LOS OBSTÁCULOS QUE ENFRENTAN LOS ESTUDIANTES EN EL PRIMER AÑO UNIVERSITARIO Y LAS ESTRATEGIAS CONSTRUIDAS PARA AFRONTARLOS

El presente trabajo, resume los avances del proyecto de investigación “Los obstáculos que enfrentan los estudiantes en el primer año universitario y las estrategias construidas para afrontarlos. El caso de la Facultad de Humanidades, Artes y Ciencias Sociales, sede Concepción del Uruguay (UADER), un estudio cualitativo”1 Partimos de suponer que, si logramos conjugar diferentes miradas a la problemática del acceso y la permanencia a través de lo que nos expresen los propios sujetos involucrados, podremos identificar aspectos tanto psicosociales, sociodinámicos e institucionales que entorpecen o facilitan la permanencia. Esto permitirá superar nuestras propias apreciaciones como docentes sobre los alumnos: “los estudiantes no saben leer, no se entiende lo que escriben”, “no se motivan”, “no entienden las consignas”; pero, además, las valoraciones que hacen los mismos estudiantes respecto de los docentes y del proceso académico en general: “no entendemos cuando el profesor explica”, “no sé cómo hacer con tanto que nos dan para estudiar”, “¿para qué me sirve tal o cual asignatura?”. Para ello no podemos circunscribir la problemática a las dificultades de aprendizaje específicas como la lectura, escritura, comprensión de textos, sino a todas aquellas cuestiones tanto internas como externas al sujeto que pueden incidir en el surgimiento de problemáticas que afectan el desarrollo del proceso de enseñanza- aprendizaje

Flow cytometric analysis of circulating dendritic cell subsets and intracellular cytokine production in advanced breast cancer patients

Patients with advanced cancer are known to have dysfunctions of the immune system. Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells that play a crucial role in antitumor immune response. At least two peripheral blood DC subsets have been described: myeloid-derived CD11c+CD123- DCs (DC1) and lymphoid-derived CD11c-CD123+ DCs (DC2). Upon interaction with T cells, DC2 seemed to support the generation of a Th2 response, while DC1 predominantly prime a Th1 response. Our study was aimed at investigating the number of circulating DCs, and their subsets and functions in 32 patients with advanced breast cancer that achieved an objective response after a standard-dose sequential chemotherapy (CT), compared to 40 healthy controls. Circulating DC subsets and intracellular cytokine production in CD4+ and CD8+ subsets were analyzed using a tri-color flow cytometry assay. DC subsets were identified in peripheral blood, calculating their percentage gated as lin- HLA-DR+ and using BDCA-1, BDCA-2 and BDCA-3 specific markers, as DC1 and DC2 according to expression of CD11c and CD123, respectively. Intracellular cytokines were evaluated in CD4+(Th1 and Th2) and CD8+ (Tc1 and Tc2) T lymphocytes. The mean percentage of BDCA-1+BDCA-2+BDCA-3 was similar to that of DC1+DC2 (p=ns). The mean percentage of DCs and DC1/DC2 ratio were slightly decreased before CT in cancer patients compared with healthy controls (p=ns). After CT, the percent-age of DC1 further decreased (p=0.02). The production of IFN-gamma (Th1 and Tc1) significantly decreased (p<0.03) while that of IL-4 (Th2 and Tc2) increased (p=0.04), thus confirming a shift toward a Th2 CD4 and Tc2 CD8 phenotype and the predominance of type 2 DCs. Our results could help clarify the mechanisms of the immune response or immune status of patients with advanced breast cancer that undergo cytotoxic CT and contribute to improve the selection of potential candidates for active immunotherapy trials

Progress report on the palliative therapy of 100 patients with neoplastic effusions by intracavitary low-dose interleukin-2

Objective: Several cytokines, particularly IL-2 and interferons, are thought to be effective in the palliative therapy of neoplastic effusions. We report on the activity and toxicity of intracavitary administration of low-dose IL-2 in a case series of 100 cancer patients with neoplastic effusions. Methods: One hundred patients with advanced solid tumors and neoplastic effusions underwent IL-2 intracavitary injection as first-line treatment. The most common sites of fluid accumulation were pleura (n = 68), peritoneum (n = 21) and pericardium (n = 11). Breast cancer, lung cancer and mesothelioma were the most frequent neoplasms in our series. One cycle consisted of intracavitary IL-2 at 6,000,000 IU on days 1 and 7. Results: According to Paladine's criteria, an objective clinical response was achieved in 72% (complete response in 27% and partial response in 45%), with a median duration of 5 months (range: 1-11 months). The peritoneum was the least responsive site for neoplastic effusion reduction. IL-2 intracavitary injection was well tolerated in all patients; the only toxicity observed was fever &gt;38\uc2\ub0C in 6% of the patients. Conclusion: This study shows that intracavitary injection of IL-2 represents a feasible, well-tolerated and effective therapy of neoplastic fluid accumulation. Further studies are needed in order to compare the effectiveness of intracavitary IL-2 with other standard treatments

Etude de generateurs primaires tout solide utilisant des verres conducteurs par les ions lithium

CNRS AR 11736 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueSIGLEFRFranc