La escritura de blogs para la evaluación de competencias del prácticum de formación del profesorado

INTRODUCCIÓN. Esta contribución se basa en la investigación llevada a cabo durante el curso 2009-2010 sobre evaluación de competencias en la universidad, con el fin de facilitar la evaluación formativa del alumnado de los estudios de formación del profesorado durante sus períodos de prácticas externas. Con esta finalidad, se propuso el blog como espacio de autorreflexión y de metacognición sobre el propio grado de progresión en las competencias asignadas a ese período formativo y se elaboró un software que facilitase tanto la autoevaluación del alumnado como la evaluación y devolución de los comentarios del profesorado. MÉTODO. En relación con la metodología desarrollada en la experiencia, presentamos, en primer lugar, el análisis de las frecuencias de las entradas de los blogs asociadas a las competencias, el número y ritmo de entradas y el tipo de competencias más trabajadas por el alumnado, según su criterio, así como el grado de satisfacción y percepción de aprendizaje del alumnado y del profesorado y, en segundo lugar, el análisis realizado sobre el tipo de escritura que muestra el contenido de los blogs, en el que se presenta el análisis realizado sobre la identificación de las competencias seguido del análisis realizado sobre el tipo de discurso empleado. RESULTADOS. Los resultados permiten considerar que las aportaciones del alumnado en los diversos blogs muestran un avance en el aprendizaje competencial, aunque con algunos problemas en la identificación teórico-práctica del significado de algunas competencias. Por otra parte, constatamos que estas aportaciones son mayoritariamente reflexivas, pero que el nivel de metacognición expresado en su escritura respecto de la autoevaluación de competencias es inferior al deseado. De modo que, aunque se potencia el componente reflexivo que contribuye a la autorregulación competencial, esta no parece consolidarse suficientemente al no mostrarse de modo explícito el nivel de conciencia adquirido sobre las propias competencias. DISCUSIÓN. Esta experiencia nos indica que, para garantizar la escritura reflexiva y metacognitiva del alumnado sobre la autorregulación competencial, es necesario mejorar su formación inicial específica en estos temas y asegurar que el proceso de elaboración del blog también contribuya a este aprendizaje, para lo cual es imprescindible que la formación del profesorado también esté orientada específicamente hacia esta finalidad

Hypothyroidism decreases the biogenesis in free mitochondria and neuronal oxygen consumption in the cerebral cortex of developing rats

Thyroid hormone plays a critical role in mitochondrial biogenesis in two areas of the developing brain, the cerebral cortex and the striatum. Here we analyzed, in the cerebral cortex of neonatal rats, the effect of hypothyroidism on the biogenesis in free and synaptosomal mitochondria by analyzing, in isolated mitochondria, the activity of respiratory complex I, oxidative phosphorylation, oxygen consumption, and the expression of mitochondrial genome. In addition, we studied the effect of thyroid hormone in oxygen consumption in vivo by determining metabolic flow through C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Our results clearly show that in vivo, hypothyroidism markedly reduces oxygen consumption in the neural population of the cerebral cortex. This effect correlates with decreased free mitochondria biogenesis. In contrast, no effect was observed in the biogenesis in synaptosomal mitochondria. The parameters analyzed were markedly improved after T-3 administration. These results suggest that a reduced biogenesis and the subsequent reduction of respiratory capacity in free mitochondria could be the underlying cause of decreased oxygen consumption in the neurons of the cerebral cortex of hypothyroid neonates.This work was supported by Ministerio de Educaciín y Ciencia Grants SAF2004-06263-CO2-02 (to A.S.), SAF2004-06263-CO2-01, and SAF2007-62811 and Comunidad de Madrid Grant GR/SAL/0033/2004 (to A.P.-C.). Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas is funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. T.B.R. is a recipient of a fellowship from the Fundaçâo para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal (SFRH/BPD/26881/2006).Peer reviewe

CCAAT/enhancer binding protein β directly regulates the expression of the complement component 3 gene in neural cells: implications for the pro-inflammatory effects of this transcription factor

