PoliformaT como herramienta de apoyo en la adquisición de la expresión oral en alemán

[EN] How can an institutional platform such as PoliformaT support in the acquisition of a second foreign language? The aim of this paper is to show how we guided our students from different centers and belonging to various degrees of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) on an essential aspect of language learning: the correct pronunciation and intonation when speaking Standard German. Oral expression is one of the basic skills when learning a language, but at university we do not always have small groups to develop it properly. The classroom sometimes prevents us from individual monitoring of our students and they do not even find any support outside the classroom. Digital tools (in this case, the Tasks section of PoliformaT) can help overcome this deficiency and may even encourage thoughtful learning as a condition for an independent attitude towards study. We present the practical development of this process: students listen to oral texts as a reference in order to produce their own. Then they are recorded and listened again to compare with the models and evaluate themselves. These recordings can be individual and/or in small groups.[ES] ¿Cómo puede apoyar una plataforma institucional como PoliformaT en la adquisición de una segunda lengua extranjera? El objetivo de este trabajo es dar a conocer cómo hemos orientado a nuestros alumnos de distintas titulaciones pertenecientes a varios centros de la Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) en un aspecto indispensable de su aprendizaje: la pronunciación y entonación correctas cuando se expresen en lengua alemana estándar. La expresión oral es una de las destrezas básicas en el aprendizaje de una lengua, pero en la universidad no siempre contamos con grupos reducidos para desarrollarla adecuadamente. El aula, en ocasiones, no nos permite un seguimiento individualizado de nuestros alumnos y ellos mismos tampoco encuentran fácilmente un apoyo en su aprendizaje fuera de ella. Las herramientas digitales (en este caso, el apartado de Tareas en PoliformaT) pueden ayudar a superar esta deficiencia e incluso pueden fomentar el aprendizaje reflexivo como condición para una actitud autónoma ante el estudio. Presentamos el desarrollo práctico de este proceso: los alumnos escuchan textos orales como referencia con el objetivo de producir los suyos propios. A continuación se graban y vuelven a escucharse, para comparar con con los modelos y autoevaluarse. Estas grabaciones pueden ser individuales y/o en pequeños grupos.Gil Salom, DT.; Gómez-Perales, MJ. (2015). PoliformaT como herramienta de apoyo en la adquisición de la expresión oral en alemán. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2015.2015.1532

In vivo antihypertensive mechanism of lactoferrin-derived peptides: Reversion of angiotensin I- and angiotensin II-induced hypertension in Wistar rats

Novel peptides with antihypertensive effects in SHR rats have previously been identified in lactoferrin (LF) hydrolysates. To investigate their in vivo antihypertensive mechanism, we have assessed the blood pressure lowering effects of two of these LF-derived peptides (RPYL and DPYKLRP) in Wistar rats subjected to either angiotensin I- or angiotensin II-induced hypertension. Blood pressure was measured by the tail-cuff method, hypertension was induced by subcutaneous infusion of angiotensins, and then captopril, valsartan or LF-derived peptides orally administered. Angiotensin I- and angiotensin II-induced hypertension were reversed by captopril and valsartan, respectively. RPYL and DPYKLRP reversed angiotensin I-induced hypertension, while DPYKLRP but not RPYL produced a modest reversion of angiotensin II-elicited hypertension. Neither RPYL nor DPYKLRP modified normotension. Thus, in vivo ACE inhibition is involved in the antihypertensive effects of LF-derived peptides like RPYL and DPYKLRP, while inhibition of AT1 receptor-mediated vasoconstriction plays a less relevant role.This work was supported by grant AGL2010-21009 from ‘Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia – FEDER’, Consolider Ingenio 2010, Fun-C-Food, CSD2007-00063 and RETICS INVICTUS RD12/0014/0004 from ‘Instituto de Salud Carlos III’. A. García-Tejedor is recipient of a predoctoral fellowship from ‘Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia’ (BES-2011-044424).Peer reviewe

Exercises and Dry Needling for Subacromial Pain Syndrome: a Randomized Parallel- Group Trial.

This randomized clinical trial investigated the effectiveness of exercise vs. exercise plus trigger point dry needling (TrP-DN) in subacromial pain syndrome. A randomized parallel-group trial, with 1-year follow-up was conducted. Fifty subjects with subacromial pain syndrome were randomly allocated to receive exercise alone or exercise +TrP-DN. Participants in both groups were asked to perform an exercise program of the rotator cuff muscles twice daily for 5 weeks. Further, patients allocated to the exercise +TrP-DN group also received dry needling to active TrPs in the muscles reproducing shoulder symptoms during the 2nd and 4th sessions. The primary outcome was pain-related disability assessed with the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes included mean current pain and the worst pain experienced in the shoulder during the previous week. They were assessed at baseline, one week, and 3, 6, and 12 months after the end of treatment. Analysis was by intention to treat with mixed ANCOVA adjusted for baseline outcomes. At 12 months, 47 (94%) patients completed follow-up. Statistically larger improvements (all, P<0.01) in shoulder disability was found for the exercise +TrP-DN group at all follow up periods [post: Δ -20.6 (-23.8 to -17.4); 3 months: Δ -23.2 (-28.3 to -18.1); 6 months: Δ -23.6 (-28.9 to -18.3); 12 months: Δ -13.9 (-17.5 to -10.3). Both groups exhibited similar improvements in shoulder pain outcomes at all follow-up periods. The inclusion of TrP-DN to an exercise program was effective for improving disability in subacromial pain syndrome. No greater improvements in shoulder pain were observed.pre-print2407 K

The delimitation of metropolitan areas as a governance instrument: the case of the Valencian Community

Partiendo de la naturaleza multidimensional, flexible y abierta de los procesos urbanos, el trabajo propone una metodología de definición y delimitación de áreas metropolitanas con fines normativos, asumiendo que existen tantas potenciales delimitaciones como perspectivas desde las que es posible abordar esta tarea. El enfoque propuesto se articula en varios pasos que toman en consideración aspectos normativos, vínculos funcionales, características morfológicas, delimitaciones preexistentes, la gobernanza multinivel y las redes de cooperación. En el trabajo se ilustra esta aproximación aplicándola en la Comunidad Valenciana, cuyos espacios metropolitanos forman un caso de estudio idóneo al tratarse de ejemplos paradigmáticos de tipos distintos de configuración metropolitana. Los análisis realizados, extrapolables a otros territorios, muestran que en el enfoque propuesto el producto final no es tanto un mapa de las áreas metropolitanas valencianas como la sistematización de los distintos aspectos que deben considerarse en el proceso de definición. Así, son igualmente relevantes las fases del proceso, la discusión en ellas recogida, y no únicamente las fronteras que delimitan las áreas metropolitanas. Ello facilita que estas sean modulables, adaptables a la coyuntura específica en que son adoptadas, a través de la consideración crítica de las decisiones tomadas en cada una de las etapas.Based on the multidimensional, flexible and open nature of urban processes, the paper proposes a methodology for defining and delimiting metropolitan areas for normative purposes, assuming that there are as many potential delimitations as different perspectives from which it is possible to approach this task to suit public policy objectives. The proposed approach is articulated in several steps that take into consideration normative aspects, functional links, morphological characteristics, pre-existing delimitations, multilevel governance and intermunicipal cooperation networks. The paper illustrates this approach by applying it to the Valencian Community, whose metropolitan areas form an ideal case study as they are paradigmatic examples of different types of metropolitan configuration. The analyses carried out, which can be extrapolated to other territories, show that in the proposed approach the final product is not so much a map of the Valencian metropolitan areas as the systematization of the different aspects to be considered in the definition process and in making it available to the agents involved. Thus, the deliverable are the phases of the process, the discussion therein collected, and not only the boundaries that delimit the metropolitan areas. This facilitates that these are modulable, adaptable to the specific circumstances in which they are adopted, through the critical consideration of the decisions taken in each of the stages.Proyectos PID2020/112734RB-C31 y PID2020-114896RB-I00 (Agencia Estatal de Investigación, AEI/10.13039/501100011033; Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2017-2020) y AICO/2021/062 (Conselleria de Innovación, Universidades, Ciencia y Sociedad Digital; Programa de I+D+I de la Comunitat Valenciana)

Infliximab reduces Zaprinast-induced retinal degeneration in cultures of porcine retina

