Estudio preliminar de las dificultades de enseñanza-aprendizaje durante la utilización de instrumentos de microscopía en ciclos de Formación Profesional

Los estudios didácticos desarrollados en la etapa de Formación Profesional y relacionados con la enseñanza-aprendizaje de contenidos teóricos y prácticos sobre microscopía son escasos y poco representativos. Esta investigación tiene como objetivo la identificación de las principales dificultades que afronta el alumnado de los ciclos formativos en «Técnico Superior en Anatomía Patológica y Citodiagnóstico» y «Técnico Superior en Laboratorio Clínico y Biomédico» durante el trabajo de aula con diferentes herramientas de microscopía, el cual es fundamental para alcanzar las competencias profesionales de ambos ciclos. Participaron 176 estudiantes de dos centros de Málaga (España), que cumplimentaron un cuestionario diseñado ad hoc de 14 preguntas: 10 cerradas con escala de Likert y 4 abiertas. Los resultados preliminares indican que las observaciones directas con el microscopio son sustituidas por el alumnado por la toma de fotografías con sus propios teléfonos móviles, lo que dificulta la adquisición de competencia en su manejo.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Exelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Engagement para las Mipymes: uso de Instagram

El presente trabajo muestra las ventajas del uso de la red social Instagram como plataforma de los anunciantes de las Mipymes, ya que en la actualidad muchas de ellas aún no han desarrollado planes de marketing digital, utilizando esta aplicación como herramienta de mejora que les permita en un futuro fidelizar a sus clientes a través de la creación de un vínculo emocional o engagement. Se hizo una investigación documental con un enfoque cualitativo, se consultaron fuentes secundarias para analizar el fenómeno, en este caso Instagram cuyo objetivo fue investigar y analizar su efectividad en el desarrollo de las estrategias de las empresas a través de una red social de bajo costo. Como conclusión, las Mipymes a través de sus acciones en Instagram como una herramienta visual y económica, podrán comunicarse, darse a conocer y tener una mayor presenciaen el mercado que les permitirá competir con otros negocios

Brecha de Género en la Alta Dirección: Participación y Obstáculos de las Mujeres en Organizaciones a Nivel Global

When a vacancy is offered in an organization, there is competition on the part of the interested parties to fill it, especially if it is a management position; In this case, women face inequitable treatment because the belief in stereotypes still prevails in companies and that due to their female condition they are responsible for the home, children and family in general, considering them unfit to occupy management positions. The objective of this work is to demonstrate that there is a lack of inclusion of women in organizations at the management level. A descriptive documentary methodology was used with a review of scientific literature for the analysis of the phenomenon under study. As a result, there is a lack of inclusion of women in management positions in companies, even though they are committed, responsible and experts in crisis management, for example, the percentage of participation in management positions in Latin America is 40.58% in South America. North 22% while Africa 3%.Cuando se oferta una vacante de puesto en una organización, existe competencia por parte de los interesados para ocuparla, sobre todo si se trata de un puesto directivo; en este caso, las mujeres se enfrentan a un trato inequitativo porque todavía impera en las empresas la creencia de los estereotipos y que por su condición femenina son las responsables del hogar, hijos y familia en general, considerándolas no aptas para ocupar puestos directivos. El objetivo de este trabajo es demostrar que existe falta de inclusión de mujeres en las organizaciones a nivel directivo. Se utilizó una metodología de tipo documental descriptiva con revisión de literatura científica para el análisis del fenómeno objeto de estudio. Como resultado se observa la falta de inclusión de mujeres en puestos de dirección en empresas, a pesar de que son comprometidas, responsables y expertas en manejo de crisis, por ejemplo, el porcentaje de participación en puestos directivos en América Latina es del 40.58% en América del Norte 22% mientras que África el 3%

In Utero p,p′-DDE Exposure and Infant Neurodevelopment: A Perinatal Cohort in Mexico

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that p,p′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene (DDE) affects neurodevelopment in infants, although a critical exposure window has not yet been identified. OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to assess the prenatal DDE exposure window and its effect on the psychomotor development index (PDI) and mental development index (MDI) during the first year of life. METHODS: We recruited 244 children whose pregnancies and deliveries were uncomplicated, and whose mothers were monitored throughout the pregnancy. Participating mothers were not occupationally exposed to DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) but were residents of a zone in Mexico with endemic malaria. We measured serum levels of DDE before pregnancy and during each trimester of the pregnancy. We evaluated PDI and MDI of the Bayley Scales for Infant Development (BSID-II), at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months of age. We adjusted for quality of the home environment and maternal intellectual coefficient (IQ). We used generalized mixed-effects models for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Third-trimester DDE level (7.8 ± 2.8 ppb) was significantly higher than the level at baseline, first, and second trimesters, but the differences never exceeded 20%. Only DDE levels during the first trimester of pregnancy were associated with a significant reduction in PDI (every doubled increase of DDE level reduced the PDI 0.5 points). DDE was not associated with MDI. CONCLUSIONS: A critical window of exposure to DDE in utero may be the first trimester of the pregnancy, and psychomotor development is a target of this compound. Residues of DDT metabolites may present a risk of developmental delay for years after termination of DDT use

Diagnosis and Treatment in Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis: Past, Present, and Future

Respiratory diseases are pathological conditions that affect airways, hampering breathing and causing high mortality. In particular, asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) are two of the most common airway diseases that affect millions of people and have a high prevalence in childhood and adulthood. Asthma is a heterogeneous chronic inflammatory disease characterized by wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and cough. AR occurs with rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, and sneezing. Indeed, these pathologies share common physiopathological mechanisms such as airway hyperresponsiveness and similar immunopathology such as tissue eosinophilia and T-helper type 2 inflammation. Moreover, AR can be an important risk factor for suffering asthma. Thus, early diagnosis and effective treatment are crucial to improving the health and quality of life of these patients. Classical drugs such as corticosteroids have been used; however, in the last decades, efforts to improve treatments have increased, focusing on biological agents and specific allergen immunotherapy development. Moreover, more precise diagnostic tools have been elaborated, besides classical methods (medical history, physical examination, and pulmonary function tests), such as basophil activation test, and specific cellular and molecular biomarkers (microRNAs, sputum/blood eosinophils, IgE serum, and periostin levels). Therefore, in this review, we compile all these important issues for managing asthma and AR.Espada-Sánchez M, Sáenz de Santa María R, Martín-Astorga MdC, Lebrón-Martín C, Delgado MJ, Eguiluz-Gracia I, Rondón C, Mayorga C, Torres MJ, Aranda CJ, Cañas JA. Diagnosis and Treatment in Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis: Past, Present, and Future. Applied Sciences. 2023; 13(3):1273. https://doi.org/10.3390/app1303127

SAlBi educa (Tailored Nutrition App for Improving Dietary Habits): Initial Evaluation of Usability

In recent years, the use of applications to improve dietary habits has increased. Although numerous nutrition apps are available on the market, only few have been developed by health and nutrition professionals based on scientific evidence and subsequently tested to prove their usability. The main objective of this study was to design, develop, and evaluate the usability of a tailored nutrition application to be used to promote healthy eating habits. In order to decide app design and content, three focus groups took place with fifteen professionals from primary healthcare, nutrition, and food science and computer science, as well as expert users. For the general and feedback message design, a reference model based on the scientific literature was developed. To address the multi-perspective approach of users' and external healthcare professionals' feedback, a one-day pilot testing with potential users and healthcare professionals was conducted with four focus groups. To evaluate the relevance and potential usability of the app a 1-month pilot test was conducted in a real-life environment. A total of 42 volunteers participated in the one-day pilot testing, and 39 potential users participated in the 1-month pilot test. The SAlBi educa app developed includes an online dietary record, a self-monitoring tool to evaluate dietary patterns, general and feedback messages, and examples of traditional Mediterranean recipes. The usability study showed that volunteers think that SAlBi educa is pleasant (59%) and easy to learn to use (94%). Over 84% of the volunteers declared that the nutritional messages were clear and useful. Volunteers stated that general and tailored recommendations, as well as self-monitoring, were SAlBi educa's most motivating and useful features. SAlBi educa is an innovative, user-friendly nutritional education tool with the potential to engage and help individuals to follow dietary habits based on the Mediterranean model.Junta de Andalucía PIN-0050-201

Material docente con un enfoque práctico dirigido a la caracterización de compuestos inorgánicos

Se han elaborado una coleccón de ejercicios utilizando las técnicas de caracterizacion de materiales inorgánicos Además se incluyen un tutorial en el que se dirige al estudiante como es la manera de identificar las bandas caracteristicas de los compuestos, y tambien hay conocimientos generales de EDS. Los ejercicios propuestos tambien se presentan resueltos paso a paso para que se puedan seguir de manera sencilla su desarrollo

Efecto del consumo de harina de maíz fortificada con ácido fólico sobre los niveles de folatos sanguíneos en mujeres de edad fértil

