Implicaciones de la movilidad estudiantil en la Universidad de Granada: choque cultural, choque educativo y “choque de recepción”

The University of Granada heads the latest statistics in absolute figures in students’ mobility in Spain. Taking this assertion as a starting point, this paper shows the implications of culture shock for student mobility as well as the impact of student mobility for the different education levels and for host institutions. Furthermore, this paper presents the results obtained from the Temcu project (Teacher Training for the MulticulturalClassroom at the University), a European project based on the implications of the multicultural classroom at the University of Granada.La Universidad de Granada goza de ser la institución española que más estudiantes de intercambio recibe en sus aulas. Partiendo de esta base, el presente artículo muestra las implicaciones del choque cultural, del choque educativo y del “choque de recepción” en la movilidad estudiantil. Asimismo muestra datos interesantes obtenidos tras la realización de un proyecto europeo (Temcu, Teacher Training for The Multicultural Classroom at the University) centrado en las implicaciones del aula multicultural en la UGR

TrkB signaling is required for postnatal survival of CNS neurons and protects hippocampal and motor neurons from axotomy-induced cell death

Newborn mice carrying targeted mutations in genes encoding neurotrophins or their signaling Trk receptors display severe neuronal deficits in the peripheral nervous system but not in the CNS. In this study, we show that trkB (¿/¿) mice have a significant increase in apoptotic cell death in different regions of the brain during early postnatal life. The most affected region in the brain is the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, although elevated levels of pyknotic nuclei were also detected in cortical layers II and III and V and VI, the striatum, and the thalamus. Furthermore, axotomized hippocampal and motor neurons of trkB (¿/¿) mice have significantly lower survival rates than those of wild-type littermates. These results suggest that neurotrophin signaling through TrkB receptors plays a role in the survival of CNS neurons during postnatal development. Moreover, they indicate that TrkB receptor signaling protects subpopulations of CNS neurons from injury- and axotomy-induced cell death

Respiratory symptoms and their determinants in the general Spanish population: changes over 20 years

Epidemiology; Respiratory symptomsEpidemiología; Síntomas respiratoriosEpidemiologia; Símptomes respiratorisBackground Few large epidemiological studies have analysed the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and their determinants in the general adult population. We investigated the prevalence and determinants of respiratory symptoms and compared their prevalence with that of two previous studies conducted in 1999 and 2009. Method EPISCAN II was a multicentre, cross-sectional, population-based epidemiological study in individuals older than 40 years. Results A total of 9092 individuals were included. Up to 47.5% reported at least one respiratory symptom, being more frequent in women than in men (49.4% versus 45.5%, p=0.0002) and with wheezing being the most frequent (33.7%) followed by dyspnoea (26.8%). The presence of any symptom was associated with female sex, higher body mass index (BMI), lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1 % pred), reduced physical activity, a higher Charlson index and the presence of anxiety and depression. Smoking was also significantly associated with having at least one respiratory symptom in a dose–response fashion (OR: 1.415, 1.916, 2.192 and 2.987 for 0–10, 10–20, 20–30 and >30 pack-years, respectively, all p<0.0001). The prevalence of symptoms remained quite similar over the last 20 years (wheezing 40%, 36% and 33.7% and dyspnoea 10.4%, 9.9% and 13.1% in 1999, 2009 and 2019, respectively). Conclusions Approximately half of the adult Spanish population have respiratory symptoms and this prevalence has remained quite stable over the last 20 years. Smoking remains the main factor associated with respiratory symptoms, but female sex, comorbidities, high BMI and low FEV1 and low physical activity are also significantly associated with respiratory symptoms.The EPISCAN II study was sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline. Funding information for this article has been deposited with the Crossref Funder Registry

Determinants of blood eosinophil levels in the general population and patients with COPD: a population-based, epidemiological study

