Usefulness of online self-learning tutorials and quizzes for medical students at the University of Malta

Self-directed learning, e-learning, and formative assessment in the form of online quizzes, have been shown to be associated with enhanced learning and improved test scores among medical students. This study aimed to assess the perceived usefulness of online self-learning tutorials and formative assessment (online quizzes) for medical students.peer-reviewe

IL-10-conditioned dendritic cells, decommissioned for recruitment of adaptive immunity, elicit innate inflammatory gene products in response to danger signals

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the professional APCs of the immune system, enabling T cells to perceive and respond appropriately to potentially dangerous microbes, while also being able to maintain T cell tolerance toward self. In part, such tolerance can be determined by IL-10 released from certain types of regulatory T cells. IL-10 has previously been shown to render DCs unable to activate T cells and it has been assumed that this process represents a general block in maturation. Using serial analysis of gene expression, we show that IL-10 pretreatment of murine bone marrow-derived DCs alone causes significant changes in gene expression. Furthermore, these cells retain the ability to respond to Toll-like receptor agonists, but in a manner skewed toward the selective induction of mediators known to enhance local inflammation and innate immunity, among which we highlight a novel CXCR2 ligand, DC inflammatory protein-1. These data suggest that, while the presence of a protolerogenic and purportedly anti-inflammatory agent such as IL-10 precludes DCs from acquiring their potential as initiators of adaptive immunity, their ability to act as initiators of innate immunity in response to Toll-like receptor signaling is enhanced

El lenguaje de la Educación como "lenguaje sectorial"

Actualmente, podemos observar que cuando hablamos con un médico, éste se dirige a nosotros con un lenguaje totalmente distinto al que utiliza cuando habla con otro médico. Lo mismo sucede entre abogados, científicos y otros profesionales que participan en una interacción. Igualmente sucede en el ámbito educativo, sin embargo, cuando escuchamos a dos profesionales de este terreno durante una conversación, nos percatamos de que entendemos el lenguaje que éstos están empleando, a diferencia de si escuchamos una conversación entre médicos o abogados. Esto es debido a la variedad de lenguajes que nuestra lengua ofrece y, el lenguaje de la Pedagogía es uno de ellos. El hecho que nos permite comprender una conversación entre profesores no es otro que el que se trate de un “lenguaje sectorial”, lo que facilita una intercomprensión entre hablantes profesionales y no profesionales. Por ello, el vocabulario de este lenguaje, está constituido por palabras propias de la lengua común, para así facilitar la intercomprensión. Sin embargo, ¿se puede decir que el lenguaje de la Pedagogía es también un lenguaje especializado?, ¿Comparte rasgos con otros lenguajes de este mismo carácter? ¿Qué rasgos tiene el lenguaje de la Pedagogía y qué diferencias se destacan con los lenguajes más especializados

Inserción socio-profesional de egresados de programas de Educación Superior Musical: una perspectiva internacional

