Evaluación y coevaluación de aprendizajes en blended learning en educación superior

El estudio evalúa la utilización de herramientas tecnológicas para implementar evaluación y coevaluación realizada por los estudiantes, en función del aprendizaje autónomo y la evaluación por parte del profesor, aprovechando el potencial de la retroalimentación instantánea de las herramientas que disponen los Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje. La extensa implementación de estos ambientes virtuales en la educación superior hace que el blended learning sea una nueva normalidad, automatizando y facilitando el monitoreo de los avances en el aprendizaje, a través de la gestión pedagógica de prácticas efectivas. La propuesta de innovación propende al desarrollo de la autonomía y protagonismo de estudiantes en el logro de sus aprendizajes. El diseño metodológico es correlacional que busca establecer la asociación entre la confección de preguntas y resolución de test online por parte de los estudiantes y su nivel de desempeño en pruebas de conocimiento administradas por el profesor. Se aplicó en seis grupos de las cohortes 2016 y 2017 en la asignatura Investigación Educativa para carreras de pedagogías de una universidad chilena. Los principales resultados apuntan a una significativa correlación entre uso del ambiente virtual en la construcción y aplicación de instrumento tipo test y los resultados de desempeño en pruebas de conocimiento. Se concluye que el aprendizaje de los alumnos se potencia, al integrar la evaluación como parte del proceso formativo con un rol activo y autónomo de los estudiantes con apoyo de tecnologías.//The study examines the use of technological tools to implement self and peer-assessment based on students´ autonomous learning and formal evaluation carried out by the teacher, taking advantage of the potential of instant feedback from the tools available in Virtual Learning Environments (VLE). The extensive implementation of VLE in higher education makes blended learning an emergent modality, automating and facilitating the monitoring of learning progress, through the pedagogical management of effective practices. The innovation proposal aims at fostering students’ autonomy and their central role in the achievement of their learning. The methodological design is correlational seeking to establish the association between the preparation of questions and online test resolution by the students and their level in performance tests administered by the teacher. It was carried out in six groups of the 2016 and 2017 cohorts in the Educational Research subject within initial teacher training programs at a Chilean university. The main results show a significant correlation between the use of the virtual environment in the construction and application of a self and peer assessment instruments in a test- typed format and their results in performance tests. It is concluded that student learning is enhanced by integrating assessment as part of the teacher training process with an active and autonomous role of students supported by educational technologies

GWAS-Identified Variants for Obesity Do Not Influence the Risk of Developing Multiple Myeloma: A Population-Based Study and Meta-Analysis

Genetic variants; Multiple myeloma; ObesityVariantes genéticas; Mieloma múltiple; ObesidadVariants genètiques; Mieloma múltiple; ObesitatMultiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable disease characterized by the presence of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow that secrete specific monoclonal immunoglobulins into the blood. Obesity has been associated with the risk of developing solid and hematological cancers, but its role as a risk factor for MM needs to be further explored. Here, we evaluated whether 32 genome-wide association study (GWAS)-identified variants for obesity were associated with the risk of MM in 4189 German subjects from the German Multiple Myeloma Group (GMMG) cohort (2121 MM cases and 2068 controls) and 1293 Spanish subjects (206 MM cases and 1087 controls). Results were then validated through meta-analysis with data from the UKBiobank (554 MM cases and 402,714 controls) and FinnGen cohorts (914 MM cases and 248,695 controls). Finally, we evaluated the correlation of these single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with cQTL data, serum inflammatory proteins, steroid hormones, and absolute numbers of blood-derived cell populations (n = 520). The meta-analysis of the four European cohorts showed no effect of obesity-related variants on the risk of developing MM. We only found a very modest association of the POC5rs2112347G and ADCY3rs11676272G alleles with MM risk that did not remain significant after correction for multiple testing (per-allele OR = 1.08, p = 0.0083 and per-allele OR = 1.06, p = 0.046). No correlation between these SNPs and functional data was found, which confirms that obesity-related variants do not influence MM risk.This work was supported by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Madrid, Spain; PI17/02256 and PI20/01845), from the Consejería de Salud y Familia de la Junta de Andalucía (PY20/01282) and from the Dietmar Hopp Foundation and the German Ministry of Education and Science (BMBF: CLIOMMICS (01ZX1309))

Expression of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins in epicardial adipose tissue in patients with coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus: preliminary study

