Equity in out-of-pocket payment in Chile

OBJECTIVE To assess the distribution of financial burden in Chile, with a focus on the burden and progressivity of out-of-pocket payment. METHODS Based on the principle of ability to pay, we explore factors that contribute to inequities in the health system finance and issues about the burden of out-of-pocket payment, as well as the progressivity and redistributive effect of out-of-pocket payment in Chile. Our analysis is based on data from the 2006 National Survey on Satisfaction and Out-of-Pocket Payments. RESULTS Results from this study indicate evidence of inequity, in spite of the progressivity of the healthcare system. Our analysis also identifies relevant policy variables such as education, insurance system, and method of payment that should be taken into consideration in the ongoing debates and research in improving the Chilean system. CONCLUSIONS In order to reduce the detected disparities among income groups, healthcare priorities should target low-income groups. Furthermore, policies should explore changes in the access to education and its impact on equity

Investigating a novel small molecule inhibitor of nuclear import as an anti-cancer approach

The identification of novel cancer-associated biomarkers against which drugs can be developed is anticipated to be beneficial in multiple ways; including their use as monotherapies and in combination with current chemotherapeutic agents for improved anti-cancer treatment outcome. Recently, research in our own laboratory and others have reported elevated expression of the nuclear transporter Kpnβ1 in multiple cancers. Using the cervical cancer model, we showed that its inhibition using small-interfering RNA (siRNA) resulted in cancer cell death via apoptosis while sparing normal cells, suggesting it has potential as a target for anti-cancer therapy. An in silico screen for Kpnβ1 inhibitors identified several small molecules that showed inhibitory effects on nuclear import as well as cancer killing activity. In this study, we aimed to examine the potential of one such small molecule, the Inhibitor of Nuclear Import-43 (INI-43) as a lead compound with anti-cancer activities using multiple cancer models. Through culture-based in vitro assays, we demonstrated that INI-43 inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells grown anchorage-dependently and independently. These effects were similarly observed in Kpnβ1 knock-down cells, and Kpnβ1 over-expression was able to partially reverse these effects, suggesting that the anti-cancer effects of INI-43 is mediated through interference of the Kpnβ1 function. Toxicology studies and liver microsomal assay showed that INI-43 has an acceptable toxicity profile in nude mice and is metabolically stable, allowing its use in in vivo testing. Intraperitoneal administration of INI-43 significantly reduced the growth of subcutaneously xenografted cervical and oesophageal tumour cells in nude mice, supporting its anti-cancer activity in vivo. To examine the potential of using INI-43 in combination therapy, we examined the effects of the combined treatment of INI-43 and Cisplatin (CDDP), a first-line chemotherapeutic agent used in the treatment of many cancers. INI-43 treatment at sub-lethal concentrations enhanced cancer cells' sensitivity to CDDP, which was similarly observed in Kpnβ1 knock-down cells. Using an ovarian cancer model, we demonstrated that CDDP treatment led to elevated expression and nuclear localization of Kpnβ1, suggesting that Kpnβ1 is involved in CDDP-induced stress response. INI-43 treatment impeded the CDDP-induced nuclear accumulation of Kpnβ1 which correlated with increased cell death, suggesting that nuclear localization of Kpnβ1 may be important for ovarian cancer cell survival when challenged with genotoxins such as CDDP. Using the cervical cancer model, we demonstrated that INI-43 enhanced CDDP-induced cell death synergistically, and that the enhanced cell death is mediated through stabilizing p53 protein. This associated with decreased levels of Myeloid Cell Leukemia 1 (Mcl-1), an anti-apoptotic factor negatively regulated by p53. Furthermore, INI-43 treatment reduced the nuclear import of NFκB, a stress-regulated response known to promote cancer cell survival. Decreased levels of various downstream pro-survival and DNA-repair targets of NFκB were observed, including cyclinD1, c-Myc and X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein (XIAP), which correlated with increased DNA damage and apoptosis. Taken together, we show that nuclear import inhibition using small molecules could have therapeutic benefits in the treatment of cancer, and that INI-43 is a promising candidate for further development to be used in anti-cancer monotherapy or combination chemotherapy

