Introduction of the Problem-based learning methodology in the teaching of Legal Veterinary

[ES] El aprendizaje basado en problemas (ABP) es una estrategia de enseñanza centrada en el alumno, que adquirirá conceptos complejos llevando a la práctica conocimientos previos sobre una disciplina concreta. En el campo de la Veterinaria Legal, el peritaje forense forma parte central de los conocimientos que el alumno debe adquirir. Desde el curso 2010/2011, los alumnos de Veterinaria de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, realizan un peritaje forense mediante ABP. Los alumnos, divididos en grupos de 6-8 individuos, trabajan un problema desde dos puntos de vista diferentes: el del demandado y el del demandante. Durante el proceso, los alumnos son tutorizados y las dos posturas se enfrentan en el aula para defender su postura, donde el profesor ejerce de juez, y el resto de compañeros de jurado. La actividad es valorada con 1-3 puntos. Durante 5 cursos, un total de 275 alumnos han realizado la actividad, con el 50,91% de los alumnos obteniendo la máxima calificación.  Los  alumno[EN] Problem-based learning (PBL) is an educational  strategy  centered  on  the student, who will acquire complex concepts being implemented prior knowledge about a particular discipline. In the field of  Legal  Veterinary,  forensic  expertise is a central part of the knowledge that students must acquire. Since 2010/2011, veterinary students from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, complete a  forensic  expertise  through  PBL.  The students, separated in two groups of 6-8 subjects, work on a problem from two different points of view: defendant and claimant. During the process, students are tutored and the two positions facing in the classroom to defend their point. At that time, the teacher acts as judge, and the rest of students act as jury. the activity is assessed with 1-3 points. For 5 courses, a total of 275 students have completed the activity, with 50.91% of students obtaining the  highest  qualification.  Students  are satisfied with the activity. We therefore conclude Henríquez Hernández, LA.; Pérez Luzardo, O.; Domínguez Boada, L.; Almeida González, M.; Zumbado Peña, M. (2015). Aplicación de la metodología de aprendizaje basado en problemas a la docencia de Veterinaria Legal. REDU. Revista de Docencia Universitaria. 13(3):171-188. https://doi.org/10.4995/redu.2015.5456OJS171188133Albanese, M.A., Mitchell, S. (1993). Problem-based learning: A Review of literature on its outcomes and implementations issues. Academic Medicine, 68, 52-81. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-199301000-00012Aspy, D.N., Aspy, C.B., Quimby, P.M. (1993). What Doctors Can Teach Teachers about Problem-Based Learning. Educational Leadership, 50, 22-24.Barrows, H.S. (1971). Simulated Patients (programmed patients). The development and use of a new technique in medical education. C.C. Thomas: Springfield, USA.Barrows, H.S. (1986). A taxonomy of problem-based learning methods. Medical Education, 20, 481-486. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.1986.tb01386.xBarrows, H.S. (1993). An overview of the uses of standardized patients for teaching and evaluating clinical skills. Academic Medicine, 68, 399-405. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-199306000-00002Barrows, H.S., Tamblyn, R. (1980). Problem-Based Learning: An Approach to Medical Education. Springer Series on Medical Education Vol 1, Springer Publishing Company: New York.Biggs, J.B. (2005). Calidad del aprendizaje universitario. Narcea: Madrid.Blumberg, P., Michael, J.A. (1992). Development of self-directed learning behaviors in a partially teacher-directed problem-based learning curriculum. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 4, 3-8. https://doi.org/10.1080/10401339209539526Bridges, E.M., Hallinger, P. (1991). Problem-Based Learning in Medical and Managerial Education. Paper presented for the Cognition and School Leadership Conference of the National Center for Educational Leadership and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Nashville, USA.Dochy, F., Segers, M., Van den Bossche, P., Gijbels, D. (2003). Effects of Problem-Based Learning: A Meta-Analysis. Learning and Instruction, 13, 533-568. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0959-4752(02)00025-7Farnsworth, C.C. (1994). Using Computer Simulations in Problem-Based Learning. En M. Orey (Ed.), Proceedings of the Thirty-fifth ADCIS Conference. Nashville, USA: Omni Press.Gallagher, S.A., Stepien, W.J., Rosenthal, H. (1992). The Effects of Problem-Based Learning on Problem Solving. Gifted Child Quarterly, 36, 195-200. https://doi.org/10.1177/001698629203600405Lane, E.A. (2008). Problem-Based Learning in Veterinary Education. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education,35, 631-636. https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme.35.4.631Mennin, S.P., Friedman, M., Skipper, B., Kalishman, S., Snyder, J. (1993). Performances on the NBME I, II, and III by Medical Students in the Problem-Based Learning and Conventional Tracks at the University of New Mexico'. Academic Medicine, 68, 616-624. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-199308000-00012Morales, P., Landa, V. (2004). Aprendizaje basado en problemas, Theoria, 13, 145-157.Norman, G.R., Schmidt, H.G. (1992). The Psychological Basis of Problem-Based Learning: A Review of the Evidence. Academic Medicine, 67, 557-565. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-199209000-00002Pincus, K.V. (1995). Introductory Accounting: Changing the First Course. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 61, 88-98. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.37219956112Vernon, D.T., Blake, R.L. (1993). Does Problem-Based Learning Work?: A Meta-Analysis of Evaluative Research. Academic Medicine, 68, 550-563. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-199307000-0001

The Relationship between Dioxin-Like Polychlorobiphenyls and IGF-I Serum Levels in Healthy Adults: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE: Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (DL-PCBs) have been associated with the pathogenesis of several diseases like cancer, diabetes and growth disorders. Because it has been suggested that organohalogenated contaminants could influence IGF-I levels in adults, the potential relationship between DL-PCBs and IGF-I serum levels was studied in 456 healthy adults from a representative sample of the general population of the Canary Islands (Spain). DESIGN: Free circulating serum levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were measured through an ELISA methodology, while the serum levels of the 12 DL-PCBs congeners (IUPAC numbers # 77, 81, 105, 114, 118, 123, 126, 156, 157, 167, 169, and 189) were measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). RESULTS: DL-PCBs 156 and 167, Total DL-PCBs body burden (∑PCBs: sum over the 12 measured DL-PCBs), and Total toxic burden (in terms of toxic equivalence to dioxins: ∑TEQs) showed a trend of inverse association with IGF-I serum levels in the whole studied population. After adjusting for potential confounders, including gender, body mass index (BMI), age, and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), younger (18-45 years) women with lower BMI (<27 kg/m(2)) and detectable levels of DL-PCB-156 showed significantly lower IGF-I levels than those in the same age and BMI subgroup with non-detectable levels of DL-PCB-156 (p<0.001). Similarly, ∑PCBs and ∑TEQs showed a tendency to an inverse association with IGF-I levels in the same group of women (p=0.017 and p=0.019 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that DL-PCBs could be involved in the regulation of the IGF-system in a way possibly influenced by gender, age and BMI. Although these results should be interpreted with caution, such circumstances could contribute to explain the development of diseases associated to the IGF system

Simultaneous quantification of 49 elements associated to e-waste in human blood by ICP-MS for routine analysis

Health risks concerns related to e-waste contamination are increasing all over the world, and especially in developing countries. We have developed an easy, quick, and robust method for the quantification of 49 elements associated to electronic consumer products and their e-wastes in human blood. An aliquot of blood (130 μL) is simply diluted using an alkaline solution, and the elements are simultaneously quantified at the picogram-per-milliliter level without the need of clean-up steps. The accuracy, precision, linearity and limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method were assessed. Recovery values at concentration levels between 0.010 and 5 ng mL−1 were studied. A range of 89–118% and a range of 87–128% for REE and toxic heavy elements was found respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSD) calculated were lower than 8% for the most elements. The limits of quantification (LOQ) were found to be lower than 0.04 ng mL−1 for toxic heavy elements and 0.06 ng mL−1 for the REE with some few exceptions in both cases. The validity of the proposed methodology was assessed by analyzing a certified human blood reference material with known concentrations of several elements. The proposed method is suitable for routine use in biomonitoring studies

Fenomenologia heideggeriana como referencial para estudos sobre formação em saúde

Reflete-se sobre as possibilidades da fenomenologia heideggeriana como referência na análise da educação na saúde. Heidegger propõe, em "Ser e tempo", a investigação sobre o sentido do ser, fundamental para o conhecimento que o homem possa ter de si mesmo como ser finito. Suas ideias provocaram transformações na concepção humanista moderna e na prática em educação. O indivíduo é sempre ator, sendo na medida em que existe, experimentando a si próprio na existência. O modo de ser privativo da saúde, o padecimento, é acompanhado sempre de uma limitação da possibilidade de viver. Assim, a fenomenologia heideggeriana nos ajuda a questionar a educação em saúde. Compreende-se que o homem se encontra sempre em copresença, entre a preocupação substitutiva e a libertadora. Este caminho se mostra possível quando contemplados os diversos modos de ser-professor e de ser-estudante. Possibilita-se, assim, aprofundar o ensinar-aprender na formação em saúde