[Abstract] Objectives: Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBP) genes are crucial in lipid biosynthesis and cardiovascular homeostasis. Their expression in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and their influence in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) and type-2 diabetes mellitus remain to be determined. The aim of our study was to evaluate the expression of SREBP genes in EAT in patients with CAD according to diabetes status and its association with clinical and biochemical data. Methods: SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 mRNA expression levels were measured in EAT from 49 patients with CAD (26 with diabetes) and 23 controls without CAD or diabetes. Results: Both SREBPs mRNA expression were significantly higher in patients with CAD and diabetes (p<0.001) and were identified as independent cardiovascular risk factor for coronary artery disease in patients with type-2 diabetes (SREBP-1: OR 1.7, 95%CI 1.1-2.5, p=0.02; SREBP-2: OR 1.6, 95%CI 1.2-3, p=0.02) and were independently associated with the presence of multivessel CAD, left main and anterior descending artery stenosis, and higher total and LDL cholesterol levels, and lower HDL cholesterol levels, in patients with CAD and diabetes. Conclusions: SREBP genes are expressed in EAT and were higher in CAD patients with diabetes than those patients without CAD or diabetes. SREBP expression was associated as cardiovascular risk factor for the severity of CAD and the poor lipid control. In this preliminary study we suggest the importance of EAT in the lipid metabolism and cardiovascular homeostasis for coronary atherosclerosis of patients with diabetes and highlight a future novel therapeutic target.Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI13/02542Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI11/01661Red de Investigación Cardiovascular; RD12/0042/003

SOCS2 protects against chemical-induced hepatocellular carcinoma progression by modulating inflammation and cell proliferation in the liver

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent and lethal cancers worldwide, but the precise intracellular mechanisms underlying the progression of this inflammation associated cancer are not well established. SOCS2 protein plays an important role in the carcinogenesis of different tumors by regulating cytokine signalling through the JAK/STAT axis. However, its role in HCC is unclear. Here, we investigate the role of SOCS2 in HCC progression and its potential as HCC biomarker. The effects of SOCS2 in HCC progression were evaluated in an experimental model of diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced HCC in C57BL/6 and SOCS2 deficient mice, in cultured hepatic cells, and in liver samples from HCC patients. Mice lacking SOCS2 showed higher liver tumor burden with increased malignancy grade, inflammation, fibrosis, and proliferation than their controls. Protein and gene expression analysis reported higher pSTAT5 and pSTAT3 activation, upregulation of different proteins involved in survival and proliferation, and increased levels of proinflammatory and pro-tumoral mediators in the absence of SOCS2. Clinically relevant, downregulated expression of SOCS2 was found in neoplasia from HCC patients compared to healthy liver tissue, correlating with the malignancy grade. In summary, our data show that lack of SOCS2 increases susceptibility to chemical-induced HCC and suggest the tumor suppressor role of this protein by regulating the oncogenic and inflammatory responses mediated by STAT5 and STAT3 in the liver. Hence, SOCS2 emerges as an attractive target molecule and potential biomarker to deepen in the study of HCC treatment.This research was supported by the “Premios Fundación DISA a la Investigación Biomédica 2019” funded by DISA Foundation, “Ayudas para la financiación de Proyectos de investigación, programa de ayudas ULPGC 2018” funded by the University of Las Palmas of Gran Canaria, and “Ayudas Juan de la Cierva Incorporación 2018” funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation.Peer reviewe

Polymorphisms within the TNFSF4 and MAPKAPK2 Loci influence the risk of developing invasive aspergillosis: A two-stage case control study in the context of the aspBIOmics consortium

Here, we assessed whether 36 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the TNFSF4 and MAPKAPK2 loci influence the risk of developing invasive aspergillosis (IA). We conducted a two-stage case control study including 911 high-risk patients diagnosed with hematological malignancies that were ascertained through the aspBIOmics consortium. The meta-analysis of the discovery and replication populations revealed that carriers of the TNFSF4rs7526628T/T genotype had a significantly increased risk of developing IA (p = 0.00022). We also found that carriers of the TNFSF4rs7526628T allele showed decreased serum levels of TNFSF14 protein (p = 0.0027), and that their macrophages had a decreased fungicidal activity (p = 0.048). In addition, we observed that each copy of the MAPKAPK2rs12137965G allele increased the risk of IA by 60% (p = 0.0017), whereas each copy of the MAPKAPK2rs17013271T allele was estimated to decrease the risk of developing the disease (p = 0.0029). Mechanistically, we found that carriers of the risk MAPKAPK2rs12137965G allele showed increased numbers of CD38+IgM-IgD- plasmablasts in blood (p = 0.00086), whereas those harboring two copies of the allele had decreased serum concentrations of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (p = 0.00097). Finally, we also found that carriers of the protective MAPKAPK2rs17013271T allele had decreased numbers of CD27-IgM-IgD- B cells (p = 0.00087) and significantly lower numbers of CD14+ and CD14+CD16- cells (p = 0.00018 and 0.00023). Altogether, these results suggest a role of the TNFSF4 and MAPKAPK2 genes in determining IA risk.This study was supported by grants PI20/01845, PI12/02688, and ISCIII-FEDER PI17/02276 from Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (Madrid, Spain), PIM2010EPA-00756 from the ERA-NET PathoGenoMics (0315900A), the Collaborative Research Center/Transregio 124 FungiNet, the Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT) (PTDC/SAU-SER/29635/2017, PTDC/MED-GEN/28778/2017, CEECIND/03628/2017, and CEECIND/04058/2018), the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 847507, and the "la Caixa" Foundation (ID 100010434) and FCT under the agreement LCF/PR/HP17/52190003)

