Escala de evaluación de habilidades tecnológicas para futuros docentes con alumnos con necesidades educativas especiales

En los últimos años ha habido un desarrollo importante de las nuevas tecnologías en nuestra sociedad: aparición de software y hardware para PC, programas de estimulación cognitiva, dispositivos táctiles, etc. que han permitido los alumnos que presentan necesidades educativas especiales pueda acceder al mundo de la información. Del mismo modo, los profesionales de la educación se han validado de estas nuevas tecnologías como elemento motivador para estimular diferentes habilidades en el alumno. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar las diferencias en habilidades tecnológicas de una muestra de alumnos con necesidades educativas especiales tras implantar un programa para el aprendizaje de habilidades informáticas. Para la evaluación de estas capacidades ideamos una escala de Evaluación de las habilidades informáticas que será muy útil a los docentes. Dicha escala fue cumplimentada por el tutor antes y después de implementar el programa. La escala permite obtener una puntuación global y de dos sub-escalas: habilidades en el dominio del PC y habilidades relacionadas con el dominio de Internet. Futuros estudios tendrán que estudiar las propiedades psicométricas de esta escala con una muestra mayor de alumnos

Epigenetic modifications as outcomes of exercise interventions related to specific metabolic alterations: a systematic review

Background: Chronic diseases arise as a consequence of an unhealthy lifestyle primarily characterized by physical inactivity and unbalanced diets. Regular physical activity can improve health, and there is consistent evidence that these improvements may be the result of epigenetic modifications. Objective: To identify epigenetic modificationsas outcomes of exercise interventions related to specific metabolic alterations. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) methodology for manuscript research and preparation was followed using PubMed and EBSCO databases for literature review. Out of 2,638 articles identified, only 34 articles met the inclusion criteria. Results: The sections of the review were organized by metabolic alterations in which studies were grouped according to healthy, diseased, and trained individuals. Resistance exercise in humans induced epigenetic changes in pathways associated with energy metabolism and insulin sensitivity, contributing to healthy skeletal muscle. Endurance exercise also caused modifications in biomarkers associated to metabolic alterations through changes in DNA methylation and the expression of specific miRNAs. However, both resistance and endurance exercise are necessary to obtain a better physiological adaptation and a combination of both seems to be needed to properly tackle the increasing prevalence of non-communicable pathologies. Conclusion: Given the heterogeneity and complexity of the existing literature, it is currently not possible to propose a specific recommendation about the type, intensity, or duration of exercise that could be beneficial for different subsets of the population (healthy, diseased, and/or trained). Nevertheless, this review highlights the importance of exercise for health and shows the need to perform more research in this emerging area to identify epigenetic biomarkers that could serve as indicators of exercise adaptations

Comparison between three-dimensional linear and nonlinear tsunami generation models

The modeling of tsunami generation is an essential phase in understanding tsunamis. For tsunamis generated by underwater earthquakes, it involves the modeling of the sea bottom motion as well as the resulting motion of the water above it. A comparison between various models for three-dimensional water motion, ranging from linear theory to fully nonlinear theory, is performed. It is found that for most events the linear theory is sufficient. However, in some cases, more sophisticated theories are needed. Moreover, it is shown that the passive approach in which the seafloor deformation is simply translated to the ocean surface is not always equivalent to the active approach in which the bottom motion is taken into account, even if the deformation is supposed to be instantaneous.Comment: 39 pages, 16 figures; Accepted to Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics. Several references have been adde

Water waves generated by a moving bottom

Tsunamis are often generated by a moving sea bottom. This paper deals with the case where the tsunami source is an earthquake. The linearized water-wave equations are solved analytically for various sea bottom motions. Numerical results based on the analytical solutions are shown for the free-surface profiles, the horizontal and vertical velocities as well as the bottom pressure.Comment: 41 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in a book: "Tsunami and Nonlinear Waves", Kundu, Anjan (Editor), Springer 2007, Approx. 325 p., 170 illus., Hardcover, ISBN: 978-3-540-71255-8, available: May 200

Validation of a simple method for the interpretation of uterine cytology in cows

One of the main drawbacks of using endometrial cytology in cows is the time required for sample collection and interpretation. It is recommended to count a large number of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) and to calculate their overall percentage. However, since counting a large number of cells is a laborious method, it would be preferable to simplify the analysis by counting the number of PMN in few microscopic fields. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess whether a simple test, based on calculating the average number of PMN in 10 fields at 1000×, could be a reliable technique for the diagnosis of endometritis. Two hundred and sixty endometrial samples were taken from Holstein cows at different postpartum stages using an adapted cytobrush. Smears obtained were air-dried for fixing and stained with a Romanowsky-type procedure. To evaluate the counting method, the percentage of PMN in 150 cells was calculated as well as the average number of PMN in 10 fields at 1000×. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was constructed to evaluate both methods, the percentage of PMN (used as reference) and the average number of PMN. It was observed that the area under the curve is (regardless of cut-off used) higher than 0.99 and the correspondence between both methods were 1.58 PMN/field for the cut-off value of 15% and 2.40 PMN/field for the cut-off value of 20%. These results show that this simple method could be used to determine the percentage of PMN in endometrial cytological samples and to diagnose endometritis in cowsSupported by the Xunta de Galicia (Galician Plan for Research and Technological Development; Grant No. PGIDIT07MRU002E) and the Friesian Federation of Galician, A Coruna, SpainS

