Sistemas de evaluación flexibles como instrumento de mejora de los resultados académicos de los estudiantes

Esta comunicación continúa describiendo la experiencia de los firmantes en la aplicación de las nuevas metodologías docentes descritas en una comunicación anterior [1]. En primer lugar se recuerdan dichas nuevas metodologías y se resumen los resultados obtenidos con la aplicación de las mismas en los últimos cursos académicos. Se ha constatado en la práctica que, tanto el aprendizaje efectivo del alumno como sus resultados académicos alcanzados, dependen fuertemente del sistema de evaluación adoptado, condicionando incluso la estrategia de estudio y seguimiento de la asignatura por parte del alumno. En base a ello, y siguiendo las tendencias de autonomía del estudiante en su aprendizaje, auspiciadas por el Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior, se ha propuesto en el curso académico actualmente vigente (2012-2013) un nuevo sistema de evaluación más flexible que, intentando medir objetivamente el rendimiento de los estudiantes, le motive a éste a configurar de forma voluntaria las distintas actividades valorables en los distintos componentes de la evaluación. El objetivo principal de este nuevo sistema es reducir la tasa de abandono prematuro de la asignatura por parte de los estudiantes y la consecuente mejora de sus resultados académicos en la misma. REFERENCIAS. [1] RODRÍGUEZ GARCÍA, E. A. CARRILLO ANDRÉS, A. SERRANO CASARES, F. DOMÍNGUEZ MUÑOZ, F. "La evaluación continua y la tutoría virtual como herramientas eficientes en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de los estudiantes”. En Actas VII Congreso Nacional de Ingeniería Termodinámica, (Bilbao 15, 16 y 17 de junio de 2011)

Neuron-specific gene NSG1 binds to and positively regulates sortilin ectodomain shedding via a metalloproteinasedependent mechanism

Increasing evidence suggests that aberrant regulation of sortilin ectodomain shedding can contribute to amyloid-beta pathology and frontotemporal dementia, although the mechanism by which this occurs has not been elucidated. Here, we probed for novel binding partners of sortilin using multiple and complementary approaches and identified two proteins of the neuron-specific gene (NSG) family, NSG1 and NSG2, that physically interact and colocalize with sortilin. We show both NSG1 and NSG2 induce subcellular redistribution of sortilin to NSG1- and NSG2-enriched compartments. However, using cell surface biotinylation, we found only NSG1 reduced sortilin cell surface expression, which caused significant reductions in uptake of progranulin, a molecular determinant for frontotemporal dementia. In contrast, we demonstrate NSG2 has no effect on sortilin cell surface abundance or progranulin uptake, suggesting specificity for NSG1 in the regulation of sortilin cell surface expression. Using metalloproteinase inhibitors and A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10 KO cells, we further show that NSG1-dependent reduction of cell surface sortilin occurred via proteolytic processing by A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10 with a concomitant increase in shedding of sortilin ectodomain to the extracellular space. This represents a novel regulatory mechanism for sortilin ectodomain shedding that is regulated in a neuron-specific manner. Furthermore, driven pathologies

Plasma endocannabinoid alterations as a link in the comorbidity of Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Over the last several years, studies have suggested a role of endocannabinoids such as 2-AG and 2-OG in the impairment of β-cell function and insulin secretion, as well as in the control of lipid and glucose metabolism in the periphery. Besides, alterations in the endocannabidiome are associated with the development of dementia. Since type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an established risk factor for late-life cognitive decline, we sought to evaluate the possible link between the alterations in plasma endocannabinoids as potential biomarkers of cognitive decline in elderly patients with T2DM. In the present study, we evaluated the plasma levels of endocannabinoids in a cohort of elder controls and patients suffering from T2DM, with either mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The cognitive performance of these patients was evaluated at the beginning of the study and their regional brain metabolic activity was assessed by PET-18FDG. We found that T2DM patients showed decreased levels of brain metabolic activity determined by PET-18FDG in the inferior parietal lobe, caudate, and thalamus, which were decreased and related to poor cognitive performance shown by both BLESSED and MMSE tests. Segregation of patients according to their cognitive status (MCI or AD) showed lower basal metabolism in the aforementioned regions, which was exacerbated in patients with AD and T2DM comorbidity. Correlation analysis showed plasma levels of the endocannabinoids 2-AG, 2-LG, and 2-OG were inversely related to brain metabolism in these areas, as well as to worse BLESSED and MMSE scores. Our results depict that plasma endocannabinoids are potential biomarkers linking the development of cognitive decline to the occurrence of T2DM.Consejería de Universidad, Investigación e Innovación, Junta de Andalucía, grant number PI21/00291. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Associations among Physician Advice, Physical Activity, and Sociodemographic Groups in Older Spanish Adults