Fortification of foods is now widely used to prevent folate deficiency. Folic acid has been added to corn flour and its efficacy in the prevention of NTD has been proved. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of the intake of fortified corn-flour versus non fortified flour and to folic acid supplement, on blood folate levels in women of childbearing age. Forty-five women were randomized into three groups according to: (A) use of fortified flour (n=18), (B) non-fortified flour (n=17); (C) supplementation with 5 mg of oral folic acid (n=10). All females answer a dietary and anthropometric questionnaire applied once a month during three months. Blood red cell (IE) and plasmatic (P) folate were measured at the beginning and at the end of the study; also the DNA analysis for the 677T mutation was performed. The corn flour was provided to groups A and B during three months, to be consumed as eight tortillas daily. Group C received 5.0 mg tablet of folic acid (Valdecasas®), once per week, during three months. IE and P folate and hematocrito were significantly increased in women from group C (p<0.05) ). Only plasmatic folic acid levels were significantly increased in women from groups A and B. Genotype distribution was: 15.6% homozygous TT, 42.2% C/C and 42.2% CT. Weekly administration of 5.0 mg of folic acid is an effective way to increase blood folate levels and shows to be more efficient than fortified corn flour

Markers of endothelial damage in patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis

Patients with Stage 5 chronic kidney disease who are on hemodialysis (HD) remain in a chronic inflammatory state, characterized by the accumulation of uremic toxins that induce endothelial damage and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Our aim was to examine microvesicles (MVs), monocyte subpopulations, and angiopoietins (Ang) to identify prognostic markers in HD patients with or without diabetes mellitus (DM). A total of 160 prevalent HD patients from 10 centers across Spain were obtained from the Biobank of the Nephrology Renal Network (Madrid, Spain): 80 patients with DM and 80 patients without DM who were matched for clinical and demographic criteria. MVs from plasma and several monocyte subpopulations (CD142+/CD16+, CD14+/CD162+) were analyzed by flow cytometry, and the plasma concentrations of Ang1 and Ang2 were quantified by ELISA. Data on CVD were gathered over the 5.5 yr after these samples were obtained. MV level, monocyte subpopulations (CD14+/CD162+ and CD142+/CD16+), and Ang2-to-Ang1 ratios increased in HD patients with DM compared with non-DM patients. Moreover, MV level above the median (264 MVs/µl) was associated independently with greater mortality. MVs, monocyte subpopulations, and Ang2-to-Ang1 ratio can be used as predictors for CVD. In addition, MV level has a potential predictive value in the prevention of CVD in HD patients. These parameters undergo more extensive changes in patients with DM.Support for this work was provided by Plan Nacional de IDi Proyectos de Investigación en Salud of Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)–Subdirección General de Evaluación, Fondos de desarrollo regional (FEDER; PI11/01536, PI12/01489, PI14/00806, PI15/01785); Junta de Andalucía grants (P010-CTS-6337, P11-CTS-7352); and Fundación Nefrológica. P. Buendía, A. Carmona, and C. Luna-Ruiz are fellows from Consejería de Innovacion, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía

Effectiveness of an intervention for improving drug prescription in primary care patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy:Study protocol of a cluster randomized clinical trial (Multi-PAP project)

This study was funded by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias ISCIII (Grant Numbers PI15/00276, PI15/00572, PI15/00996), REDISSEC (Project Numbers RD12/0001/0012, RD16/0001/0005), and the European Regional Development Fund ("A way to build Europe").Background: Multimorbidity is associated with negative effects both on people's health and on healthcare systems. A key problem linked to multimorbidity is polypharmacy, which in turn is associated with increased risk of partly preventable adverse effects, including mortality. The Ariadne principles describe a model of care based on a thorough assessment of diseases, treatments (and potential interactions), clinical status, context and preferences of patients with multimorbidity, with the aim of prioritizing and sharing realistic treatment goals that guide an individualized management. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a complex intervention that implements the Ariadne principles in a population of young-old patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The intervention seeks to improve the appropriateness of prescribing in primary care (PC), as measured by the medication appropriateness index (MAI) score at 6 and 12months, as compared with usual care. Methods/Design: Design:pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial. Unit of randomization: family physician (FP). Unit of analysis: patient. Scope: PC health centres in three autonomous communities: Aragon, Madrid, and Andalusia (Spain). Population: patients aged 65-74years with multimorbidity (≥3 chronic diseases) and polypharmacy (≥5 drugs prescribed in ≥3months). Sample size: n=400 (200 per study arm). Intervention: complex intervention based on the implementation of the Ariadne principles with two components: (1) FP training and (2) FP-patient interview. Outcomes: MAI score, health services use, quality of life (Euroqol 5D-5L), pharmacotherapy and adherence to treatment (Morisky-Green, Haynes-Sackett), and clinical and socio-demographic variables. Statistical analysis: primary outcome is the difference in MAI score between T0 and T1 and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Adjustment for confounding factors will be performed by multilevel analysis. All analyses will be carried out in accordance with the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: It is essential to provide evidence concerning interventions on PC patients with polypharmacy and multimorbidity, conducted in the context of routine clinical practice, and involving young-old patients with significant potential for preventing negative health outcomes. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02866799Publisher PDFPeer reviewe