The technological, economic and demographic conditions of modern society, faced with processes of globalization and the strong professional competition existing in the context of a labor market with increasing international projection, makes the socio-professional inclusion of higher education graduates a relevant matter for educational institutions, for students themselves, as well as for the productive sector and the community in general (Jiménez, 2009). In Colombia, graduates of Music Education training programs, referred to as pedagogical degrees in Music, as well as all other pedagogical bachelors, face in their first years of professional service, the challenge of putting into practice their teaching skills and learning to teach in a real educational context. In this sense Grossman & Thompson (2004) indicate that it is necessary to place more attention on novice teachers, proposing policies and strategies that favor their assessment and accompaniment during the early years of professional performance, and opportunities for continued education. Also, Abad (2005) refers to generational discrimination as one of the problems related to access the world of work and the allocation of income for young graduates, constituting this in one of the biggest concerns of professional education.Las condiciones tecnológicas, económicas y demográficas de la sociedad moderna, enfrentada a procesos globalizadores y a una fuerte competencia profesional en el marco de un mercado laboral con creciente proyección internacional, hacen de la inserción socio-profesional de los graduados de educación superior una temática relevante para las instituciones educativas, para los propios estudiantes, el sector productivo y la comunidad en general (Jiménez, 2009). En Colombia, los graduados de programas de educadores musicales denominados licenciaturas en música, al igual que otros profesionales de la educación, se enfrentan, durante sus primeros años de ejercicio laboral, al desafío de poner en práctica sus competencias docentes y aprender a enseñar en un contexto real. En este sentido, Grossman y Thompson (2004) indican que se hace necesario poner mayor atención a los maestros principiantes, planteando políticas y estrategias que favorezcan el acompañamiento durante los primeros años de desempeño profesional y la continuidad en la formación. Por su parte, Abad (2005) se refiere a las discriminaciones generacionales como uno de los problemas relacionados con el acceso al mundo del trabajo y a la asignación de ingresos para los jóvenes graduados, constituyéndose este aspecto en una de las mayores preocupaciones de los profesionales de la educación

ESTUDIO SOBRE CARACTERÍSTICAS PROFESIONALES DE LOS DOCENTES DE LICENCIATURAS EN MÚSICA EN COLOMBIA

Diferentes autores (Akerlind, 2008; Bozeman y Gaughan, 2011; Feixas, 2002; García, Guerra, González y Álvarez, 2010; Grossman y MacDonald, 2008; Paul y Phua, 2011) muestran la importancia que actualmente tienen los estudios sobre cómo los profesionales de la educación superior participan y se implican en la titulación en la que trabajan como docentes. En esta dirección, el presente estudio analiza las características profesionales del profesorado de los 13 programas de Licenciatura en Música existentes en todas las instituciones de educación superior de Colombia que cuentan con esta titulación, encargada de formar educadores musicales para los niveles de educación básica secundaria y media en este país sudamericano. El trabajo realizado se centra en el análisis de dimensiones como la experiencia profesional, la formación académica y la participación de los docentes en diferentes actividades de sus respectivos programas de Licenciatura. 175 profesores cumplimentaron un cuestionario adaptado del empleado en el proyecto europeo ALFA II-0448-A. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que el hecho de que un amplio número de los participantes cuente con contrato temporal influye especialmente en su grado de participación e implicación en las diferentes actividades educativas relacionadas con el plan de estudios y su sentido profesional de pertenencia institucional.Different authors (Akerlind, 2008; Feixas, 2002; García, Guerra, González, y Álvarez, 2010; Grossman y MacDonald, 2008; Paul y Phua, 2011), emphasize the current importance of studies about higher education professors, as well as the way they join and take part in the academic program where they work. In this framework, teacher professional features of 13 Colombian music education programs are analyzed. These higher education programs train music teachers for secondary school (6º at 11º) within this South American country. This study focuses on analysis of dimensions such as professional experience, academic training and different activities in which those teachers participate. 175 teachers completed a questionnaire that was adapted from the European Project ALFA II-0448-A. Results reveal that teacher participation level in educational management activities within their curriculum and institutional empowerment is influenced by large number of teachers with occasional engagement

Isotopic and hydrogeochemical characterization of high-altitude karst aquifers in complex geological settings. The Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park (Northern Spain) case study.

The Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park, located in the Southern Pyrenees, constitutes the highest karst system in Western Europe. No previous studies regarding its geochemical and isotopic groundwater characterization are available in this area. This work presents the results of field and sampling campaigns carried out between July 2007 and September 2013. The groundwater presents high calcium bicarbonate contents due to the occurrence of upper Cretaceous and lower Paleocene-Eocene carbonate materials in the studied area. Other relevant processes include dissolution of anhydrite and/or gypsum and incongruent dissolution of Mg-limestone and dolomite. The water stable isotopes (δ18O, δ2H) showthat the oceanic fronts from the Atlantic Ocean are responsible for the high levels of precipitation. In autumn, winter, and spring, a deuterium excess is found in the rechargewater,which could be related to local atmospheric transport of low-altitude snow sublimation vapour and its later condensation on the snowsurface at higher altitude,where recharge ismostly produced. The recharge zones are mainly between 2500mand 3200ma.s.l. The tritiumcontent of the water suggests short groundwater transit times. The isotopic composition of dissolved sulphate points to the existence of regional fluxes mixed with local discharge in some of the springs. This work highlights the major role played by the altitude difference between the recharge and discharge zones in controlling the chemistry and the vertical variability of the isotopic composition in high-altitude karst aquifers

