Cylindrical Microparticles Composed of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for the Targeted Delivery of a Small Molecule and a Macromolecular Drug to the Lungs: Exemplified with Curcumin and siRNA

The transport of macromolecular drugs such as oligonucleotides into the lungs has become increasingly relevant in recent years due to their high potency. However, the chemical structure of this group of drugs poses a hurdle to their delivery, caused by the negative charge, membrane impermeability and instability. For example, siRNA to reduce tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) secretion to reduce inflammatory signals has been successfully delivered by inhalation. In order to increase the effect of the treatment, a co-transport of another anti-inflammatory ingredient was applied. Combining curcumin-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles in nanostructured cylindrical microparticles stabilized by the layer-by-layer technique using polyanionic siRNA against TNF-α was used for demonstration. This system showed aerodynamic properties suited for lung deposition (mass median aerodynamic diameter of 2.85 ± 0.44 µm). Furthermore, these inhalable carriers showed no acute in vitro toxicity tested in both alveolar epithelial cells and macrophages up to 48 h incubation. Ultimately, TNF-α release was significantly reduced by the particles, showing an improved activity co-delivering both drugs using such a drug-delivery system for specific inhibition of TNF-α in the lungs

Cylindrical Microparticles Composed of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for the Targeted Delivery of a Small Molecule and a Macromolecular Drug to the Lungs: Exemplified with Curcumin and siRNA

The transport of macromolecular drugs such as oligonucleotides into the lungs has become increasingly relevant in recent years due to their high potency. However, the chemical structure of this group of drugs poses a hurdle to their delivery, caused by the negative charge, membrane impermeability and instability. For example, siRNA to reduce tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) secretion to reduce inflammatory signals has been successfully delivered by inhalation. In order to increase the effect of the treatment, a co-transport of another anti-inflammatory ingredient was applied. Combining curcumin-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles in nanostructured cylindrical microparticles stabilized by the layer-by-layer technique using polyanionic siRNA against TNF-α was used for demonstration. This system showed aerodynamic properties suited for lung deposition (mass median aerodynamic diameter of 2.85 ± 0.44 µm). Furthermore, these inhalable carriers showed no acute in vitro toxicity tested in both alveolar epithelial cells and macrophages up to 48 h incubation. Ultimately, TNF-α release was significantly reduced by the particles, showing an improved activity co-delivering both drugs using such a drug-delivery system for specific inhibition of TNF-α in the lungs

Regulating distance to the screen while engaging in difficult tasks

Regulation of distance to the screen (i.e., head-to-screen distance, fluctuation of head-to-screen distance) has been proved to reflect the cognitive engagement of the reader. However, it is still not clear (a) whether regulation of distance to the screen can be a potential parameter to infer high cognitive load and (b) whether it can predict the upcoming answer accuracy. Configuring tablets or other learning devices in a way that distance to the screen can be analyzed by the learning software is in close reach. The software might use the measure as a person-specific indicator of need for extra scaffolding. In order to better gauge this potential, we analyzed eye-tracking data of children (N = 144, Mage = 13 years, SD = 3.2 years) engaging in multimedia learning, as distance to the screen is estimated as a by-product of eye tracking. Children were told to maintain a still seated posture while reading and answering questions at three difficulty levels (i.e., easy vs. medium vs. difficult). Results yielded that task difficulty influences how well the distance to the screen can be regulated, supporting that regulation of distance to the screen is a promising measure. Closer head-to-screen distance and larger fluctuation of head-to-screen distance can reflect that participants are engaging in a challenging task. Only large fluctuation of head-to-screen distance can predict the future incorrect answers. The link between distance to the screen and processing of cognitive task can obtrusively embody reader’s cognitive states during system usage, which can support adaptive learning and testing

Eye Tracking Indicators of Reading Approaches in Text-Picture Comprehension

Despite numerous researches on reading as well as multimedia comprehension, reading approaches in text-picture comprehension have become a focus of research only rarely. The current experiment aims at exploring text-picture comprehension in different reading approaches with item solving. In a within subjects design using eye tracking, seventeen secondary school students processed our blended text and picture materials in three different ways. (1) Unguided processing with text and picture and without the question. (2) Information gathering to answer the question after the prior experience with text and pictures. (3) Comprehending text and pictures to solve the task with the prior information of the question. Eye tracking data showed that text and picture play different roles in comprehension in different reading approaches. The data suggest that (1) text plays the main role to construct the mental model in unguided spontaneous processing of text and picture. (2) Students seem to mainly rely on the picture as an external representation when trying to answer a question after the prior experience with the material. (3)Text and picture are both used heavily when students work out an answer with the prior experience with the question presented. The text likely plays a major part in guiding the processing of meaning, whereas the picture is used as an external representation for information retrieval. Our work provides a first step towards an Item Solving Model in Text-Picture Comprehension. It also provides pedagogical implications for learning in secondary school

Implementación de un sistema para la evaluación, diagnóstico y soporte de procesos de software en base al modelo de referencia MR-MPS del modelo de mejora de procesos MPS.BR

Publicación a texto completo no autorizada por el autorLas medidas internacionales para la estandarización de procesos de desarrollo de software están enfocadas a organizaciones con un gran nivel de madurez. En el Perú gran parte de la industria de software está compuesta por PYME, por tanto, la utilización de dichos estándares ha sido mínima y no se cuenta con herramientas que guíen a las organizaciones a conocer cómo se encuentran sus procesos con respecto a un modelo sin pasar por una evaluación formal. El gobierno brasileño en conjunto con la industria del software, diseñó un modelo (MPS.BR) para la mejora de procesos de software para las PYME. Contemplando la necesidad anterior, éste proyecto presenta como principal objetivo la implementación de un sistema para la evaluación y diagnóstico de procesos basado en el Modelo MPS.BR, para ayudar a las PYME generadoras de software, a realizar una auto-evaluación de sus procesos para encontrar vías de mejora.Trabajo de suficiencia profesiona

Calidad de atención por teleconsulta y satisfacción del paciente en tiempos de covid 19, atendidos en un hospital de huancayo - 2021

El presente trabajo de investigación aborda la percepción del paciente ante la coyuntura de la pandemia COVID 19, atendidos mediante teleconsulta sobre la calidad de atención y el nivel de satisfacción de los pacientes. Tuvo como objetivo establecer la relación que existe entre calidad de atención por teleconsulta y satisfacción del paciente en tiempos de COVID 19, atendidos en un Hospital de Huancayo-2021. Cuya metodología fue científica, de tipo básica, de nivel relacional, de diseño No experimental-correlacional, conformado por 70 encuestados, atendidos mediante teleconsulta en el servicio de Odontología. Los resultados obtenidos fueron que la variable calidad de atención obtuvo un nivel intermedio a alto con el 47.14%, y la variable satisfacción del paciente en un nivel medio con un 87.14%, en los pacientes con una edad comprendida de 30 años como promedio con (DE= 10.21). Llegando a la conclusión que, si existe relación estadísticamente significativa, moderada y directa en todas las dimensiones de la calidad de atención con la satisfacción del paciente en tiempos de COVID 19 (P-Valor =0,0000). Palabras Clave: teleconsulta, COVID 19, pandemia, calidad de atención, satisfacción del paciente