Estrategias metodológicas para la comprensión del contenido: El campo magnético en espiras

El contenido de investigación “campo magnético en espiras circulares” se localiza en el programa de Física de undécimo grado en la quinta unidad de Electromagnetismo; en el libro de texto no aparece mucha información sobre este contenido y el tiempo asignado para la unidad es muy limitado; por tal razón el grupo investigador se dio a la tarea de investigar sobre esta temática, ya que es muy interesante y debe quedar claro para los estudiantes. La investigación se centró primeramente en identificar las dificultades presentadas por los estudiantes en el desarrollo del contenido, para identificarlas fue necesario la aplicación de entrevistas a docentes que proporcionaron información necesaria para buscar solución a la problemática encontrada la cuales fueron: desinterés, interpretación de ejercicios, distracción con los celulares y poco uso de la calculadora. Se diseñaron estrategias metodológicas para dar respuesta a las diferentes dificultades encontradas de manera que se pudiera facilitar el contenido de forma llamativa y de fácil comprensión para los estudiantes. Las que fueron diseñadas tales como: Dominó magnético, guía de autoestudio y una práctica de laboratorio. Se aplicaron las estrategias metodológicas con el fin de facilitar el contenido de investigación de tal forma que los estudiantes pudieran construir su propio aprendizaje. A su vez fueron propuestas al docente que imparte la asignatura de Física de undécimo grado en el colegio Amigos de Alemania Casa Blanca. Una vez validadas las estrategias se le proporcionaron al docente guía para aplicarla en la asignatura de física en años siguientes. Se llevó a cabo un proceso de análisis sobre la información obtenida, lo que permitió reflexionar sobre la importancia de la aplicación y se llevó a emitir recomendaciones y conclusiones sobre el trabajo realizado

Performance of an Influenza Rapid Test in Children in a Primary Healthcare Setting in Nicaragua

Background: Influenza is major public health threat worldwide, yet the diagnostic accuracy of rapid tests in developing country settings is not well described. Methodology/Principal Findings: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of the QuickVue Influenza A+B test in a primary care setting in a developing country, we performed a prospective study of diagnostic accuracy of the QuickVue Influenza A+B test in comparison to reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in a primary healthcare setting in children aged 2 to 12 years in Managua, Nicaragua. The sensitivity and specificity of the QuickVue test compared to RT-PCR were 68.5 % (95 % CI 63.4, 73.3) and 98.1 % (95 % CI 96.9, 98.9), respectively, for children with a fever or history of a fever and cough and/or sore throat. Test performance was found to be lower on the first day that symptoms developed in comparison to test performance on days two or three of illness. Conclusions/Significance: Our study found that the QuickVue Influenza A+B test performed as well in a developing countr

Immunoglobulin M Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Using Recombinant Polypeptides for Diagnosis of Dengue

We demonstrate that a mixture of four recombinant dengue virus E polypeptides corresponding to the N-terminal region of the envelope protein from all serotypes substitutes for standard antigens in two immunoglobulin M enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay formats with 100% concordance, making these polypeptides a useful and accessible reagent for serological diagnosis of dengue in endemic countries

Diagnostic accuracy of a rapid influenza test for pandemic influenza A H1N1.

BACKGROUND: With the current influenza A H1N1 pandemic (H1N1pdm), it is extremely important that clinicians can quickly and accurately identify influenza cases. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To investigate the performance of the QuickVue Influenza A+B rapid test, we conducted a prospective study of the diagnostic accuracy of the QuickVue Influenza A+B test compared to real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for influenza A H1N1pdm in Nicaraguan children aged 2 to 14 years. Rapid test sensitivity and specificity compared to real-time RT-PCR were 64.1% (95% CI 53.5, 73.9) and 98.3% (95.0, 99.6), respectively. Agreement between the two tests was 86.4% (95% CI 81.7, 90.3), and kappa was calculated to be 0.67 (95% CI 0.56, 0.76). Performance of the rapid test varied by day of presentation, with a sensitivity of 41.7% (95% CI 22.1, 63.4) for samples from children presenting on the day of symptom onset and a sensitivity of 72.1% (95% CI 59.9, 82.3) for samples from children presenting one or more days post-symptom onset. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We found that the rapid test performed with moderate sensitivity and high specificity. Test performance varied by day of onset, with lower sensitivity on the day of symptom onset

Diagnostic Accuracy of a Rapid Influenza Test for Pandemic Influenza A H1N1

With the current influenza A H1N1 pandemic (H1N1pdm), it is extremely important that clinicians can quickly and accurately identify influenza cases. Methodology/Principal Findings: To investigate the performance of the QuickVue Influenza A+B rapid test, we conducted a prospective study of the diagnostic accuracy of the QuickVue Influenza A+B test compared to real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for influenza A H1N1pdm in Nicaraguan children aged 2 to 14 years. Rapid test sensitivity and specificity compared to real-time RT-PCR were 64.1% (95% CI 53.5, 73.9) and 98.3% (95.0, 99.6), respectively. Agreement between the two tests was 86.4% (95% CI 81.7, 90.3), and kappa was calculated to be 0.67 (95% CI 0.56, 0.76). Performance of the rapid test varied by day of presentation, with a sensitivity of 41.7% (95% CI 22.1, 63.4) for samples from children presenting on the day of symptom onset and a sensitivity of 72.1% (95% CI 59.9, 82.3) for samples from children presenting one or more days post-symptom onset. Conclusions/Significance: We found that the rapid test performed with moderate sensitivity and high specificity. Test performance varied by day of onset, with lower sensitivity on the day of symptom onset

Performance of the QuickVue Influenza A+B Rapid Test for Influenza A H1N1pdm, Managua, Nicaragua, 2009.

<p>Performance of the QuickVue Influenza A+B Rapid Test for Influenza A H1N1pdm, Managua, Nicaragua, 2009.</p

Diagnosis of Dengue Virus Infection by Detection of Specific Immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgA Antibodies in Serum and Saliva

To evaluate alternative approaches to the serological diagnosis of dengue virus (DEN) infection, the detection of DEN-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgA antibodies in serum and saliva specimens was assessed in 147 patients with symptoms of DEN infection seen at the Ministry of Health in Nicaragua. Seventy-two serum samples were determined to be positive for anti-DEN antibodies by IgM capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the routine diagnostic procedure. Serum and saliva specimens were obtained from 50 healthy adults as additional controls. IgM was detected in the saliva of 65 of the 72 serum IgM-positive cases, 6 of the 75 serum IgM-negative cases, and none of the control group, resulting in a sensitivity of 90.3% and a specificity of 92.0% and demonstrating that salivary IgM is a useful diagnostic marker for DEN infection. Detection of IgA in serum may be another feasible alternative for the diagnosis of DEN infection, with serum IgA found in 68 (94.4%) of the IgM-positive cases. In contrast, detection of IgA in saliva was not found to be a useful tool for DEN diagnosis in the present study. Further studies of the kinetics of antibody detection in another set of 151 paired acute- and convalescent-phase serum samples showed that DEN-specific IgA antibodies were detected in more acute-phase samples than were IgM antibodies. Thus, we conclude that DEN-specific IgA in serum is a potential diagnostic target. Furthermore, given that saliva is a readily obtainable, noninvasive specimen, detection of DEN-specific salivary IgM should be considered a useful, cheaper diagnostic modality with similar sensitivity and specificity to IgM detection in serum

Demographic description of study participants, Managua, Nicaragua, 2008.

<p>Demographic description of study participants, Managua, Nicaragua, 2008.</p