Implementation of a pilot classroom of practical skills for the clinical subjects of the Veterinary Degree

Las limitaciones temporales en la docencia de las asignaturas clínicas del Grado en Veterinaria, así como el elevado ratio estudiantes/profesor y sobre todo estudiantes/paciente, condicionan en gran medida la formación del alumnado, comprometiendo la adquisición de competencias específicas. Así, el alumnado debe amortizar el tiempo que dedica al aprendizaje de estas materias, integrar los conocimientos adquiridos en ellas para llegar a conseguir el fin de las mismas y ser capaz de enfrentarse a situaciones clínicas con la consecuente realización de los necesarios procedimientos manuales. En este artículo, generado a partir de un proyecto de innovación docente, consideramos la enseñanza basada en la práctica con modelos inanimados o maniquíes como imprescindible para complementar la enseñanza de habilidades clínicas y adquisición de competencias. Debido al alto número de alumnos y al escaso tiempo que pasan por rotaciones clínicas con animales, y teniendo en cuenta las consideraciones éticas, es muy difícil que todos ellos puedan realizar las habilidades clínicas básicas e incluso puedan verlas en situaciones reales. El alumnado debe conocer estos procedimientos dentro de la materia de las asignaturas Propedéutica Clínica, Anestesiología y Cuidados Intensivos, Patología Quirúrgica y Medicina Interna, así como desarrollar estas habilidades, puesto que serán evaluados de esas competencias. Para ello hemos propuesto la implantación en el Departamento de Medicina y Cirugía Animal de un aula piloto donde los alumnos pueden practicar varias veces en los modelos, con el fin de adquirir la pericia necesaria para el dominio de las habilidades clínicas. De esta forma se fomentará una enseñanza integrativa, que mejorará el aprendizaje y el desarrollo de competencias específicas, además de adquirir otras competencias transversales que ayudarán al futuro veterinario en el ejercicio de su profesión.Time limitations in the teaching of clinical subjects of the Veterinary Degree, as well as the high student/teacher ratio and especially student/patient, determine the training of students and compromising the acquisition of specific competences. Thus, students should amortize the time devoted to learning these subjects, integrate the knowledge acquired in them and be able to face clinical situations with the consequent accomplishment of the necessary manual procedures. In the present study, derived from a teaching innovation project, we consider the practice-based teaching with inanimate models or mannequins as a complement of the teaching of clinical skills and acquisition of competences. Due to the high number of students, the short time they spend in clinical rotations with animals and bearing in mind the ethical considerations, it is very difficult for the students to perform the basic clinical skills and even to see them in real situations. The students must know these procedures within the subjects: Clinical Propedeutics, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Surgical Pathology and Internal Medicine, as well as to develop these abilities since they will be evaluated of those competences. We have proposed the implementation of a pilot classroom in the Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery where students can practice several times in the inanimate models in order to acquire the necessary expertise for the successful development of clinical skills. This initiative will promote an integrative teaching which will improve the learning and development of specific skills, as well as the acquisition of other transversal competences that will help the future veterinarian in the exercise of their profession

Histological and biochemical evaluation of plasma rich in growth factors treatment for grade II muscle injuries in sheep.

The purpose of this study was to perform a histological and biochemical evaluation of the influence of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) on muscle regeneration process after a surgically induced grade II muscle laceration. A randomized, single blind, controlled experimental research was conducted including twenty-one adult healthy sheep, randomly divided in three groups (n = 7). A grade II surgical section was performed in the biceps femoris muscle of both hindlimbs. After two days (basal time), intralesional infiltration of autologous PRGF or Saline solution was randomly administered in both hindlimbs. Treatment was repeated once a week. Animal groups were euthanized at 1 (T1), 2 (T2) or 4 (T4) weeks. Histological assessment showed that PRGF intralesional injection induced a significant decrease of inflammatory cells density, significant higher centrally nucleated fibers percentage and significantly smaller fibrotic areas compared to Saline-treated muscles at T1, T2 and T4. Also, lower vascular density, with lower capillaries cross-sectional area, in PRGF group compared to Saline was observed. Biochemical analysis revealed a significant higher expression level of MYOD1, MYF5 and MYOG genes in PRGF groups at T1 compared to Saline treated muscles. At ultrastructural level, PRGF groups presented scarce edema and loss of connective tissue structure, as well as higher mitochondrial density adequately associated to the sarcomere unit in contrast to the Saline group. In conclusion, histological, biochemical, and ultrastructural results showed that PRGF treatment improved muscle regeneration process leading to more mature histological aspect in newly formed muscle tissue after a surgically induced grade II muscle injury

¿Ha surgido una literatura postdictatorial en Cuba?

This article proposes a new reading of Cuban contemporary fiction produced by the writers of Generation Zero from the framework of trauma and memory studies in literature. Taking Idelber Avelar’s framework of post-dictatorial fictions in Latin American as point of departure, the essay suggests a relation between some recent Cuban government policies directed at a transition towards a neoliberal, capitalistic economic model, a process which has consequentially lead to the erosion of a memory of human rights violations and totalitarianism by the state. With this goal, the essay describes common themes and narrative devices in the work of Generation Zero writers to show how this fiction allegorizes the historical traumas lived in Cuba after 1959.Este artículo propone una nueva lectura de la ficción producida por los jóvenes escritores cubanos agrupados en Generación Cero desde el marco de los estudios de trauma y memoria en la literatura. Se sugiere el término “post-dictatorial” como una categoría viable partiendo de la tradición post-dictatorial latinoamericana (Idelber Avelar), para investigar el desarrollo de dicha ficción cubana reciente en paralelo a las actuales estrategias de liberación económica del gobierno cubano, así como su consecuente erosión de una memoria de violaciones de derechos humanos llevadas a cabo por su sistema totalitario. Con este objetivo, se describen varios de los mecanismos narrativos más recurrentes en Generación Cero, para indicar hacia una ficción que alegoriza los traumas históricos vividos en Cuba por el sujeto nacional durante el periodo posterior a 1959

Sedation Quality and Cardiorespiratory, Echocardiographic, Radiographic and Electrocardiographic Effects of Intramuscular Alfaxalone and Butorphanol in Spanish Greyhound Dogs

The quality of sedation and changes in cardiorespiratory variables after the intramuscular administration of alfaxalone and butorphanol in Spanish greyhound dogs were evaluated. Twenty-one adult dogs were included. The dogs received alfaxalone (2 mg/kg) and butorphanol (0.2 mg/kg) intramuscularly. Sedation scoring, cardiorespiratory parameters (including blood gas analysis), echocardiography, thoracic radiography and electrocardiography were performed before sedation and 30 min after drug administration. Moderate sedation was observed, and side effects, such as tremors, nystagmus and auditory hyperesthesia, were noticed. Statistically significant changes in heart rate, invasive blood pressure, pH, arterial saturation of O2 and partial pressure of O2 and CO2 were found. Echocardiographic variables, including end-diastolic volume, left ventricular diameter in diastole, aortic and pulmonic flow, diastolic transmitral flow and left atrial/aortic ratio, and electrocardiography parameters, including PQ interval and QT interval, showed statistically significant changes. In conclusion, the intramuscular administration of alfaxalone and butorphanol to healthy dogs produced moderate sedation with mild cardiorespiratory, echocardiographic and electrocardiographic changes, without alterations in cardiac size on radiographic images