A specific system of very high affinity but low capacity has been characterized for (109)Cd-GSH transport, whereas accumulation data increased linearly with (109)Cd-hmPC(3) up to 6 microM. Comparison among uptake data for 0.3 microM inorganic (109)Cd, (109)Cd-GSH, or (109)Cd-hmPC(3) yields the following accumulation ratios: Cd-GSH/Cd(inorg) = 0.2; Cd-hmPC(3)/Cd(inorg) = 0.5. These results clearly show that Cd(2+) is not the exclusive metal species participating in Cd absorption, though, for comparable Cd concentrations, its contribution to transport would be more important than that of other species. Cadmium bound to thiol-containing peptides may be absorbed via transport systems that differ from those involved in absorption of the inorganic metal species.

Expecting a break in time estimation: attentional time-sharing without concurrent processing

The interference from nontemporal processing on concurrent time estimation is usually attributed to disruption in timing caused by attentional requirements of nontemporal processing. Here, we examined interruption in timing without concurrent nontemporal processing. Empty breaks of various durations, during time-interval production, lengthened produced intervals. Moreover, an effect of break location was observed: Intervals lengthened proportionally to prebreak duration. When cued and uncued uninterrupted trials were introduced, the lengthening was proportional to the duration for which a break was expected. It was concluded that attentional time-sharing between time estimation and expectation of its interruption contributed to the interference effect in time-estimation research, independently of any concurrent processing requirements during time estimation.

Impact of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction on maximal treadmill performance in normotensive subjects with well-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus

Patients with type 2 diabetes often have impaired exercise capacity compared with nondiabetic subjects. Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction has been shown to limit exercise performance in nondiabetic subjects. Men with well-controlled type 2 diabetes were divided into 2 groups: normal LV diastolic function (group 1, n = 9) or LV diastolic dysfunction (group 2, n = 10) based on standard echocardiographic criteria using pulmonary veins and transmitral flow recordings. They were matched for age and had no evidence of systemic hypertension, macroalbuminuria, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, clinical diabetic complications, and thyroid disease. Good metabolic control was demonstrated by glycated hemoglobin levels of 6.7+/-1.6% and 6.6+/-2.5% (means +/- SD) in patients with LV diastolic dysfunction and in controls, respectively. Each subject performed a symptom-limited modified Bruce protocol treadmill exercise test. Maximal treadmill performance was higher in subjects with normal diastolic function compared with subjects with LV diastolic dysfunction when expressed in time (803+/-29 vs. 662+/-44 seconds, respectively, p<0.02) or in METs (11.4+/-1.2 vs. 9.5+/-1.9 METs, respectively, p<0.02). Moreover, there was a correlation between E/A ratio and exercise duration (r = 0.64, p = 0.004) or E/A ratio and METs (r = 0.658, p = 0.003). There were no significant differences in maximal heart rate, maximal systolic and diastolic blood pressure, or maximal rate-pressure product attained during the exercise test. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that LV diastolic dysfunction influences maximal treadmill performance and could explain lower maximal performance observed in patients with type 2 diabetes.

[Psychological and physical health of the July 1996 disaster victims: A comparative study between victims and non-victims.]

In July 1996, the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region suffered one of the greatest natural disasters in Québec's history. This article presents results of a study aiming at comparing, two years after the flood, the physical and psychological health condition of victims (n=177) to that of non-victims (n=168). The results indicate that victims, - regardless of their gender - present a psychological well-being as well as a post-disaster physical health that is different from non-victims. Disaster victims are much more numerous than non-victims in considering that their health is bad or average and in witnessing new health problems or the exacerbation of existing problems. Victims also present more manifestations of prosttraumatic stress and somatic complaints, have higher levels of depression, anxiety and social dysfunction than non-victims. However, no significant difference between subjects was revealed concerning severe depression. Results obtained corroborated that of other studies. After a natural or technological disaster involving important material damages to individual belongings, victims are more affected than non-victims concerning their psychological and physical health.

Order information in short-term memory and time estimation

In previous experiments, the amount of interference between time production and visual or memory search tasks was shown not to be related to the level of difficulty of the search task per se, but instead to the amount of processing in short-term memory required in the search task. The first experiment of the present study verified whether the amount of interference between time production and a short-term memory task may be related to the level of difficulty of the short-term memory task. Two versions of a memory task, with and without processing of order information, were combined with a temporal interval production task in a concurrent processing condition. As is shown in a control reaction time task, processing order information increased the level of difficulty of the memory search task. In the concurrent processing condition, the interference between short-term memory processing and time production was stronger when the level of difficulty of the short-term memory search task was increased by requiring that order information be processed. The results of Experiment 2 showed that the amount of interference between a similar short-term memory task and time production seems not to be related to the amount of order information that must be maintained during the time production task. This dissociation between the effects of processing and the maintenance of order information is compatible with a similar dissociation, observed in previous experiments, between the effects of processing and those of maintaining item information in short-term memory on concurrent time production.

Interference from short-term memory processing on encoding and reproducing brief durations

A temporal reproduction task is composed of two temporal estimation phases: encoding of the interval to be reproduced, followed by its reproduction. The effect of short-term memory processing on each of these phases was tested in two experiments. In Exp. 1, a memory set was presented, followed by two successive tones bounding the target interval to be reproduced. During the reproduction of the target interval, a probe was presented, and the subject ended the reproduction by pressing one of two keys, depending on the presence or absence of the probe in the memory set. In Exp. 2, probe recognition was required during the encoding of the interval to be reproduced. Whereas in Exp. 1 reproductions lengthened as a function of memory-set size, in Exp. 2 temporal reproductions decreased with set size. These results support attentional models of time estimation and suggest that short-term memory processing interrupts concurrent accumulation of temporal information.

Understanding physicians' intention to use a simple infection control measure: wearing gloves

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to identify the factors that explain the intention of physicians to wear gloves when contact with blood or body fluids was possible.

METHODS

A survey was given to a representative sample of physicians (general practitioners, medical specialist, and surgeons of the Canadian province of Québec). A total of 720 physicians completed the self-administered questionnaire. The respondents' intention to wear gloves, psychosocial variables (attitude, perceived social norm, perceived behavioral control, perceived risk of infection, and habit of wearing gloves), and sociodemographic variables were assessed.

RESULTS

A substantial proportion of physicians (80%) had strong intentions to wear gloves when contact with blood and body fluids was possible. Logistic regression indicated that the 3 most important factors explaining intention were perceived behavioral norm, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control. Perceived risk of infections, habit of wearing gloves, and being in a younger age category were additional factors related to intention.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions should reinforce the perception that the use of gloves is the norm among medical professionals. These programs also should emphasize the advantages of wearing gloves, counteract the perceived disadvantages of wearing them, and enhance the ability of physicians to circumvent the difficulties of wearing gloves when required.