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.[Background]: The CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ) is a transcription factor, which was first identified as a regulator of differentiation and inflammatory processes mainly in adipose tissue and liver; however, its function in the brain was largely unknown for many years. Previous studies from our laboratory indicated that C/EBPβ is implicated in inflammatory process and brain injury, since mice lacking this gene were less susceptible to kainic acid-induced injury. [Methods]: We first performed cDNA microarrays analysis using hippocampal RNA isolated from C/EBPβ+/+ and C/EBPβ−/− mice. Immunocytochemical and immunohistochemical studies were done to evaluate C/EBPβ and C3 levels. Transient transfection experiments were made to analyze transcriptional regulation of C3 by C/EBPβ. To knockdown C/EBPβ and C3 expression, mouse astrocytes were infected with lentiviral particles expressing an shRNA specific for C/EBPβ or an siRNA specific for C3. [Results]: Among the genes displaying significant changes in expression was complement component 3 (C3), which showed a dramatic decrease in mRNA content in the hippocampus of C/EBPβ−/− mice. C3 is the central component of the complement and is implicated in different brain disorders. In this work we have found that C/EBPβ regulates C3 levels in rodents glial in vitro and in the rat Substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) in vivo following an inflammatory insult. Analysis of the mouse C3 promoter showed that it is directly regulated by C/EBPβ through a C/EBPβ consensus site located at position −616/-599 of the gene. In addition, we show that depletion of C/EBPβ by a specific shRNA results in a significant decrease in the levels of C3 together with a reduction in the increased levels of pro-inflammatory agents elicited by lipopolysaccharide treatment. [Conclusions]: Altogether, these results indicate that C3 is a downstream target of C/EBPβ, and it could be a mediator of the pro-inflammatory effects of this transcription factor in neural cells.This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation Grant SAF2010-16365. JAMG was supported by CIBERNED.We acknowledge the support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI).Peer reviewe

El desarrollo de competencias en el punto de mira: Perspectiva de los graduados en Farmacia a través de encuestas y relatos

Projecte: I+D ref. EDU2012-32766Se presentan los avances de una investigación sobre la percepción de los recién graduados de Farmacia respecto al desarrollo de competencias durante sus estudios universitarios, recogida a través de un cuestionario cerrado y relatos narrativos. La mirada del graduado es especialmente interesante porque constituye una radiografía de diagnóstico, al tiempo que aporta relevantes aspectos para la mejora de la docencia.Proyecto I+D ref. EDU2012-32766, financiado por el Ministerio de Economía y Competitivida

Elaboración de blogs como herramienta virtual de aprendizaje y trabajo en equipo

Este proyecto de innovación se enmarca dentro de las actividades académicas no presenciales. Se trata de la elaboración de blogs como herramienta virtual de aprendizaje. Los blogs son un recurso de aprendizaje individual o grupal, de gran versatilidad y dinamización del aula. Además, promueve el desarrollo de competencias generales, específicas y transversales que los alumnos deben adquirir durante su formación. Creemos que su aplicación es especialmente interesante en asignaturas como “Bases Celulares de la Genética Humana” impartida en primero de Medicina, donde los alumnos se encuentran con una dificultad añadida a la complejidad de sus fundamentos: unos conceptos complejos con una terminología muy específica para asimilarlos. Los futuros médicos deberán ser capaces, de explicar con un lenguaje sencillo y comprensible a los pacientes la implicación de la genética en las patologías. Consideramos que el uso de blogs está especialmente indicado en este caso para facilitar la adquisición de esta competencia específica, además de apoyar el aprendizaje de parte de los contenidos de la asignatura y promover el trabajo en equipo. Esta herramienta aporta a los alumnos las competencias necesarias para su formación integral como profesional de la salud promoviendo el intercambio colaborativo. Es además, un recurso que puede ser utilizado tanto para la evaluación continua, por parte del profesor durante y a la finalización del diseño del blog, así como para la coevaluación entre los alumnos. Por tanto, esta propuesta facilita el aprendizaje creando espacios para ello. En definitiva, crea oportunidades de aprendizaje

Santiago Ramón y Cajal: un modelo de excelencia para desarrollar competencias en el Grado en Medicina

El presente proyecto ha acercado la figura de Santiago Ramón y Cajal a los estudiantes de Medicina como estrategia para el desarrollo de competencias generales, específicas y transversales necesarias para la formación de profesionales competentes. Se han realizado una serie de actividades en torno a nuestro Premio Nobel que han involucrado a docentes, investigadores y clínicos

Women Neuroscientist Disciples of Pío del Río-Hortega: the Cajal School Spreads in Europe and South America.

