Desenho e validação de ferramentas de avaliação do pensamento crítico no ensino básico

The main objective of this article is to analyze the design and validation of assessment instruments of Critical Thinking (CT) skills applicable to students between 11 and 14 years old; as well as to analyse an implementation of these in an educational context. First, a modification of the Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment (HCTA) is conducted. Next, the psychometric properties are analysed with the results obtained from the application of the test in a sample of 171 students. The results obtained from the analysis make it possible to determine a factorial structure like that of the original test and an acceptable reliability for its application. Secondly, a qualitative rubric is designed to evaluate activities in the classroom context. Ultimately, both instruments are applied in a classroom made up of 17 students aged between 11 and 12, following the pre-test -intervention (carrying out explicit work activities of the CT)-post-test structure. The implementation results extracted with the HCTA modification allow observing an improvement of the CT skills that corresponds to the improvement reflected in the results obtained in the evaluation through the rubric of those same skills in the classroom activities.El objetivo principal de este artículo de investigación es analizar la elaboración y validación de instrumentos de evaluación de habilidades de Pensamiento Crítico (PC) aplicables en el alumnado de entre 11 y 14 años, así como analizar una implementación de estos en un contexto educativo. En primer lugar, se realiza el diseño de una modificación del Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment (HCTA, por sus siglas en inglés). Seguidamente, se analizan las propiedades psicométricas con los resultados obtenidos de la aplicación del test en una muestra de 171 estudiantes. Los resultados obtenidos del análisis permiten determinar una estructura factorial similar a la del test original y una fiabilidad aceptable para su aplicación. En segundo lugar, se diseña una rúbrica cualitativa para evaluar actividades en el contexto de aula. En última instancia, se aplican ambos instrumentos en un aula integrada por diecisiete estudiantes de entre 11 y 12 años, siguiendo la estructura pretest —intervención (realización de actividades de trabajo explícito del PC)— postest. Los resultados de la implementación, extraídos con la modificación del HCTA, permiten observar una mejora de las habilidades PC, que se corresponde con la mejora reflejada en los resultados obtenidos en la evaluación mediante la rúbrica de esas mismas habilidades en las actividades de aula.O objetivo principal deste artigo de investigação é analisar a construção e validação de instrumentos de avaliação de competências de Pensamento Crítico (CP) aplicáveis a alunos entre os 11 e os 14 anos de idade, bem como analisar a sua implementação em contexto educativo. Primeiro, uma modificação da Avaliação de Pensamento Crítico Halpern (HCTA) é projetada. Em seguida, as propriedades psicométricas são analisadas com os resultados obtidos a partir da aplicação do teste em uma amostra de 171 alunos. Os resultados obtidos a partir da análise permitem determinar uma estrutura fatorial semelhante à do teste original e uma confiabilidade aceitável para sua aplicação.. Em segundo lugar, uma rubrica qualitativa é concebida para avaliar as atividades no contexto da sala de aula. Em última análise, ambos instrumentos são aplicados numa sala de aula composta por 17 alunos com idades compreendidas entre os 11 e os 12 anos, seguindo a estrutura do pré-teste -intervenção (realização de actividades de trabalho explícito do CP) - pós-teste. Os resultados da implementação extraídos com a modificação da HCTA permitem observar uma melhoria das habilidades de CP que corresponde à melhoria refletida nos resultados obtidos na avaliação através da rubrica dessas mesmas habilidades nas atividades de sala de aula