Simple Measurement of IgA Predicts Immunity and Mortality in Ataxia-Telangiectasia

Immunodeficiency; Immunoglobulins; MortalityInmunodeficiencia; Inmunoglobulinas; MortalidadImmunodeficiència; Immunoglobulines; MortalitatPatients with ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) suffer from progressive cerebellar ataxia, immunodeficiency, respiratory failure, and cancer susceptibility. From a clinical point of view, A-T patients with IgA deficiency show more symptoms and may have a poorer prognosis. In this study, we analyzed mortality and immunity data of 659 A-T patients with regard to IgA deficiency collected from the European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID) registry and from 66 patients with classical A-T who attended at the Frankfurt Goethe-University between 2012 and 2018. We studied peripheral B- and T-cell subsets and T-cell repertoire of the Frankfurt cohort and survival rates of all A-T patients in the ESID registry. Patients with A-T have significant alterations in their lymphocyte phenotypes. All subsets (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD4/CD45RA, and CD8/CD45RA) were significantly diminished compared to standard values. Patients with IgA deficiency (n = 35) had significantly lower lymphocyte counts compared to A-T patients without IgA deficiency (n = 31) due to a further decrease of naïve CD4 T-cells, central memory CD4 cells, and regulatory T-cells. Although both patient groups showed affected TCR-ß repertoires compared to controls, no differences could be detected between patients with and without IgA deficiency. Overall survival of patients with IgA deficiency was significantly diminished. For the first time, our data show that patients with IgA deficiency have significantly lower lymphocyte counts and subsets, which are accompanied with reduced survival, compared to A-T patients without IgA deficiency. IgA, a simple surrogate marker, is indicating the poorest prognosis for classical A-T patients. Both non-interventional clinical trials were registered at clinicaltrials.gov 2012 (Susceptibility to infections in ataxia-telangiectasia; NCT02345135) and 2017 (Susceptibility to Infections, tumor risk and liver disease in patients with ataxia-telangiectasia; NCT03357978)Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. The ESID Registry was supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF 01GM0896, 01GM1111B, 01GM1517C, 01EO1303 and 01ZZ1801B) EU grant no. HEALTH-F2-2008–201549 (EURO-PADnet), the pharmaceutical companies Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, LFB, and UCB UK, the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA), the Care-for-Rare Foundation, PROimmune e.V, LFB, and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy—EXC 2155 RESIST—Project ID 39087428. EGD is supported by the UK National Institute of Health Research and the Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre

How hot can mitochondria be? Incubation at temperatures above 43 °C induces the degradation of respiratory complexes and supercomplexes in intact cells and isolated mitochondria

Mitochondrial function generates an important fraction of the heat that contributes to cellular and organismal temperature maintenance, but the actual values of this parameter reached in the organelles is a matter of debate. The studies addressing this issue have reported divergent results: from detecting in the organelles the same temperature as the cell average or the incubation temperature, to increasing differences of up to 10 degrees above the incubation value. Theoretical calculations based on physical laws exclude the possibility of relevant temperature gradients between mitochondria and their surroundings. These facts have given rise to a conundrum or paradox about hot mitochondria. We have examined by Blue-Native electrophoresis, both in intact cells and in isolated organelles, the stability of respiratory complexes and supercomplexes at different temperatures to obtain information about their tolerance to heat stress. We observe that, upon incubation at values above 43 °C and after relatively short periods, respiratory complexes, and especially complex I and its supercomplexes, are unstable even when the respiratory activity is inhibited. These results support the conclusion that high temperatures (>43 °C) cause damage to mitochondrial structure and function and question the proposal that these organelles can physiologically work at close to 50 °C

