Social support, self-efficacy and academic satisfaction of university students during the COVID-19 lockdown

This work aimed to analyze the relationships between the students perceived institutional support, teachers’ support, peers’ support, and their academic satisfaction, mediated by their self-efficacy in information and comunication technologies (ICT). Participants were 157 students who were studying from first to fourth year in different disciplines of the Valencia University. Structural equation models with latent factors were tested. A final model had satisfactory fit indices to the observed data. It is worth highlighting the strong direct effect of the teaching staff support on student’ academic satisfaction, with less weight, although significant, being the effect of institutional support. In conclusion, teacher’s figure is of paramount importance for student’s academic satisfaction.Este trabajo tuvo como objetivo analizar las relaciones entre el apoyo institucional percibido por los estudiantes, el apoyo de los profesores, el apoyo de los compañeros y su satisfacción académica, mediada por su autoeficacia en las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC). Participaron 157 estudiantes que cursaban de primero a cuarto año en diferentes disciplinas de la Universidad de Valencia. Se probaron modelos de ecuaciones estructurales con factores latentes. El modelo final aportó índices de ajuste satisfactorios a los datos observados. Cabe destacar el fuerte efecto directo del apoyo del profesorado sobre la satisfacción académica de los estudiantes, mientras que tuvo menor peso, aunque también significativo, el efecto del apoyo institucional. En conclusión, la figura del docente es de suma importancia para la satisfacción académica de los estudiantes

Apoyo docente, compromiso académico y satisfacción del alumnado universitario

El objetivo es analizar la influencia del compromiso académico sobre la satisfacción de los estudiantes universitarios con su facultad, a partir del apoyo a la autonomía por el profesorado. Se administran escalas de Apoyo a la Autonomía, Compromiso Académico y Satisfacción con la Facultad, a 870 estudiantes universitarios dominicanos (50.6% hombres, 49.4% mujeres). Se aplican Análisis Factoriales Confirmatorios y Modelos de Ecuaciones Estructurales. Los resultados reflejan la influencia del apoyo a la autonomía por los profesores sobre la satisfacción con la facultad a través del compromiso académico, así como el efecto directo de la percepción de apoyo a la autonomía por los profesores sobre la satisfacción de los estudiantes universitarios con su centro educativo.The aim of this paper is to analyze the infl uence of academic engagement on university students’ satisfaction with their faculty from teachers’ autonomy support. Scales of Autonomy Support, Academic Engagement and Satisfaction with the Faculty are administered to 870 Dominican university students (50.6% male and 49.4% female). Confi rmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modelling are carried out. The results refl ect the infl uence of teachers’ autonomy support on the satisfaction with the faculty mediated by academic engagement, as well as the direct effect of perception of teachers’ autonomy support on university students’ satisfaction with their educational center

Apoyo docente, compromiso académico y satisfacción del alumnado universitario

El objetivo es analizar la influencia del compromiso académico sobre la satisfacción de los estudiantes universitarios con su facultad, a partir del apoyo a la autonomía por el profesorado. Se administran escalas de Apoyo a la Autonomía, Compromiso Académico y Satisfacción con la Facultad, a 870 estudiantes universitarios dominicanos (50.6% hombres, 49.4% mujeres). Se aplican Análisis Factoriales Confirmatorios y Modelos de Ecuaciones Estructurales. Los resultados reflejan la influencia del apoyo a la autonomía por los profesores sobre la satisfacción con la facultad a través del compromiso académico, así como el efecto directo de la percepción de apoyo a la autonomía por los profesores sobre la satisfacción de los estudiantes universitarios con su centro educativo.The aim of this paper is to analyze the infl uence of academic engagement on university students’ satisfaction with their faculty from teachers’ autonomy support. Scales of Autonomy Support, Academic Engagement and Satisfaction with the Faculty are administered to 870 Dominican university students (50.6% male and 49.4% female). Confi rmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modelling are carried out. The results refl ect the infl uence of teachers’ autonomy support on the satisfaction with the faculty mediated by academic engagement, as well as the direct effect of perception of teachers’ autonomy support on university students’ satisfaction with their educational center

Differential clinical characteristics and prognosis of intraventricular conduction defects in patients with chronic heart failure

Intraventricular conduction defects (IVCDs) can impair prognosis of heart failure (HF), but their specific impact is not well established. This study aimed to analyse the clinical profile and outcomes of HF patients with LBBB, right bundle branch block (RBBB), left anterior fascicular block (LAFB), and no IVCDs. Clinical variables and outcomes after a median follow-up of 21 months were analysed in 1762 patients with chronic HF and LBBB (n = 532), RBBB (n = 134), LAFB (n = 154), and no IVCDs (n = 942). LBBB was associated with more marked LV dilation, depressed LVEF, and mitral valve regurgitation. Patients with RBBB presented overt signs of congestive HF and depressed right ventricular motion. The LAFB group presented intermediate clinical characteristics, and patients with no IVCDs were more often women with less enlarged left ventricles and less depressed LVEF. Death occurred in 332 patients (interannual mortality = 10.8%): cardiovascular in 257, extravascular in 61, and of unknown origin in 14 patients. Cardiac death occurred in 230 (pump failure in 171 and sudden death in 59). An adjusted Cox model showed higher risk of cardiac death and pump failure death in the LBBB and RBBB than in the LAFB and the no IVCD groups. LBBB and RBBB are associated with different clinical profiles and both are independent predictors of increased risk of cardiac death in patients with HF. A more favourable prognosis was observed in patients with LAFB and in those free of IVCDs. Further research in HF patients with RBBB is warranted