NARRATIVAS E PRÁTICAS REFLEXIVAS: TRAVESSIAS NA FORMAÇÃO DOCENTE

The purpose is to present a work methodology focused on the teacher graduation process, with the principle of exchanging experiences and narratives among groups of students already teachers, ex-normalists and novices (naïve). All of them are students at the college of Education, within a discipline entitled Research and Pedagogical Practice, conducted in four consecutive semesters in two periods (2012 - 2014; 2016 -2018). A reflective contribution of educational practices was sought, with students at different times of training. The creation of a space for interlocution and continued reflection was the main methodological tool used as an element of socialization, elaboration and reframing of practical knowledge. The processes inherent to the actions and knowledge that constitute the daily practices of Early Childhood Education and the experiences of teacher graduation were the focus of the discipline (theory-practice) and the teaching-research relationship. The proposal for small group discussions, the narrative space, and the creation of bonds appear as powerful elements in the graduation process, indicating significant subjective changes in the personal and professional trajectory of the students / teachers. The research-action-training modality (SUÁREZ, 2008) was more democratic as it was configured in a process of co-construction of knowledge.O objetivo é apresentar uma metodologia de trabalho, focada no processo de formação de professores, tendo por princípio as trocas de experiências e narrativas entre grupos de alunas já professoras, ex-normalistas e novatas - naïve, na faculdade de Educação, dentro de uma disciplina intitulada Pesquisa e Prática Pedagógica, realizada em quatro semestres consecutivos e em dois períodos (2012 – 2014; 2016 -2018). Buscou-se um aporte reflexivo de práticas educativas, com alunos em diferentes momentos de formação. A criação de espaço de interlocução e reflexão continuada, foi a principal ferramenta metodológica, utilizada. Não só como elemento de socialização, elaboração e ressignificação de saberes da prática, mas também no processo de tencionar diálogos na formação docente. Os processos inerentes aos fazeres e saberes constitutivos das práticas cotidianas da Educação Infantil e as experiências de formação docente foram o foco da disciplina (teórico-prática) e a relação ensino-pesquisa. A proposta de discussões em pequenos grupos, o espaço da narrativa e a criação de vínculos aparecem como elementos potentes no processo de formação, indicando mudanças subjetivas significativas na trajetória pessoal e profissional das alunas/professoras. A modalidade de pesquisa-ação-formação (SUÁREZ, 2008) foi mais democrática à medida em que se configurou em um processo de co-construção do conhecimento

LPA1/3 receptor antagonist KI16425 as a novel treatment for the neurobehavioural effects of the ethanol

Aims. The lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is an ubiquitous lysophospholipid that acts through G-protein coupled receptors (LPA1-6), and it is involved in the modulation of emotional and motivational behaviors. Recent literature suggests a relevant role of the LPA signaling system in alcoholism, specially through the LPA1 receptor. This work aims to elucidate whether systemic LPA1/3 receptor blockade with ki16425 would modulate ethanol effects on the brain and behavior. Methods. This study consisted of four experiments assessing the effect of intraperitoneal ki16425 administration (20 mg/kg) on ethanol-related behaviors. Male Wistar rats or mice (Swiss, C57BL/6J or hybrid C57BL/6J×129X1/SvJ background) were employed in various procedures: I) oral ethanol selfadministration; II) loss of righting reflex; III) ethanol-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) and IV) ethanol-withdrawal behavioral symptoms (by assessing nest building, physical signs and spatial working memory). Immunohistochemistry was carried out in order to evaluate basal neuronal activity (c-Fos) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and in the hippocampus, as well as adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) using proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and doublecortin (DCX) markers. Results. Systemic Ki16425 administration reduced oral self-administration of ethanol in previously trained rats. Likewise, ki16425 pretreatment in mice attenuated the sedation induced by ethanol, blocked ethanol rewarding effect in a CPP paradigm and reduced behavioral symptoms induced by ethanol withdrawal. Immunohistochemistry revealed a protective effect of ki16425 against ethanol actions on basal neuronal activity in the mPFC and on AHN. Conclusions. Our results suggest a potential usefulness of systemic LPA1/3 receptors antagonists as a novel treatment for alcohol-related disorders.Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Seis novos casos confirmam o perfil clínico molecular de deficiência combinada de 17 alfa-hidroxilase/17,20-liase no Brasil

In 2004, Costa-Santos and cols. reported 24 patients from 19 Brazilian families with 17&#945;-hydroxylase deficiency and showed that p.W406R and p.R362C corresponded to 50% and 32% of CYP17A1 mutant alleles, respectively. The present report describes clinical and molecular data of six patients from three inbred Brazilian families with 17&#945;-hydroxlyse deficiency. All patients had hypogonadism, amenorrhea and hypertension at diagnosis. Two sisters were found to be 46,XY with both gonads palpable in the inguinal region. All patients presented hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism, with high levels of ACTH (&gt; 104 ng/mL), suppressed plasmatic renin activity, low levels of potassium (< 2.8 mEq/L) and elevated progesterone levels (&gt; 4.4 ng/mL). Three of them, including two sisters, were homozygous for p.W406R mutation and the other three (two sisters and one cousin) were homozygous for p.R362C. The finding of p.W406R and p.R362C in the CYP17A1 gene here reported in additional families, confirms them as the most frequent mutations causing complete combined 17&#945;-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase deficiency in Brazilian patients.Em 2004, segundo Costa-Santos e cols., p.W406R e p.R362C correspondiam a 50% e 32% dos alelos mutantes do gene CYP17A1, respectivamente, em 24 pacientes de 19 famílias brasileiras com deficiência da 17&#945;-hidroxilase. Apresentamos os dados cl&#957;nicos e moleculares de seis pacientes de três famílias consanguíneas brasileiras com deficiência da 17&#945;-hidroxilase. Todas as pacientes apresentavam hipogonadismo, amenorreia e hipertensão ao diagnóstico. Duas irmãs tinham cariótipo 46,XY, ambas com gônadas palpáveis na região inguinal. Todas tinham hipogonadismo hipergonadotrófico, com nível aumentado de ACTH (&gt; 104 ng/mL), atividade de renina plasmática suprimida, baixos níveis de potássio (< 2,8 mEq/L) e progesterona aumentada (&gt; 4,4 ng/mL). Três delas, incluindo duas irmãs, apresentaram homozigose para a mutação p.W406R e as outras três (duas irmãs e uma prima) foram homozigotas para a mutação p.R362C. A recorrência das mutações p.W406R e p.R362C no gene CYP17A1 aqui relatada em famílias adicionais confirma que essas são as mais frequentes causadoras do fenótipo completo da deficiência combinada de 17&#945;-hidroxilase/17,20-liase em pacientes brasileiros.71171