Activation of p53 by Nutlin-3a Induces Apoptosis and Cellular Senescence in Human Glioblastoma Multiforme

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor in adults. Despite concerted efforts to improve current therapies and develop novel clinical approaches, patient survival remains poor. As such, increasing attention has focused on developing new therapeutic strategies that specifically target the apoptotic pathway in order to improve treatment responses. Recently, nutlins, small-molecule antagonists of MDM2, have been developed to inhibit p53-MDM2 interaction and activate p53 signaling in cancer cells. Glioma cell lines and primary cultured glioblastoma cells were treated with nutlin-3a. Nutlin-3a induced p53-dependent G1- and G2-M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in glioma cell lines with normal TP53 status. In addition, nutlin-arrested glioma cells show morphological features of senescence and persistent induction of p21 protein. Furthermore, senescence induced by nutlin-3a might be depending on mTOR pathway activity. In wild-type TP53 primary cultured cells, exposure to nutlin-3a resulted in variable degrees of apoptosis as well as cellular features of senescence. Nutlin-3a-induced apoptosis and senescence were firmly dependent on the presence of functional p53, as revealed by the fact that glioblastoma cells with knockdown p53 with specific siRNA, or cells with mutated or functionally impaired p53 pathway, were completely insensitive to the drug. Finally, we also found that nutlin-3a increased response of glioma cells to radiation therapy. The results provide a basis for the rational use of MDM2 antagonists as a novel treatment option for glioblastoma patients

Coeficiente emocional en niños y adolescentes de Boyacá, Colombia. Estudio comparativo

Este artículo analiza comparativamente la inteligencia emocional de niños y jóvenes estudiantes colombianos de dos rangos de edad, 8-10 y 11-16 años. La muestra del estudio fue de 1451 estudiantes de tres provincias del departamento de Boyacá. La investigación se realizó desde una perspectiva cuantitativa. Para la recolección de información se empleó el Inventario de Coeficiente Emocional: versión para jóvenes [EQ-i: YV]. Tanto la fiabilidad como la validez del EQ-i: YV fueron determinadas para esta muestra. Los principales resultados mostraron algunas diferencias en la inteligencia emocional según el rango de edad. Los niños obtuvieron mejores resultados que los adolescentes en las escalas de manejo del estrés y adaptabilidad.This article makes a comparative analysis of emotional intelligence of Colombian children and young students aged from 8 to 10 year-old and from 11 to 16 years-old. The study sample was 1451 students from three provinces in the Department of Boyacá. The research was carried out from a quantitative perspective. Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version [EQ-i: YV] was used for data collection. Both the reliability and the validity of the EQ-i: YV were determined for the sample. The main results showed some differences in emotional intelligence according to age range. Children achieved better results than adolescents in stress management and adaptability scales.Cet article présente une analyse comparative de l’intelligence émotionnelle des enfants et de jeunes élèves colombiens appartenant à deux groupes d’âge : de 8 à 10 ans et de 11 à 16 ans. L’échantillon de cette étude a été constitué par 1451 élèves de trois provinces du département de Boyacá. La recherche a été abordée d’un point de vue quantitatif. L’inventaire du quotient émotionnel : version pour les jeunes [EQ-i: YV] a été utilisé pour la collecte des données. Tant la fiabilité que la validité de l’EQ-i: YV ont été déterminées pour l’échantillon. Les principaux résultats ont montré certaines différences par rapport à l’intelligence émotionnelle en fonction des groupes d’âge. Les enfants ont enregistré de meilleurs résultats que les adolescents dans les barèmes de gestion du stress et d’adaptabilité