Drivers and barriers of university social responsibility: integration into strategic plans

The implementation of University Social Responsibility (USR) in its strategic plans is a subject of great social interest. However, the lack of understanding produces deficient stakeholder’s engagement, obstructing USR applications and potential benefits. USR in a formal context and as part of strategy should be a path that leads to its fulfilment. A Delphi method was used and several experts have participated in it. Results show that USR is related to student’s issues, among main drivers are to work under a code of ethics and acquire civic competences as a part of their vocational training. Among barriers to be involved in social responsibility activities is the lack of engagement of university community. The insufficient communication into the university community is mentioned as one of the main obstacles to incorporate USR into strategic planning. Relevance of this work relies on the holistic points of views of the results.Postprint (author's final draft

Catalysts of university social responsability into strategic planning by thematic analysis and deductive coding

The relevance of higher education institutions (HEI) for social development is unquestionable because of their potential for contributing intellectual solutions for the social, economic, and environmental welfare of society. The current study aims to: 1) examine which are the main catalysts of university social responsibility (USR) from a strategic management perspective; 2) show the relations among those catalysts through semantic networks; and 3) analyse the role of university promotion of entrepreneurship. The method uses a content analysis in a sample of 23 universities and examines the subject and codes to clarify the catalysts. The semantic networks are shown to reveal these connections. It was found that a high percentage of universities orient their efforts towards enhancing the employability of students, mainly through entrepreneurial projects intended to achieve social responsibility.Postprint (author's final draft

Universities as Corporate Entities: The Role of Social Responsibility in Their Strategic Management

Universities, as educational institutions, play a vital role in the development and improvement of the society, contributing to the welfare of citizens. Considering the social responsibility of universities with a large number of stakeholders (students, institutions, government, employees, companies, local community, etc.), this chapter aims to examine how these institutions establish the mission, objectives and strategic actions oriented at meeting these expectations. In this line, university in its daily management is also considered a corporate entity, which set up strategic plans and practices, an essential process to achieve its success in the long term. The chapter explores the necessary steps for adjusting these strategic plans to the new challeng e of introducing a socially responsible orientation in their management

Expression of anti-apoptotic genes to enhance rAAV production

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Plan estratégico de mercadeo que contribuya a incrementar la demanda de servicios de capacitación para el Centro de promoción humana San Francisco de Asís, del municipio de Ciudad Delgado.

Al igual que las empresas, también las organizaciones sin fines de lucro procuran rentabilidad y permanencia, con la salvedad que los ingresos económicos de éstas últimas no se reparten sino, se invierten en la prestación del servicio para continuar beneficiando a la mayor cantidad de personas. Tal es el caso del Centro de Promoción Humana San Francisco de Asís, proyecto iniciado por la parroquia Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. A partir del año 2000 y dada la situación de personas con escasos recursos económicos, su condición de vulnerabilidad social, y su dificultad para alcanzar un mejor estatus de vida, que los miembros de la pastoral social de dicha parroquia tuvieron a bien establecer un centro de capacitación para que las personas puedan aprender un oficio técnico que les permita insertarse al mercado laboral. Sin embargo, se ha notado escasa afluencia de aprendices a los cursos de formación, no obstante, los esfuerzos para motivar el aprendizaje de una labor técnica, la respuesta aún no satisface las expectativas; lo cual impacta negativamente en sus objetivos de proyección social, así como, en los ingresos económicos necesarios para el funcionamiento de la institución. Por tanto, el objetivo de la investigación es la elaboración de un plan estratégico de mercadeo que contribuya a incrementar la demanda del servicio de capacitación. Para estudiar los elementos relacionados con la prestación del servicio de formación, se utilizó el método científico a través del análisis y síntesis, se realizó una investigación descriptiva, el diseño del estudio fue no experimental; así también, para la recopilación de la información se emplearon las técnicas de la encuesta y la entrevista, con sus respectivos instrumentos. Se trabajó sobre dos universos que fueron, el personal que labora en la organización y, las personas que reciben el servicio de capacitación; como unidades de análisis se consideraron a la coordinadora general, al personal docente y, los asistentes a los distintos cursos de formación. Con el tratamiento de los datos recopilados y habiendo diagnosticado la situación actual de la organización objeto de estudio, en relación al manejo en las variables de la mezcla de mercado, se determinó como principal conclusión que la organización no cuenta con un plan estratégico de mercadeo que guíe sus esfuerzos para contribuir al cumplimiento de sus fines; y como primordial recomendación, se sugiere implementar el plan estratégico de mercadeo propuesto por el grupo investigador que contribuya a incrementar la demanda de su servicio de capacitación