Ethanol and Medical Psychotropics Co-Consumption in European Countries: Results from a Three-Year Retrospective Study of Forensic Samples in Spain

Ethanol and medical psychotropics (MPs) are legal psychoactive substances widely consumed in Western countries that are routinely detected in standard toxicological analyses at compulsory autopsies, and toxicokinetic interactions between these drugs have been described. However, studies assessing the consequences of this co-consumption are scarce in Europe. We performed a retrospective study on toxicological results from compulsory autopsies in Spain. Thirty-five legal psychotropics, including ethanol, were measured in blood samples from 380 decedents to assess the determinants of such co-consumption. MPs were detected in 42.4% of the subjects. Polypharmacy was frequent in our series (25%), being more frequent in men than in women. More than one-third of the decedents had detectable levels of ethanol, and a significant positive association between ethanol levels and age was evident. About one-third of MPs consumers were also co-consumers of ethanol. The simultaneous consumption of ethanol and MPs was higher in men than in women. Blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) were lower in men who consumed MPs. In polypharmacy deaths, there was a significant negative association between the number of MPs consumed and BAC in men (r = −0.097; p = 0.029). Our results showed a high prevalence of co-consumption of MPs and ethanol in the European population involved in medico-legal issues and suggest that toxicokinetic interactions may be lowering BAC in men. This is a very worrying result, as it could indicate that the legal blood ethanol limits set by legislation would not be appropriate for men on MPs treatment

Medical Psychotropics in Forensic Autopsies in European Countries: Results from a Three-Year Retrospective Study in Spain

Medical psychotropics are widely used and prescribed in developed countries. These medications may have an impairing effect on mood or perception and may induce harmful behaviors. Nevertheless, in Europe, studies on their importance from a medico-legal perspective are scarce. To fill this gap, we evaluate the determinants of these drugs in a retrospective study based on data obtained from forensic autopsies. Toxicological analyses were performed on 394 blood samples from compulsory autopsies at the Institute of Legal Medicine of Las Palmas. Of the samples, 41% (159) were positive for at least one psychotropic, with benzodiazepines being the most frequently detected (24.1%), followed by opiates and antidepressants. Benzodiazepines, opiates, and antidepressants were detected more frequently in men who suffered a violent death. More than 30% of the positive samples showed two or more drugs, suggesting a prevalence of polypharmacy among forensic autopsy subjects, with the most frequently combination found being benzodiazepines plus opiates (28.3% of positive samples). A combination of opiates plus antidepressants was also found in subjects involved in violent deaths. Our results suggest that more than 40% of the adult European population involved in medico-legal issues may be under the influence of legal psychotropics. The link between violent deaths and the use of medical psychotropics is particularly worrisome and indicates that these drugs should be carefully monitored in developed countries, in all forensic autopsies, in a similar way to illegal psychotropics

Distribution of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 (ng/ml) in the studied population.

<p><i>Abbreviations:</i> p5 represents the 5th percentile and p95 represents the 95th percentile.</p><p><i>P</i> values correspond to comparison between characteristics, for IGF-I and IGFBP-3 (Kruskal-Wallis test).</p

Scatter plot of log IGF-I serum levels and log of DL-PCB 156 (A), PCB 167 (B), ∑DL-PCBs (C), and ∑TEQs serum levels (D).

<p>Scatter plot of log IGF-I serum levels and log of DL-PCB 156 (A), PCB 167 (B), ∑DL-PCBs (C), and ∑TEQs serum levels (D).</p

Distribution of DL-PCBs concentrations (ng/g lipid) and TEQs (pg/g lipid) in adult blood serum in the population of the Canary Islands.

<p><i>Abbreviations:</i> LOQ, limit of quantification; N.A., not applicable. p5 and p95 represent the 5^th and 95^th percentiles respectively. ∑DL-PCB: sum over the dioxin-like PCB levels (IUPAC numbers 77, 81, 105, 114, 118, 123, 126, 156, 157, 167, 169, and 189). ∑TEQs: sum over TEQs for the DL-PCBs.</p