Cooperative Learning vs. Project Base Learning.

The Bologna Declaration and the implementation of the European Higher Education Area are promoting the use of active learning methodologies such as cooperative learning and project based learning. This study was motivated by the comparison of the results obtained after applying Cooperative Learning (CL) and Project Based Learning (PBL) to a subject of Computer Engineering. The fundamental hypothesis tested was whether the academic success achieved by the students of the first years was higher when CL was applied than in those cases to which PBL was applied. A practical case, by means of which the effectiveness of CL and PBL are compared, is presented in this work. This study has been carried out at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, where these mechanisms have been applied to the Operating Systems I subject from the Technical Engineering in Computer Systems degree (OSIS) and to the same subject from the Technical Engineering in Computer Management degree (OSIM). Both subjects have the same syllabus, are taught in the same year and semester and share also formative objectives. From this study we can conclude that students¿ academic performance (regarding the grades given) is greater with PBL than with CL. To be more specific, the difference is between 0.5 and 1 point for the individual tests. For the group tests, this difference is between 2.5 and 3 points. Therefore, this study refutes the fundamental hypothesis formulated at the beginning. Some of the possible interpretations of these results are referred to in this study

Detection and characterization of amplitude defects using spectral kurtosis

Peer Reviewe

Dietary Strategies for Metabolic Syndrome: A Comprehensive Review

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of metabolic risk factors, characterized by abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), hypertension, and insulin resistance. Lifestyle modifications, especially dietary habits, are the main therapeutic strategy for the treatment and management of metabolic syndrome, but the most effective dietary pattern for its management has not been established. Specific dietary modifications, such as improving the quality of the foods or changing macronutrient distribution, showed beneficial effects on metabolic syndrome conditions and individual parameters. On comparing low-fat and restricted diets, the scientific evidence supports the use of the Mediterranean Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet intervention as the new paradigm for metabolic syndrome prevention and treatment. The nutritional distribution and quality of these healthy diets allows health professionals to provide easy-to-follow dietary advice without the need for restricted diets. Nonetheless, energy-restricted dietary patterns and improvements in physical activity are crucial to improve the metabolic disturbances observed in metabolic syndrome patients

A randomized placebo-controlled N-of-1 trial: the effect of proton pump inhibitor in the management of gastroesophageal reflux disease

Control de acidez; Esomeprazol; Reflujo gastroesofágicoControl d'acidesa; Esomeprazol; Reflux gastroesofàgicAcid control; Esomeprazole; Gastroesophageal refluxBackground. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most frequent chronic gastrointestinal disorder. It is defined as a condition developed when the reflux of gastric contents causes troublesome symptoms (heartburn and regurgitation). This requires adequate treatment since it can lead to long-term complications including esophagus adenocarcinoma. Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are generally used to treat GERD due to their high-security profile and efficiency on most patients. However, recurrent reflux despite initial treatment is frequent. N-of-1 trial is a study that allows the identification of the best treatment for each patient. The objective of this study is to compare the efficacy of standard dose with double dosage of esomeprazole, to improve the GERD symptoms in a single patient. Methods. A single-patient trial, placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, was carried out from September 25th, 2012, to April 26th, 2013. It included one outpatient at the gastroenterology service in a fourth-level hospital, diagnosed with nonerosive reflux disease (NERD). Yet, his symptoms were heartburn and reflux, and his endoscopic results were normal esophageal mucosa, without hiatal hernia, though pathological pH values. A no-obese male without any tobacco or alcohol usage received esomeprazole 40 mg/day and 40 mg/bid for 24 weeks. A standardized gastroesophageal reflux disease questionnaire (GerdQ) was used weekly to evaluate symptom frequency and severity. The consumption of 90% of the capsules was considered as an adequate treatment adherence. D’agostino–Pearson and Wilcoxon test were used to determine normal or nonnormal distribution and compare both treatments, respectively, both with a significant statistical difference of p0.05). Conclusion. There was no significant improvement in the patient GERD symptoms increasing the dose of oral esomeprazole during the 6 months of study. N-of-1 trials in chronic pathologies including GERD are recommended due to their potential value as systematic methods that evaluate therapies without strong scientific evidence

Efficacy of combinations of colistin with other antimicrobials involves membrane fluidity and efflux machinery

Objective: Despite its use was abandoned several decades ago, the polycationic peptide colistin has become the last hope to treat severe infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Thus, the development of colistin resistance may seriously compromise the efficacy of treatment. Moreover, colistin has high toxicity being dose dependent. A potentially effective strategy to avoid resistance may be to combine colistin with other antimicrobials. This may help in the rescue of old antimicrobials and in reducing toxic undesired effects. Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility determination, efflux machinery function measurements in different conditions and measurement of inhibition of the extrusion by colistin were performed. Moreover, modifications of anisotropy of the membranes by using fluorescent dyes was accomplished. Results: Sub-inhibitory concentrations of colistin have a synergistic effect with several antimicrobials that act intracellularly (targeting protein synthesis and DNA replication). This effect was demonstrated through the uptake increases of acridine orange. in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter baumanii but also in an intrinsically colistin-resistant species as Serratia marcescens. Measurements of the anisotropy of bacterial membranes, as a measure of membrane fluidity, showed significant changes indicative of colistin activity. Conclusion: The alterations in the cellular efflux machinery that resulted in higher intracellular concentrations of acridine orange, and likely of other antimicrobials combined with data of membrane fluidity and measured synergism in vitro allow us to envisage the use of these combinations to fight infections caused by multidrug-resistant bact

Los comportamientos disruptivos: Causas y consecuencias en el grupo constructores del CDI "Mundo Encantado" 2015.

La disrupción es tema muy común dentro de los centros educativos en nuestra actualidad, aspecto que en muchas ocasiones afecta no solo al niño o niña con comportamientos disruptivos, sino que a su vez, genera consecuencias en las personas que los rodean. En el presente trabajo, se evidenciará el proceso de sistematización de la práctica que se realizó en el CDI “Mundo Encantado” en el municipio de Bello, proceso enfocado principalmente en el tema de la disrupción y las consecuencias que este conlleva. Tal práctica se realizó con una muestra poblacional de veinticuatro niñas y niños en edades de cuatro a cinco años. En este documento abordaremos el tema como tal, y a su vez se presentarán las estrategias abordadas (actividades, intervenciones, juegos, videos, etc.), las enseñanzas obtenidas y los aspectos a mejorar que en el proceso de observación y de práctica nos sirvieron como herramientas de aprendizaje, y a su vez fueron importantes para el proceso de reflexión y autocorrección.Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dio

Los comportamientos disruptivos: Causas y consecuencias en el grupo constructores del CDI "Mundo Encantado" 2015.

La disrupción es tema muy común dentro de los centros educativos en nuestra actualidad, aspecto que en muchas ocasiones afecta no solo al niño o niña con comportamientos disruptivos, sino que a su vez, genera consecuencias en las personas que los rodean. En el presente trabajo, se evidenciará el proceso de sistematización de la práctica que se realizó en el CDI “Mundo Encantado” en el municipio de Bello, proceso enfocado principalmente en el tema de la disrupción y las consecuencias que este conlleva. Tal práctica se realizó con una muestra poblacional de veinticuatro niñas y niños en edades de cuatro a cinco años. En este documento abordaremos el tema como tal, y a su vez se presentarán las estrategias abordadas (actividades, intervenciones, juegos, videos, etc.), las enseñanzas obtenidas y los aspectos a mejorar que en el proceso de observación y de práctica nos sirvieron como herramientas de aprendizaje, y a su vez fueron importantes para el proceso de reflexión y autocorrección.Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dio

Soberanía alimentaria : aplicación de secuencias didácticas para fomentar su aprendizaje significativo crítico

