Evaluating the Dental Providers’ Cross-cultural Knowledge Test (Dp-cc-kt-50) as a Brief Online E-health Intervention and Curriculum Outline for Dental Schools and Continuing Education for Dental Providers

The study introduced and evaluated the new Dental Providers’ Cross-Cultural KnowledgeTest (DP-CC-KT-50) designed to have utility to: 1) assess dental providers’ and dental students’ cross-cultural knowledge; 2) serve as a brief online e-health intervention for increasing the crosscultural knowledge of dental providers in training or currently in practice; and 3) provide an outline of topics to be covered in a cross-cultural curriculum for use in dental schools and continuing education for providers. Using the new tool, dental providers (N= 155) and dental students (N=337) were found to have a moderate level of knowledge; and, over 96% recommended the tool to others as a brief online e-health intervention, and as an outline providing topics for a cross-cultural curriculum for use in dental schools and continuing education for providers. Findings showed for both dental providers and dental students that the experience of taking the DP-CC-KT-50 with all “True” answers served as a brief online e-health intervention that resulted in: self-ratings for level of knowledge for the topics in the DP-CC-KT- 50 being significantly higher after taking it; self-ratings of self-efficacy for effectively delivering oral health care to diverse patients being significantly higher after taking it; and, a moderate positive impact for (a) being more open to, interested in, or motivated for providing oral health care to diverse patients, (b) having more understanding about the lives, experiences, and external societal influences on diverse patients, (c) having more empathy and compassion for diverse patients, and (d) shifting or changing some of their attitudes and beliefs about diverse patients. The DP-CC-KT-50 emerged as the most up-to-date and comprehensive tool for determining what providers and dental students know about cultural competence and cross-cultural oral health care service delivery with contemporary diverse patients; and for conducting research in this area. The DP-CC-KT-50 is recommended in research with nationally representative samples, and for assessment and research by dental schools as they pursue improvement in dental education. More immediately, the DP-CC-KT-50 is recommended for dissemination as a brief online e-health intervention to improve cross-cultural knowledge and self-efficacy for working with diverse patients—both within and beyond the dental profession

Overall evaluation of Skylab imagery for mapping of Latin America

The author has identified the following significant results. Skylab imagery is both desired and needed by the Latin American catographic agencies. The imagery is cost beneficial for the production of new mapping and maintenance of existing maps at national topographic series scales. If this information was available on a near time routine coverage basis, it would provide an excellent additional data base to the Latin American cartographic community, specifically Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Paraguay, and Venezuela

Modelado y tics en la enseñanza de ciencias y matemática

Los modelos y el modelado ocupan un lugar relevante en Ciencias Naturales y Matemática. En la enseñanza media, sin embargo, en tanto se usan los modelos como medio de comunicar el conocimiento científico, no se suele dedicar atención a las tareas de creación y refinamiento de modelos. La introducción de tecnologías informáticas está permitiendo el acceso temprano al modelado de sistemas dinámicos, que tradicionalmente quedan relegados para cuando los alumnos dominan el análisis matemático. En este trabajo se presentan observaciones surgidas de la experiencia en los cursos de formación de profesores del CEFIEC. Se reseñan aspectos significativos tanto de las actividades de modelado como de la simulación informatizada de modelos, la relevancia particular de los sistemas dinámicos y los obstáculos que se deben enfrentar en la formación docente y en la actividad de aula

Ligand binding and homology modelling of insect odorant-binding proteins

This review describes the main characteristics of odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) for homology modelling and presents a summary of structure prediction studies on insect OBPs, along with the steps involved and some limitations and improvements. The technique involves a computing approach to model protein structures and is based on a comparison between a target (unknown structure) and one or more templates (experimentally determined structures). As targets for structure prediction, OBPs are considered to play a functional role for recognition, desorption, scavenging, protection and transportation of hydrophobic molecules (odourants) across an aqueous environment (lymph) to olfactory receptor neurones (ORNs) located in sensilla, the main olfactory units of insect antennae. Lepidopteran pheromone-binding proteins, a subgroup of OBPs, are characterized by remarkable structural features, in which high sequence identities (approximately 30%) among these OBPs and a large number of available templates can facilitate the prediction of precise homology models. Approximately 30 studies have been performed on insect OBPs using homology modelling as a tool to predict their structures. Although some of the studies have assessed ligand-binding affinity using structural information and biochemical measurements, few have performed docking and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations as a virtual method to predict best ligands. Docking and MD simulations are discussed in the context of discovery of novel semiochemicals (super-ligands) using homology modelling to conceive further strategies in insect management

