Validación de instrumento de medición para el diagnóstico del proceso de formación de pregrado

El presente artículo revela el proceder realizado por los autores en el diseño y elaboración del instrumento de medición Cuestionario de encuesta a estudiantes para el diagnóstico del proceso de formación de pregrado, todo lo cual emana del proyecto de investigación “Modelo pedagógico acorde con las demandas del siglo XXI para la formación de profesionales en la Universidad de Artemisa”. Se consideran los procedimientos que permitieron adjudicar validez y confiabilidad al instrumento de medición y se exponen los análisis estadísticos que evalúan la consistencia interna del cuestionario a partir de la aplicación del Coeficiente de Correlación Multidimensional rpj, un novedoso y reconocido procedimiento lógico aceptado por la Teoría Clásica de los Test. El pilotaje se realizó a una muestra intencional de 13 estudiantes de la carrera de Lenguas Extranjeras de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, por constituir un grupo homogéneo con una apropiada motivación por sus estudios. Al aplicar el coeficiente a los resultados que se registraron en cada una de las preguntas del instrumento se obtuvieron valores oscilantes entre 0,58 y 0,64 lo cual infiere que el instrumento tiene consistencia y por tanto es confiable.   Palabras clave: validez, confiabilidad,  instrumento de medición.   Abstract The present article reveals the procedure carried out by the authors in the design and elaboration of the survey questionnaire applied to the students as measuring instrument for the diagnosis of the undergraduate training process, all of which arises from the research project "Pedagogical model according to the demands of the 21st century for the training of professionals at the University of Artemisa”. The procedures granting validity and reliability to the measurement instrument were also considered and presented as well as the statistical analysis evaluating the internal consistency of the questionnaire as result of the application of the Multidimensional Correlation Coefficient rpj, a novel and recognized logical procedure accepted by the Classical Theory of Tests. The piloting was done to an intentional sample of 13 students of the Foreign Languages majoring at the School of Sciences of the Education for constituting a homogenous group with an appropriate motivation by their studies. When applying the coefficient to the results that were registered in each one of the questions of the instrument, oscillating values between 0.58 and 0.64 were obtained, which implies that the instrument has consistency and, therefore, it is reliable.   Keywords: validity, reliability, measuring instrument

Validación de instrumento de medición para el diagnóstico del proceso de formación de pregrado

The present article reveals the procedure carried out by the authors in the design and elaboration of the survey questionnaire applied to the students as measuring instrument for the diagnosis of the undergraduate training process, all of which arises from the research project "Pedagogical model according to the demands of the 21st century for the training of professionals at the University of Artemisa”. The procedures granting validity and reliability to the measurement instrument were also considered and presented as well as the statistical analysis evaluating the internal consistency of the questionnaire as result of the application of the Multidimensional Correlation Coefficient rpj, a novel and recognized logical procedure accepted by the Classical Theory of Tests. The piloting was done to an intentional sample of 13 students of the Foreign Languages majoring at the School of Sciences of the Education for constituting a homogenous group with an appropriate motivation by their studies. When applying the coefficient to the results that were registered in each one of the questions of the instrument, oscillating values between 0.58 and 0.64 were obtained, which implies that the instrument has consistency and, therefore, it is reliable.El presente artículo revela el proceder realizado por los autores en el diseño y elaboración del instrumento de medición Cuestionario de encuesta a estudiantes para el diagnóstico del proceso de formación de pregrado, todo lo cual emana del proyecto de investigación “Modelo pedagógico acorde con las demandas del siglo XXI para la formación de profesionales en la Universidad de Artemisa”. Se consideran los procedimientos que permitieron adjudicar validez y confiabilidad al instrumento de medición y se exponen los análisis estadísticos que evalúan la consistencia interna del cuestionario a partir de la aplicación del Coeficiente de Correlación Multidimensional rpj, un novedoso y reconocido procedimiento lógico aceptado por la Teoría Clásica de los Test. El pilotaje se realizó a una muestra intencional de 13 estudiantes de la carrera de Lenguas Extranjeras de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, por constituir un grupo homogéneo con una apropiada motivación por sus estudios. Al aplicar el coeficiente a los resultados que se registraron en cada una de las preguntas del instrumento se obtuvieron valores oscilantes entre 0,58 y 0,64 lo cual infiere que el instrumento tiene consistencia y por tanto es confiable

Long-Term Effects of a Cognitive Behavioral Conference Call Intervention on Depression in Non-Professional Caregivers