Identification of teaching skills in the implementation of training plans for university teaching staff

[ES] Este artículo presenta el proyecto desarrollado durante el año 2011 por las unidades y centros de formación de las universidades públicas catalanas. El proyecto se orienta a la mejora de la calidad del sistema de educación superior y de la actividad del profesorado universitario mediante planes de formación específicamente diseñados con esta finalidad, centrándose primeramente en la identificación de competencias docentes definidas por la comunidad académica. Partiendo del contexto de implementación del Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior se identifican aquellas competencias propias de la función docente, para que posteriormente puedan ser adquiridas, desarrolladas y evaluadas mediante la formación, identificando modelos, estrategias, instrumentos y recursos que lo permitan. El proceso de identificación de las competencias docentes del profesorado universitario se ha desarrollado partiendo de una revisión bibliográfica del estado del arte, para posteriormente ser modificada y validada por grupos de discusión conformados por expertos en competencias y formación docente. Los resultados de identificación de dichas competencias han sido finalmente refrendados mediante una encuesta respondida por una muestra representativa de la comunidad académica de las ocho universidades públicas catalanas. El objetivo fundamental del proyecto que aquí presentamos no es otro que el de contribuir a una formación de calidad del profesorado universitario, que permita la adquisición, desarrollo y evaluación de las competencias que, como docente, gran parte de la comunidad académica considera que debe poseer para el ejercicio de su labor profesional, definidas como: interpersonal, metodológica, comunicativa, de planificación y gestión de la docencia, de trabajo en equipo y de innovación.[EN] This article present the project developed in 2011 by units and training centers from all public universities in Catalonia. The project is devised towards the quality improvement of the higher education system and of the activity undertaken by the faculty at the university. In order to achieve these objectives, it focuses on the identification of teaching skills, defined by the academic community through training programs specifically designed for this purpose. Taking the implementation of the European Higher Education as starting point, the project intends to analyze the skills considered to belong by nature to the teaching task, as well as to define the necessary procedures to acquire, develop and evaluate them through training. At the same time it seeks to identify models, strategies, tools and resources. To this identification process we will make the necessary bibliographical research, in which the criteria of teaching excellence will allow us to select a representative sample of teachers. The selection will be performed through a survey and its quality will be validated by experts. The primary objective of the project shown here is basically to contribute to the quality training of university teachers, allowing the acquisition, development and evaluation of the skills considered essential by the academic community, in order to properly undertake their professional tasks, defined as: interpersonal, methodology, communication, planning and management of teaching, teamwork and innovation.Torra Bitlloch, I.; De Corral Manuel De Villena, I.; Pérez Cabrera, MJ.; Pagès Costas, T.; Valderrama Valles, E.; Màrquez Cebrian, MD.; Sabaté Díaz, S.... (2012). Identificación de competencias docentes que orienten el desarrollo de planes de formación dirigidos a profesorado universitario. REDU. Revista de Docencia Universitaria. 10(2):21-56. https://doi.org/10.4995/redu.2012.6096OJS2156102Aylett, R. & Gregory, K. (1997). Criteria for teaching competence and teaching excellence in Higher Education. London: Lalmer Press.Cano, E. (2005). Cómo mejorar las competencias de los docentes. Guía para la autoevaluación y el desarrollo de las competencias del profesorado. Colección desarrollo profesional del profesorado. Barcelona: Grao.Fielden, J. (2001). "Higher education staff development continuing mission". En Thematic dabte of the follow-up to the World Conference on High Education. UNESCO.Galán, A. (2007). El perfil del profesor universitario. Situación actual y retos de futuro. Madrid: Ediciones Encuentro.GIFD -Grup Interuniversitari de Formació Docent (2011). "Identificación, desarrollo y evaluación de competencias docentes en la aplicación de planes de formación dirigidos a profesorado universitario" (EA2010-0099). Programa estudios y análisis destinado a la mejora de la calidad de la enseñanza superior y de la actividad del profesorado universitario, Ministerio de Educación, Gobierno de España.González Soto, Á. P. & Sánchez Delgado, P. (2005). "¿Qué sabemos de cómo aprenden los alumnos en la universidad?". En Chamorro Plaza, M. & Sánchez Delgado, P. (Coords.) (2005): Iniciación a la docencia universitaria: Manual de ayuda. Instituto de Ciencias de la Educación. Madrid: Universidad Complutense de Madrid. 11-44.González, F. & Wagenaar, R. (2003). Tuning Educational Structures in Europe. Final Repport. Phase One. Bilbao: Universidad de Deusto.OCDE (2001). Definition and selection of competencies: Theoretical and Conceptual Foundations. DeSeCo Background Paper.Perrenoud, P. (2004). Diez nuevas competencias para enseñar. Barcelona: Graó.Real Decreto 1393/2007, de 29 de octubre, por el que se establece la ordenación de las enseñanzas universitarias oficiales (BOE 30-10-07).Rodríguez Espinar, S. (2003). "La formación del profesorado universitario."Revista de Educación, Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte de España, nº 331, Mayo- Agosto. 67-99. En Rué, J. (2007): Enseñar en la universidad: el EEES como reto para la educación superior. Madrid: Narcea.Rope, F. & Tanguy, L. (Dirs.) (1994). Savoirs et compétences. De l'usage de ces notions dans l'école et dans l'entreprise. L'Harmattan, col. «Logiques Sociales», París. Citado en: HORMS, O. (2009) La formación profesional en España. Hacia la sociedad del conocimiento. Colección Estudios Sociales nº 25, Edición electrónica disponible en: http://obrasocial.lacaixa.es/ambitos/estudiossociales/volumenes09_es.html#vol25. [Consultado el 14 de marzo de 2011].Simpson, R.D. & Smith, K.S. (1995). "Validacing teaching competencies for graduate teaching assistants: a national study using the Delphi Method." En Innovative High Education, nº 2, 18, 133-146.Valcárcel, M. (Coord.) (2009). Modelos Prácticos y eficientes de formación y evaluación de competencias transversales en estudiantes y profesores. (Memoria EA2009-0127). Disponible en http://82.223.210.121/mec/ayudas. [Consultado el 10 de enero de 2011]Zabalza, M.A. (2007). Planes de formación del profesorado universitario. Encuentro ANECA sobre La evaluación del profesorado dentro de los Sistemas de Garantía de Calidad de las Instituciones Universitarias. http://www.aneca.es/servicios/docs/burgos07_09_zabalza.pdf [Consultado el 10 de enero de 2011]Zarifian, P. (1999). Objectif compétence. Pour une nouvelle logique. París: Éditions Liaisons, col. Enterprise et carrières