Epidemiology; Computed tomography; BiomarkersEpidemiología; Tomografía computarizada; BiomarcadoresEpidemiologia; Tomografia computada; BiomarcadorsBackground Blood eosinophils are considered a biomarker for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Population-based studies are needed to better understand the determinants of the blood eosinophil count (BEC) in individuals with and without COPD. Methods EPISCAN II is a multicentre, cross-sectional, population-based epidemiological study aimed at investigating the prevalence and determinants of COPD in Spain. Study subjects were randomly selected from the general population, and COPD was defined by a post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC < 0.7. For the pre-specified outcomes related to BEC, the first 35 COPD and 35 non-COPD subjects were consecutively recruited in 12 of the participating centres with the objective of analysing 400 individuals in each group. Baseline BEC and its association with demographic, clinical and functional variables were analysed. Results A total of 326 COPD and 399 non-COPD subjects were included in the analysis. The mean age (standard deviation [SD]) was 63.2 years (11.0), 46.3% were male, and 27.6% were active smokers. BEC was significantly higher in individuals with COPD [192 cells/μL (SD: 125) vs. 160 cells/μL (SD: 114); p = 0.0003]. In a stepwise multivariate model, being male, active smoker and having a previous diagnosis of asthma were independently associated with having a higher BEC. Conclusions This population-based study estimated the distribution of eosinophils in the healthy adult population and concluded that COPD patients have a significantly higher BEC. Male sex, active smoking and concomitant asthma were significantly associated with a higher BEC.The EPI SCAN II study was funded by an unrestricted grant from GlaxoSmithKline

Physical activity, sedentary behaviour, physical fitness, and cognitive performance in women with fibromyalgia who engage in reproductive and productive work: the al-Ándalus project

We acknowledge Springer and Clinical Rheumatology for publishing our scientific article: Álvarez-Gallardo, I. C., Estévez-López, F., Torres-Aguilar, X. C., Segura-Jiménez, V., Borges-Cosic, M., Soriano-Maldonado, A., Camiletti-Moirón, D., García-Rodríguez, I. C., Munguía-Izquierdo, D., Sierras-Robles, Á., Delgado-Fernández, M., & Girela-Rejón, M. J. (2019). Physical activity, sedentary behaviour, physical fitness, and cognitive performance in women with fibromyalgia who engage in reproductive and productive work: the al-Ándalus project. Clinical Rheumatology, 38(12), 3585-3593. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10067-019-04750-8Introduction/objectives: Reproductive labour refers to activities and tasks directed at caregiving and domestic roles, such as cleaning, cooking, and childcare. Productive labour refers to activities that involve economic remuneration. The aim of the present study was to analyse physical activity, sedentary behaviour, physical fitness, and cognitive performance in women with fibromyalgia who engaged, or did not engage, in productive work. Method: This cross-sectional study comprised 276 women with fibromyalgia from Andalusia (southern of Spain). Levels of physical activity (light, moderate, and vigorous) and sedentary behaviour were measured by an accelerometer. Physical fitness and cognitive performance were measured with a battery of performance-based tests. Results: More hours/week of homemaker-related tasks were associated with higher time spend in light physical activity and lower sedentary behaviour (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively). Furthermore, in comparison with those who only engaged in reproductive labour, women with fibromyalgia who engaged in productive work showed lower levels of sedentary behaviour and higher levels of light and moderate physical activity, physical fitness (except muscular strength), and cognitive performance (all, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Altogether, our findings suggest that productive work is consistently related to better physical and cognitive functioning in women with fibromyalgia. If future research corroborates causality of our findings, then, to maintain women with fibromyalgia engaging in productive work may be strived for not only because of societal or economic reasons but also for better health. However, we should keep in mind that people with fibromyalgia have a chronic condition, and therefore, adaptations at the workplace are imperative.Key Points• Women with fibromyalgia, who spend more time in reproductive labour, have higher levels of light physical activity and lower sedentary behaviour; however, it is associated with poorer general health (as lower physical fitness or cognitive performance).• Household tasks are often seen as a responsibility associated with the gender roles that women with fibromyalgia perform, despite the feelings of incapacity they cause. Policies focused on reducing reproductive labour demands for fibromyalgia patients (i.e. social help on housework or childcare) might facilitate the inclusion of daily active behaviours.• People with fibromyalgia who engage in productive work seem to have better health outcomes than those who have not; however, we cannot forget that adaptations and flexibility at the workplace are imperative

Optimización y mejora del aprendizaje mediante la utilización de la realidad virtual en las prácticas de grados y ciclos formativos

[ES] La realidad virtual se ha convertido en una herramienta que abre las posibilidades de la tecnología más allá de su uso para videojuegos. La inmersión en el contexto real en el que se desarrollan los acontecimientos permite extrapolar la capacidad de esa tecnología al mundo de la educación para mejorar el aprendizaje y adaptarlo a la demanda de las nuevas generaciones. Las RV permite ubicar al propio usuario dentro de un escenario virtual que reproduce el entorno de aprendizaje correspondiente. Mediante este proyecto perseguimos poner a disposición de los alumnos el contenido práctico de las asignaturas de grado y los módulos de formación profesional, de manera que puedan disponer de él permanentemente sin necesidad de presencialidad ni de un horario fijo. La flexibilidad y facilidad de acceso a estos contenidos permite, además, que por motivos de cualquier índole (laborales, personales, etc.) puedan realizar el seguimiento de las prácticas sin ningún tipo de impedimento. El proyecto engloba tanto a titulaciones de ciclo formativo (Higiene Bucodental y Realización de Proyectos Audiovisuales y Espectáculos) como de grado (Odontología y Arquitectura), mostrando la versatilidad y la extensión a los diferentes sectores a los que puede llegar la utilización de esta metodología docente.[EN] Virtual reality has become a tool that opens up the possibilities of technology beyond its use for video games. Immersion in the real context in which events takeplace allows the ability of this technology to be extrapolated to the world of education to improve learning and adapt it to the demand of new generations. Virtual reality allows to locate the user within a virtual scenario that reproduces the corresponding learning environment. Through this project we seek to make available to students the practical content of the undergraduate subjects and vocational training modules, so that they can have it permanently without the need for face-to-face or a fixed schedule. The flexibility and ease of access to these contents also allows that for reasons of any kind (labor, personal, etc.) can track the practices without difficulties. The project includes both training cycle degrees (Dental Hygiene and Audiovisual Projects) and degree (Odontology and Architecture), showing the versatility and extension to the different sectors to which the use of this teaching methodology can reach.Martínez Cuello, A.; Serra Soriano, B.; Piquer Maño, E.; García Romero, P.; Ribes Vallés, C.; Lloria Benet, MI. (2021). Optimización y mejora del aprendizaje mediante la utilización de la realidad virtual en las prácticas de grados y ciclos formativos. En IN-RED 2020: VI Congreso de Innovación Educativa y Docencia en Red. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 346-356. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2020.2020.11975OCS34635

Gallic Acid: A Natural Phenolic Compound Exerting Antitumoral Activities in Colorectal Cancer via Interaction with G-Quadruplexes

Natural phenolic compounds have gained momentum for the prevention and treatment of cancer, but their antitumoral mechanism of action is not yet well understood. In the present study, we screened the antitumoral potential of several phenolic compounds in a cellular model of colorectal cancer (CRC).We selected gallic acid (GA) as a candidate in terms of potency and selectivity and extensively evaluated its biological activity. We report on the role of GA as a ligand of DNA G-quadruplexes (G4s), explaining several of its antitumoral effects, including the transcriptional inhibition of ribosomal and CMYC genes. In addition, GA shared with other established G4 ligands some effects such as cell cycle arrest, nucleolar stress, and induction of DNA damage. We further confirmed the antitumoral and G4-stabilizing properties of GA using a xenograft model of CRC. Finally, we succinctly demonstrate that GA could be explored as a therapeutic agent in a patient cohort with CRC. Our work reveals that GA, a natural bioactive compound present in the diet, affects gene expression by interaction with G4s both in vitro and in vivo and paves the way towards G4s targeting with phenolic compounds.Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIEuropean Commission PI21/00497 AC18/00008Next generation EU, Plan de Recuperacion Transformacion y Resiliencia, Agencia Estatal de Investigacion PLEC2021-008094Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion from Government of Spain PID2019-104416RB-I00 PID2020-120481RB-I00Ministerio de Universidades from Government of Spain FPU16/05822 FPU17/05413 FPU20/03952University of Almeria FPI-20110