Collaborative hierarchy maintains cooperation in asymmetric games

The interplay of social structure and cooperative behavior is under much scrutiny lately as behavior in social contexts becomes increasingly relevant for everyday life. Earlier experimental work showed that the existence of a social hierarchy, earned through competition, was detrimental for the evolution of cooperative behaviors. Here, we study the case in which individuals are ranked in a hierarchical structure based on their performance in a collective effort by having them play a Public Goods Game. In the first treatment, participants are ranked according to group earnings while, in the second treatment, their rankings are based on individual earnings. Subsequently, participants play asymmetric Prisoner's Dilemma games where higher-ranked players gain more than lower ones. Our experiments show that there are no detrimental effects of the hierarchy formed based on group performance, yet when ranking is assigned individually we observe a decrease in cooperation. Our results show that different levels of cooperation arise from the fact that subjects are interpreting rankings as a reputation which carries information about which subjects were cooperators in the previous phase. Our results demonstrate that noting the manner in which a hierarchy is established is essential for understanding its effects on cooperation.A.A. gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Swiss National Science Foundation under Grants No. P2LAP1-161864 and P300P1-171537. This work was also supported by the EU through FET-Proactive Project DOLFINS (contract no. 640772, A.S.) and FET-Open Project IBSEN (contract no. 662725, A.S.), and by the Ministerio de Econom a y Competitividad of Spain (grant no. FIS2015-64349-P, A.S.) (MINECO/FEDER, UE)

Large scale and information effects on cooperation in public good games

The problem of public good provision is central in economics and touches upon many challenging societal issues, ranging from climate change mitigation to vaccination schemes. However, results which are supposed to be applied to a societal scale have only been obtained with small groups of people, with a maximum group size of 100 being reported in the literature. This work takes this research to a new level by carrying out and analysing experiments on public good games with up to 1000 simultaneous players. The experiments are carried out via an online protocol involving daily decisions for extended periods. Our results show that within those limits, participants' behaviour and collective outcomes in very large groups are qualitatively like those in smaller ones. On the other hand, large groups imply the difficulty of conveying information on others' choices to the participants. We thus consider different information conditions and show that they have a drastic effect on subjects' contributions. We also classify the individual decisions and find that they can be described by a moderate number of types. Our findings allow to extend the conclusions of smaller experiments to larger settings and are therefore a relevant step forward towards the understanding of human behaviour and the organisation of our society.A.A. gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain under grant no. FJCI-2016-28276. This work was also supported by the EU through FET-Proactive Project DOLFINS (contract no. 640772, A.S.) and FET-Open Project IBSEN (contract no. 662725, A.S.), and by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain (grant no. FIS2015-64349-P, J.C. and A.S.) (MINECO/FEDER, UE), and by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades/FEDER (Spain/UE) through grant PGC2018-098186-B-I00 (BASIC)

Chronic Venous Disease in Pregnant Women Causes an Increase in ILK in the Placental Villi Associated with a Decrease in E-Cadherin

Chronic venous disease (CVD) is a multifactorial vascular disorder frequently manifested in lower limbs in the form of varicose veins (VVs). Women are a vulnerable population for suffering from CVD, especially during pregnancy, when a plethora of changes occur in their cardiovascular system. Previous studies have indicated a worrisome association between CVD in pregnancy with the placental structure and function. Findings include an altered cellular behavior and extracellular matrix (ECM) composition. Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) is a critical molecule involved in multiple physiological and pathological conditions, and together with cadherins, is essential to mediate cell to ECM and cell to cell interplay, respectively. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the implication of ILK and a set of cadherins (e-cadherin, cadherin-6 and cadherin-17) in placentas of women with CVD in order to unravel the possible pathophysiological role of these components. Gene expression (RT-qPCR) and protein expression (immunohistochemistry) studies were performed. Our results show a significant increase in the gene and protein expression of ILK, cadherin-6 and cadherin-17 and a decrease of e-cadherin in the placenta of women with CVD. Overall, this work shows that an abnormal expression of ILK, e-cadherin, cadherin-6 and cadherin-17 may be implicated in the pathological changes occurring in the placental tissue. Further studies should be conducted to determine the possible associations of these changes with maternal and fetal well-being

Reflexiones y aportaciones metodológicas

los aportes reunidos en esta obra, provienen de experiencias previas de trabajo profesional y de investigación, lo cual es resultado de distintos enfoques y vivencias de los grupos de investigación aquí involucrados, los que han interactuado en distintos eventos académicos y específicamente, en seminarios que propiciaron la producción que se reúne en esta publicación colectiva. Finalmente, esta experiencia acumulada es una de las mejores recomendaciones para la lectura por demás interesante y propositivo.El presente libro, identifica los aportes metodológicos del trabajo cotidiano en diferentes capítulos para integrarlos a los propios de las disciplinas del diseño. Asimismo, uno de los capítulos aborda la necesidad de estudiar un contexto de referencia que el destinatario pueda interpretar, entre un canal físico y una conexión psicológica a modo de estrategia interpretativa individual y colectiva. Este discurso, sostienen los coautores, se enmarca en la hermenéutica y dentro de lo colectivo, ya que este proceso se estudia desde las aportaciones del interaccionismo simbólico. Se abandona la construcción de las utopías, a la vez que busca soluciones diseñísticas, actuales y novedosas. Es así que el sentido del mensaje del objeto de diseño como texto conlleva un discurso que no “es realizado por el emisor, sino por el receptor y es la enunciación, narración y reconfiguración de los textos, en donde el discurso conforma una determinada idea de la realidad”

