Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

La relación entre las prácticas narrativas familiares y el desarrollo narrativo de niños y niñas preescolares costarricenses

Tesis (licenciatura en psicología)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Sociales::Facultad de Ciencias Sociales::Escuela de Psicologí

Promoviendo el desarrollo conceptual en las aulas de preescolar: una sistematización de hallazgos de investigación / Promoting conceptual development in preschool classrooms: a systematic review of research findings

 Este artículo resume y discute hallazgos sobre la manera en que las docentes promueven el desarrollo conceptual en aulas costarricenses de preescolar. Para esto, se revisaron los Trabajos Finales de Graduación (TFG) de pregrado realizados entre el 2007 y el 2011 en las carreras de Psicología y Educación Preescolar que ofrecen las universidades públicas costarricenses. Del total de los 347 TFG realizados en ese período, se identificaron 36 trabajos que tratan el tema del desarrollo conceptual en la edad preescolar. Solamente uno de estos trabajos fue realizado en Psicología. De los TFG realizados en Educación Preescolar, se encontró que mayoritariamente utilizan metodologías cualitativas y que, en su formulación y ejecución, no recurren al uso de recursos provenientes de revistas indexadas. Los hallazgos referentes a la promoción del desarrollo conceptual en las aulas de preescolar que se desprenden de los TFG revisados, sugieren la presencia de algunas prácticas docentes que promueven el desarrollo conceptual, como el caso del juego y la experimentación. A la vez, los trabajos revisados enumeran distintas deficiencias en la promoción del desarrollo conceptual por parte de las docentes. Una cuarta parte de los TFG indican que las docentes 1) no incentivan la participación activa del estudiantado, 2) realizan escasas actividades que resultan significativas para los niños y, 3) no consideran las diferencias del desarrollo y las individuales existentes en el salón de clase en el planteamiento de sus lecciones. This article discusses findings concerning the way preschool teachers promote conceptual development in the classroom. We reviewed final graduation projects conducted by psychology and preschool education majors in Costa Rican public universities, between 2007 and 2011. Thirty-six of the 347 final projects produced during this period dealt with conceptual development in the preschool age. One project was conducted by a psychology major while the rest were executed by preschool education majors. We found that the majority of projects developed in preschool education programs used qualitative methodologies rarely based on empirical facts. Findings from these projects indicate the presence of some teacher practices that promote conceptual development in the classroom, such as games and experiments. The projects examined also pointed out a series of deficits in the teachers’ promotion of conceptual development. A quarter of the projects indicated that teachers 1) do not promote children’s active participation, 2) seldom develop activities that are engaging for the children, 3) and do not consider the developmental and individual differences within the class in their lesson planning

PROMOVIENDO EL DESARROLLO CONCEPTUAL EN LAS AULAS DE PREESCOLAR: UNA SISTEMATIZACIÓN DE HALLAZGOS DE INVESTIGACIÓN

E ste artículo resume y discute hallazgos sobre la manera en que las docentes promueven el desarrollo conceptual en aulas costarricenses de preescolar . Para esto, se revisar on los T rabajos F inales de G raduación (TFG) de pregrado realizados entre el 2007 y el 2011 en las carreras de Psicología y Educación Preescolar que ofrecen las universidades públicas costarricenses. Del total de los 347 TFG realizados en ese período, se identificaron 36 trabajos que tratan el tema del desarrollo conceptual en la edad preescolar. Solamente uno de estos trabajos fue realizado en Psicología. De los TFG realizados en Educación Preescolar, se encontró que mayoritariamente utilizan metodologías cualitativas y que, en su formulación y ejecución, no recurren al uso de recursos provenientes de revistas indexadas. Los hallazgos referentes a la promoción del desarrollo conceptual en las aulas de preescolar que se desprenden de los TFG revisados, sugieren la presencia de algunas prácticas docentes que promueven el desarrollo conceptual, como el caso del juego y la experimentación. A la vez, los trabajos revisados enumeran distintas deficienci as en la promoción del desarrollo conceptual por parte de las docentes. Una cuarta parte de los TFG indican que las docentes 1) no incentivan la participación activa del estudiantado, 2) realizan escasas actividades que resultan significativas para los niñ os y , 3) no consideran las diferencias del desarrollo y las individuales existentes en el salón de clase en el planteamiento de sus lecciones

Promoviendo el desarrollo conceptual en las aulas de preescolar: una sistematización de hallazgos de investigación / Promoting conceptual development in preschool classrooms: a systematic review of research findings

