Fostering Student’s Engagement and Active Learning in Neuroscience Education

[EN] Neurophobia is a term coined to describe university students’ fear of neuroscience, which negatively affect learning. The implementation of new technologies in higher education, such as new response systems, provide an opportunity to improve neurosciences learning and teaching by engaging students. However, most response systems rely on student devices such as clickers. The aim of this study is to illustrate the application of a new digital application for collection of real-time formative assessment data in higher education. Results of this study support the utility paper-based response cards to foster engagement and active learning in higher education, even with complex neuroscience topics, providing real-time formative assessment data without the need for student devices

New technologies in health education and research

The studies in this track provided an updated overview of different technological innovation procedures in distinct health science fields. Thus, technological applications from medical imaging treatment and three-dimensional visualization to simulation systems useful in clinical practice training (simulations with mannequins, training with manual control devices, virtual reality techniques with stereo vision helmets, amongst others) are presented. The main objective of these procedures is to improve the quality of university teaching and continuing education, using the latest resources, which are starting to be implemented in different universities.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Technological innovations in biomedical training and practice

As we become more integrated into a global world, technological advances and teaching innovation that are grounded in Science have become crucial. Rapid advancements in science education and information technology provide promising resources that require many academic disciplines to work together. Developing new tools and defining new methodologies to share educational experiences, including empirical studies that support their efficiency, constitute a promising approach to improve Health Sciences. The aim of this session is to encourage and enable the exchange of information related with the advance and support of Health Science Education. In this paper the authors summarize the recent advances in technological innovations in biomedical training and practice. Most of the main trends in this field are reviewed, including: training in health sciences through a variety of resources such as computer simulations, stereoscopic visualization systems with augmented reality glasses, computer platforms for managing and using resources and documents; the generation of three-dimensional images developed with commercial software for 3D reconstruction; medical and surgical simulation using Virtual Reality (RV) and Augmented Reality (AR); the role of stereoscopic vision systems in the health sciences; and the use of teaching medical material reconstructed with 3D printers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Immunocytochemical evidence for growth hormone-releasing hormone in the tanycytes of the median eminence of the rat

The current study was performed to analyse the potential existence and structure of a GHRH-transporting tuberoinfundibular system in the rat median eminence. The immunocytochemical analysis using anti-GHRH revealed an intense immunoreaction in the ependimary cells, tanycytes, at the level of the floor of the infundibular recess forming part of the median eminence. The basal processes of these cells course towards the external layer of the median eminence and reach the growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) fibres of the tuberoinfundibular tract and this reaction was increased after intraventricular treatment with colchicine. Thus, these observations suggest the existence of a second or alternative cerebrospinal fluid-mediated route of GHRH transport to the median eminence and implicate the involvement of tanycytes in the regulation of this novel transport system

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with glial PrPRes nuclear and perinuclear immunoreactivity

Proteinase K-resistant prion protein (PrPRes ) nuclear and perinuclear immunoreactivity in oligodendrocytes of the frontal cortex is found in one case of otherwise typical sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) type VV2a. The PrP nature of the inclusions is validated with several anti-PrP antibodies directed to amino acids 130-160 (12F10), 109-112 (3F4), 97-102 (8G8) and the octarepeat region (amino acids 59-89: SAF32). Cellular identification and subcellular localization were evaluated with double- and triple-labeling immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy using antibodies against PrP, glial markers, and histone H3. Based on review of the literature and our own experience, this is a very odd situation that deserves further validation in other cases. Keywords: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; astrocytes; oligodendrocytes; prion

Phytohormone cytokinin guides microtubule dynamics during cell progression from proliferative to differentiated stage

Cell production and differentiation for the acquisition of specific functions are key features of living systems. The dynamic network of cellular microtubules provides the necessary platform to accommodate processes associated with the transition of cells through the individual phases of cytogenesis. Here, we show that the plant hormone cytokinin fine‐tunes the activity of the microtubular cytoskeleton during cell differentiation and counteracts microtubular rearrangements driven by the hormone auxin. The endogenous upward gradient of cytokinin activity along the longitudinal growth axis in Arabidopsis thaliana roots correlates with robust rearrangements of the microtubule cytoskeleton in epidermal cells progressing from the proliferative to the differentiation stage. Controlled increases in cytokinin activity result in premature re‐organization of the microtubule network from transversal to an oblique disposition in cells prior to their differentiation, whereas attenuated hormone perception delays cytoskeleton conversion into a configuration typical for differentiated cells. Intriguingly, cytokinin can interfere with microtubules also in animal cells, such as leukocytes, suggesting that a cytokinin‐sensitive control pathway for the microtubular cytoskeleton may be at least partially conserved between plant and animal cells

Identification of Brucella by MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry. Fast and Reliable Identification from Agar Plates and Blood Cultures

