Utilización de metodologías de aprendizaje activo en la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de la anatomía veterinaria

Tradicionalmente, la enseñanza de la Anatomía Veterinaria ha estado basada fundamentalmente en las clases magistrales y en las prácticas en la Sala de disección. En el último curso 2005-06, y aprovechando la entrada de la Titulación de Veterinària en el Plan piloto de adaptación al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior, se han introducido en la asignatura Anatomía II, que se imparte en el primer curso de la Licenciatura, metodologías de aprendizaje centradas en el estudiante. Concretamente, y por medio de la plataforma Campus Virtual de la UAB, se le encargó al alumno la resolución de casos que pretendían proporcionar una visión integrada de la materia, a través del aprendizaje autónomo de aspectos de la asignatura que no se estudiaron en las clases tradicionales teóricas y prácticas. Los alumnos han aceptado positivamente la introducción de casos como metodología de aprendizaje. La mayor parte de ellos consideran que han aprendido y que les ha ayudado a comprender la asignatura, e incluso prefieren resolver uno o más casos y que los exámenes clásicos tengan una menor importancia en la nota final de la asignatura. Sin embargo, y a pesar de que el tiempo de trabajo invertido en la resolución del caso ha estado en consonancia con la carga en ects calculada por el profesor, buena parte de los estudiantes piensan que la carga de trabajo ha sido elevada y que el valor del caso en la nota final tendría que ser superior al valor asignado. En conclusión, la inclusión de casos en la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de la Anatomía Veterinaria es un buen instrumento que estimula el aprendizaje activo y autónomo del estudiante

Physiology and Pathology of Innate Immune Response Against Pathogens

Pathogen infections are recognized by the immune system, which consists of two types of responses: an innate immune response and an antigen-specific adaptive immune response. The innate response is characterized by being the first line of defense that occurs rapidly in which leukocytes such as neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages, eosinophils, mast cells, dendritic cells, etc., are involved. These cells recognize the pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), which have been evolutionarily conserved by the diversity of microorganisms that infect humans. Recognition of these pathogen-associated molecular patterns occurs through pattern recognition receptors such as Toll-like receptors and some other intracellular receptors such as nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD), with the aim of amplifying the inflammation and activating the adaptive cellular immune response, through the antigenic presentation. In the present chapter, we will review the importance of the main components involved in the innate immune response, such as different cell types, inflammatory response, soluble immune mediators and effector mechanisms exerted by the immune response against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites; all with the purpose of eliminating them and eradicating the infection of the host

Evaluación científica de la eficacia del nuevo método cognitivo-constructivista de iniciación al aprendizaje de nuevas lenguas. Implantación y difusión de resultados

El objetivo general del proyecto es evaluar, corregir, implantar y difundir un modelo de espacio autoformativo virtual dedicado al aprendizaje de nuevas lenguas. En concreto este modelo se ha implementado en dos espacios formativos para dos lenguas diferentes: latín y alemán. Dichos espacios están localizados en: - Curso de iniciación al aprendizaje de latín: https://cv4.ucm.es/moodle/course/view.php?id=115039 - Curso de iniciación al aprendizaje de alemán: https://cv4.ucm.es/moodle/course/view.php?id=115038 Ambos cursos tienen como soporte sendos diccionarios didácticos digitales desde los que también son accesibles los cursos: - Diccionario Didáctico Digital de latín: http://repositorios.fdi.ucm.es/DiccionarioDidacticoLatin - Diccionario Didáctico Digital de alemán: http://repositorios.fdi.ucm.es/DiccionarioDidacticoAlema

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Utilización de metodologías de aprendizaje activo en la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de la anatomía veterinaria