RESUMEN: La soberanía alimentaria surge desde los pueblos históricamente vulnerados como una propuesta contra hegemónica al modelo de desarrollo dominante, la cual busca generar que sean los mismos pueblos quienes decidan su propio sistema alimentario. La presente investigación aborda este modelo alternativo, al relacionarlo con la alimentación de los estudiantes de undécimo de la Institución Educativa El Pedregal ubicada en la Comuna 6 dela ciudad de Medellín, donde se analizan las potencialidades que tiene la aplicación de secuencias didácticas en el fomento de aprendizaje significativo crítico -ASC- mediante una metodología cualitativa con un enfoque de Investigación-Acción. Se reconocen los aportes de principios facilitadores de enseñanza de Marco Antonio Moreira en las secuencias didácticas, se categoriza el discurso de los estudiantes según elementos y niveles de reflexión de la argumentación crítica propuesta por Selma Leitão y se identifican enunciados de los estudiantes en torno a los pilares de la Soberanía Alimentaria que dan cuenta de un ASC. Se encuentran grandes potencialidades en el uso de las secuencias didácticas propuestas para el alcance de ASC, lo cual se evidencia cuando los estudiantes reflexionan de manera crítica frente a la situación actual de los alimentos y nombran a la soberanía alimentaria como una alternativa a esta.ABSTRACT: Food Sovereignty arises from the people´s historically affected as a proposal against the hegemonic dominant development model, which seeks to generate the same peoples to decide their own food system. The present research addresses this alternative model,relating it to the feeding of the eleventh-grade students of the El Pedregal Educational Institution located in Comuna 6 of the city of Medellín, where the potential of the application of didactic sequences in the promotion of Critical Meaningful Learning is analyzed-ASC- using a qualitative methodology with an Action-Research approach. The contributions of Marco Antonio Moreira’s teaching principles in the didactic sequences are recognized, the students' discourse is categorized according to elements and levels of reflection of the critical argumentation proposed by Selma Leitão and the students'statements are identified around the pillars of Food Sovereignty that they give an ASCaccount. Great potential is found in the use of the didactic sequences proposed for the scope of ASC, which is evident when students reflect critically on the current food situation and name Food Sovereignty as an alternative to it

Differential effects of a cafeteria diet and GSPE preventive treatments on the enterohormone secretions of aged vs. young female rats

Grape seed derived procyanidins (GSPE) have been shown to effectively prevent intestinal disarrangements induced by a cafeteria diet in young rats. However, little is known about the effects of procyanidins and cafeteria diet on enterohormone secretion in aged rats, as the ageing processes modify these effects. To study these effects in aged rats, we subjected 21-month-old and young 2-month-old female rats to two sub-chronic preventive GSPE treatments. After three months of cafeteria diet administration, we analysed the basal and stimulated secretion and mRNA expression of CCK, PYY and GLP-1, caecal SCFA and intestinal sizes. We found that the effects of a cafeteria diet on the basal duodenal CCK secretion are age dependent. GLP-1 in the ileum was not modified regardless of the rat's age, and GSPE preventive effects differed in the two age groups. GSPE pre-treatment reduced GLP-1, PYY and ChgA in mRNA in aged ileum tissue, while the cafeteria diet increased these in aged colon. The GSPE treatments only modified low-abundance SCFAs. The cafeteria diet in aged rats increases the caecum size differently from that in young rats and GSPE pre-treatment prevents this increase. Therefore, ageing modifies nutrient sensing, and the cafeteria diet acts mainly on the duodenum and colon, while procyanidins have a larger effect on the ileum.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Classification of MCI patients using vergence eye movements and pupil responses obtained during a visual oddball test

In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients can be identified based on the analysis of vergence eye movements and pupil responses. We recorded vergence and pupil responses in MCI patients (N = 22) and cognitive healthy elderly (N = 18) while performing a visual oddball task. Based on selected features, a classifier model computed probability scores predicting MCI. MCI patients were re-evaluated in a follow-up visit of 12–18 months. For validating the model, patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) (N = 9) were tested. High classification accuracy was obtained (AUC: 0.93). In addition, the probability scores showed significant predictive power of MCI conversion into possible AD. Our results show that MCI can be detected by assessing vergence and pupil responses during a simple and short task. Therefore, these responses could potentially be used as a marker tool for MCI diagnosis and to identify the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease.This research was supported by grants from Spanish Ministry of Science (PGC2018–096074-B I00) and from AGAUR, Generalitat de Catalunya (2018-DI-75 & 2017-SGR-48)Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version