Six New Cases Confirm The Clinical Molecular Profile Of Complete Combined 17α-hydroxylase/ 17,20-lyase Deficiency In Brazil.

In 2004, Costa-Santos and cols. reported 24 patients from 19 Brazilian families with 17α-hydroxylase deficiency and showed that p.W406R and p.R362C corresponded to 50% and 32% of CYP17A1 mutant alleles, respectively. The present report describes clinical and molecular data of six patients from three inbred Brazilian families with 17α-hydroxlyse deficiency. All patients had hypogonadism, amenorrhea and hypertension at diagnosis. Two sisters were found to be 46,XY with both gonads palpable in the inguinal region. All patients presented hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism, with high levels of ACTH (> 104 ng/mL), suppressed plasmatic renin activity, low levels of potassium ( 4.4 ng/mL). Three of them, including two sisters, were homozygous for p.W406R mutation and the other three (two sisters and one cousin) were homozygous for p.R362C. The finding of p.W406R and p.R362C in the CYP17A1 gene here reported in additional families, confirms them as the most frequent mutations causing complete combined 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase deficiency in Brazilian patients.54711-

The lincRNA HOTAIRM1, located in the HOXA genomic region, is expressed in acute myeloid leukemia, impacts prognosis in patients in the intermediate-risk cytogenetic category, and is associated with a distinctive microRNA signature

Altres ajuts: SDCSD from School of Medicine, University of BarcelonaLong non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are deregulated in several tumors, although their role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is mostly unknown.We have examined the expression of the lncRNA HOX antisense intergenic RNA myeloid 1 (HOTAIRM1) in 241 AML patients. We have correlated HOTAIRM1 expression with a miRNA expression profile. We have also analyzed the prognostic value of HOTAIRM1 expression in 215 intermediate-risk AML (IR-AML) patients.The lowest expression level was observed in acute promyelocytic leukemia (P < 0.001) and the highest in t(6;9) AML (P = 0.005). In 215 IR-AML patients, high HOTAIRM1 expression was independently associated with shorter overall survival (OR:2.04;P = 0.001), shorter leukemia-free survival (OR:2.56; P < 0.001) and a higher cumulative incidence of relapse (OR:1.67; P = 0.046). Moreover, HOTAIRM1 maintained its independent prognostic value within the favorable molecular subgroup (OR: 3.43; P = 0.009). Interestingly, HOTAIRM1 was overexpressed in NPM1-mutated AML (P < 0.001) and within this group retained its prognostic value (OR: 2.21; P = 0.01). Moreover, HOTAIRM1 expression was associated with a specific 33-microRNA signature that included miR-196b (P < 0.001). miR-196b is located in the HOX genomic region and has previously been reported to have an independent prognostic value in AML. miR-196b and HOTAIRM1 in combination as a prognostic factor can classify patients as high-, intermediate-, or low-risk (5-year OS: 24% vs 42% vs 70%; P = 0.004).Determination of HOTAIRM1 level at diagnosis provided relevant prognostic information in IR-AML and allowed refinement of risk stratification based on common molecular markers. The prognostic information provided by HOTAIRM1 was strengthened when combined with miR-196b expression. Furthermore, HOTAIRM1 correlated with a 33-miRNA signatur

Comprehensive genomic resources related to domestication and crop improvement traits in Lima bean

Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.), one of the five domesticated Phaseolus bean crops, shows a wide range of ecological adaptations along its distribution range from Mexico to Argentina. These adaptations make it a promising crop for improving food security under predicted scenarios of climate change in Latin America and elsewhere. In this work, we combine long and short read sequencing technologies with a dense genetic map from a biparental population to obtain the chromosome-level genome assembly for Lima bean. Annotation of 28,326 gene models show high diversity among 1917 genes with conserved domains related to disease resistance. Structural comparison across 22,180 orthologs with common bean reveals high genome synteny and five large intrachromosomal rearrangements. Population genomic analyses show that wild Lima bean is organized into six clusters with mostly non-overlapping distributions and that Mesomerican landraces can be further subdivided into three subclusters. RNA-seq data reveal 4275 differentially expressed genes, which can be related to pod dehiscence and seed development. We expect the resources presented here to&nbsp;serve as a solid basis to achieve a comprehensive view of the degree of convergent evolution of Phaseolus species under domestication and provide tools and information for breeding for climate change resiliency