Social support, self-efficacy and academic satisfaction of university students during the COVID-19 lockdown

This work aimed to analyze the relationships between the students perceived institutional support, teachers’ support, peers’ support, and their academic satisfaction, mediated by their self-efficacy in information and comunication technologies (ICT). Participants were 157 students who were studying from first to fourth year in different disciplines of the Valencia University. Structural equation models with latent factors were tested. A final model had satisfactory fit indices to the observed data. It is worth highlighting the strong direct effect of the teaching staff support on student’ academic satisfaction, with less weight, although significant, being the effect of institutional support. In conclusion, teacher’s figure is of paramount importance for student’s academic satisfaction.Este trabajo tuvo como objetivo analizar las relaciones entre el apoyo institucional percibido por los estudiantes, el apoyo de los profesores, el apoyo de los compañeros y su satisfacción académica, mediada por su autoeficacia en las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC). Participaron 157 estudiantes que cursaban de primero a cuarto año en diferentes disciplinas de la Universidad de Valencia. Se probaron modelos de ecuaciones estructurales con factores latentes. El modelo final aportó índices de ajuste satisfactorios a los datos observados. Cabe destacar el fuerte efecto directo del apoyo del profesorado sobre la satisfacción académica de los estudiantes, mientras que tuvo menor peso, aunque también significativo, el efecto del apoyo institucional. En conclusión, la figura del docente es de suma importancia para la satisfacción académica de los estudiantes

Abnormal Expression Pattern of Notch Receptors, Ligands, and Downstream Effectors in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex and Amygdala of Suicidal Victims

Recent studies have associated alterations of neuronal plasticity in specific brain areas with suicidal behavior. The Notch signaling pathway plays a relevant role in the control of stem cell maintenance, cell migration, and neuronal plasticity. In the present study, the gene expression of the four Notch receptors (NOTCH1–4), the five canonical ligands (DLL1, DLL3, DLL4, JAGGED1, and JAGGED2), the two non-canonical ligands (DLK1 and DLK2), and the transcription factors (HES1, HEY1, and HEY2) were measured in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and amygdala (AMY) of suicide victims (S; n = 13 males, with no clinical psychiatric history and non-treated with anxiolytic or antidepressant drugs) and their corresponding controls (C; n = 13 males) by real-time PCR. The results revealed a reduction of NOTCH2 and NOTCH1, NOTCH3, and NOTCH4 gene expression in the DLPFC and AMY of S compared with C, respectively. DLL1 levels were increased in the DLPFC and decreased in the AMY, whereas DLL4, JAGGED1, and JAGGED2 were significantly decreased in the regions analyzed. DLK1 was reduced in the AMY, whereas no changes were observed in the DLPFC and in DLK2 expression levels in any of the regions analyzed. HES1 was significantly reduced in both brain regions from S, whereas there were no significant changes in HEY1 and HEY2. This study provides evidence suggesting that the Notch signaling pathway could be a potential key target in the treatment of suicidal behaviors.This research was supported by grants from Ministry of Science and Innovation (SAF 2008–01106, RETICS RD12/0028/0019, and FEDER) and Ministry of Health (PNSD 2007/061). FN is a postdoctoral fellow of the RETICS RD12/0028/0019

Heterozygous pathogenic variants in GLI1 are a common finding in isolated postaxial polydactyly A/B

Postaxial polydactyly (PAP) is a frequent limb malformation consisting in the duplication of the fifth digit of the hand or foot. Morphologically, this condition is divided into type A and B, with PAP-B corresponding to a more rudimentary extra-digit. Recently, biallelic truncating variants in the transcription factor GLI1 were reported to be associated with a recessive disorder, which in addition to PAP-A, may include syndromic features. Moreover, two heterozygous subjects carrying only one inactive copy of GLI1 were also identified with PAP. Herein, we aimed to determine the level of involvement of GLI1 in isolated PAP, a condition previously established to be autosomal dominantly inherited with incomplete penetrance. We analyzed the coding region of GLI1 in 95 independent probands with nonsyndromic PAP and found 11.57% of these subjects with single heterozygous pathogenic variants in this gene. The detected variants lead to premature termination codons or result in amino acid changes in the DNA-binding domain of GLI1 that diminish its transactivation activity. Family segregation analysis of these variants was consistent with dominant inheritance with incomplete penetrance. We conclude that heterozygous changes in GLI1 underlie a significant proportion of sporadic or familial cases of isolated PAP-A/B