Comparison of oxidative stress markers in HIV-infected patients on efavirenz or atazanavir/ritonavir-based therapy

Introduction Chronic low‐grade inflammation and immune activation may persist in HIV patients despite effective antiretroviral therapy (ART). These abnormalities are associated with increased oxidative stress (OS). Bilirubin (BR) may have a beneficial role in counteracting OS. Atazanavir (ATV) inhibits UGT1A1, thus increasing unconjugated BR levels, a distinctive feature of this drug. We compared changes in OS markers in HIV patients on ATV/r versus efavirenz (EFV)‐based first‐line therapies. Materials and Methods Cohort of the Spanish Research Network (CoRIS) is a multicentre, open, prospective cohort of HIV‐infected patients naïve to ART at entry and linked to a biobank. We identified hepatitis C virus/hepatitis B virus (HCV/HBV) negative patients who started first‐line ART with either ATV/r or EFV, had a baseline biobank sample and a follow‐up sample after at least nine months of ART while maintaining initial regimen and being virologically suppressed. Lipoprotein‐associated Phospholipase A2 (Lp‐PLA2), Myeloperoxidase (MPO) and Oxidized LDL (OxLDL) were measured in paired samples. Marker values at one year were interpolated from available data. Multiple imputations using chained equations were used to deal with missing values. Change in the OS markers was modelled using multiple linear regressions adjusting for baseline marker values and baseline confounders. Correlations between continuous variables were explored using Pearson's correlation tests. Results 145 patients (97 EFV; 48 ATV/r) were studied. Mean (SD) baseline values for OS markers in EFV and ATV/r groups were: Lp‐PLA2 [142.2 (72.8) and 150.1 (92.8) ng/mL], MPO [74.3 (48.2) and 93.9 (64.3) µg/L] and OxLDL [76.3 (52.3) and 82.2 (54.4) µg/L]. After adjustment for baseline variables patients on ATV/r had a significant decrease in Lp‐PLA2 (estimated difference −16.3 [CI 95%: −31.4, −1.25; p=0.03]) and a significantly lower increase in OxLDL (estimated difference −21.8 [−38.0, −5.6; p<0.01] relative to those on EFV, whereas no differences in MPO were found. Adjusted changes in BR were significantly higher for the ATV/r group (estimated difference 1.33 [1.03, 1.52; p<0.01]). Changes in BR and changes in OS markers were significantly correlated. Conclusions In virologically suppressed patients on stable ART, OS was lower in ATV/r‐based regimens compared to EFV. We hypothesize these changes could be in part attributable to increased BR plasma levels

Comparison of oxidative stress markers in HIV-infected patients on efavirenz or atazanavir/ritonavir-based therapy