This study examined the relationship between medical advice to engage in physical activity with type of demand required by physical activity and demographic variables. A cross-sectional study was developed, featuring a questionnaire on physicians? advice, and type of demand. The questionnaire was completed by a probability and nationwide sample of older adults in Spain ( n = 933, M = 74.1, range 65?93), randomly selected using multistage sampling. More physically active older adults have, more often than the less active, received physicians? advice to engage in physical activity. There is a signifi cant relationship between medical advice and type of demand ( p menor que .01) and age ( p menor que .05). However, no relationship was found between physician medical advice and gender, social class, or income. Physicians can effectively promote physical activity among sedentary older adults through appropriate advice. Consequently, health authorities should promote physicians' advising older patients to pursue physical activity

Identificación de errores conceptuales comunes en estudiantes de Termodinámica Básica

Se investigan los preconceptos sobre calor y temperatura que tienen los alumnos de ingeniería antes de recibir formación en Termodinámica. El diagnóstico se realiza mediante un cuestionario, pasado a principios de curso. En esta comunicación se resumen los resultados de una prueba realizada con 206 estudiantes. Se cuantifica la frecuencia de diferentes tipos de error conceptual.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Impact of heightwidth proportions on the thermal comfort of courtyard typology for Spanish climate zones

Currently, international organizations such as UN admonish countries to adopt measures facing climate change effects. In the Paris Agreement (Nations, 2015) on climate change, global warming was limited up to 2°C. From the last climate change summit, held in Katowice (Poland) on December 3rd, 2018, the rules for a correct implementation of the Paris Agreement for 2020 were detailed. It is in this context of collective will to reduce the climate change effects, where courtyard acquires a singular meaning, especially in warm climates as the Spanish on

Coordination between growth and stress responses by DELLA in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha

Plant survival depends on the optimal use of resources under variable environmental conditions. Among the mechanisms that mediate the balance between growth, differentiation, and stress responses, the regulation of transcriptional activity by DELLA proteins stands out. In angiosperms, DELLA accumulation promotes defense against biotic and abiotic stress and represses cell division and expansion, while the loss of DELLA function is associated with increased plant size and sensitivity toward stress.1 Given that DELLA protein stability is dependent on gibberellin (GA) levels2 and GA metabolism is influenced by the environment,3 this pathway is proposed to relay environmental information to the transcriptional programs that regulate growth and stress responses in angiosperms.4,5 However, DELLA genes are also found in bryophytes, whereas canonical GA receptors have been identified only in vascular plants.6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Thus, it is not clear whether these regulatory functions of DELLA predated or emerged with typical GA signaling. Here, we show that, as in vascular plants, the only DELLA in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha also participates in the regulation of growth and key developmental processes and promotes oxidative stress tolerance. Moreover, part of these effects is likely caused by the conserved physical interaction with the MpPIF transcription factor. Therefore, we suggest that the role in the coordination of growth and stress responses was already encoded in the DELLA protein of the common ancestor of land plants, and the importance of this function is underscored by its conservation over the past 450 million years

A Novel, Quick, and Reliable Smartphone-Based Method for Serum PSA Quantification: Original Design of a Portable Microfluidic Immunosensor-Based System

We describe a versatile, portable, and simple platform that includes a microfluidic electrochemical immunosensor for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) detection. It is based on the covalent immobilization of the anti-PSA monoclonal antibody on magnetic microbeads retained in the central channel of a microfluidic device. Image flow cytometry and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the magnetic microbeads. A direct sandwich immunoassay (with horseradish peroxidase-conjugated PSA antibody) served to quantify the cancer biomarker in serum samples. The enzymatic product was detected at -100 mV by amperometry on sputtered thin-film electrodes. Electrochemical reaction produced a current proportional to the PSA level, with a linear range from 10 pg mL(-1) to 1500 pg mL(-1). The sensitivity was demonstrated by a detection limit of 2 pg mL(-1) and the reproducibility by a coefficient of variation of 6.16%. The clinical performance of this platform was tested in serum samples from patients with prostate cancer (PCa), observing high specificity and full correlation with gold standard determinations. In conclusion, this analytical platform is a promising tool for measuring PSA levels in patients with PCa, offering a high sensitivity and reduced variability. The small platform size and low cost of this quantitative methodology support its suitability for the fast and sensitive analysis of PSA and other circulating biomarkers in patients. Further research is warranted to verify these findings and explore its potential application at all healthcare levels.Universidad Nacional de San Luis PROICO 22/Q241ANPCyT PICT 2018-04443 PICT-2015-2246 PICT-2015-1575 PICT-2014-1184 PICT-2014-0375 PICT-2018-04443Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET) PIP 11220150100004COGENYOCentre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer-University of GranadaAndalusian Regional Government (Granada, Spain)ISCIII Health Research Institute P17/00989La Caixa FoundationHealth and Family Secretariat of the Andalusian Regional GovernmentSpanish GovernmentH2020-MSCA-IF-2019-89566