Tradicionalmente, la enseñanza de la Anatomía Veterinaria ha estado basada fundamentalmente en las clases magistrales y en las prácticas en la Sala de disección. En el último curso 2005-06, y aprovechando la entrada de la Titulación de Veterinària en el Plan piloto de adaptación al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior, se han introducido en la asignatura Anatomía II, que se imparte en el primer curso de la Licenciatura, metodologías de aprendizaje centradas en el estudiante. Concretamente, y por medio de la plataforma Campus Virtual de la UAB, se le encargó al alumno la resolución de casos que pretendían proporcionar una visión integrada de la materia, a través del aprendizaje autónomo de aspectos de la asignatura que no se estudiaron en las clases tradicionales teóricas y prácticas. Los alumnos han aceptado positivamente la introducción de casos como metodología de aprendizaje. La mayor parte de ellos consideran que han aprendido y que les ha ayudado a comprender la asignatura, e incluso prefieren resolver uno o más casos y que los exámenes clásicos tengan una menor importancia en la nota final de la asignatura. Sin embargo, y a pesar de que el tiempo de trabajo invertido en la resolución del caso ha estado en consonancia con la carga en ects calculada por el profesor, buena parte de los estudiantes piensan que la carga de trabajo ha sido elevada y que el valor del caso en la nota final tendría que ser superior al valor asignado. En conclusión, la inclusión de casos en la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de la Anatomía Veterinaria es un buen instrumento que estimula el aprendizaje activo y autónomo del estudiante

Distinctive CD26 Expression on CD4 T-Cell Subsets

Immune system CD4 T-cells with high cell-surface CD26 expression show anti-tumoral properties. When engineered with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), they incite strong responses against solid cancers. This subset was originally associated to human CD4 T helper cells bearing the CD45R0 effector/memory phenotype and later to Th17 cells. CD26 is also found in soluble form (sCD26) in several biological fluids, and its serum levels correlate with specific T cell subsets. However, the relationship between glycoprotein sCD26 and its dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) enzymatic activity, and cell-surface CD26 expression is not well understood. We have studied ex vivo cell-surface CD26 and in vitro surface and intracellular CD26 expression and secretome’s sCD26 in cultured CD4 T cells under different polarization conditions. We show that most human CD26negative CD4 T cells in circulating lymphocytes are central memory (TCM) cells while CD26high expression is present in effector Th1, Th2, Th17, and TEM (effector memory) cells. However, there are significant percentages of Th1, Th2, Th17, and Th22 CD26 negative cells. This information may help to refine the research on CAR-Ts. The cell surface CD45R0 and CD26 levels in the different T helper subsets after in vitro polarization resemble those found ex vivo. In the secretomes of these cultures there was a significant amount of sCD26. However, in all polarizations, including Th1, the levels of sCD26 were lower (although not significantly) compared to the Th0 condition (activation without polarization). These differences could have an impact on the various physiological functions proposed for sCD26/DPP4

Therapeutic Effects of Resiniferatoxin Related with Immunological Responses for Intestinal Inflammation in Trichinellosis

The immune response against Trichinella spiralis at the intestinal level depends on the CD4+ T cells, which can both suppress or promote the inflammatory response through the synthesis of diverse cytokines. During the intestinal phase, the immune response is mixed (Th1/Th2) with the initial predominance of the Th1 response and the subsequent domination of Th2 response, which favor the development of intestinal pathology. In this context, the glucocorticoids (GC) are the pharmacotherapy for the intestinal inflammatory response in trichinellosis. However, its therapeutic use is limited, since studies have shown that treatment with GC suppresses the host immune system, favoring T. spiralis infection. In the search for novel pharmacological strategies that inhibit the Th1 immune response (proinflammatory) and assist the host against T. spiralis infection, recent studies showed that resiniferatoxin (RTX) had anti-inflammatory activity, which decreased the serum levels of IL-12, INF-γ, IL-1β, TNF-α, NO, and PGE2, as well the number of eosinophils in the blood, associated with decreased intestinal pathology and muscle parasite burden. These researches demonstrate that RTX is capable to inhibit the production of Th1 cytokines, contributing to the defense against T. spiralis infection, which places it as a new potential drug modulator of the immune response