INTRODUCTION: Chronic low-grade inflammation and immune activation may persist in HIV patients despite effective antiretroviral therapy (ART). These abnormalities are associated with increased oxidative stress (OS). Bilirubin (BR) may have a beneficial role in counteracting OS. Atazanavir (ATV) inhibits UGT1A1, thus increasing unconjugated BR levels, a distinctive feature of this drug. We compared changes in OS markers in HIV patients on ATV/r versus efavirenz (EFV)-based first-line therapies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cohort of the Spanish Research Network (CoRIS) is a multicentre, open, prospective cohort of HIV-infected patients naïve to ART at entry and linked to a biobank. We identified hepatitis C virus/hepatitis B virus (HCV/HBV) negative patients who started first-line ART with either ATV/r or EFV, had a baseline biobank sample and a follow-up sample after at least nine months of ART while maintaining initial regimen and being virologically suppressed. Lipoprotein-associated Phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), Myeloperoxidase (MPO) and Oxidized LDL (OxLDL) were measured in paired samples. Marker values at one year were interpolated from available data. Multiple imputations using chained equations were used to deal with missing values. Change in the OS markers was modelled using multiple linear regressions adjusting for baseline marker values and baseline confounders. Correlations between continuous variables were explored using Pearson's correlation tests. RESULTS: 145 patients (97 EFV; 48 ATV/r) were studied. Mean (SD) baseline values for OS markers in EFV and ATV/r groups were: Lp-PLA2 [142.2 (72.8) and 150.1 (92.8) ng/mL], MPO [74.3 (48.2) and 93.9 (64.3) µg/L] and OxLDL [76.3 (52.3) and 82.2 (54.4) µg/L]. After adjustment for baseline variables patients on ATV/r had a significant decrease in Lp-PLA2 (estimated difference -16.3 [CI 95%: -31.4, -1.25; p=0.03]) and a significantly lower increase in OxLDL (estimated difference -21.8 [-38.0, -5.6; p<0.01] relative to those on EFV, whereas no differences in MPO were found. Adjusted changes in BR were significantly higher for the ATV/r group (estimated difference 1.33 [1.03, 1.52; p<0.01]). Changes in BR and changes in OS markers were significantly correlated. CONCLUSIONS: In virologically suppressed patients on stable ART, OS was lower in ATV/r-based regimens compared to EFV. We hypothesize these changes could be in part attributable to increased BR plasma levels.S

The unpredictable carbon nanotube biocorona and a functionalization method to prevent protein biofouling

Background: The intrinsic physicochemical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) make them unique tools in nanotechnology. Their elemental composition, resilience, thermal properties, and surface reactivity make CNTs also of undisputed interest in biotechnology. In particular, their extraordinary ability to capture biomolecules on their surface makes them essential in this field. The proteins adsorbed on the CNTs create a biological coating that endows them the ability to interact with some cell receptors, penetrate membranes or interfere with cell biomechanics, thus behaving as an active bio-camouflage. But some of these proteins unfold, triggering an immune response that unpredictably changes the biological activity of CNTs. For this reason, the control of the biocorona is fundamental in the nanobiotechnology of CNTs. Results: Using TEM and AFM here we demonstrate a significant increase in CNTs diameter after protein functionalization. A quantitative analysis using TGA revealed that between 20 and 60% of the mass of functionalized nanotubes corresponds to protein, with single-walled CNTs capturing the highest amounts. To qualitatively/quantitatively characterize these biocoatings, we studied the biochemical "landscape" of the proteins captured by the different nanotubes after functionalization under various conditions. This study revealed a significant variability of the proteins in the corona as a function of the type of nanotube, the functionalization temperature, or the time after exposure to serum. Remarkably, the functionalization of a single type of CNT with sera from various human donors also resulted in different protein landscapes. Given the unpredictable assortment of proteins captured by the corona and the biological implications of this biocoating, we finally designed a method to genetically engineer and produce proteins to functionalize nanotubes in a controlled and customizable way. Conclusions: We demonstrate the high unpredictability of the spontaneous protein corona on CNTs and propose a versatile functionalization technique that prevents the binding of nonspecific proteins to the nanotube to improve the use of CNTs in biomedical applications

Monitoring COVID‐19 vaccine effectiveness against COVID‐19 hospitalisation and death using electronic health registries in ≥65 years old population in six European countries, October 2021 to November 2022