Background: cGMP-degrading phosphodiesterase 6 (PDE6) mutations cause around 4 to 5% of retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a rare form of retinal dystrophy. Growing evidence suggests that inflammation is involved in the progression of RP. The aims of this study were to corroborate the presence of high TNFα concentration in the eyes of RP patients and to evaluate whether the blockade of TNFα with Infliximab, a monoclonal anti-TNFα antibody, prevented retinal degeneration induced by PDE6 inhibition in cultures of porcine retina. Methods: Aqueous humor from 30 patients with RP and 13 healthy controls were used to quantify the inflammatory mediators IL-6, TNFα, IL-1β, IL-10 by a multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system. Retinal explants from pig were exposed to Zaprinast, a PDE6 inhibitor, for 24 hours in the absence or the presence of Infliximab. Cell death was evaluated by TUNEL assay. The number and distribution of caspase-3 positive cells, indirect poly(ADP)ribose polymerase (PARP) activation and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) content were visualized by immunolabeling. Antioxidant total capacity, nitrites and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) formation were determined to evaluate antioxidant-oxidant status. Results: IL-6 and TNFα concentrations were higher in the aqueous humor of RP patients than in controls. Infliximab prevented retinal degeneration, as judging by the reduced presence of TUNEL-positive cells, the reduction of caspase-3 activation and also reduction of glial activation, in an ex vivo model of porcine retina. Additionally, Infliximab partially reduced oxidative stress in retinal explants exposed to Zaprinast. Conclusions: Inflammatory mediators IL-6 and TNFα were elevated in the aqueous humor of RP patients corroborating previous studies suggesting sustained chronic inflammation. Our study suggests that TNFα is playing an important role in cell death in an ex vivo model of retinal degeneration by activating different cell pathways at different cell layers of the retina that should be further studied.This work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund, Institute of Health Carlos III, PI10/01825 and PI12/0481 from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MEC). CIBERER is an initiative of the Institute of Health Carlos III from the MEC. Regina Rodrigo has a research-contract SNS Miguel Servet (CP09/118) from Institute of Health Carlos III.Medicin

Effects of Low-Load Exercise on Post-needling Induced Pain After Dry Needling of Active Trigger Point in Individuals with Subacromial Pain Syndrome.

Background: Application of dry needling is usually associated to post-needling induced pain. Development of post-needling intervention targeting to reduce this adverse event is needed. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of low-load exercise on reducing post-needling induced-pain after dry needling of active trigger points (TrPs) in the infraspinatus muscle in subacromial pain syndrome.pre-print3778 K

Programa Genérico de Evaluación

Se presenta un programa multimedia flexible para la gestión de una base de datos de conocimiento orientada a la (auto)evaluación. Se puede utilizar tanto en entorno de red como doméstico. Los contenidos multimedia son desarrollados mediante herramientas externas. Estos contenidos son referenciados desde la BD de conocimiento, pero no incluidos en ella. Soporta contextos sobre los que pueden realizarse preguntas y respuestas en diferentes medios, grados de dificultad y tipos (test, huecos, asociación,...). También jerarquiza los temas teóricos, asocia preguntas a contenidos teóricos multimedia y facilita la gestión del conocimiento por parte del profesor. Está abierto a cualquier tipo de docencia y nivel

Expanding the Clinical and Molecular Heterogeneity of Nonsyndromic Inherited Retinal Dystrophies

A cohort of 172 patients diagnosed clinically with nonsyndromic retinal dystrophies, from 110 families underwent full ophthalmologic examination, including retinal imaging, electrophysiology, and optical coherence tomography, when feasible. Molecular analysis was performed using targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS). Variants were filtered and prioritized according to the minimum allele frequency, and finally classified according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and array comparative genomic hybridization were performed to validate copy number variations identified by NGS. The diagnostic yield of this study was 62% of studied families. Thirty novel mutations were identified. The study found phenotypic intra- and interfamilial variability in families with mutations in C1QTNF5, CERKL, and PROM1; biallelic mutations in PDE6B in a unilateral retinitis pigmentosa patient; interocular asymmetry RP in 50% of the symptomatic RPGR-mutated females; the first case with possible digenism between CNGA1 and CNGB1; and a ROM1 duplication in two unrelated retinitis pigmentosa families. Ten unrelated cases were reclassified. This study highlights the clinical utility of targeted NGS for nonsyndromic inherited retinal dystrophy cases and the importance of full ophthalmologic examination, which allows new genotypeephenotype associations and expands the knowledge of this group of disorders. Identifying the cause of disease is essential to improve patient management, provide accurate genetic counseling, and take advantage of gene therapyebased treatments. (J Mol Diagn 2020, 22: 532e543; https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.jmoldx.2020.01.003)Supported by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) of the Spanish Ministry of Health, including the Center for Biomedical Research Network on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria grant PI16/00539; the Spanish National Organization for the Blind (Fundación ONCE); and Fundación Mutua Madrileña. G.G.-G. is sponsored by the CIBERER, and A.R.-M. is supported by the Río Hortega program from ISCIII.Medicin