Potential Use of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to Predict Fatty Acid Profile of Meat from Different European Autochthonous Pig Breeds

Autochthonous pig breeds provide products of differentiated quality, among which quality control is difficult to perform and insufficient for current market requirements. The present research evaluates the predictive ability of near‐infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, combined with chemometric methods as a rapid and affordable tool to assure traceability and quality control. Thus, NIR technology was assessed for intact and minced muscle Longissimus thoracis et lumborum samples collected from 12 European autochthonous pig breeds for the quantification of lipid content and fatty acid composition. Different tests were performed using different numbers of samples for calibration and validation. The best predictive ability was found using minced presentation and set with 80% of the samples for the calibration and the remaining 20% for the external validation test for the following traits: lipid content and saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which attained both the highest determination coefficients (0.89, 0.61, and 0.65, respectively) and the lowest root mean square errors in external validation (0.62, 1.82, and 1.36, respectively). Lower predictive ability was observed for intact muscles. These results could contribute to improve the management of autochthonous breeds and to ensure quality of their products by traditional meat industry chains

Association of the SH2B1 rs7359397 gene polymorphism with steatosis severity in subjects with obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major cause of liver disease worldwide. Some genetic variants might be involved in the progression of this disease. The study hypothesized that individuals with the rs7359397 T allele have a higher risk of developing severe stages of NAFLD compared with non-carriers where dietary intake according to genotypes could have a key role on the pathogenesis of the disease. SH2B1 genetic variant was genotyped in 110 overweight/obese subjects with NAFLD. Imaging techniques, lipidomic analysis and blood liver biomarkers were performed. Body composition, general biochemical and dietary variables were also determined. The SH2B1 risk genotype was associated with higher HOMA-IR p equal 0.001; and Fatty Liver Index (FLI) p equal 0.032. Higher protein consumption (p equal 0.028), less mono-unsaturated fatty acid and fiber intake (p equal 0.045 and p equal 0.049, respectively), was also referred to in risk allele genotype. Lipidomic analysis showed that T allele carriers presented a higher frequency of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) (69.1/100 vs. 44.4/100; p equal 0.006). In the genotype risk group, adjusted logistic regression models indicated a higher risk of developing an advanced stage of NAFLD measured by FLI (OR 2.91) and ultrasonography (OR 4.15). Multinomial logistic regression models showed that risk allele carriers had higher liver fat accumulation risk (RRR 3.93) and an increased risk of NASH (RRR 7.88). Consequently, subjects carrying the T allele were associated with a higher risk of developing a severe stage of NAFLD. These results support the importance of considering genetic predisposition in combination with a healthy dietary pattern in the personalized evaluation and management of NAFLD

Common variants in genes related to lipid and energy metabolism are associated with weight loss after an intervention in overweight/obese adolescents

Background: Some SNPs related to lipid and energy metabolism may be implicated not only in the development of obesity and associated comorbidities, but also in the weight loss response after a nutritional intervention. Objective: In this context, the present study analyzed four SNPs located within four genes known to be associated with obesity and other obesity-related complications, and their putative role in a weight-loss intervention in overweight/obese adolescents. Methods: The study population consisted of 199 overweight/obese adolescents (13-16 yr old) undergoing 10 weeks of a weight loss multidisciplinary intervention: the EVASYON programme (www.estudioevasyon.org). Adolescents were genotyped for 4 SNPs, and anthropometric measurements and biochemical markers were analyzed at the beginning and after the intervention. Results: Interestingly, APOA5(rs662799) was associated with the baseline anthropometric and biochemical outcomes, whereas FTO (rs9939609) seemed to be related with the change of these values after the 10-week intervention. The other two SNPs, located in the CETP (rs1800777) and the APOA1 (rs670) genes, showed important relationships with adiposity markers. Specifically, a combined model including both SNPs turned up to explain up to 24% of BMI-SDS change after 10 weeks of the multidisciplinary intervention, which may contribute to under - stand the weight loss response. Conclusion: Common variants in genes related to lipid and energy metabolism may influence not only biochemical outcomes but also weight loss response after a multidisciplinary intervention carried out in obese/overweight adolescents..Antecedentes: Algunas variantes genéticas relacionadas con el metabolismo lipídico y energético pueden estar implicadas en la respuesta a una intervención nutricional además de estar asociadas con el desarrollo de obesidad y comorbilidades asociadas. Objetivo: En este sentido, este artículo analiza cuatro polimorfismos situados en cuatro genes que han sido previamente asociados con la obesidad u otras complicaciones asociadas a la misma, así como su posible papel en la respuesta a una intervención para la pérdida de peso en adolescentes con sobrepeso u obesidad. Métodos: La población en estudio está formada por 199 adolescentes con sobrepeso u obesidad (13-16 años) llevando a cabo una intervención multidisciplinar de 10 semanas para la pérdida de peso: programa EVASYON (www.estudioevasyon.org). Los adolescentes fueron genotipados para los 4 SNPs y tanto al comienzo como al final de la intervención se analizaron marcadores bioquímicos y se tomaron medidas antropométricas. Resultados: Rs662799 del gen APOA5 se asoció al inicio con parámetros antropométricos y bioquímicos, mientras que el rs9939609 del gen FTO parecía estar asociado con el cambio de estas variables tras 10 semanas de intervención. Las variantes rs1800777 del gen CETP y rs670 del gen APOA1 mostraron una importante asociación con marcadores de adiposidad. Concretamente, un modelo combinado incluyendo los dos polimorfismos logró explicar hasta un 24% del cambio en el IMC-SDS tras 10 semanas de intervención. Conclusión: Variantes genéticas previamente relacionadas con el metabolismo lipídico y energético, pueden repercutir no solamente en valores bioquímicos sino también en la respuesta a una intervención multidisciplinar para la pérdida de peso en adolescentes con sobrepeso u obesidad

