Service-learning experience through outreach and engagement with science and technology museums

The paper describes and analyzes the service-learning experiences of various engineering students in two science and technology museums, over the years 2020, 2021 and 2022. The experience was based on the design and implementation of education and outreach activities and scaffolding material was provided. Student learning was significant not only in terms of content but also in terms of generic and transversal competencies. In addition, this service-learning model shows a good potential to address some of the problems in engineering today, such as the declining interest in engineering among school students. Thus, it can be a win-win model for all the agents involved: museums, university, the student himself and society in general

Projecte MusTIC: música i divulgació científica a través de l'enginyeria

Existeix la creença que l'enginyeria només gira al voltant dels ordinadors, l'electrònica i les matemàtiques i, tot i que és molt cert, l'enginyeria també es pot aplicar a molts altres camps. Aquest treball de fi de grau vol mostrar les virtuts de l'aplicació de l'enginyeria als camps de la música i l'educació proporcionant alhora un marc teòric adequat. Gràcies a la col·laboració amb una organització internacional de divulgació científica, aquest treball conté feina que inclou tant software com hardware i que porta al disseny i implementació d'un instrument digital basat en una placa Arduino i inspirat en un ukelele. Pel que fa al contingut educatiu, aquest gira al voltant de l'educació no formal i com comunicar coneixement científic als no versats. Això porta a la creació de diverses activitats per grups escolars per aprendre sobre l'origen de les TIC i la construcció dels materials necessaris, aportant la documentació tècnica corresponent dels darrers.Its often thought that engineering is all about computers, electronics and mathematics and it is mostly true. Nevertheless, engineering can also be applied to many other fields. This bachelor's thesis is meant to show the strenghts of engineering in the musical and educational fields while providing a proper background on said topics. In colaboration with an international scientific disclosure organisation, this thesis contains work surrounding software and hardware that leads to the design and implementation of a digital instrument based on an Arduino board and inspired by ukuleles. As for the educational content, it is about non formal education and how to comunicate scientific knowledge to the unacquainted with it. This leads to the creation of several activities for schools to learn about the origins of ICT and the building of the required materials, with proper technical documentation of the lastest

The combination of MDPV and ethanol results in decreased cathinone and increased alcohol levels. Study of such pharmacological interaction

Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is a new psychostimulant cathinone acting as a selective dopamine transporter blocker. Due to the concomitant consumption of ethanol (EtOH) and new psychoactive substances, it is of interest to explore a possible pharmacological interaction between MDPV and EtOH. In locomotor activity assays, EtOH (1g/kg i.p.) elicited a reduction in the stimulant effect induced by low doses of MDPV (0.1-0.3mg/kg, s.c.) in rats, jointly with a decrease in blood and brain MDPV concentrations. Experiments in rat liver microsomes showed different effects depending on the [MDPV]/[EtOH] relationship, evidencing, at certain concentrations, the enhancing effect of EtOH on MDPV metabolism. These suggest that EtOH interacts with MDPV at microsomal level, increasing its metabolic rate. The interaction between both substances was also supported by results in plasma EtOH concentration, which were significantly increased by MDPV, in such a manner that EtOH elimination rate was significantly reduced. The possible toxicological impact of this phenomenon deserves further investigation. In contrast, the rewarding properties of MDPV were unaltered by EtOH. Microdialysis experiments verified that, in the NAcc, both substances could also act synergistically, in such a manner that extracellular dopamine concentrations are maintained. Finally, if the psychostimulant effect induced by MDPV decreased with EtOH, it could favor the boosting and re-dosing in search of the desired effects. However, as the rewarding effect of each dose of the substance would not decrease, the addictive liability could increase considerably. Moreover, we must warn about the increase in EtOH concentrations when consumed concomitantly with MDPV.Funding for this study was provided by Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (grants number SAF2013-46135-P and SAF2016-75347-R) and CIBER de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CB06/03/0028) (CIBEROBN, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain). MB-J and PM-V are post-doctoral fellows (CONACyT post-doctoral grants 263473 and 265633)

Pharmacokinetics in morbid obesity: influence of two bariatric surgery techniques on paracetamol and caffeine metabolism

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to study the impact of the two most common bariatric surgery techniques on paracetamol pharmacokinetics (a marker of gastric emptying) and caffeine metabolism (a marker of liver function). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present prospective study, we studied 24 morbid obese patients before, at 4 weeks, and 6 months after having undergone sleeve gastrectomy (n = 10) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (n = 14). For comparative purposes, 28 healthy controls (14 normal weights and 14 overweights) were also included in the study. RESULTS: Paracetamol pharmacokinetics was altered in the obese participants leading to lower bioavailability. Bariatric surgery resulted in faster absorption and normalized pharmacokinetic parameters, prompting an increase in paracetamol bioavailability. No differences were found between surgical procedures. In the case of caffeine, the ratio paraxanthine/caffeine did not differ between morbid obese and healthy individuals. This ratio remained unmodified after surgery, indicating that the liver function (assessed by cytochrome P450 1A2 activity) was unaffected by obesity or bariatric surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Paracetamol pharmacokinetics and caffeine plasma levels are altered in severely obese patients. The two studied bariatric surgical techniques normalize paracetamol oral bioavailability without impairing the liver function (measured by cytochrome P450 1A2 activity)

Resultados de la estadificación clínica ganglionar mediastínica del cáncer pulmonar quirúrgico: datos de la cohorte prospectiva nacional del Grupo Español de Cirugía Torácica Videoasistida

Introducción: El objetivo del estudio es valorar el rendimiento diagnóstico de la tomografía computarizada (TC) y la tomografía por emisión de positrones (PET) en la estadificación clínica mediastínica del cáncer pulmonar quirúrgico según los datos de la cohorte prospectiva del Grupo Español de Cirugía Torácica Videoasistida (GEVATS). Métodos: Se han analizado 2.782 pacientes intervenidos por carcinoma pulmonar primario. Se ha estudiado el acierto diagnóstico en la estadificación mediastínica (cN2). Se ha realizado un análisis bivariante y multivariante de los factores que influyen en el acierto. Se ha estudiado el riesgo de pN2 inesperado en los factores con los que se recomienda una prueba invasiva de estadificación: cN1, tumor central o tamaño mayor de 3cm. Resultados: El acierto global de la TC y PET en conjunto es del 82,9% con VPP y VPN de 0,21 y 0,93. En tumores mayores de 3cm y a mayor SUVmax del mediastino, el acierto es menor, OR de 0,59 (0,44 - 0,79) y 0,71 (0,66 - 0,75), respectivamente. En el abordaje VATS el acierto es mayor, OR de 2,04 (1,52 - 2,73). El riesgo de pN2 inesperado aumenta con el número de los factores cN1, tumor central o tamaño mayor de 3cm: entre el 4,5% (0 factores) y 18,8% (3 factores), pero no hay diferencias significativas con la realización de prueba invasiva. Conclusiones: La TC y PET en conjunto tienen un elevado valor predictivo negativo. Su acierto global es menor en tumores mayores de 3cm y SUVmax del mediastino elevado, y mayor en el abordaje VATS. El riesgo de pN2 inesperado es mayor si cN1, tumor central o mayor de 3cm y no varía significativamente con prueba invasiva