Minor H Antigen HA-1–specific Regulator and Effector CD8+ T Cells, and HA-1 Microchimerism, in Allograft Tolerance

The role of the hematopoietic lineage-restricted minor histocompatibility (H) antigen HA-1 in renal allograft tolerance was explored. We obtained peripheral blood samples from three recipients of histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA)–matched, HA-1–mismatched renal transplants, one of which had discontinued immunosuppression >30 yr ago while sustaining normal kidney function. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were injected into the footpads of severe combined immunodeficiency mice to measure human delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses. All three patients manifested regulated DTH responses to HA-1H peptide. By differential tetramer staining intensities, we observed two distinct minor H antigen HA-1–specific CD8+ T cell subsets. The one that stained dimly had the characteristics of a T regulatory (TR) cell and produced interleukin (IL) 10 and/or transforming growth factor (TGF) β. These HA-1–specific TR cells coexisted with bright tetramer-binding CD8+ T effector (TE) cells. The CD8+ TE cells mediated HA-1–specific DTH and produced interferon-γ. Suppression of these TE functions by TR cells was TGFβ, IL-10, and cytotoxic T lymphocyte–associated antigen 4 dependent. In addition, HA-1 microchimerism was detected in two recipients, primarily in the dendritic cell fraction of the PBMCs. This is the first demonstration of coexisting CD8+ memory TR and TE cells, both specific for the same HA-1 antigen, in the context of renal allograft tolerance

Development and Long-Term Follow-Up of an Experimental Model of Myocardial Infarction in Rabbits

[EN] A chronic model of acute myocardial infarction was developed to study the mechanisms involved in adverse postinfarction ventricular remodeling. In an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the left circumflex coronary artery of New Zealand White rabbits (n = 9) was occluded by ligature for 1 h, followed by reperfusion. A specific care protocol was applied before, during, and after the intervention, and the results were compared with those of a sham operated group (n = 7). After 5 weeks, programmed stimulation and high-resolution mapping were performed on isolated and perfused hearts using the Langendorff technique. The infarct size determined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride inside of the area at risk (thioflavin-S) was then determined. The area at risk was similar in both groups (54.33% (experimental infarct group) vs. 58.59% (sham group), ns). The infarct size was 73.16% as a percentage of the risk area. The experimental infarct group had a higher inducibility of ventricular arrhythmias (100% vs. 43% in the sham group, p = 0.009). A reproducible chronic experimental model of myocardial infarction is presented in which the extent and characteristics of the lesions enable the study of the vulnerability to develop ventricular arrhythmias because of the remodeling process that occurs during cardiac tissue repair.This research was funded by Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO/2018/078), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CB16/11/00486; PI15/01408; PIE15/0001 3and PI18/01620) to F.J.C.Genovés, P.; Arias-Mutis, ÓJ.; Parra, G.; Such-Miquel, L.; Zarzoso, M.; Del Canto, I.; Soler, C.... (2020). Development and Long-Term Follow-Up of an Experimental Model of Myocardial Infarction in Rabbits. Animals. 10(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani1009157610

PPARγ as an indicator of vascular function in an experimental model of metabolic syndrome in rabbits

Background and aims: Underlying mechanisms associated with vascular dysfunction in metabolic syndrome (MetS) remain unclear and can even vary from one vascular bed to another. Methods: In this study, MetS was induced by a high-fat, high-sucrose diet, and after 28 weeks, aorta and renal arteries were removed and used for isometric recording of tension in organ baths, protein expression by Western blot, and histological analysis to assess the presence of atherosclerosis. Results: MetS induced a mild hypertension, pre-diabetes, central obesity and dyslipidaemia. Our results indicated that MetS did not change the contractile response in either the aorta or renal artery. Conversely, vasodilation was affected in both arteries in a different way. The aorta from MetS showed vascular dysfunction, including lower response to acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside, while the renal artery from MetS presented a preserved relaxation to acetylcholine and an increased sensitivity to sodium nitroprusside. We did not find vascular oxidative stress in the aorta from MetS, but we found a significant decrease in PPARγ, phospho-Akt (p-Akt) and phospho-eNOS (p-eNOS) protein expression. On the other hand, we found oxidative stress in the renal artery from MetS, and PPARγ, Akt and p-Akt were overexpressed. No evidence of atherosclerosis was found in arteries from MetS. Conclusions: MetS affects vascular function differently depending on the vessel. In the aorta, it decreases both the vasodilation and the expression of the PPARγ/Akt/eNOS pathway, while in the renal artery, it increases the expression of PPARγ/Akt signalling pathway without decreasing the vasodilation