51 research outputs found

    Development and validation of a life skills evaluation tool for online learning based on the framework of the capability approach

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    The promotion of life skills in learners is especially challenging in distance and online environments where the learners’ physical absence from the classroom hinders the evaluation of these types of skills. Due to the great challenges brought about by this physical absence, there is a lack of empirical studies attempting to examine life skills in web-based scenarios. This study therefore aimed to fill the existing gap in operationalizing the role of life skills for online learning through the capability approach (CA). This exploration was conducted under the umbrella of Nussbaum’s version of the CA. Specifically, our study contributes by devising an integrative and comprehensive teaching and learning framework for open educational practices based on the CA, and by introducing a new instrument that has been adapted to this context. Methodologically, the design and validation of the instrument involved a four-stage process. First, Nussbaum’s list of central human capabilities was operationalized for online learning. Then, in the second stage, a qualitative content validity check was performed to verify whether the instrument was appropriate and comprehensive in terms of what it was intended to measure. The aim of the third and fourth stages was to quantitatively assess the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. For the third stage, the instrument was pre-tested through a modified version of the Q-sort method. In the fourth stage, non-parametric tests were used to validate the internal consistency and content validity of the questionnaire. Thirty experts from the areas of online education, philosophy, and statistics took part in these stages.Financed by Beijing municipal educational science foundation No. AHDB19030.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    Proteomic Analysis in Seminal Plasma of Fertile Donors and Infertile Patients with Sperm DNA Fragmentation

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    Seminal plasma proteomics studies could represent a new approach for the determination of molecular elements driving male infertility, resulting in a better male infertility characterization. The aim of this study is to investigate proteomic differences in seminal plasma samples from fertile and infertile individuals. For that, semen samples were selected according to semen analysis, clinical pathology, and values of sperm DNA fragmentation (alkaline and neutral Comet assay and Sperm Chromatin Dispersion test). A total of 24 seminal plasma samples classified in four groups were processed: fertile donors (FD), recurrent miscarriage patients (RM), asthenoteratozoospermic patients (ATZ), and asthenoteratozoospermic patients with varicocele (ATZ-VAR). Results obtained by 2D-differential gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) revealed 26 spots significantly increased in fertile donors when compared to patient groups. Also, eight spots in the ATZ group and two in the ATZ-VAR group were decreased compared to the other groups. Twenty-eight proteins were identified by mass spectrometry (MS), most of them involved in metabolic and cellular processes and with a catalytic or binding function. Protein-protein interactions through Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) tool suggest that a large part of them were associated with each other. Furthermore, most of them were associated with ubiquitin C, indicating that it could play an important regulation role, resulting in a potential male infertility biomarker

    Osteoarticular Expression of Musashi-1 in an Experimental Model of Arthritis

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    Background. Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), a murine experimental disease model induced by immunization with type II collagen (CII), is used to evaluate novel therapeutic strategies for rheumatoid arthritis. Adult stem cell marker Musashi-1 (Msi1) plays an important role in regulating the maintenance and differentiation of stem/precursor cells. The objectives of this investigation were to perform a morphological study of the experimental CIA model, evaluate the effect of TNFα-blocker (etanercept) treatment, and determine the immunohistochemical expression of Msi1 protein. Methods. CIA was induced in 50 male DBA1/J mice for analyses of tissue and serum cytokine; clinical and morphological lesions in limbs; and immunohistochemical expression of Msi1. Results. Clinically, TNFα-blocker treatment attenuated CIA on day 32 after immunization (). Msi1 protein expression was significantly higher in joints damaged by CIA than in those with no lesions () and was related to the severity of the lesions (Spearman’s rho = 0.775, ). Conclusions. Treatment with etanercept attenuates osteoarticular lesions in the murine CIA model. Osteoarticular expression of Msi1 protein is increased in joints with CIA-induced lesion and absent in nonlesioned joints, suggesting that this protein is expressed when the lesion is produced in order to favor tissue repair.This investigation was partially supported by Research Group #CTS-138 (Junta de Andalucía, Spain)

    Socio-geographical disparities of obesity and excess weight in adults in Spain: insights from the ENE-COVID study