Potent Plasmodium falciparum gametocytocidal compounds identified by exploring the kinase inhibitor chemical space for dual active antimalarials

OBJECTIVES : Novel chemical tools to eliminate malaria should ideally target both the asexual parasites and transmissible gametocytes. Several imidazopyridazines (IMPs) and 2-aminopyridines (2-APs) have been described as potent antimalarial candidates targeting lipid kinases. However, these have not been extensively explored for stage-specific inhibition of gametocytes in Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Here we provide an in-depth evaluation of the gametocytocidal activity of compounds from these chemotypes and identify novel starting points for dual-acting antimalarials. METHODS : We evaluated compounds against P. falciparum gametocytes using several assay platforms for cross-validation and stringently identified hits that were further profiled for stage specificity, speed of action and ex vivo efficacy. Physicochemical feature extraction and chemogenomic fingerprinting were applied to explore the kinase inhibition susceptibility profile. RESULTS : We identified 34 compounds with submicromolar activity against late stage gametocytes, validated across several assay platforms. Of these, 12 were potent at 1000-fold selectivity towards the parasite over mammalian cells. Front-runner compounds targeted mature gametocytes within 48 h and blocked transmission to mosquitoes. The resultant chemogenomic fingerprint of parasites treated with the lead compounds revealed the importance of targeting kinases in asexual parasites and gametocytes. CONCLUSIONS : This study encompasses an in-depth evaluation of the kinase inhibitor space for gametocytocidal activity. Potent lead compounds have enticing dual activities and highlight the importance of targeting the kinase superfamily in malaria elimination strategies.The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Self-initiated Research (to JN) and Strategic Health Initiatives Partnerships (MRC-SHIP) programmes to L.B., T.C., D.M. K.C. further acknowledges the SAMRC for funding of the extramural Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit at UCT. The SAMRC is acknowledged for funding of the UP ISMC (LMB) and WRIM (TLC) as Collaborating Centres for Malaria Research. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the 3R Foundation (project 118–10) to D.M. We thank the Medicines for Malaria Venture and South African Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) for funding to K.C. (Project MMV09/0002). The University of Cape Town, University of Pretoria, and South African Research Chairs Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology, administered through the South African National Research Foundation are gratefully acknowledged for support to K.C. and L.B. (UID84627). JN was supported through an International Society for Infectious Diseases grant.https://academic.oup.com/jac2019-05-01hj2018Biochemistr

Association between sleep disturbances and liver status in obese subjects with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a comparison with healthy controls

The relevance of sleep patterns in the onset or evolution of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is still poorly understood. Our aim was to investigate the association between sleep characteristics and hepatic status indicators in obese people with NAFLD compared to normal weight non-NAFLD controls. Ninety-four overweight or obese patients with NAFLD and 40 non-NAFLD normal weight controls assessed by abdominal ultrasonography were enrolled. Hepatic status evaluation considered liver stiffness determined by Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse elastography (ARFI) and transaminases. Additionally, anthropometric measurements, clinical characteristics, and biochemical profiles were determined. Sleep features were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Hepatic status parameters, anthropometric measurements, and clinical and biochemical markers differed significantly in NAFLD subjects compared to controls, as well as sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance score, and sleep quality score. In the NAFLD group, a higher prevalence of short sleep duration (p = 0.005) and poor sleep quality (p = 0.041) were found. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for NAFLD considering sleep disturbance was 1.59 (1.11–2.28). Regression models that included either sleep disturbance or sleep quality predicted up to 20.3% and 20.4% of the variability of liver stiffness, respectively, and after adjusting for potential confounders.Current findings suggest that sleep disruption may be contributing to the pathogenesis of NAFLD as well as the alteration of the liver may be affecting sleep patterns. Consequently, sleep characteristics may be added to the list of modifiable behaviors to consider in health promotion strategies and in the prevention and management of NAFLD