Recent evidence supports the efficacy of conference call cognitive–behavioral interventions in preventing depression in caregivers at post-intervention, but we do not know whether the results are sustained long term. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy of a cognitive–behavioral intervention administered by telephone conference call in preventing depression in caregivers with elevated depressive symptoms, comparing all components of the intervention versus only the behavioral ones. A randomized controlled trial was conducted using a dismantling strategy. At total of 219 caregivers were randomly assigned to a cognitive–behavioral conference call intervention (CBCC; n = 69), a behavioral-activation conference call intervention (BACC; n = 70), or a usual care control group (CG, n = 80). Information was collected on depressive symptoms and depression at pre-intervention and at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 36 months post-intervention. At 36 months, there was a reduction in depressive symptoms (p < 0.001) and a lower incidence of major depressive episodes in both the CBCC and BACC groups compared to CG (8.7%, 8.6%, and 33.7%, respectively). The results show that a conference call intervention was effective in the long term to prevent depression in caregivers and that the behavioral-activation component was comparable to the complete cognitive–behavioral protocolThis research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under grant number 2012-PN162S

Circulating Cell Biomarkers in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Relationship with Clinical Heterogeneity and Therapeutic Response

Biomarcadores; Disfunción endotelial; Células progenitorasBiomarcadors; Disfunció endotelial; Cèl·lules progenitoresBiomarkers; Endothelial dysfunction; Progenitor cellsBackground: Endothelial dysfunction is central to PAH. In this study, we simultaneously analysed circulating levels of endothelial microvesicles (EMVs) and progenitor cells (PCs) in PAH and in controls, as biomarkers of pulmonary endothelial integrity and evaluated differences among PAH subtypes and as a response to treatment. Methods: Forty-seven controls and 144 patients with PAH (52 idiopathic, 9 heritable, 31 associated with systemic sclerosis, 15 associated with other connective tissue diseases, 20 associated with HIV and 17 associated with portal hypertension) were evaluated. Forty-four patients with scleroderma and 22 with HIV infection, but without PAH, were also studied. Circulating levels of EMVs, total (CD31+CD42b−) and activated (CD31+CD42b−CD62E+), as well as circulating PCs (CD34+CD133+CD45low) were measured by flow cytometry and the EMVs/PCs ratio was computed. In treatment-naïve patients, measurements were repeated after 3 months of PAH therapy. Results: Patients with PAH showed higher numbers of EMVs and a lower percentage of PCs, compared with healthy controls. The EMV/PC ratio was increased in PAH patients, and in patients with SSc or HIV without PAH. After starting PAH therapy, individual changes in EMVs and PCs were variable, without significant differences being observed as a group. Conclusion: PAH patients present disturbed vascular homeostasis, reflected in changes in circulating EMV and PC levels, which are not restored with PAH targeted therapy. Combined measurement of circulating EMVs and PCs could be foreseen as a potential biomarker of endothelial dysfunction in PAH.This research was funded by grants PI12/00510, PI15/00582 and PI18/00960 from the Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCiii), Spain, co-funded by the European Union (ERDF/ESF); the Catalan Society of Respiratory Medicine (SOCAP); and the Fundación Contra la Hipertensión Pulmonar (FCHP). OTC is the former recipient of a Marie Curie Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award BIOTRACK-IDIBAPS, and the current recipient of a Miguel Servet contract from ISCiii (CP17/00114)

Analysis of the Components of a Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for the prevention of Depression Administered via Conference Call to Nonprofessional Caregivers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Effective and accessible interventions for indicated prevention of depression are necessary and lacking, especially for informal caregivers. Although telephone-based interventions could increase the accessibility for caregivers, randomized controlled trials are scarce, with no examination of prevention to date. Moreover, the efficacy of specific therapeutic components in preventive cognitive-behavioral programs is unknown. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a telephone-administered psychological preventive intervention in informal caregivers with high depressive symptoms. A total of 219 caregivers were randomized to a cognitive-behavioral conference call intervention (CBCC, n = 69), a behavioral-activation conference call intervention (BACC, n = 70), or a usual care control group (CG, n = 80). Both interventions consisted of five 90-minute group sessions. At the post-intervention, incidence of depression was lower in CBCC and BACC compared to CG (1.5% and 1.4% vs. 8.8%). Relative risk was 0.17 for the CBCC and 0.16 for the BACC, and the number-needed-to-treat was 14 in both groups. Depressive symptoms were significantly lower in BACC and BACC groups compared to CG (d = 1.16 and 1.29), with no significant differences between CBCC and BACC groups. The conference call intervention was effective in preventing depression and the behavioral-activation component (BACC) was comparable to the CBCC interventionThis research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under grant number 2012-PN162S

Cinco años de experiencia en la utilización de la técnica del cono extendido

Fundamento: la utilización de mallas en la cirugía herniaria alcanzó su mayor popularidad a partir de los años 80. En el año 2007, en la Clínica Multiperfil de Luanda, Angola, se diseñó una nueva variante de colocación de la malla que cumple con todos los principios de la cirugía herniaria, basada en la oclusión del anillo herniario y el refuerzo de la pared del canal. En el año 2009 se introduce la técnica en el Hospital Enrique Cabrera en La Habana. Objetivo: mostrar los resultados de la aplicación de la técnica del cono extendido en el tratamiento de la hernia inguinal en el Hospital Docente Enrique Cabrera. Métodos: se realizó un estudio de serie de casos en 100 pacientes, en los cuales se operaron 110 hernias mediante una técnica protésica denominada cono extendido, durante los años 2009 al 2013 en el Hospital Enrique Cabrera de La Habana. Se utilizó la clasificación de Gilbert modificada por Rutkow y Robbin. Se analizó: edad, sexo, localización de la hernia, grado de la hernia según la clasificación de Gilbert, complicaciones e índice de recidivas. Resultados: hubo un predominó el sexo masculino. La localización más frecuente fue la región inguinal izquierda. Predominaron las hernias clasificadas como grado III según la clasificación de Gilbert. Hubo 15 complicaciones menores y hasta el momento no han ocurrido recidivas. Conclusiones: la técnica del cono extendido es una técnica segura y otra opción para el tratamiento de pacientes que presenten hernias inguinales del grado III, IV y VI de la clasificación de Gilbert modificada por Rutkow y Robbins