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Propuesta de modelización para abordar los fenómenos electrostáticos en alumnos de secundaria

We present how the idea of scientific model, from a semanticist epistemology, can be used to guide the design, development and validation of teaching and learning strategies under a models and modeling approach, taking as reference -shaped as a guiding hypothesis- a construct called Scientific School Arrival Model (MCEA1 ). We indicate how such reference is elaborated, from which we derive criteria for designing the teaching sequence that allow juniorschool students (13-14 years) to model electrostatic phenomena in the classroom. Thus, we can evaluate science school models build in the classroom compared with MCEA; allowing the possibility to test them and making them part of the curriculum as plausible targets to be achieved. We outline as well a didactic sequence based on the use of MCEA, which seeks to undertake school science activities, use devices, design test and develop cognitive skills -based in the definition of model used- that allow the students to greater understanding of these phenomena; achieving such understanding by constructing models during the teaching and learning sequence with the use of imagining, putting arguments in place and predicting those phenomena taken on board.Presentamos cómo la idea de modelo científico, proveniente de una epistemología semanticista, puede ser utilizada para orientar el diseño, desarrollo y validación de estrategias didácticas, teniendo como referente -en forma de hipótesis directriz- un constructo llamado Modelo Científico Escolar de Arribo (MCEA). Indicamos cómo se elabora dicho referente, de donde derivamos criterios para diseñar la secuencia didáctica que lleve a estudiantes de secundaria (13-14 años) a modelizar fenómenos electrostáticos en el salón de clases. Así, podremos evaluar los modelos escolares que los estudiantes logran construir en el aula comparándolos con el MCEA, y de esta manera, constituirlos en parte del currículo como metas plausibles de alcanzar. Esta secuencia didáctica, fundamentada en el MCEA, busca llevar al cabo actividades científicas escolares: utilizar dispositivos, diseñar pruebas y desarrollar habilidades cognitivas, donde se fortalezca la comprensión de fenómenos; logrando la construcción de modelos durante la secuencia con el uso de la imaginación para elaborar explicaciones, la argumentación y la predicción de los fenómenos naturales abordados

Incorporation of new technologies to Pathophysiology seminars in the Pharmacy degree improves the quality of the teaching-learning process

[EN] The Pathophysiology subject of the Pharmacy Degree consists of seminars that have traditionally been planned as group oral presentations. However, the wide use of this methodology in many subjects may cause a decrease in the motivation and performance of students in this activity. Furthermore, this strategy might not be very effective in incorporating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Therefore, we have implemented a change in the methodology, applying new pedagogical strategies that promote the use of new information and communication technologies through electronic devices, such as multimedia elements and audience response tools. Our aim is to increase the attention, motivation and participation of students and encourage the acquisition of skills that allow them to integrate the theoretical contents of the subject with its applied aspect. This teaching innovation project, implemented in the 21-22 academic year and optimized in the 22-23 academic year, has generated promising results that are in line with those originally planned, increasing the performance and motivation of students in the development of this activity and improving their perception of the use of time in class, the understanding and integration of the contents, as well as the incorporation of the SDG.[ES] La asignatura de Fisiopatología del Grado de Farmacia consta de seminarios que tradicionalmente se han planteado como exposiciones orales grupales. Sin embargo, la amplia utilización de esta metodología en muchas asignaturas puede ser causa de una disminución en la motivación y rendimiento del alumnado en esta actividad. Además, esta estrategia podría no ser muy efectiva para incorporar los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS). Por tanto, hemos implantado un cambio de la metodología, aplicando nuevas estrategias pedagógicas que potencian el uso de nuevas tecnologías de la información y la comunicación a través de dispositivos electrónicos, tales como elementos multimedia y herramientas de respuesta a audiencia. Nuestro objetivo es aumentar la atención, motivación y participación del alumnado y fomentar la adquisición de competencias que les permitan integrar los contenidos teóricos de la asignatura con su vertiente aplicada. Este proyecto de innovación docente, implantado en el curso 21-22 y optimizado en el 22-23, ha generado resultados prometedores que se ajustan a los previstos inicialmente, aumentando el rendimiento y la motivación del alumnado en el desarrollo de esta actividad y mejorando su percepción del aprovechamiento del tiempo en clase, la comprensión y la integración de los contenidos, así como la incorporación de los ODS.UV-SFPIE_PID-1642012, UV-SFPIE_PID-2078993 (Universitat de València).Blas García, A.; Serna, E.; González, V.; Mena, S.; Pérez Garrido, S.; Ortega, A.; Carretero, J.... (2023). La incorporación de nuevas tecnologías a los seminarios de Fisiopatología en el grado de Farmacia mejora la calidad del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 971-977. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2023.2023.1664097197