Background: Within the ECDC-VEBIS project, we prospectively monitored vaccine effectiveness (VE) against COVID-19 hospitalisation and COVID-19-related death using electronic health registries (EHR), between October 2021 and November 2022, in community-dwelling residents aged 65-79 and ≥80 years in six European countries. Methods: EHR linkage was used to construct population cohorts in Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Navarre (Spain), Norway and Portugal. Using a common protocol, for each outcome, VE was estimated monthly over 8-week follow-up periods, allowing 1 month-lag for data consolidation. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) and VE = (1 - aHR) × 100%. Site-specific estimates were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. Results: For ≥80 years, considering unvaccinated as the reference, VE against COVID-19 hospitalisation decreased from 66.9% (95% CI: 60.1; 72.6) to 36.1% (95% CI: -27.3; 67.9) for the primary vaccination and from 95.6% (95% CI: 88.0; 98.4) to 67.7% (95% CI: 45.9; 80.8) for the first booster. Similar trends were observed for 65-79 years. The second booster VE against hospitalisation ranged between 82.0% (95% CI: 75.9; 87.0) and 83.9% (95% CI: 77.7; 88.4) for the ≥80 years and between 39.3% (95% CI: -3.9; 64.5) and 80.6% (95% CI: 67.2; 88.5) for 65-79 years. The first booster VE against COVID-19-related death declined over time for both age groups, while the second booster VE against death remained above 80% for the ≥80 years. Conclusions: Successive vaccine boosters played a relevant role in maintaining protection against COVID-19 hospitalisation and death, in the context of decreasing VE over time. Multicountry data from EHR facilitate robust near-real-time VE monitoring in the EU/EEA and support public health decision-making.European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Grant/Award Numbers ECDC/2021/018, RS/2022/DTS/24104.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Differences in clinical features and mortality in very old unvaccinated patients (≥ 80 years) hospitalized with COVID-19 during the first and successive waves from the multicenter SEMI-COVID-19 Registry (Spain)

Background: Old age is one of the most important risk factors for severe COVID-19. Few studies have analyzed changes in the clinical characteristics and prognosis of COVID-19 among older adults before the availability of vaccines. This work analyzes differences in clinical features and mortality in unvaccinated very old adults during the first and successive COVID-19 waves in Spain. Methods This nationwide, multicenter, retrospective cohort study analyzes unvaccinated patients >= 80 years hospitalized for COVID-19 in 150 Spanish hospitals (SEMI-COVID-19 Registry). Patients were classified according to whether they were admitted in the first wave (March 1-June 30, 2020) or successive waves (July 1-December 31, 2020). The endpoint was all-cause in-hospital mortality, expressed as the case fatality rate (CFR). Results Of the 21,461 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, 5,953 (27.7%) were >= 80 years (mean age [IQR]: 85.6 [82.3-89.2] years). Of them, 4,545 (76.3%) were admitted during the first wave and 1,408 (23.7%) during successive waves. Patients hospitalized in successive waves were older, had a greater Charlson Comorbidity Index and dependency, less cough and fever, and met fewer severity criteria at admission (qSOFA index, PO2/FiO2 ratio, inflammatory parameters). Significant differences were observed in treatments used in the first (greater use of antimalarials, lopinavir, and macrolides) and successive waves (greater use of corticosteroids, tocilizumab and remdesivir). In-hospital complications, especially acute respiratory distress syndrome and pneumonia, were less frequent in patients hospitalized in successive waves, except for heart failure. The CFR was significantly higher in the first wave (44.1% vs. 33.3%; -10.8%; p = 95 years (54.4% vs. 38.5%; -15.9%; p < 0.001). After adjustments to the model, the probability of death was 33% lower in successive waves (OR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.57-0.79). Conclusions Mortality declined significantly between the first and successive waves in very old unvaccinated patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Spain. This decline could be explained by a greater availability of hospital resources and more effective treatments as the pandemic progressed, although other factors such as changes in SARS-CoV-2 virulence cannot be ruled out