Equity in health care utilization in Chile

One of the most extensive Chilean health care reforms occurred in July 2005, when the Regime of Explicit Health Guarantees (AUGE) became effective. This reform guarantees coverage for a specific set of health conditions. Thus, the purpose of this study is to provide timely evidence for policy makers to understand the current distribution and equity of health care utilization in Chile. The authors analyzed secondary data from the National Socioeconomic Survey (CASEN) for the years 1992-2009 and the 2006 Satisfaction and Out-of-Pocket Payment Survey to assess equity in health care utilization using two different approaches. First, we used a two-part model to estimate factors associated with the utilization of health care. Second, we decomposed income-related inequalities in medical care use into contributions of need and non-need factors and estimated a horizontal inequity index. Findings of this empirical study include evidence of inequities in the Chilean health care system that are beneficial to the better-off. We also identified some key factors, including education and health care payment, which affect the utilization of health care services. Results of this study could help researchers and policy makers identify targets for improving equity in health care utilization and strengthening availability of health care services accordingly.Keywords: Country, Model, Medical care, Inequalities, Acces

Integration and instrument characterization of the cosmic infrared background experiment 2 (CIBER-2)

The extragalactic background light (EBL) is the integrated emission from all objects outside of the Milky Way galaxy. Imprinted by the history of stellar emission, the EBL in the near infrared traces light back to the birth of the first stars in the Universe and can allow tight constraints on structure formation models. Recent studies using data from the Spitzer Space Telescope and the first Cosmic Infrared Background ExpeRiment (CIBER-1) find that there are excess fluctuations in the EBL on large scales which have been attributed to either high redshift galaxies and quasars, or to stars that were stripped from their host galaxies during merging events. To help disentangle these two models, multi-wavelength data can be used to trace their distinctive spectral features. Following the success of CIBER-1, CIBER-2 is designed to identify the sources of the EBL excess fluctuations using data in six wavebands covering the optical and near infrared. The experiment consists of a cryogenic payload and is scheduled to launch four times on a recoverable sounding rocket. CIBER-2 has a 28.5 cm telescope coupled with an optics system to obtain wide-field images in six broad spectral bands between 0.5 and 2.5 μm simultaneously. The experiment uses 2048 × 2048 HAWAII-2RG detector arrays and a cryogenic star tracker. A prototype of the cryogenic star tracker is under construction for a separate launch to verify its performance and star tracking algorithm. The mechanical, optical, and electrical components of the CIBER-2 experiment will have been integrated into the payload by mid-2018. Here we present the final design of CIBER-2 and our team’s instrument characterization efforts. The design and analysis of the optical focus tests will be discussed. We also report on the performance of CIBER-2 support systems, including the cooling mechanisms and deployable components. Finally, we outline the remaining tasks required to prepare the payload for launch

Number of Courses, Content of Coursework, and Prior Achievement as Related to Ethnic Achievement Gaps in Mathematics

This study utilized base-year and second follow-up data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 to investigate the relationship between eighth-grade math achievement, mathematics course-taking in high school, and twelfth-grade math achievement. Results suggested the following: 1) Type of coursework can be quantified. 2) Type of coursework was more predictive of achievement than amount. 3) There were substantial ethnic achievement differences prior to high school. 4) Number of courses, type of courses, and prior achievement were not equally predictive of twelfth-grade mathematics achievement across ethnic groups. 5) Prior achievement did not equally predict course-taking over ethnic groups in amount or type. 6) Closing ethnic achievement gaps will be a function of efforts taken before high school as well as high school coursework

Flipgrid en la enseñanza aprendizaje y medio de interacción entre estudiantes de nivel superior durante la pandemia del Covid-19

El aprendizaje significativo y social es una tarea que hoy en día los docentes deben de cumplir y más a raíz de la pandemia covid-19. El objetivo del presente trabajo se expresa a través de la siguiente pregunta de investigación: ¿Cuál es la experiencia y satisfacción en el uso de la herramienta Flipgrid en estudiantes de la carrera de Licenciatura en Tecnologías de Información en una universidad pública del noreste de México, como recurso en su formación académica y medio de interacción en un ambiente virtual derivado de la pandemia? La metodología que se siguió, fue con alcance del tipo exploratorio descriptivo; con un enfoque del tipo mixto. Para el enfoque cuantitativo se diseñó y aplicó una encuesta compuesta por 8 preguntas cerradas categorizadas en una escala de Likert del 1 al 5

Códigos QR en estudiantes de la carrera de Contador Público en nivel superior

It is known that organizations have been incorporating QR codes to support their processes. In education, it is integrated into the tea- ching-learning process, and business applies it to business proces- ses or strategies (e.g. marketing). This indicates the importance that a business school had in determining the knowledge and use that its students had of the QR codes both for their academic training and for their personal or professional use. The focus of the study was quantitative with a descriptive exploratory scope. A questionnai- re was applied to 149 students in the career of Public Accountant, which measures the knowledge and use of QR codes. It is conclu- ded that not all students were aware of what a QR code is and those who knew its use were more focused on personal use.Se sabe que las organizaciones han ido incorporando los códigos QR como apoyo a sus procesos. En el ámbito educativo se integra al proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje, y los negocios lo aplican a procesos o estrategias de negocio (por ejemplo, marketing). Lo an- terior señala la importancia que se tuvo en una escuela de negocios el determinar cuál es el conocimiento y uso que sus estudiantes tenían sobre los códigos QR tanto para su formación académica como para su uso personal o profesional. El enfoque del estudio fue de tipo cuantitativo con alcance de tipo exploratorio descriptivo. Se aplicó un cuestionario a 149 estudiantes de la carrera Contador Público, que mide el conocimiento y uso de los códigos QR. Se concluye que no todos los estudiantes tenían conocimiento de lo que es un código QR y los que conocían su uso estaban más enfo- cados hacia un uso personal