Atopic dermatitis and indoor use of energy sources in cooking and heating appliances

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) prevalence has considerably increased worldwide in recent years. Studying indoor environments is particularly relevant, especially in industrialised countries where many people spend 80% of their time at home, particularly children. This study is aimed to identify the potential association between AD and the energy source (biomass, gas and electricity) used for cooking and domestic heating in a Spanish schoolchildren population. Methods: As part of the ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) phase III study, a cross-sectional population-based survey was conducted with 21,355 6-to-7-year-old children from 8 Spanish ISAAC centres. AD prevalence, environmental risk factors and the use of domestic heating/cooking devices were assessed using the validated ISAAC questionnaire. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (cOR, aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained. A logistic regression analysis was performed (Chi-square test, p-value < 0.05). Results: It was found that the use of biomass systems gave the highest cORs, but only electric cookers showed a significant cOR of 1.14 (95% CI: 1.01-1.27). When the geographical area and the mother’s educational level were included in the logistic model, the obtained aOR values differed moderately from the initial cORs. Electric heating was the only type which obtained a significant aOR (1.13; 95% CI: 1.00-1.27). Finally, the model with all selected confounding variables (sex, BMI, number of siblings, mother’s educational level, smoking habits of parents, truck traffic and geographical area), showed aOR values which were very similar to those obtained in the previous adjusted logistic analysis. None of the results was statistically significant, but the use of electric heating showed an aOR close to significance (1.14; 95% CI: 0.99-1.31). Conclusion: In our study population, no statistically significant associations were found between the type of indoor energy sources used and the presence of AD