Fortaleciendo el vínculo universidad-comunidad: Buenas prácticas y material de apoyo para el Aprendizaje Servicio

El fortalecimiento del vínculo universidad-comunidad es un desafío pendiente para la psicología comunitaria. Para avanzar en esta dirección, sistematizamos prácticas asociadas al vínculo entre estudiantes, equipos docentes, socios comunitarios, comunidades, agencias intermediarias (entre la universidad y socios comunitarios), y grupos de estudiantes. Esto lo hicimos en el contexto de dos cursos sobre diagnóstico e intervención comunitaria que utilizan el método de Aprendizaje Servicio. Desde un enfoque cualitativo, realizamos un grupo focal con seis estudiantes, y entrevistas semiestructuradas con cuatro integrantes de los equipos docentes y cinco socios comunitarios. Para el análisis de los datos utilizamos los procedimientos de la Teoría Fundamentada y llevamos a cabo análisis descriptivo. Como resultados, describimos aspectos relevantes y buenas prácticas asociadas a los vínculos entre estos agentes, a partir de lo cual desarrollamos un material de apoyo innovador para favorecer estos vínculos y así potenciar el trabajo entre universidad y comunidad. Éste consistió en una guía de buenas prácticas, un vídeo tutorial para los socios comunitarios y una presentación para ser utilizada por los equipos docentes en clases. Finalmente, concluimos destacando cómo la formalización de los vínculos entre los agentes involucrados en el Aprendizaje Servicio puede favorecer, tanto la formación integral del estudiantado, así como los servicios ofrecidos a las comunidades. Además, discutimos los aportes de la psicología comunitaria para potenciar el vínculo entre universidad y comunidad en el contexto actual, desde los principios de participación, colaboración, pertinencia local, autonomía, aprendizaje activo, flexibilidad, pensamiento crítico y vocación social

Fortaleciendo el vínculo universidad-comunidad: Buenas prácticas y material de apoyo para el Aprendizaje Servicio

El fortalecimiento del vínculo universidad-comunidad es un desafío pendiente para la psicología comunitaria. Para avanzar en esta dirección, sistematizamos prácticas asociadas al vínculo entre estudiantes, equipos docentes, socios comunitarios, comunidades, agencias intermediarias (entre la universidad y socios comunitarios), y grupos de estudiantes. Esto lo hicimos en el contexto de dos cursos sobre diagnóstico e intervención comunitaria que utilizan el método de Aprendizaje Servicio. Desde un enfoque cualitativo, realizamos un grupo focal con seis estudiantes, y entrevistas semiestructuradas con cuatro integrantes de los equipos docentes y cinco socios comunitarios. Para el análisis de los datos utilizamos los procedimientos de la Teoría Fundamentada y llevamos a cabo análisis descriptivo. Como resultados, describimos aspectos relevantes y buenas prácticas asociadas a los vínculos entre estos agentes, a partir de lo cual desarrollamos un material de apoyo innovador para favorecer estos vínculos y así potenciar el trabajo entre universidad y comunidad. Éste consistió en una guía de buenas prácticas, un vídeo tutorial para los socios comunitarios y una presentación para ser utilizada por los equipos docentes en clases. Finalmente, concluimos destacando cómo la formalización de los vínculos entre los agentes involucrados en el Aprendizaje Servicio puede favorecer, tanto la formación integral del estudiantado, así como los servicios ofrecidos a las comunidades. Además, discutimos los aportes de la psicología comunitaria para potenciar el vínculo entre universidad y comunidad en el contexto actual, desde los principios de participación, colaboración, pertinencia local, autonomía, aprendizaje activo, flexibilidad, pensamiento crítico y vocación social

Kv2.1 channels play opposing roles in regulating membrane potential, Ca2+ channel function, and myogenic tone in arterial smooth muscle.

The accepted role of the protein Kv2.1 in arterial smooth muscle cells is to form K+ channels in the sarcolemma. Opening of Kv2.1 channels causes membrane hyperpolarization, which decreases the activity of L-type CaV1.2 channels, lowering intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) and causing smooth muscle relaxation. A limitation of this model is that it is based exclusively on data from male arterial myocytes. Here, we used a combination of electrophysiology as well as imaging approaches to investigate the role of Kv2.1 channels in male and female arterial myocytes. We confirmed that Kv2.1 plays a canonical conductive role but found it also has a structural role in arterial myocytes to enhance clustering of CaV1.2 channels. Less than 1% of Kv2.1 channels are conductive and induce membrane hyperpolarization. Paradoxically, by enhancing the structural clustering and probability of CaV1.2-CaV1.2 interactions within these clusters, Kv2.1 increases Ca2+ influx. These functional impacts of Kv2.1 depend on its level of expression, which varies with sex. In female myocytes, where expression of Kv2.1 protein is higher than in male myocytes, Kv2.1 has conductive and structural roles. Female myocytes have larger CaV1.2 clusters, larger [Ca2+]i, and larger myogenic tone than male myocytes. In contrast, in male myocytes, Kv2.1 channels regulate membrane potential but not CaV1.2 channel clustering. We propose a model in which Kv2.1 function varies with sex: in males, Kv2.1 channels control membrane potential but, in female myocytes, Kv2.1 plays dual electrical and CaV1.2 clustering roles. This contributes to sex-specific regulation of excitability, [Ca2+]i, and myogenic tone in arterial myocytes

