Educational quality and dropout risk: a causal analysis of the university dropout phenomenon

[EN] University dropout is one of the main problems of the Spanish university system due to its high rates. The latest report issued by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN, 2020) shows that more than 30% of students drop out of an undergraduate degree program. In order to explore the phenomenon, in line with the scientific literature, we have focused on identifying personal and family variables associated with university dropout. Using an ex post facto, quantitative, descriptive and causal design methodology, we observed significant relationships between the dependent variable “completion of university degree” and the independent variables “age”, “marital status” and “number of siblings”. In agreement with other researches (Belloc et al, 2010; Diaz Peralta, 2008; Lizarte Simon, 2017) we conclude that university dropout is a multicausal phenomenon that needs to be fully understood. This will allow to maximize the use of resources allocated to higher education and optimize university access, permanence and quality policies.Pedraza-Navarro, I.; González-Ramírez, T. (2021). Educational quality and dropout risk: a causal analysis of the university dropout phenomenon. En 7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 881-888. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd21.2021.12910OCS88188

Sintomatología externalizante y rendimiento académico

Este estudio tiene dos objetivos principales; en primer lugar, definir en qué medida el rendimiento académico está relacionado con la presencia de sintomatología externalizante y, por último, ofrecer cifras de prevalencia de dicha sintomatología en una muestra comunitaria. Se utilizó como instrumento el Young Self Report (YSR; Achenbach y Edelbrock, 1987) que evalúa, entre otros aspectos, el comportamiento agresivo y la ruptura de normas. La muestra estuvo constituida por 87 niños y niñas de entre 10 y 12 años, de colegios públicos de la provincia de Albacete. Los resultados arrojaron cifras de prevalencia de sintomatología externalizante en torno al 3% y, además mostraron diferencias significativas en cuanto a la presencia de esta sintomatología en función del rendimiento académico. La implicación más importante que se deriva de estos resultados es que las escuelas deben contar con suficientes recursos para la identificación temprana y el tratamiento de la sintomatología externalizante, dada su implicación en el rendimiento académico y en el clima del aula.This study has two main objectives; firstly, to define the extent to which academic achievement is related to the presence of externalizing symptoms and, secondly, to provide prevalence figures of such symptoms in a community sample. Youth Self Report (YSR; Achenbach and Edelbrock, 1987) was used as a tool which evaluates, among other things, aggressive behaviour and the violation of rules. The sample comprised 87 children between the ages of 10 and 12 years in state schools in Albacete province. The results showed prevalence figures of about 3% and also significant differences in the presence of externalizing symptoms according to academic achievement. The most important implication derived from these results, is that schools must have adequate resources for early identification and treatment of externalizing symptoms, given their influence on academic achievement and the classroom climate

Clonación, expresión, caracterización y modelado de esterasas putativas de Corynebacterium glutamicum ATTC 13032

El objetivo de este trabajo fue clonar, expresar, purificar y caracte-rizar algunos genes de Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC13032,identificados como enzimas de la superfamilia de las esterasas/li-pasas. De todos los genes clonados, solo se pudo estudiar la pro-teína codificada por el gen Cg2528. Se purificó y caracterizó laproteína. Su máxima actividad la presentó 40 oC y a pH 8. Presen-tó una gran estabilidad en presencia de disolventes orgánicos co-mo el DMSO y el metanol. Con respecto al análisis cinético, pre-sentó una mayor actividad sobre los p-nitrofenil ésteres y los nafti-los que sobre el S-methiltiobutanoato. Se dilucidó la triada catalíti-ca alineando la secuencia de aminoácidos. La estructura tridimen-sional se predijo usando la esterasa (2OGS) de Geobacillus stea-rothermophilus como molde