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    Background: In Spain, differences in the prevalence of obesity and excess weight according to sex and sociodemographic factors have been described at the national level, although current data do not allow to delve into geographical differences for these conditions. The aim was to estimate national and regional prevalences of adult obesity and excess weight in Spain by sex and sociodemographic characteristics, and to explore difference sources of inequalities in its distribution, as well as its geographical pattern. Method: ENE-COVID study was a nationwide representative seroepidemiological survey with 57,131 participants. Residents in 35,893 households were selected from municipal rolls using a two-stage random sampling stratified by province and municipality size (April-June 2020). Participants (77.0% of contacted individuals) answered a questionnaire which collected self-reported weight and height, as well as different socioeconomic variables, that allowed estimating crude and standardized prevalences of adult obesity and excess weight. Results: Crude prevalences of obesity and excess weight were higher in men (obesity: 19.3% vs. 18.0%; excess weight: 63.7% vs. 48.4%), while severe obesity was more prevalent in women (4.5% vs. 5.3%). These prevalences increased with age and disability, and decreased with education, census tract income and municipality size. Differences by educational level, relative census income, nationality or disability were clearly higher among women. Obesity by province ranged 13.3-27.4% in men and 11.4-28.1% in women; excess weight ranged 57.2-76.0% in men and 38.9-59.5% in women. The highest prevalences were located in the southern half of the country and some north-western provinces. Sociodemographic characteristics only explained a small part of the observed geographical variability (25.2% obesity). Conclusion: Obesity and overweight have a high prevalence in Spain, with notable geographical and sex differences. Socioeconomic inequalities are stronger among women. The observed geographical variability suggests the need to implement regional and local interventions to effectively address this public health problem.This study was supported by Spanish Ministry of Health, Institute of Health Carlos III, and Spanish National Health System.S

    Density and magnetic susceptibility relationships in non-magnetic granites; a “wildcard” for modeling potential fields geophysical data

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    EGU2020: Sharing Geoscience Online, 4-8 May 2020Geophysical surveying (both gravity and magnetic) is of great help in 3D modeling of granitic bodies at depth. As in any potential-field geophysics study, petrophysical data (density [r], magnetic susceptibility [k] and remanence) are of key importance to reduce the uncertainty during the modeling of rock volumes. Several works have already demonstrated that ¿18O or [SiO2] display a negative correlation to density and to magnetic susceptibility. These relationships are particularly stable (and linear) in the so-called ¿non-magnetic¿ granites (susceptibilities falling within the paramagnetic range; between 0 and 500 10-6 S.I.) and usually coincident with calc-alcaline (CA) compositions (very common in Variscan domains). In this work we establish robust correlations between density and magnetic susceptibility at different scales in CA granites from the Pyrenees. Other plutons from Iberia were also considered (Veiga, Monesterio). The main goal is to use the available and densely sampled nets of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) data, performed during the 90¿s and early 2000¿s, together with new data acquired in the last few years, as an indirect measurement of density in order to carry out the 3D modelling of the gravimetric signal. We sampled some sections covering the main range of variability of magnetic susceptibility in the Mont Louis-Andorra, Maladeta and Marimanha granite bodies (Pyrenees), all three characterized by even and dense nets of AMS sites (more than 550 sites and 2500 AMS measurements). We performed new density and susceptibility measurements along two main cross-sections (Maladeta and Mont Louis-Andorra). In these outcrops, numerous measurements (usually more than 50) were taken in the field with portable susceptometers (SM20 and KT20 devices). Density data were derived from the Arquimedes principle applied on large hand samples cut in regular cubes weighting between 0.3 and 0.6 kg (whenever possible). These samples were subsampled and measured later on with a KLY-3 susceptibility bridge in the laboratory. Additionally, some density data were derived from the geometry and weighting of AMS samples. After the calibration of portable and laboratory susceptometers, density and magnetic susceptibility were plotted together. Regressions were derived for every granite body and they usually followed a linear function similar to: r = 2600 kg/m3 + (0.5 * k [10-6 S.I.]). As previously stated, this relationship is only valid in CA and paramagnetic granites, where iron is mostly fractioned in iron-bearing phyllosilicates and the occurrence of magnetite is negligible (or at least its contribution to the bulk susceptibility). These relationships allow transforming magnetic susceptibility data into density data helping in the 3D modelling of the gravimetric signal when density data from rock samples are scarce. Given the large amount of AMS studies worldwide, together with the quickness and cost-effectiveness of susceptibility measurements with portable devices, this methodology allows densifying and homogenizing the petrophysical data when modelling granite rock volumes based on both magnetic and gravimetric signal

    Petrophysical characterization of non-magnetic granites; density and magnetic susceptibility relationships

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    In this work we establish reliable correlations between density and magnetic susceptibility in three paramagnetic granites from the Pyrenees. In total, 128 sites (310 density measurements and >2600 susceptibility ones) were studied in the Mont Louis-Andorra, Maladeta and Marimanha granitic plutons covering the main range of variability of magnetic susceptibility. Regressions were calculated for every granitic body and an integrated linear function was obtained for the entire dataset: ρ (kg/m3) = 2566 (kg/m3) + 0.541κ (10−6 S.I.) (R:0.97). This relationship is only valid in the paramagnetic domain, where iron is mostly fractioned in iron-bearing phyllosilicates and the occurrence of magnetite is negligible (or at least its contribution to the bulk susceptibility). This relationship, likely different in other bodies, allows for transforming magnetic susceptibility data into density data, helping to constrain gravity modelling when density data from rock samples are scarce. Given the large amount of AMS studies worldwide, together with the quickness and cost-effectiveness of susceptibility measurements with portable devices, this methodology allows for densifying and homogenizing the petrophysical data when modelling granite rock volumes based on both magnetic and gravimetric signals.This work was financed by the projects GeoPiri3D (CGL2017-84901-C2-2-P), UKRIA4D (PID2019-104693GB-I00/CTA) and IMAGYN (PID2020-114273GB-C22) from the Spanish Ministry of Science (funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and “ERDF A way of making Europe”). This work is methodologically related also with the 3DGeoEU project financed by the European Commission under the ERANET Cofound action GeoERA (Grant No.: 731166). The GeoAp Research group from the Aragonian Government is also acknowledged. We are also in debt to the staff of the Petrophysical Laboratory (IGME, Tres Cantos) and to the Geophysics technicians (José Mª Llorente and Agustín González). The help of the Rock Magnetism Laboratory of the Centre Européen de Recherche et d’Enseignement de Géosciences de l’Environnement (CEREGE) in Aix en ProvenceMarseille is also acknowledged. P.C. acknowledges funding from PTA2017-14779-I and FJC2019- 041058-I (AEI-Spain) contracts. E.B. thanks the Geomodels Research Institute of the University of Barcelona and GGAC-2017SGR596 (Generalitat de Catalunya).Peer reviewe

    Genomic diagnosis implementation in a pediatric hospital: Preliminary results

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    The access to new technologies, like Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and microarray, has allowed the development of effective high-performance diagnosis algorithms for genetic pediatric diseases. The aim of this work was to establish standardized procedures for genomic diagnosis of genetic pediatric diseases in a pediatric hospital. Patients with presumptive diagnoses of genetic diseases (intellectual disability, metabolic, hematological or immune diseases or delay of growth and puberty) were included. DNA from peripheral blood was obtained from the patients and their parents. Genomic diagnosis procedures were performed by NGS (Clinical exome, TruSight One, NextSeq 500 Illumina) and microarray studies (8x60K Platform, Agilent). NGS results were analyzed by own designed bioinformatic pipelines, and B platform (Bitgenia) was used to prioritize variants. All variants found (sequence changes or Copy Number Variations) were classified according to American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics recommendations. This study was approved by the hospital ethical review board. Diagnostic flowchart was implemented according to designed operative protocols. Patients referred by specialized pediatricians were evaluated by the interdisciplinary team to agree on the best diagnostic pathway. From March 2018 to August 2019, 200 probands were included (86 with delay of growth and puberty, 12 hematologic, 4 immunologic and 55 metabolic disorders and 43 with intellectual disability). Among the 36 cases studied by microarray, 5 pathogenic variants (13.9 %), and 3 variants of uncertain significance were found. In 24 of the 60 patients (40 %) studied by NGS, genic variants related to patient?s phenotype were found. Conclusion: Interdisciplinary team work has enabled the successful implementation of these new genomic diagnosis techniques in the hospital. Diagnosis efficiency achieved agrees with international standards.Fil: Scaglia, Paula Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; ArgentinaFil: Esnaola Azcoiti, María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; ArgentinaFil: Casali, Bárbara María de Los Angeles M. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; ArgentinaFil: Valinotto, Laura Elena. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez". Laboratorio de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Rosenbrock, Solange. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; ArgentinaFil: Villegas, Florencia. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Arguelles, Celeste. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Berenstein, Ariel José. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones en Patologías Pediátricas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones en Patologías Pediátricas; ArgentinaFil: Izquierdo, Agustín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; ArgentinaFil: Sanguineti, Nora María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; ArgentinaFil: Braslavsky, Debora Giselle. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; ArgentinaFil: Szlago, Marina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez, Maria del Carmen. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Armando, Romina Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Brunello, Franco Gino. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Sanso, Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; ArgentinaFil: Bergadá, Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; ArgentinaFil: Arberas, Claudia Liliana. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Marti, Marcelo Adrian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Ropelato, Maria Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; ArgentinaFil: Rey, Rodolfo Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada". Fundación de Endocrinología Infantil. Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergada"; ArgentinaLXIV Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica; LI Reunión Anual de la Asociación Argentina de Farmacología Experimental; XXI Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Biología; XXXI Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Protozoología; IX Reunión Anual de la Asociación Argentina de Nanomedicinas y VI Reunión Científica Regional de la Asociación Argentina de Ciencia y Tecnología de Animales de LaboratorioMar del PlataArgentinaSociedad Argentina de Investigación ClínicaSociedad Argentina de ProtozoologíaAsociación Argentina de NanomedicinasAsociación Argentina de Farmacología ExperimentalSociedad Argentina de BiologíaAsociación Argentina de Ciencia y Tecnología de Animales de Laboratori

    Glial Innate Immunity Generated by Non-Aggregated Alpha-Synuclein in Mouse: Differences between Wild-type and Parkinson's Disease-Linked Mutants

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    Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized pathologically by the presence in the brain of intracellular protein inclusions highly enriched in aggregated alpha-synuclein (alpha-Syn). Although it has been established that progression of the disease is accompanied by sustained activation of microglia, the underlying molecules and factors involved in these immune-triggered mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Lately, accumulating evidence has shown the presence of extracellular alpha-Syn both in its aggregated and monomeric forms in cerebrospinal fluid and blood plasma. However, the effect of extracellular alpha-Syn on cellular activation and immune mediators, as well as the impact of familial PD-linked alpha-Syn mutants on this stimulation, are still largely unknown.Methods and Findings: In this work, we have compared the activation profiles of non-aggregated, extracellular wild-type and PD-linked mutant alpha-Syn variants on primary glial and microglial cell cultures. After stimulation of cells with alpha-Syn, we measured the release of Th1- and Th2-type cytokines as well as IP-10/CXCL10, RANTES/CCL5, MCP-1/CCL2 and MIP-1 alpha/CCL3 chemokines. Contrary to what had been observed using cell lines or for the case of aggregated alpha-Syn, we found strong differences in the immune response generated by wild-type alpha-Syn and the familial PD mutants (A30P, E46K and A53T).Conclusions: These findings might contribute to explain the differences in the onset and progression of this highly debilitating disease, which could be of value in the development of rational approaches towards effective control of immune responses that are associated with PD

    The future of road transport

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    A perfect storm of new technologies and new business models is transforming not only our vehicles, but everything about how we get around, and how we live our lives. The JRC report “The future of road transport - Implications of automated, connected, low-carbon and shared mobility” looks at some main enablers of the transformation of road transport, such as data governance, infrastructures, communication technologies and cybersecurity, and legislation. It discusses the potential impacts on the economy, employment and skills, energy use and emissions, the sustainability of raw materials, democracy, privacy and social fairness, as well as on the urban context. It shows how the massive changes on the horizon represent an opportunity to move towards a transport system that is more efficient, safer, less polluting and more accessible to larger parts of society than the current one centred on car ownership. However, new transport technologies, on their own, won't spontaneously make our lives better without upgrading our transport systems and policies to the 21st century. The improvement of governance and the development of innovative mobility solutions will be crucial to ensure that the future of transport is cleaner and more equitable than its car-centred present.JRC.C.4-Sustainable Transpor
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