BACKGROUND: MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS) is a reliable method for bacteria identification. Some databases used for this purpose lack reference profiles for Brucella species, which is still an important pathogen in wide areas around the world. We report the creation of profiles for MALDI-TOF Biotyper 2.0 database (Bruker Daltonics, Germany) and their usefulness for identifying brucellae from culture plates and blood cultures. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We created MALDI Biotyper 2.0 profiles for type strains belonging to B. melitensis biotypes 1, 2 and 3; B. abortus biotypes 1, 2, 5 and 9; B. suis, B. canis, B ceti and B. pinnipedialis. Then, 131 clinical isolates grown on plate cultures were used in triplicate to check identification. Identification at genus level was always correct, although in most cases the three replicates reported different identification at species level. Simulated blood cultures were performed with type strains belonging to the main human pathogenic species (B. melitensis, B. abortus, B. suis and B. canis), and studied by MALDI-TOF MS in triplicate. Identification at genus level was always correct. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: MALDI-TOF MS is reliable for Brucella identification to the genus level from culture plates and directly from blood culture bottles

Nursing Students’ Perceptions on Healthcare-Associated Infection Control and Prevention Teaching and Learning Experience in Portugal

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are one of the major concerns worldwide, posing significant challenges to healthcare professionals’ education and training. This study intended to measure nursing students’ perceptions regarding their learning experiences on HAI prevention and control. In the first phase of the study, a cross-sectional and descriptive study with a convenience sample composed of undergraduate nursing students from Portugal, Spain, Poland, and Finland was conducted to develop the InovSafeCare questionnaire. In the second phase, we applied the InovSafeCare scale in a sample of nursing students from two Portuguese higher education institutions to explore which factors impact nursing students’ adherence to HAI prevention and control measures in clinical settings. In phase one, the InovSafeCare questionnaire was applied to 1326 students internationally, with the instrument presenting adequate psychometric qualities with reliability results in 14 dimensions. During phase two, the findings supported that Portuguese nursing students’ adherence to HAI prevention and control measures is influenced not only by the curricular offerings and resources available in academic settings, but also by the standards conveyed by nursing tutors during clinical placements. Our findings support the need for a dedicated curricular focus on HAI prevention and control learning, not only through specific classroom modules, innovative resources, and pedagogical approaches, but also through a complementary and coordinated liaison between teachers and tutors in academic and clinical settings.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The TINCR ubiquitin-like microprotein is a tumor suppressor in squamous cell carcinoma

The TINCR (Terminal differentiation-Induced Non-Coding RNA) gene is selectively expressed in epithelium tissues and is involved in the control of human epidermal differentiation and wound healing. Despite its initial report as a long non-coding RNA, the TINCR locus codes for a highly conserved ubiquitin-like microprotein associated with keratinocyte differentiation. Here we report the identification of TINCR as a tumor suppressor in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). TINCR is upregulated by UV-induced DNA damage in a TP53-dependent manner in human keratinocytes. Decreased TINCR protein expression is prevalently found in skin and head and neck squamous cell tumors and TINCR expression suppresses the growth of SCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Consistently, Tincr knockout mice show accelerated tumor development following UVB skin carcinogenesis and increased penetrance of invasive SCCs. Finally, genetic analyses identify loss-of-function mutations and deletions encompassing the TINCR gene in SCC clinical samples supporting a tumor suppressor role in human cancer. Altogether, these results demonstrate a role for TINCR as protein coding tumor suppressor gene recurrently lost in squamous cell carcinomas.This work was supported by NIH grants P30 CA013696 (Confocal and Specialized Microscopy Shared Resource, Proteomics Shared Resource, Molecular Pathology Shared Resource, Genomics Shared Resource, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center), R01 GM102491 (A.S.), K01 CA249038 (T.F.M.), P30 AR069632 (epiCURE SCIM and SIND Core Facilities) and R35 CA210065 (A.A.F.); Dr. Frederick Paulsen Chair/Ferring Pharmaceuticals (A.S.); Plan Nacional de I + D + I/ISCIII grants PI16/00280 and PI19/00560 (J.M.G.-P.), and PI18/01527 (M.F.F. and A.F.F.); CIBERONC grant CB16/12/00390 (J.P.R.), and the FEDER Funding Program from the European Union. Crystallization screening at the National Crystallization Center at HWI was supported through NIH grant R24GM141256. This work used the NE-CAT 24-ID-E beamline (GM124165) and an Eiger detector (OD021527) at the APS (DE-AC02-06CH11357). LMP was supported by a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Career Development fellowship (grant #5461-18). J.A.B. was the Candy and William Raveis Fellow of the Damon Runyon-Sohn Foundation Pediatric Cancer Fellowship Award (grant no. DRSG-31-19) and supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (award no. K99CA267168). R.G.-D. is a recipient of a Severo Ochoa predoctoral fellowship from the Principado de Asturias (grant # BP19-063).Peer reviewe