Pesticide residues and autism spectrum disorder

El trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) engloba a un conjunto de trastornos del neurodesarrollo que se caracterizan por una interacción social deficiente, comunicación restringida y comportamientos repetitivos y estereotipados. La etiología del TEA es desconocida a día de hoy, por lo que diversos equipos de investigación multidisciplinares están realizando grandes esfuerzos para intentar dilucidar los factores y mecanismos que intervienen en su aparición. En este sentido, existe un creciente interés en el estudio de factores ambientales como la exposición a residuos de plaguicidas ya que se dispone de suficiente evidencia científica sobre los efectos neurotóxicos que éstos pueden provocar. Por lo tanto, pueden ser formuladas hipótesis de asociaciones específicas entre el TEA y los residuos de plaguicidas. Este trabajo realiza una revisión sistemática sobre la influencia de la exposición a residuos de plaguicidas y la aparición del TEA. La metodología para llevar a cabo este trabajo de revisión sistemática siguió las directrices marcadas por el método PRISMA, encontrándose un total de siete artículos elegibles para su discusión. Los residuos de plaguicidas estudiados por los artículos seleccionados fueron los organofosforados y sus metabolitos; los organoclorados, incluidos el endosulfán y los bifenilos policlorados junto a sus metabolitos; los carbamatos; los piretroides, incluida la cipermetrina; y el glufosinato de amonio. El estudio de la acción de estos plaguicidas se centró en el periodo prenatal, investigándose su exposición en madres gestantes que vivían en zonas próximas a campos de cultivo donde se aplican pesticidas, en modelos animales de ratón y en cultivos de células cerebrales. Se encontró que existe relación entre la exposición a plaguicidas en el periodo prenatal y el riesgo de aparición de TEA en la descendencia junto a una disbiosis en la microbiota intestinal en ratones. Por lo tanto, es importante evaluar el factor de riesgo de exposición a residuos de plaguicidas en la aparición del TEA con más datos, para lo cual se requieren más estudios tanto in vitro como in vivo con el fin de dilucidar los mecanismos bioquímicos precisos involucrados.Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) encompasses a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by poor social interaction, restricted communication, and repetitive and stereotyped behaviors. The etiology of ASD is unknown today, so various multidisciplinary research teams are making great efforts to try to elucidate the factors and mechanisms involved in its appearance. In this sense, there is a growing interest in the study of environmental factors such as exposure to pesticide residues since there is sufficient scientific evidence on the neurotoxic effects that these can cause. Therefore, specific associations between TEA and pesticide residues can be hypothesized. This work carries out a systematic review on the influence of exposure to pesticide residues and the appearance of ASD. The methodology to carry out this systematic review followed the guidelines set by the PRISMA method, finding a total of seven articles eligible for discussion. The pesticide residues studied by the selected articles were organophosphates and their metabolites; organochlorines, including endosulfan and polychlorinated biphenyls together with their metabolites; carbamates; pyrethroids, including cypermethrin; and glufosinate ammonium. The study of the action of these pesticides focused on the prenatal period, investigating their exposure in pregnant mothers who lived in areas close to fields where pesticides are applied, in mouse animal models and in brain cell cultures. It was found that there is a relationship between exposure to pesticides in the prenatal period and the risk of the appearance of ASD in the offspring together with a dysbiosis of the gut microbiota in mice. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the risk factor of exposure to pesticide residues in the appearance of ASD with more data, for which more studies are required both in vitro and in vivo in order to elucidated the accurate biochemical mechanisms involved

Induction of Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest in Human Colon Carcinoma Cells by Corema album Leaves

The leaves of Corema album (Ericaceae), an endemic shrub which grows in Atlantic coastal areas of the Iberian Peninsula, are rich in flavonoids and other secondary metabolites. Silica gel column chromatography of the ethyl acetate extract from dried leaves was performed and a flavonic active fraction was obtained. The cytotoxic activity of this fraction was assessed using the colon cancer cell lines HCT116 and HT29. After 48 hours of treatment, cell viability was determined with luminescence-based ATPLite assay, showing IC50 values of 7.2 ± 0.7 and 6.8 ± 1.2 µg/mL, respectively. The study by flow cytometry revealed that the cytotoxicity of this fraction was mediated, at least in part, by induction of apoptosis and G2/M cell cycle arrest. The active fraction was then subjected to Sephadex LH-20 chromatography and two flavonoids were separated and identified as the flavanone pinocembrin and 2’,4’-dihydroxychalcone after UV, MS and NMR analysis

Phytochemical Profile and Antibacterial Activity of Retama raetam and R. sphaerocarpa cladodes from Algeria

Retama raetam (RR) and R. sphaerocarpa (RS) are shrubs growing in Algeria desert areas, where are commonly used as healing remedies because of their antiseptic, antipyretic and anti-diarrheal properties. Phytochemical studies have shown that these species are very rich in flavonoids (isoflavones) and alkaloids (quinolizidine and bipiperidyl). The aim of this study was to compare the chemical composition of both Retama species by GC/MS and LC/MS and to determinate their antimicrobial activity of two Retama species growing naturally in Algeria. Ten alkaloids and seven flavonoids were identified in cladodes of RR and RS. The quantitative analysis showed that the most abundant flavonoid of both the aqueous extract from RR and RS was the isoflavone genistein (610.0±2.8 and 408.0±14.1 mg/100 g respectively), whereas sparteine was the predominant alkaloid in RR and retamine in RS. The antibacterial activity of Retama extracts against standard strains was performed by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and by the disc diffusion method (expressed by inhibition zone, IZ). Both Retama species showed the best activity against Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), being RS aqueous extract more active than RR aqueous extract, with MIC 125 µg/mL and bactericidal activity against both strains

A preliminary study about gender gap perception in informatics studies in Spain

The gender gap in STEM is an issue that affects regions and countries worldwide. Furthermore, the percentage of women in these areas depends on a range of different factors. In particular, the gender gap is critical in technology in general and, more specifically, in informatics. This problem affects not only the business sector but also society. Informatics is part of our lives; however, 50% of the world population is not represented in the teams that are developing solutions for solving society's problems. In Spain, the number of women with informatics degrees is around 15%. This work describes a case study developed by the committee of Women in Informatics at the Scientific Society of Spanish Informatics (SCIE) to analyse the perception of informatics scientists on the gender gap in informatics

Biomonitoring of common organophosphate metabolites in hair and urine of children from an agricultural community