Current clinical spectrum of common variable immunodeficiency in Spain: The multicentric nationwide GTEM-SEMI-CVID registry

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) constitutes a heterogenic group of primary immunodeficiency disorders with a wide-ranging clinical spectrum. CVID-associated non-infectious morbidity constitutes a major challenge requiring a full understanding of its pathophysiology and its clinical importance and global variability, especially considering the broad clinical, genetic, and regional heterogeneity of CVID disorders. This work aimed to develop a nationwide, multicenter, retrospective study over a 3-year period describing epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, therapeutic, and prognostic features of 250 CVID patients in Spain. The mean diagnostic delay was around 10 years and most patients initially presented with infectious complications followed by non-infectious immune disorders. However, infectious diseases were not the main cause of morbimortality. Non-infectious lung disease was extraordinarily frequent in our registry affecting approximately 60% of the patients. More than one-third of the patients in our cohort showed lymphadenopathies and splenomegaly in their follow-up, and more than 33% presented immune cytopenias, especially Evans' syndrome. Gastrointestinal disease was observed in more than 40% of the patients. Among biopsied organs in our cohort, benign lymphoproliferation was the principal histopathological alteration. Reaching 15.26%, the global prevalence of cancer in our registry was one of the highest reported to date, with non-Hodgkin B lymphoma being the most frequent. These data emphasize the importance of basic and translational research delving into the pathophysiological pathways involved in immune dysregulation and diffuse lymphocytic infiltration. This would reveal new tailored strategies to reduce immune complications, and the associated healthcare burden, and ensure a better quality of life for CVID patients

Adverse prognostic impact of complex karyotype (≥3 cytogenetic alterations) in adult T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL)

The potential prognostic value of conventional karyotyping in adult T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) remains an open question. We hypothesized that a modified cytogenetic classification, based on the number and type of cytogenetic abnormalities, would allow the identification of high-risk adult T-ALL patients. Complex karyotype defined by the presence of ≥3 cytogenetic alterations identified T-ALL patients with poor prognosis in this study. Karyotypes with ≥3 abnormalities accounted for 16 % (22/139) of all evaluable karyotypes, corresponding to the largest poor prognosis cytogenetic subgroup of T-ALL identified so far. Patients carrying karyotypes with ≥3 cytogenetic alterations showed a significantly inferior response to therapy, and a poor outcome in terms of event-free survival (EFS), overall survival (OS) and cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), independently of other baseline characteristics and the end-induction minimal residual disease (MRD) level. Additional molecular analyses of patients carrying ≥3 cytogenetic alterations showed a unique molecular profile that could contribute to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of resistance and to evaluate novel targeted therapies (e.g. IL7R directed) with potential impact on outcome of adult T-ALL patients

Adverse prognostic impact of complex karyotype (≥3 cytogenetic alterations) in adult T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL)

© 2021 The Author(s).The potential prognostic value of conventional karyotyping in adult T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) remains an open question. We hypothesized that a modified cytogenetic classification, based on the number and type of cytogenetic abnormalities, would allow the identification of high-risk adult T-ALL patients. Complex karyotype defined by the presence of ≥3 cytogenetic alterations identified T-ALL patients with poor prognosis in this study. Karyotypes with ≥3 abnormalities accounted for 16 % (22/139) of all evaluable karyotypes, corresponding to the largest poor prognosis cytogenetic subgroup of T-ALL identified so far. Patients carrying karyotypes with ≥3 cytogenetic alterations showed a significantly inferior response to therapy, and a poor outcome in terms of event-free survival (EFS), overall survival (OS) and cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), independently of other baseline characteristics and the end-induction minimal residual disease (MRD) level. Additional molecular analyses of patients carrying ≥3 cytogenetic alterations showed a unique molecular profile that could contribute to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of resistance and to evaluate novel targeted therapies (e.g. IL7R directed) with potential impact on outcome of adult T-ALL patients.This project was supported by the AECC (GC16173697BIGA); ISCIII (PI19/01828) co-funded by ERDF/ESF "A way to make Europe"/ "Investing in your future", CERCA/Generalitat de Catalunya SGR 2017 288 (GRC)/ “La Caixa” P. Barba was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III FIS16/01433 and PERIS 2018-2020 from Generalitat de Catalunya (BDNS357800)