Códigos QR en actividades académicas de nivel superior

Technological advances bring about changes in society, so we can see how organizations and educational institutions have been incorporating various technologies to support their processes. In the educational context as support in the teaching-learning process and by the side of the companies as a resource incorporated in their processes or business strategies. This allows us to point out as a general objective of this study that the student acquires the necessary knowledge about QR codes in the educational and business contexts to be able to create and interact with them. Also, it integrates how knowledge can be given and the competences that can be developed in the students in the path of learning and working with such technology. The focus of the study is of a qualitative type with an exploratory and descriptive scope. The method used to define the sample consisted of a randomized design that was not probabilistic for convenience, and it was made up of a group of 170 students from the Information Technology degree course. To fulfill the objective, measuring instruments of the questionnaire type were applied and practical work experience was developed in which there was a previous training. Finally, as a result, 88.6% consider that the activity was satisfactory, due to the functionalities or benefits that the students found in the application of this technology in the educational and business environments.Los avances tecnológicos traen consigo cambios en la sociedad, de tal forma podemos observar como las organizaciones e instituciones educativas han ido incorporando diversas tecnologías que sirvan de apoyo en sus procesos. En el contexto educativo como apoyo en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje y por el lado de las empresas como recurso incorporado en sus procesos o estrategias de negocio. Lo anterior, permite señalar como objetivo general de este estudio que el estudiante adquiera el conocimiento necesario sobre los códigos QR en los contextos educativo y de negocios a fin de que logre crearlos e interactuar con ellos. Aunado a lo anterior se integra la forma en que el conocimiento se puede dar y las competencias que se pueden desarrollar en los estudiantes en el trayecto del aprendizaje y el trabajo con dicha tecnología. El enfoque del estudio es de tipo cualitativo con alcance de tipo exploratorio descriptivo. El método para definir la muestra consistió en un diseño aleatorio no probabilístico por conveniencia, quedando integrada por un grupo de 170 estudiantes de la carrera de Licenciatura en Tecnologías de Información. Para cumplir con el objetivo se aplicaron instrumentos de medición del tipo cuestionario y se desarrolló una experiencia de trabajo práctica en la cual hubo una capacitación previa. Finalmente, como resultado un 88.6% considera que la actividad fue satisfactoria, debido a las funcionalidades o beneficios que los estudiantes encontraron en la aplicación de esta tecnología tanto en el ámbito educativo como en los negocios

Flipgrid en la enseñanza aprendizaje y medio de interacción entre estudiantes de nivel superior durante la pandemia del Covid-19

El aprendizaje significativo y social es una tarea que hoy en día los docentes deben de cumplir y más a raíz de la pandemia Covid-19. El objetivo del presente trabajo se expresa a través de la siguiente pregunta de investigación: ¿Cuál es la experiencia y satisfacción en el uso de la herramienta Flipgrid en estudiantes de la carrera de Licenciatura en Tecnologías de Información en una universidad pública del Noreste de México, como recurso en su formación académica y medio de interacción en un ambiente virtual derivado de la pandemia? La metodología que se siguió fue con alcance del tipo exploratorio descriptivo con un enfoque del tipo mixto. Para el enfoque cuantitativo se diseñó y aplicó una encuesta compuesta por 8 preguntas cerradas categorizadas en una escala de Likert del 1 al 5. En el enfoque cualitativo se aplicó una metodología sistémica la cual consistió en cinco etapas: Planeación, desarrollo, obtención de los datos, análisis de los datos y evaluación. Los resultados indican un porcentaje promedio de satisfacción del 68% en el uso de la herramienta Flipgrid, para el desarrollo de las actividades solicitadas a los estudiantes que participaron en este estudio. Sólo un 3% refiere haber realizado alguna actividad académica de este tipo, sólo que con un software diferente. Considerando lo anterior se hace necesario que el docente trate de ser creativo e innovador en el aula y buscando el generar en el estudiante el conocimiento y habilidades que los estudiantes requieren en su ámbito académico y profesional