Estudio etnográfico sobre el envejecer de las mujeres mayores desde una perspectiva de género y de curso vital

Todavía hoy existe escasa bibliografía que estudie el envejecimiento y la vejez desde una perspectiva de género. Y muchos de los estudios que sí la han aplicado, resaltan las vulnerabilidades de las mujeres mayores, invisibilizando sus potencialidades y su diversidad. Este trabajo trata de superar esta carencia. El objeto de esta investigación es el envejecer de las mujeres mayores, a través de un estudio etnográfico en las disciplinas de la geroantropología1 y la gerontología feminista mediante: grupos de discusión con mujeres, observación participante en diversos contextos, así como entrevistas a personas expertas y presidentas de asociaciones de mujeres. Este trabajo evidencia cómo los roles de género desempeñados por las participantes en sus cursos vitales han condicionado de manera negativa su situación en la vejez (análisis macro). Al mismo tiempo, se destaca la diversidad que existe entre ellas al analizar sus diferentes trayectorias y experiencias personales (análisis micro). Tres cuestiones son destacables: las desventajas estructurales que las mujeres mayores experimentan frente a los hombres en la vejez, su contribución al desarrollo socioeconómico mediante la provisión de cuidados que prestan en sus familias, y cómo redefinen su proyecto personal a través de la participación social y el ejercicio de una ciudadanía activa

Mujeres mayores: Estudio sobre sus necesidades, contribuciones al desarrollo y participación social

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Departamento de Antropología Social y Pensamiento Filosófico. Fecha de lectura: 14-12-201

Guinea-pig interpubic joint (symphysis pubica) relaxation at parturition: Underlying cellular processes that resemble an inflammatory response

BACKGROUND: At term, cervical ripening in coordination with uterine contractions becomes a prerequisite for a normal vaginal delivery. Currently, cervical ripening is considered to occur independently from uterine contractions. Many evidences suggest that cervical ripening resembles an inflammatory process. Comparatively little attention has been paid to the increased flexibility of the pelvic symphysis that occurs in many species to enable safe delivery. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the guinea-pig interpubic joint relaxation process observed during late pregnancy and parturition resembles an inflammatory process. METHODS: Samples of pubic symphysis were taken from pregnant guinea-pigs sacrificed along gestation, parturition and postpartum. Serial sections of paraffin-embedded tissues were used to measure the interpubic distance on digitalized images, stained with Giemsa to quantify leukocyte infiltration and to describe the vascular area changes, or studied by the picrosirius-polarization method to evaluate collagen remodeling. P4 and E2 serum levels were measured by a sequential immunometric assay. RESULTS: Data showed that the pubic relaxation is associated with an increase in collagen remodeling. In addition, a positive correlation between E2 serum levels and the increase in the interpubic distance was found. On the other hand, a leukocyte infiltration in the interpubic tissue around parturition was described, with the presence of almost all inflammatory cells types. At the same time, histological images show an increase in vascular area (angiogenesis). Eosinophils reached their highest level immediately before parturition; whereas for the neutrophilic and mononuclear infiltration higher values were recorded one day after parturition. Correlation analysis showed that eosinophils and mononuclear cells were positively correlated with E2 levels, but only eosinophilic infiltration was associated with collagen remodeling. Additionally, we observed typical histological images of dissolution of the connective tissue matrix around eosinophils. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that a timely regulated influx of infiltrating leukocytes is associated with an extensive collagen remodeling process that allows the pubic separation for a normal delivery in guinea-pig. Thus, the findings in this study support the hypothesis that the guinea-pig pubic symphyseal relaxation at parturition resembles an inflammatory process

Elderly Population with COVID-19 and the Accuracy of Clinical Scales and D-Dimer for Pulmonary Embolism: The OCTA-COVID Study

Background: Elderly COVID-19 patients have a high risk of pulmonary embolism (PE), but factors that predict PE are unknown in this population. This study assessed the Wells and revised Geneva scoring systems as predictors of PE and their relationships with D-dimer (DD) in this population. Methods: This was a longitudinal, observational study that included patients 75 years old with COVID-19 and suspected PE. The performances of theWells score, revised Geneva score and DD levels were assessed. The combinations of the DD level and the clinical scales were evaluated using positive rules for higher specificity. Results: Among 305 patients included in the OCTA-COVID study cohort, 50 had suspected PE based on computed tomography pulmonary arteriography (CTPA), and the prevalence was 5.6%. The frequencies of PE in the low-, intermediate- and high-probability categories were 5.9%, 88.2% and 5.9% for the Geneva model and 35.3%, 58.8% and 5.9% for the Wells model, respectively. The DD median was higher in the PE group (4.33 mg/L; interquartile range (IQR) 2.40–7.17) than in the no PE group (1.39 mg/L; IQR 1.01–2.75) (p < 0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) for DD was 0.789 (0.652–0.927). After changing the cutoff point for DD to 4.33 mg/L, the specificity increased from 42.5% to 93.9%. Conclusions: The cutoff point DD > 4.33 mg/L has an increased specificity, which can discriminate false positives. The addition of the DD and the clinical probability scales increases the specificity and negative predictive value, which helps to avoid unnecessary invasive tests in this population

Plasma microrna expression profile for reduced ejection fraction in dilated cardiomyopathy

The left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) is key to prognosis in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Circulating microRNAs have emerged as reliable biomarkers for heart diseases, included DCM. Clinicians need improved tools for greater clarification of DCM EF categorization, to identify highrisk patients. Thus, we investigated whether microRNA profiles can categorize DCM patients based on their EF. 179-differentially expressed circulating microRNAs were screened in two groups: (1) non-idiopathic DCM; (2) idiopathic DCM. Then, 26 microRNAs were identified and validated in the plasma of ischemic-DCM (n = 60), idiopathic-DCM (n = 55) and healthy individuals (n = 44). We identified fourteen microRNAs associated with echocardiographic variables that differentiated idiopathic DCM according to the EF degree. A predictive model of a three-microRNA (miR-130b-3p, miR-150-5p and miR-210-3p) combined with clinical variables (left bundle branch block, left ventricle end-systolic dimension, lower systolic blood pressure and smoking habit) was obtained for idiopathic DCM with a severely reduced-EF. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis supported the discriminative potential of the diagnosis. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that miR-150-5p and miR-210-3p target genes might interact with each other with a high connectivity degree. In conclusion, our results revealed a three-microRNA signature combined with clinical variables that highly discriminate idiopathic DCM categorization. This is a potential novel prognostic biomarker with high clinical value

Predictive Factors of Pulmonary Embolism in Older Patients with SARS-CoV-2: The OCTA-COVID-19 Study

Background: The risk of pulmonary embolism (PE) has not been studied in older patients affected by COVID-19. We aimed to assess PE incidence and risk factors in a population of older patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Methods: An ambispective, observational cohort study. A total of 305 patients >= 75 years old had the SARS-CoV-2 infection from March to May 2020. The incidence rate of PE was estimated as the proportion of new cases within the whole sample. Youden's index was used to assess the cutoff point of D-dimer. To select factors associated with the risk of PE, time-to-event analyses were performed using cause-specific hazard models. Results: In total, 305 patients with a median age of 87 years (62.3% female) were studied; 67.9% were referred from nursing homes and 90.4% received any type of anticoagulation. A total of 64.9% showed frailty and 44% presented with dementia. The PE incidence was 5.6%. The cutoff value of a D-dimer level over 2.59 mg/L showed a sensitivity of 82.4% and specificity of 73.8% in discriminating a PE diagnosis. In the multivariate analysis, the factors associated with PE were previous oncological events and D-dimer levels. Conclusions: The PE incidence was 5.6%, and major risk factors for PE were oncological antecedents and increased plasma D-dimer levels.This work was partially supported by grants (to M.Q.-F., J.G.-P.) from the "New announcement for extraordinary initiative fund UAX-Santander COVID-19," Alfonso X el Sabio University

Circulating circRNA as biomarkers for dilated cardiomyopathy etiology

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the third most common cause of heart failure. The multidisciplinary nature of testing - involving genetics, imaging, or cardiovascular techniques - makes its diagnosis challenging. Novel and reliable biomarkers are needed for early identification and tailored personalized management. Peripheral circular RNAs (circRNAs), a leading research topic, remain mostly unexplored in DCM. We aimed to assess whether peripheral circRNAs are expressed differentially among etiology-based DCM. The study was based on a case-control multicentric study. We enrolled 130 subjects: healthy controls (n = 20), idiopathic DCM (n = 30), ischemic DCM (n = 20), and familial DCM patients which included pathogen variants of (i) LMNA gene (n = 30) and (ii) BCL2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) gene (n = 30). Differentially expressed circRNAs were analyzed in plasma samples by quantitative RT-PCR and correlated to relevant systolic and diastolic parameters. The pathophysiological implications were explored through bioinformatics tools. Four circRNAs were overexpressed compared to controls: hsa_circ_0003258, hsa_circ_0051238, and hsa_circ_0051239 in LMNA-related DCM and hsa_circ_0089762 in the ischemic DCM cohort. The obtained areas under the curve confirm the discriminative capacity of circRNAs. The circRNAs correlated with some diastolic and systolic echocardiographic parameters with notable diagnostic potential in DCM. Circulating circRNAs may be helpful for the etiology-based diagnosis of DCM as a non-invasive biomarker. Key messages The limitations of cardiac diagnostic imaging and the absence of a robust biomarker reveal the need for a diagnostic tool for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The circular RNA (circRNA) expression pattern is paramount for categorizing the DCM etiologies. Our peripheral circRNAs fingerprint discriminates between various among etiology-based DCM and correlates with some echocardiographic parameters. We provide a potential non-invasive biomarker for the etiology-based diagnosis of LMNA-related DCM and ischemic DCM.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This work was supported by grants in the framework of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Integrated Territorial Initiative (ITI PI0048-2017 and ITI0033_2019), a clinical research grant from the Spanish Society of Cardiology for Basic Research in cardiology (PI0012_2019), COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) Action EUCardioRNA CA17129, and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the framework of the research grant PTDC-MED-GEN-29389-2017

USANDO MENTIMETER EN EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR: HERRAMIENTA DIGITAL EN LÍNEA PARA INCENTIVAR Y POTENCIAR LA ADQUISICIÓN DE CONOCIMIENTO DE MANERA LÚDICA

With the emergence of COVID-19, the educational community has needed to incorporate new methodological approaches to face the new forms of teaching required by the pandemic scenario. One of these approaches is gamification, which implies introducing educational content in a playful way. In Higher Education, gamification must have a level of complexity that the most popular programs can't provide. Mentimeter is a program that is based on an online audience software and allows a wide range of questions and questionnaires significantly suitable for the educational level analysed. It facilitates the active learning of students, increasing their attention, commitment and motivation, thus allowing the student to be the centre of the teaching-learning process. This article analyses the use of Mentimeter in a wide range of classes of various university disciplines and reviews its theoretical and practical potential for the improvement of teaching-learning processes, the acquisition of knowledge by students and the use of new teaching methodologies.Con la irrupción de la COVID-19, la comunidad educativa necesitado incorporar nuevos enfoques metodológicos para enfrentarse a las formas de docencia que ha requerido el escenario de pandemia. Uno de estos enfoques es la gamificación (introducir contenidos educativos de manera lúdica). En la Educación Superior, la gamificación ha de tener un nivel de complejidad que los programas más conocidos no tienen. Mentimeter es un programa que parte de un software de audiencia en línea y permite elaborar preguntas y cuestionarios muy adecuados para los niveles de educación analizados. Facilita el aprendizaje activo del alumnado, aumentando su atención, compromiso y motivación, permitiendo con ello que el/la estudiante sea el centro del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. El presente artículo analiza el uso de Mentimeter en un conjunto amplio de clases de diversas disciplinas universitarias y revisa su potencialidad teórico-práctica para la mejora de los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje, la adquisición de conocimiento por parte del alumnado y el uso de nuevas metodologías docentes.Com o surgimento do COVID-19, a comunidade educacional precisou incorporar novas abordagens metodológicas para enfrentar as formas de ensino que o cenário pandêmico tem exigido. Uma dessas abordagens é a gamificação (introdução de conteúdo educacional de forma lúdica). No Ensino Superior, a gamificação deve ter um nível de complexidade que os programas mais populares não possuem. O Mentimeter é um programa que parte de um software de audiência online e permite a elaboração de questões e questionários muito adequados aos níveis de ensino analisados. Facilita a aprendizagem ativa dos alunos, aumentando sua atenção, comprometimento e motivação, permitindo assim que o aluno seja o centro do processo ensino-aprendizagem. Este artigo analisa a utilização do Mentimeter em um amplo conjunto de turmas de diversas disciplinas universitárias e revisa seu potencial teórico-prático para a melhoria dos processos de ensino-aprendizagem, a aquisição de conhecimentos pelos alunos e a utilização de novas metodologias docentes

Incentivar y potenciar la generación colectiva de conocimiento y la participación del alumnado a través de herramientas digitales en línea

El surgimiento de herramientas en línea para la participación del alumnado constituye un recurso con enorme potencial de innovación para la docencia y los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje en la educación superior. Por un lado, porque aumenta las posibilidades de generar conocimiento de forma colectiva a través de la colaboración del alumnado con los y las docentes, no solo preguntando y respondiendo de forma anónima (si se quiere que así sea) a las cuestiones que puedan ir planteándose a lo largo del curso, sino también evaluando el propio desarrollo del mismo y las metodologías empleadas. Herramientas que posibilitan esta línea, mediante la llamada gamificación, tan motivante; y metodología de trabajo, como Kahoot o Mentimeter, presentan además una interfaz atractiva y muy fácil de utilizar, tanto por parte del alumnado como del profesorado, a través de cualqiuier dispositivo móvil con posibilidad de conexión a Internet. No obstante, la primera (Kahoot) es mucho más limitada en sus posibilidades que la segunda (Mentimeter). Por este motivo, en este Proyecto de Innovación Docente apostamos por utilizar Mentimeter Estos instrumentos en línea se adaptan de forma muy sencilla tanto a la docencia presencial y sincrónica, como a la docencia semipresencial o en línea (con una cierta asincronicidad), por lo que aparecen como un recurso muy útil en el contexto de incertidumbre respecto a la articulación de la metodología de enseñanza debido a la pandemia de la covid-19. Este proyecto congrega a un grupo de docentes interdisciplinar, interdepartemental, interfacultativo que incluye, además, la participación de un docente experto en la herramienta de otra universidad (URJC).