Lysine-Grafted MCM-41 Silica as An Antibacterial Biomaterial

Abstract: A facile strategy for zwitterionization of bioceramics based on direct incorporation of L-lysine amino acid via the ε-amino group onto mesoporous MCM-41 materials is proposed. FTIR studies of lysine-grafted MCM-41 (MCM-LYS) showed simultaneously bands at 3080 and 1540 cm−1 and bands at 1625 and 1415 cm−1 corresponding to -NH3+/COO− pairs, demonstrating the incorporation of the amino acid on the material surface keeping its zwitterionic character. Both elemental and thermogravimetric analyses showed that the amount of grafted lysine was 8 wt % based on the bioceramic total weight. Moreover, MCM-LYS material exhibited a reduction of adhesion of S. aureus and E. coli bacteria in 33 and 50%, respectively at physiological pH, as compared with pristine MCM-41. Biofilm studies onto surfaces showed that lysine functionalization elicited a reduction of the area covered by S. aureus biofilm from 42% to only 5% (88%). This research shows a simple and effective approach to chemically modify bioceramics using single amino acids that provide zwitterionic functionality, useful to develop new biomaterials able to resist bacterial adhesion

Contenido, integralidad y coherencia en las políticas de primera infancia : aportes desde el currículo

En el marco de los acuerdos y compromisos internacionales en torno a la primera infancia, este documento tiene el propósito de revisar y renovar los desafíos que implica la generación de políticas educativas y curriculares para este primer nivel educativo. A la luz de la creciente incorporación de la primera infancia en la agenda pública, los países realizan esfuerzos sostenidos por incrementar la equidad y la calidad en el diseño y la ejecución de políticas para la etapa de los primeros años. Éstas son políticas que están en procesos de transformación incorporando criterios de calidad y participación, perfeccionando sus mecanismos de monitoreo y evaluación, superando las descoordinaciones sectoriales y territoriales entre otras limitaciones, avanzando desde un enfoque de necesidades a un enfoque de derechos y adoptando una perspectiva integral. El documento analiza, desde una mirada de política pública de largo aliento, algunos retos que se enmarcan en las políticas de segunda generación, posicionando al currículo como un eje articulador para la elaboración de políticas integrales para la primera infancia. Bajo esta perspectiva se esbozan caminos para la elaboración de políticas en el marco de los compromisos de la Convención de los Derechos del Niño, de las declaraciones mundiales, de los acuerdos y de las metas impulsadas por organismos internacionales a favor de la primera infancia. Con este propósito se han abordado cinco temáticas que tienen directa incidencia en el fortalecimiento de las políticas públicas con foco en el desarrollo y bienestar integral de la infancia. Estas temáticas abordan la concepción de políticas públicas para la primera infancia desde un enfoque de derechos y de integralidad; la complejidad del currículo para la primera infancia tanto en su dimensión conceptual como en su diseño; la oferta no convencional de cuidado y educación en la primera infancia; los desafíos de la docencia en este nivel educativo; y los marcos conceptuales que sustentan las iniciativas de atención integral, así como el trabajo intersectorial en la primera infancia

Project-based learning using scientific poster as a tool for learning and acquisition of skills in physics subjects of engineering bachelor’s degrees

This article shows the experience of working on project-based learning using scientific posters, on the study of the mass geometry of matter, with students of various Physics subjects of Degrees in Engineering of the School of Design Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Valencia. The development of this work has been carried out with a dual purpose: on the one hand, to improve the teachinglearning process of mass geometry; and, on the other hand, to improve the acquisition of skills by students. This matter, which is studied in the Physics subjects of the first year of the degree, forms part of the basis of the studies of resistance of materials and theory of mechanisms of subsequent courses. The inclusion of two sessions of laboratory practices, as an extension of the work carried out in the theory and classroom practice sessions, has allowed us to study more deeply the theoretical concepts of mass geometry and their application to a real project, improving the learning by the students. In addition, the presentation of the project through the scientific poster has facilitated the acquisition of cross-curricular competencies such as application and practical thinking, teamwork, effective communication, and critical thinking