 Este artículo resume y discute hallazgos sobre la manera en que las docentes promueven el desarrollo conceptual en aulas costarricenses de preescolar. Para esto, se revisaron los Trabajos Finales de Graduación (TFG) de pregrado realizados entre el 2007 y el 2011 en las carreras de Psicología y Educación Preescolar que ofrecen las universidades públicas costarricenses. Del total de los 347 TFG realizados en ese período, se identificaron 36 trabajos que tratan el tema del desarrollo conceptual en la edad preescolar. Solamente uno de estos trabajos fue realizado en Psicología. De los TFG realizados en Educación Preescolar, se encontró que mayoritariamente utilizan metodologías cualitativas y que, en su formulación y ejecución, no recurren al uso de recursos provenientes de revistas indexadas. Los hallazgos referentes a la promoción del desarrollo conceptual en las aulas de preescolar que se desprenden de los TFG revisados, sugieren la presencia de algunas prácticas docentes que promueven el desarrollo conceptual, como el caso del juego y la experimentación. A la vez, los trabajos revisados enumeran distintas deficiencias en la promoción del desarrollo conceptual por parte de las docentes. Una cuarta parte de los TFG indican que las docentes 1) no incentivan la participación activa del estudiantado, 2) realizan escasas actividades que resultan significativas para los niños y, 3) no consideran las diferencias del desarrollo y las individuales existentes en el salón de clase en el planteamiento de sus lecciones.This article discusses findings concerning the way preschool teachers promote conceptual development in the classroom. We reviewed final graduation projects conducted by psychology and preschool education majors in Costa Rican public universities, between 2007 and 2011. Thirty-six of the 347 final projects produced during this period dealt with conceptual development in the preschool age. One project was conducted by a psychology major while the rest were executed by preschool education majors. We found that the majority of projects developed in preschool education programs used qualitative methodologies rarely based on empirical facts. Findings from these projects indicate the presence of some teacher practices that promote conceptual development in the classroom, such as games and experiments. The projects examined also pointed out a series of deficits in the teachers’ promotion of conceptual development. A quarter of the projects indicated that teachers 1) do not promote children’s active participation, 2) seldom develop activities that are engaging for the children, 3) and do not consider the developmental and individual differences within the class in their lesson planning

Blood Type Associated with the Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Pregnant Women

COVID-19 forced us to investigate risk factors to provide the best medical attention, especially in vulnerable groups, such as pregnant patients. Studies in other populations have analyzed blood groups in relation to infection, complications, and death. The present study aimed to analyze the association of blood groups with the risk of infection and complications in pregnant women and newborns from the Mexican-Mestizo population. We studied 1906 individuals. Quantitative variables were analyzed through the Student’s t-test. Categorical variables were analyzed through Pearson’s chi-square test, and logistic regression was used to analyze the association between categorical variables and outcomes. No significant association was observed between blood groups and infection risk. Individuals with the AB blood type are at higher risk for developing severe disease, although blood groups do not seem to be involved in the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the AB blood group could be considered a risk factor for developing severe COVID-19 in the Mexican population

Novel genes and sex differences in COVID-19 severity.

Here we describe the results of a genome-wide study conducted in 11 939 COVID-19 positive cases with an extensive clinical information that were recruited from 34 hospitals across Spain (SCOURGE consortium). In sex-disaggregated genome-wide association studies for COVID-19 hospitalization, genome-wide significance (p < 5x10-8) was crossed for variants in 3p21.31 and 21q22.11 loci only among males (p = 1.3x10-22 and p = 8.1x10-12, respectively), and for variants in 9q21.32 near TLE1 only among females (p = 4.4x10-8). In a second phase, results were combined with an independent Spanish cohort (1598 COVID-19 cases and 1068 population controls), revealing in the overall analysis two novel risk loci in 9p13.3 and 19q13.12, with fine-mapping prioritized variants functionally associated with AQP3 (p = 2.7x10-8) and ARHGAP33 (p = 1.3x10-8), respectively. The meta-analysis of both phases with four European studies stratified by sex from the Host Genetics Initiative confirmed the association of the 3p21.31 and 21q22.11 loci predominantly in males and replicated a recently reported variant in 11p13 (ELF5, p = 4.1x10-8). Six of the COVID-19 HGI discovered loci were replicated and an HGI-based genetic risk score predicted the severity strata in SCOURGE. We also found more SNP-heritability and larger heritability differences by age (<60 or ≥ 60 years) among males than among females. Parallel genome-wide screening of inbreeding depression in SCOURGE also showed an effect of homozygosity in COVID-19 hospitalization and severity and this effect was stronger among older males. In summary, new candidate genes for COVID-19 severity and evidence supporting genetic disparities among sexes are provided

Erratum to: Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition) (Autophagy, 12, 1, 1-222, 10.1080/15548627.2015.1100356

non present