Generation of induced pluripotent stem cell line, CSSi004-A (2962), from a patient diagnosed with Huntington's disease at the presymptomatic stage

Huntington's disease (HD) is an incurable, autosomal dominant, hereditary neurodegenerative disorder that typically manifests itself in midlife. This pathology is linked to the deregulation of multiple, as yet unknown, cellular processes starting before HD onset. A human iPS cell line was generated from skin fibroblasts of a subject at the presymptomatic life stage, carrying a polyglutamine expansion in HTT gene codifying Huntingtin protein. The iPSC line contained the expected CAG expansion, expressed the expected pluripotency markers, displayed in vivo differentiation potential to the three germ layers and had a normal karyotype

Immunomodulation of fucosyl-lactose and lacto-N-fucopentaose on mononuclear cells from multiple sclerosis and healthy subjects

The 1,2-fucosyl-oligosaccharides, and among these the 2’-fucosyl-lactose (2’-FL) and lacto-N-fucopentaose (LNFP)-I, are quantitatively the most represented oligosaccharides of human milk. They are also seen to represent an important immune device to prevent nursing infants from severe infectious diarrhoea. Recent evidences show that the appearance of 2’-FL and LNFP-I in human colostrums is synchronised with the macrophage inhibition and that LNFP-III induces a Th2 response from the mouse peripheral immune system. Since mannosyl-fucosyl receptors are described on the macrophage surface, all these evidences allow us to investigate on the possible immune function of human 2’-FL and LNFP-I in vitro on LPS-activated mononuclear cells (MNC) from 12 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and 20 matched health controls (HC). We found that 2’-FL and LNFP-I significantly decrease, to a different extent, the MNC proliferation from both HC and MS patients, in a linear and dose-dependent manner. 2’-FL and LNFPI also reduce the production of IL-12 and IFN-γ, particularly in MS patients as compared to HC (p=0.01 and p<0.001, respectively), while increasing that of IL- 10. The overall immunomodulatory effect of 2’-FL and LNFP I here presented may represent a future therapeutic option for the abnormal immune response found in some monocyte-mediated diseases

Development and validation of an indirect ELISA as a confirmatory test for surveillance of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis in vaccinated herds

BACKGROUND: Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV1) is a member of the viral subfamily of Alphaherpesvirinae that infects various species, including cattle, sheep, and goats. The virus causes infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), which is included in a European list of diseases that may require control and eradication programs. The lack of confirmatory tests affects the validity of diagnostic tools, especially those used for vaccinated herds. In this study, we report the development and validation of an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on BoHV1 glycoprotein E, which was expressed as a secreted recombinant antigen in a mammalian cell system. The performance of the new rec-gE ELISA was compared with that of commercially available indirect and/or blocking ELISAs. RESULTS: The sample set included blood sera from animals from IBR-positive farms, IBR-free farms, and marker-vaccinated farms. The indirect ELISA proposed in this study is based on antibody reactivity against BoHV1 gE, and showed high sensitivity and specificity (98.41 and 99.76 %, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The ELISA performed well, in terms of both its diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, and as a confirmatory methodology, and therefore should improve the diagnostic protocols used for IBR surveillance

Production and characterization of CSSI003 (2961) human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) carrying a novel puntiform mutation in RAI1 gene, Causative of Smith–Magenis syndrome

Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) is a complex genetic disorder characterized by developmental delay, behavioural problems and circadian rhythm dysregulation. About 90% of SMS cases are due to a 17p11.2 deletion containing retinoic acid induced1 (RAI1) gene, 10% are due to heterozygousmutations affecting RAI1 coding region. Little is known about RAI1 role

Copy number variations in healthy subjects. Case study: iPSC line CSSi005-A (3544) production from an individual with variation in 15q13.3 chromosome duplicating gene CHRNA7

CHRNA7, encoding the neuronal alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (a7nAChR), is highly expressed in the brain, particularly in the hippocampus. It is situated in the 15q13.3 chromosome region, frequently associated with a Copy Number Variation (CNV), which causes its duplication or deletion. The clinical significance of CHRNA7 duplications is unknown so far, but there are several research data suggesting that they may be pathogenic, with reduced penetrance. We have produced an iPS cell line from a single healthy donor's fibroblasts carrying a 15q13.3 CNV, including CHRNA7 in order to study the exact role of this CNV during the neurodevelopment