Association between violence, stress and academy performance in 1º and 6º year of medical students of a public university, 2017

Introducción. Existen reportes nacionales e internacionales de presencia de estrés en estudiantes de medicina, mayor que en otras carreras profesionales; asimismo, la presencia de estrés se encuentra relacionada a bajo rendimiento académico. Objetivo. Determinar si existe asociación entre violencia, estrés y el rendimiento académico de los alumnos de primer y sexto año de medicina de la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Métodos. Se encuestó a 109 (47%) alumnos del 6to año, y 122 (53%) alumnos del 1er año. La percepción de violencia y estrés se determinaron con instrumentos validados; el rendimiento académico se determinó mediante el promedio ponderado anual. Se utilizó la prueba U de Mann Whitney para establecer diferencias entre las medias de las variables cuantitativas. Para establecer la correlación entre las variables de estudio se utilizó el coeficiente de correlación de Spearman. Valores p<0,05 se consideraron como significativos. Resultados. La percepción de violencia fue mayor en estudiantes de 6to año. Se estableció correlación positiva entre el estrés y violencia en estudiantes de 6to año. Conclusión. En ambos grupos estudiados se determinó percepción de violencia, mayor en estudiantes de 6to año. La correlación entre violencia y estrés fue significativa sólo en los estudiantes de 6to año. No hubo asociación significativa del estrés y violencia con el rendimiento académico.Introduction. There are national and international reports of the presence of stress in medical students, higher than in other professional careers; likewise, the presence of stress is related to low academic performance. Objective. To determine if there is an association between violence, stress and the academic performance of the first and sixth year medical students of the National University of San Marcos. Methods. It was surveyed 109 (47%) students of the 6th year, and 122 (53%) students of the 1st year. The perception of violence and stress were determined with validated instruments; academic performance was determined by the annual weighted average. The Mann Whitney U test was used to establish differences between the means of the quantitative variables. To establish the correlation between the study variables, the Spearman correlation coefficient was used. Values p <0,05 were considered significant. Results. The perception of violence was higher in 6th grade students. Positive correlation was established between stress and violence in 6th grade students. Conclusion. In both groups studied, perception of violence was determined, higher in 6th grade students. The correlation between violence and stress was significant only in 6th grade students. There was no significantassociation of stress and violence with academic performance

Avaliação de uma intervenção educacional (edworkcases) envolvendo casos clínicos e estudantes de Enfermagem: um estudo observacional transversal

Objective: to evaluate the impact of the (edworkcases) educational intervention on students’ evaluation outcomes in their clinical practices, their attitudes towards Nursing diagnoses, and their satisfaction. Method: this study used a cross-sectional observational design. The participants were 69 third-year Nursing students from a public university in Madrid, Spain. The data analysed in the study were the grades obtained by students for their clinical practices, as well as pre-post intervention scores on the Positions on Nursing Diagnosis Scale and a satisfaction survey. A means comparison by participation in the project (yes/no) was carried out using Student’s t-test. A means comparison by professor was conducted using Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: participation rate: 72.4%; 92% of the participants were women; median age = 21 years old. Statistically significant differences were found between participants and non-participants in terms of mean score in the Overall Evaluation and in the Case Study Evaluation, with higher scores found among the group of participants. The mean score for attitudes towards Nursing diagnoses was 99.9 (SD=2.8) before the intervention and 111.1 (SD=2.9) after the intervention [95% CI: 3.3-19.2]. Conclusion: the use of (edworkcases) as part of the practical training was considered satisfactory, enabling theory and practice to be combined and improving students’ attitudes towards Nursing diagnoses.Objetivo: evaluar el efecto de la intervención educativa (edworkcases) sobre los resultados de la evaluación de los estudiantes en sus prácticas clínicas, sus actitudes hacia los diagnósticos de Enfermería y su nivel de satisfacción. Método: en este estudio se empleó un diseño transversal y observacional. Los participantes fueron 68 estudiantes de tercer año de la carrera de Enfermería de una universidad pública de Madrid, España. Los datos que se analizaron en el estudio fueron las calificaciones obtenidas por los estudiantes en sus prácticas clínicas, al igual que las puntuaciones antes y después de la intervención en la Escala de Posicionamiento ante el Diagnóstico de Enfermería y en una encuesta de satisfacción. Se utilizó la prueba t de Student para realizar una comparación de valores medios por participación en el proyecto (sí/no). La comparación de valores medios por profesor se llevó a cabo por medio de pruebas Kruskal-Wallis. Resultados: índice de participación: 72,4%; el 92% de los participantes eran mujeres, con una mediana de edad de 21 años. Se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre participantes y no participantes en cuanto a la puntuación media en la Evaluación General y en la Evaluación de Estudios de Caso, con puntuaciones más elevadas en el grupo de participantes. Las puntuaciones medias correspondientes a las actitudes con respecto a los diagnósticos de Enfermería fueron 99,9 (SD=2,8) y 111.1 (SD=2.9) antes y después de la intervención, respectivamente [IC 95%: 3,3-19,2]. Conclusión: se consideró satisfactorio utilizar edworkcases como parte te la capacitación práctica, lo que permitió combinar teoría y práctica y mejorar las actitudes de los estudiantes con respecto a los diagnósticos de Enfermería.Objetivo: avaliar o impacto da intervenção educacional (edworkcases) nos resultados da avaliação dos alunos em suas práticas clínicas, suas atitudes em relação aos diagnósticos de Enfermagem e sua satisfação. Método: estudo observacional transversal, realizado com 69 estudantes do terceiro ano de Enfermagem de uma universidade pública de Madri, Espanha. Os dados analisados foram obtidos das notas dos alunos em suas práticas clínicas, bem como, os escores pré- e pós-intervenção na Escala de Posições frente ao Diagnóstico de Enfermagem e uma pesquisa de satisfação. A comparação de médias por participação no projeto (sim/não) foi realizada por meio do teste t de Student. A comparação de médias por professor foi realizada por meio de testes de Kruskal-Wallis. Resultados: taxa de participação: 72,4%; 92% dos participantes eram mulheres; mediana de idade de 21 anos. Foram encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre participantes e não participantes em termos de pontuação média na Avaliação Geral e na Avaliação do Estudo de Caso, com maiores pontuações encontradas entre o grupo de participantes. A pontuação média das atitudes em relação aos diagnósticos de Enfermagem foi de 99,9 (DP=2,8) antes da intervenção e 111,1 (DP=2,9) após a intervenção [IC 95%: 3,3-19,2]. Conclusão: a utilização de edworkcases como parte do treinamento prático foi considerada satisfatória, permitindo a articulação teoria e prática e melhorando as atitudes dos alunos em relação aos diagnósticos de Enfermagem

Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA) in Different Hispanic Countries: An Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Parental burnout is a unique and context-specific syndrome resulting from a chronic imbalance of risks over resources in the parenting domain. The current research aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA) across Spanish-speaking countries with two consecutive studies. In Study 1, we analyzed the data through a bifactor model within an Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) on the pooled sample of participants (N = 1,979) obtaining good fit indices. We then attained measurement invariance across both gender and countries in a set of nested models with gradually increasing parameter constraints. Latent means comparisons across countries showed that among the participants' countries, Chile had the highest parental burnout score, likewise, comparisons across gender evidenced that mothers displayed higher scores than fathers, as shown in previous studies. Reliability coefficients were high. In Study 2 (N = 1,171), we tested the relations between parental burnout and three specific consequences, i.e., escape and suicidal ideations, parental neglect, and parental violence toward one's children. The medium to large associations found provided support for the PBA's predictive validity. Overall, we concluded that the Spanish version of the PBA has good psychometric properties. The results support its relevance for the assessment of parental burnout among Spanish-speaking parents, offering new opportunities for cross-cultural research in the parenting domain

Mammographic density and breast cancer in women from high risk families

Introduction: Mammographic density (MD) is one of the strongest determinants of sporadic breast cancer (BC). In this study, we compared MD in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and non-carriers from BRCA1/2 mutation-positive families and investigated the association between MD and BC among BRCA1/2 mutation carriers per type of mutation and tumor subtype. Methods: The study was carried out in 1039 female members of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation-positive families followed at 16 Spanish Genetic Counseling Units. Participants' density was scored retrospectively from available mammograms by a single blinded radiologist using a 5-category scale (75 %). In BC cases, we selected mammograms taken prior to diagnosis or from the contralateral breast, whereas, in non-cases, the last screening mammogram was evaluated. MD distribution in carriers and non-carriers was compared using ordinal logistic models, and the association between MD and BC in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers was studied using logistic regression. Huber-White robust estimators of variance were used to take into account correlations between family members. A similar multinomial model was used to explore this association by BC subtype. Results: We identified and scored mammograms from 341 BRCA1, 350 BRCA2 mutation carriers and 229 non-carriers. Compared to non-carriers, MD was significantly lower among BRCA2 mutation carriers (odds ratio (OR) =0.71; P-value=0.04), but not among BRCA1 carriers (OR=0.84; P-value=0.33). MD was associated with subsequent development BC (OR per category of MD=1.45; 95 % confidence interval=1.18-1.78, P-value<0.001), with no significant differences between BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers (P-value=0.48). Finally, no statistically significant differences were observed in the association of MD with specific BC subtypes. Conclusions: Our study, the largest to date on this issue, confirms that MD is an independent risk factor for all BC subtypes in either BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, and should be considered a phenotype risk marker in this context

Redox feedback regulation of ANAC089 signaling alters seed germination and stress response

21 p.-4 fig.-2 tab. 1 graph. abst.The interplay between the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) and the gasotransmitter nitric oxide (NO) regulates seed germination and post-germinative seedling growth. We show that GAP1 (germination in ABA and cPTIO 1) encodes the transcription factor ANAC089 with a critical membrane-bound domain and extranuclear localization. ANAC089 mutants lacking the membrane-tethered domain display insensitivity to ABA,salt, and osmotic and cold stresses, revealing a repressor function. Whole-genome transcriptional profiling and DNA-binding specificity reveals that ANAC089 regulates ABA- and redox-related genes. ANAC089 truncated mutants exhibit higher NO and lower ROS and ABA endogenous levels, alongside an altered thiol and disulfide homeostasis. Consistently, translocation of ANAC089 to the nucleus is directed by changes in cellular redox status after treatments with NO scavengers and redox-related compounds. Our results reveal ANAC089 to be a master regulator modulating redox homeostasis and NO levels, able to repress ABA synthesis and signaling during Arabidopsis seed germination and abiotic stress.Wethank the Spanish networks BIO2015-68957-REDT and RED2018-102397-T for stimulating discussions, as well as Dr. José M. Carrasco and Dr. Pablo Vera (IBMCP-CSIC) for help with the protein-expression experiments of the PBM. This work was financed by grants EcoSeed Impacts of Environmental Conditions on Seed Quality ‘‘EcoSeed-311840’’ ERC.KBBE.2012.1.1-01;BIO2017-85758-R and CSD2007-00057 (TRANSPLANTA) from the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MICIU) (Spain); SA313P18 and SA137P20 from Junta de Castilla y León; Escalera de Excelencia CLU-2018-04 co-funded by the P.O. FEDER of Castilla y León 2014–2020 Spain (to O.L.); and the PhD and University Teacher Training Fellowship, Spanish Ministry of Science and Education (to P.A.).Peer reviewe