Pio del Rio-Hortega was not only the discoverer of the microglia and oligodendroglia but also possibly the most prolific mentor of all Santiago Ramon y Cajal's disciples (Nobel awardee in Physiology or Medicine 1906 and considered as the father of modern Neuroscience). Among Río-Hortega's mentees, three exceptional women are frequently forgotten, chronologically: Pio's niece Asunción Amo del Río who worked with Río-Hortega at Madrid, Paris, and Oxford; the distinguished British neuropathologist Dorothy Russell who also worked with Don Pío at Oxford; and Amanda Pellegrino de Iraldi, the last mentee in his career. Our present work analyzes the figures of these three women who were in contact and collaborated with Don Pío del Río-Hortega, describing the influences received and the impact on their careers and the History of Neuroscience. The present work completes the contribution of women neuroscientists who worked with Cajal and his main disciples of the Spanish Neurological School both in Spain (previous work) and in other countries (present work)

Long-term effects of intermittent adolescent alcohol exposure in male and female rats

Alcohol is a serious public health concern that has a differential impact on individuals depending upon age and sex. Patterns of alcohol consumption have recently changed: heavy episodic drinking—known as binge-drinking—has become most popular among the youth. Herein, we aimed to investigate the consequences of intermittent adolescent alcohol consumption in male and female animals. Thus, Wistar rats were given free access to ethanol (20% in drinking water) or tap water for 2-h sessions during 3 days, and for an additional 4-h session on the 4th day; every week during adolescence, from postnatal day (pnd) 28–52. During this period, animals consumed a moderate amount of alcohol despite blood ethanol concentration (BEC) did not achieve binge-drinking levels. No withdrawal signs were observed: no changes were observed regarding anxiety-like responses in the elevated plus-maze or plasma corticosterone levels (pnd 53–54). In the novel object recognition (NOR) test (pnd 63), a significant deficit in recognition memory was observed in both male and female rats. Western Blot analyses resulted in an increase in the expression of synaptophysin in the frontal cortex (FC) of male and female animals, together with a decrease in the expression of the CB2R in the same brain region. In addition, adolescent alcohol induced, exclusively among females, a decrease in several markers of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission, in which epigenetic mechanisms, i.e., histone acetylation, might be involved. Taken together, further research is still needed to specifically correlate sex-specific brain and behavioral consequences of adolescent alcohol exposure

Classic psychedelics and alcohol use disorders: A systematic review of human and animal studies

Classic psychedelics refer to substances such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, ayahuasca, and mescaline, which induce altered states of consciousness by acting mainly on 5-HT2A receptors. Recently, the interest of psychedelics as pharmacological treatment for psychiatric disorders has increased significantly, including their use on problematic use of alcohol. This systematic review is aimed to analyse the last two decades of studies examining the relationship between classic psychedelics and alcohol consumption. We searched PubMed and PsycInfo for human and preclinical studies published between January 2000 to December 2021. The search identified 639 publications. After selection, 27 studies were included. Human studies (n = 20) generally show promising data and seem to indicate that classic psychedelics could help reduce alcohol consumption. Nevertheless, some of these studies present methodological concerns such as low number of participants, lack of control group or difficulty in determining the effect of classic psychedelics in isolation. On the other hand, preclinical studies (n = 7) investigating the effect of these compounds on voluntary alcohol consumption are scarce and show some conflicting data. Among these compounds, psilocybin seems to show the most consistent data indicating that this compound could be a potential candidate to treat alcohol use disorders. In the absence of understanding the biological and/or psychological mechanisms, more studies including methodological quality parameters are needed to finally determine the effects of classic psychedelics on alcohol consumption

P2P4L2L (Peer to Peer for Learning to Learn)

Projecte: 2016PID-UB / 024Memòria del projecte P2P4L2L (Peer to Peer for Learning to Learn) 2016PID-UB / 024 llevado a cabo entre 2016 i 2018 sobre el disseny i desenvolupament de pràctiques d'avaluació entre iguals per desenvolupar la competència d'aprendre a aprendre.Memoria del proyecto P2P4L2L (Peer to Peer for Learning to Learn) 2016PID-UB / 024 implementado entre 2016 y 2018 sobre el diseño y desarrollo de prácticas de evaluación entre iguales para desarrollar la competencia de aprender a aprender.PMI