Development of a novel splice array platform and its application in the identification of alternative splice variants in lung cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Microarrays strategies, which allow for the characterization of thousands of alternative splice forms in a single test, can be applied to identify differential alternative splicing events. In this study, a novel splice array approach was developed, including the design of a high-density oligonucleotide array, a labeling procedure, and an algorithm to identify splice events.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The array consisted of exon probes and thermodynamically balanced junction probes. Suboptimal probes were tagged and considered in the final analysis. An unbiased labeling protocol was developed using random primers. The algorithm used to distinguish changes in expression from changes in splicing was calibrated using internal non-spliced control sequences. The performance of this splice array was validated with artificial constructs for <it>CDC6</it>, <it>VEGF</it>, and <it>PCBP4 </it>isoforms. The platform was then applied to the analysis of differential splice forms in lung cancer samples compared to matched normal lung tissue. Overexpression of splice isoforms was identified for genes encoding <it>CEACAM1</it>, <it>FHL-1</it>, <it>MLPH</it>, and <it>SUSD2. </it>None of these splicing isoforms had been previously associated with lung cancer.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This methodology enables the detection of alternative splicing events in complex biological samples, providing a powerful tool to identify novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for cancer and other pathologies.</p

Spanish version of the Satisfaction with Epilepsy Care questionnaire: Adaptation and psychometric properties

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to perform a cross-cultural adaption and psychometric evaluation of the Spanish version of the Satisfaction with Epilepsy Care (SEC) questionnaire and analyze patient satisfaction with epilepsy care. METHODS: Transcultural adaptation and validation of the SEC were carried out using translation and back-translation with pilot testing and an expert panel. The SEC-E (Spanish) was analyzed in 213 patients with epilepsy to examine construct and criterion validity and internal consistency. RESULTS: The SEC-E achieved conceptual, semantic, and content equivalence with the original version. For content validity, one question was eliminated from the original questionnaire as it has little relevance in our cultural setting. Positive correlations for criterion validity were obtained using the gold standard measure (Satisfaction in Hospitalized Patients scale). Construct validity replicated the three dimensions of the original questionnaire. The scale showed adequate reliability through internal consistency (Cronbach's α of 0.94) and temporal stability on retest (n = 85). Patients scored (0 to 100) 77.5 [standard deviation (SD): 19.9] for satisfaction with communication, 76.9 (SD: 17) for organization, and 67.2 (SD: 22.1) for information. SIGNIFICANCE: The SEC-E is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of educational interventions aiming to improve the quality of care in patients with epilepsy in Spanish clinical practice. The results showed a good level of patient satisfaction with epilepsy care

Circulating Cell Biomarkers in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Relationship with Clinical Heterogeneity and Therapeutic Response

Background: Endothelial dysfunction is central to PAH. In this study, we simultaneously analysed circulating levels of endothelial microvesicles (EMVs) and progenitor cells (PCs) in PAH and in controls, as biomarkers of pulmonary endothelial integrity and evaluated differences among PAH subtypes and as a response to treatment. Methods: Forty-seven controls and 144 patients with PAH (52 idiopathic, 9 heritable, 31 associated with systemic sclerosis, 15 associated with other connective tissue diseases, 20 associated with HIV and 17 associated with portal hypertension) were evaluated. Forty-four patients with scleroderma and 22 with HIV infection, but without PAH, were also studied. Circulating levels of EMVs, total (CD31+CD42b-) and activated (CD31+CD42b-CD62E+), as well as circulating PCs (CD34+CD133+CD45low) were measured by flow cytometry and the EMVs/PCs ratio was computed. In treatment-naïve patients, measurements were repeated after 3 months of PAH therapy. Results: Patients with PAH showed higher numbers of EMVs and a lower percentage of PCs, compared with healthy controls. The EMV/PC ratio was increased in PAH patients, and in patients with SSc or HIV without PAH. After starting PAH therapy, individual changes in EMVs and PCs were variable, without significant differences being observed as a group. Conclusion: PAH patients present disturbed vascular homeostasis, reflected in changes in circulating EMV and PC levels, which are not restored with PAH targeted therapy. Combined measurement of circulating EMVs and PCs could be foreseen as a potential biomarker of endothelial dysfunction in PAH