Levels of dialkylphosphate (DAP) metabolites were measured in hair and urine of children that lived close to intensively farmed areas of Almeria (Southeast Spain). The levels were used as proxies for exposure of these children to organophosphate pesticides (OPs). Determinants of exposure to DAPs were also examined. Urine and hair samples were collected from 222 children aged 3–11 years and information on lifestyle and dietary habits was collected from questionnaires administered to mothers. Urinary DAPs were analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid-chromatography coupled to triple-quadrupole tandem mass-spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS) and hair DAPs by gas-chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Detection rates ranged from 21.8% for diethylphosphate (DEP) and diethylthiophosphate (DETP) to 35.9% for dimethylphosphate (DMP) in urine; and from 42.3% for DETP to 92.8% for DMP in hair. Diethyldithiophosphate (DEDTP) was detected in 0.5% of urine samples (one child), and in 26.6% of children's hair samples. A lack of correlation was observed for individual DAP metabolites and ΣDAPs between urine and hair samples, except for DEDTP. Urinary DAP levels of our child population were lower than those reported for children from other countries, including NHANES 1999–2000 data.This study was partially funded by the Ministry of Economy, Innovation, Science and Employment, Government of Andalucia (reference number P08-CTS-04313, FEDER funds)

Cost of Type 2 Diabetes Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Based on Real-World Data: An Observational Population-Based Study in Spain

[EN] This study analyzed the prevalence, costs and economic impact of chronic kidney disease CKD in patients with T2D in a Spanish Health District using real-world data. Observational cross-sectional study in adult patients with T2D was through data extracted from the information systems of the Valencia Clinico-La Malvarrosa Health District in the year 2015. Patients were stratified with the KDIGO classification for CKD. Additionally, patients were assigned to Clinical Risk Groups (CRGs) according to multimorbidity. Direct costs of primary and specialized care, and medication were estimated. The prevalence of T2D in the database population (n = 28,345) was 10.8% (mean age (SD) = 67.8 years (13.9); 51.5% male). Up to 14.935 patients (52.6%) had data on kidney function. According to the KDIGO classification, 66.2% of the patients were at low risk of CKD, 20.6% at moderately increased risk, 7.9% at high risk, and 5.2% at very high risk. The average healthcare costs associated with these four risk groups were EUR 3437, EUR 4936, EUR 5899 and EUR 7389, respectively. The large number of T2D patients with CKD in the early stages of the disease generated a significant increase in direct healthcare costs. The economic impact could be mitigated by early and comprehensive therapeutic approaches.This research was funded by Boehringer-Ingelheim Espana, S.A.Usó-Talamantes, R.; González-De Julián, S.; Díaz-Carnicero, J.; Saurí-Ferrer, I.; Trillo-Mata, JL.; Carrasco-Pérez, M.; Navarro-Pérez, J.... (2021). Cost of Type 2 Diabetes Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Based on Real-World Data: An Observational Population-Based Study in Spain. International Journal of Environmental research and Public Health (Online). 18(18):1-14. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189853S114181

Genetics of Type III Bartter Syndrome in Spain, Proposed Diagnostic Algorithm

9 p.The p.Ala204Thr mutation (exon 7) of the CLCNKB gene is a "founder" mutation that causes most of type III Bartter syndrome cases in Spain. We performed genetic analysis of the CLCNKB gene, which encodes for the chloride channel protein ClC-Kb, in a cohort of 26 affected patients from 23 families. The diagnostic algorithm was: first, detection of the p.Ala204Thr mutation; second, detecting large deletions or duplications by Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification and Quantitative Multiplex PCR of Short Fluorescent Fragments; and third, sequencing of the coding and flanking regions of the whole CLCNKB gene. In our genetic diagnosis, 20 families presented with the p.Ala204Thr mutation. Of those, 15 patients (15 families) were homozygous (57.7% of overall patients). Another 8 patients (5 families) were compound heterozygous for the founder mutation together with a second one. Thus, 3 patients (2 siblings) presented with the c. -19-?_2053+? del deletion (comprising the entire gene); one patient carried the p.Val170Met mutation (exon 6); and 4 patients (3 siblings) presented with the novel p.Glu442Gly mutation (exon 14). On the other hand, another two patients carried two novel mutations in compound heterozygosis: one presented the p.Ile398_Thr401del mutation (exon 12) associated with the c. -19-?_2053+? del deletion, and the other one carried the c.1756+1G>A splice-site mutation (exon 16) as well as the already described p.Ala210Val change (exon 7). One case turned out to be negative in our genetic screening. In addition, 51 relatives were found to be heterozygous carriers of the described CLCNKB mutations. In conclusion, different mutations cause type III Bartter syndrome in Spain. The high prevalence of the p.Ala204Thr in Spanish families thus justifies an initial screen for this mutation. However, should it not be detected further investigation of the CLCNKB gene is warranted in clinically diagnosed families.This study was supported by two grants (PI09/90888 and PI11/01412) from the FIS of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain, and the Eitb Maratoia-Bioef (BIO08/ER/020) the Basque Foundation for Health Innovation and Research (BIOEF, from the Basque Berrikuntza + Ikerketa + Osasuna Eusko Fundazioa). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript