Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT)

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT I) is a severe, life-threatening, and immunological drug reaction. According to the clinical-laboratory characteristics, there are two types of HIT: type I (HIT I) and type II (HIT II). HIT I is the result of non-immunologic, direct interaction of heparin with the platelet surface. Contrary, HIT II is immunologically induced (antibody-mediated) and life-threatening side effect of heparin therapy, often associated with thromboembolic complications. All patients receiving heparin are exposed to the development of anti-heparin antibodies, irrespective of the heparin dosage, type, and method of administration. HIT most commonly develops in intensive care patients, dialyzed patients, and cardiosurgical and orthopedic patients. It commonly develops after 5–10 days of heparin therapy. Platelet count decreases by more than 50% from the baseline and ranges from 20 × 109/L to 100 × 109/L. In HIT II, thromboembolic complications usually include deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, but they also include arterial occlusion of the extremities, myocardial infarction, stroke, and necrosis and organ damage. Clinical assessment of the HIT probability using 4T´s score system, systematic monitoring of platelet number in heparin-receiving patients, and specific laboratory diagnosis of anti-heparin antibodies substantially contribute to the final confirmation of the diagnosis, enable timely administration of direct non-heparin thrombin antagonists, and reduce mortality from thromboembolic complications

Transitions to food democracy through multilevel governance

status: publishe

"Value for Money?" Perspectives from the Social Sciences on the Impact of Market-Driven Academia

In the context of an emerging global market society, European universities are gradually losing the support of States whose policies are largely determined by budgetary criteria. Although their mission seems unchallenged, their purpose is now clearly economic. From a broader perspective, namely the economic context in which the academia is embedded, the link between the university and the current economic vision that emanates from the dominant neoliberal discourse is considered. I will examine the ideological support of the current change within the university, its vectors of diffusion, and the potential risks it presents to democracy. As a case study, I analyse the consequences of academia’s market-oriented conversion focusing on the Theory of Social Representations and its theoretical polarity with “mainstream Social Psychology”. Even though the theoretical core of Moscovici’s work is an undoubtedly valuable contribution to the social sciences, its methodological incompatibilities with “what sells” leave it structurally ostracized, and its potential unfulfilled. This thesis explores the interplay of European sociopsychological tradition, its disciplinary legacy, and the market-oriented trends that have undoubtedly impacted the developmental paths the Theory has followed, thus identifying elements likely to be reported to the whole university world. For my theoretical framework, a Marxist perspective on education guides my understanding of the interests of ruling class elites, while Actor Network Theory helps uncover the underpinned dialectic between global market rules and the specific biography of the theory (de Rosa, A. S., forthcoming). The issue of governmentality and academic performativity is also examined, from a general perspective and through the specific case of Social Representations. These sections are complemented with an elaboration of the different rationalizing pressures of the dominant discourse as well as the ways the academic world resists it

Ethical, legal and social issues of digital phenotyping as a future solution for present-day challenges – a scoping review

Annexes 1, 2, and

The Crisis in Social Psychology Under Neoliberalism: Reflections from Social Representations Theory

International audienc

Evaluación de los resultados de un plan de intervención psicopedagógico bajo las dimensiones socioculturales y afectivas

Tesis (Psicopedagogo, Licenciado en Educación)Una de las realidades de nuestro país, es que hay una gran cantidad de jóvenes que desertan del sistema educativo en comunas que presentan un alto riesgo social. De acuerdo a esta realidad , nuestra investigación se realizó en un colegio ubicado en un sector, que en su mayoría se encuentra deprivado socioculturalmente (Yánez, 1980), debido a que existe delincuencia, alcoholismo, familias mal constituidas, violencia intrafamiliar, maternidad precoz, que son los factores claves de una tasa de deserción escolar que bordea el 70% (Según el Proyecto Educativo del colegio), siendo estos factores los que podrían influir directamente en las dificultades académicas que presentan los alumnos. Por lo tanto nuestra investigación se centra en el estudio de los factores socioculturales y afectivos, con el objeto de comprobar si éstos inciden en el ámbito académico y si son los causantes de la deserción escolar. La función del psicopedagogo en este estudio, cumple el rol mediador activo, con el fin de de intervenir en el ámbito académico y verificar la relación existente entre los resultados y los factores estudiados

The generativity of the social representations theory for multiple paradigmatic approaches along different decades and across various geo-cultural contexts – continents

This contribution presents collective results of a research project carried out within the EC-approved SoReCom-Joint-IDP (http://www.europhd.eu/SoReComJointIDP) built on the top of an on-going project led since 20 years by A.S. de Rosa at the European/International Joint PhD on Social Representations and Communication Research Centre and Multimedia Lab. She has designed specific web-tools (including the on-line grid for the meta-theoretical analysis and the related web-inventories) aimed at conducting an empirical meta-theoretical analysis of the whole body on Social Representations, integrating quantitative and qualitative research tools and data analysis strategies. We will present a state of art of the literature on social representations all over the world - retrieved from the SoReCom ”A.S. de Rosa” @-library (de Rosa, 2014a, 2014b, 2015a, 2015b) - by analyzing texts which pertain to different paradigmatic approaches and geo-cultural contexts according to the most relevant categories listed within the grid for meta-theoretical analysis (v. February 2014)

Transfection of oral cancer cells mediated by transferrin-associated lipoplexes: Mechanisms of cell death induced by herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase/ganciclovir therapy

The Herpes Simplex Virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) suicide gene/ganciclovir (GCV) approach has been used for the treatment of a variety of cancers. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of ganciclovir in oral squamous cancer cells, previously transfected with HSV-tk gene delivered by transferrin-associated complexes (Tf-lipoplexes), as well as to investigate the mechanisms involved in the bystander effect and in the process of cell death. The delivery of HSV-tk gene to the oral cancer cells, HSC-3 and SCC-7, mediated by Tf-lipoplexes followed by ganciclovir treatment resulted in essentially 100% cytotoxicity, the observed toxic effect being dependent both on GCV dose and incubation time. Cell death was shown to occur mainly by an apoptotic process. Different experimental approaches demonstrated that the observed cytotoxicity was mainly due to diffusion of the toxic agent into neighbouring, non-transfected cells, via gap junctions. Preliminary in vivo studies in a murine model for oral squamous cell carcinoma have shown a significant inhibition of tumor growth upon injection of Tf-lipoplexes carrying HSV-tk followed by intraperitonal injection of GCV, as compared to controls.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6T1T-4KWJY12-1/1/75d51bc89a44effb4619438739949fc