Matrix metalloproteinase-10 effectively reduces infarct size in experimental stroke by enhancing fibrinolysis via a thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor-mediated mechanism

BACKGROUND: The fibrinolytic and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) systems cooperate in thrombus dissolution and extracellular matrix proteolysis. The plasminogen/plasmin system activates MMPs, and some MMPs have been involved in the dissolution of fibrin by targeting fibrin(ogen) directly or by collaborating with plasmin. MMP-10 has been implicated in inflammatory/thrombotic processes and vascular integrity, but whether MMP-10 could have a profibrinolytic effect and represent a promising thrombolytic agent is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: The effect of MMP-10 on fibrinolysis was studied in vitro and in vivo, in MMP-10-null mice (Mmp10(-/-)), with the use of 2 different murine models of arterial thrombosis: laser-induced carotid injury and ischemic stroke. In vitro, we showed that MMP-10 was capable of enhancing tissue plasminogen activator-induced fibrinolysis via a thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor inactivation-mediated mechanism. In vivo, delayed fibrinolysis observed after photochemical carotid injury in Mmp10(-/-) mice was reversed by active recombinant human MMP-10. In a thrombin-induced stroke model, the reperfusion and the infarct size in sham or tissue plasminogen activator-treated animals were severely impaired in Mmp10(-/-) mice. In this model, administration of active MMP-10 to wild-type animals significantly reduced blood reperfusion time and infarct size to the same extent as tissue plasminogen activator and was associated with shorter bleeding time and no intracranial hemorrhage. This effect was not observed in thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor-deficient mice, suggesting thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor inactivation as one of the mechanisms involved in the MMP-10 profibrinolytic effect. CONCLUSIONS: A novel profibrinolytic role for MMP-10 in experimental ischemic stroke is described, opening new pathways for innovative fibrinolytic strategies in arterial thrombosis

Two Cu-Based Phosphonate Metal-Organic Frameworks as Efficient Water-Splitting Photocatalysts

[EN] Two novel three-dimensional metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)based on the photoactive pyrene tetraphosphonate ligand and copper(denoted as IEF-8 and IEF-9) have been hydrothermally synthesizedand fully characterized (XRD, FTIR, TGA, SEM, XPS, etc.). Their crystalstructures were unveiled by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Remarkably,these materials exhibit coordinatively unsaturated copper (II) sites,free -PO3H2 and -PO3H acidic groups, and good thermal and chemical stability. Further,their optoelectronic characterization evidenced a photoresponse suitablefor photocatalysis. In this sense, the photocatalytic activity ofpyrene phosphonate MOFs was evaluated for the first time for the challenginghydrogen evolution reaction. In particular, IEF-8 exhibited a catalyticefficiency higher than that of the benchmarked Ti carboxylate photocatalystMIL-125-(Ti)-NH2, producing 1800 mu mol center dot g(-1) after 22 h under UV-vis irradiation in theabsence of any co-catalyst. Furthermore, this material presented goodreusability (at least up to 4 cycles), preserving its activity andstructural integrity.The authors acknowledge the Maria de Maeztu IMDEA Energy Institute, the M-ERA-NET C-MOF-cell project, the Retos Investigacion MOFSEIDON project (PID2019-104228RB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union, MICIU-AEI/FEDER, UE), and the H2-MOF project (TED2021-132092B-C21 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR). They thank "Comunidad de Madrid" and European Regional Development Fund-FEDER 2014-2020-OE REACT-UE 1for their financial support to the VIRMOF-CM project associated to R & D projects in response to COVID-19. S.N. thanks the support of grant PID2021-123856OBI00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ERDF A way of making Europe.Salcedo-Abraira, P.; Serrano Nieto, R.; Biglione, C.; Cabrero-Antonino, M.; Vilela, SM.; Babaryk, AA.; Tilve-Martínez, D.... (2023). Two Cu-Based Phosphonate Metal-Organic Frameworks as Efficient Water-Splitting Photocatalysts. Chemistry of Materials. 35(11):4211-4219. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c0005442114219351