Evaluating tutoring in postgraduate education: construction and validity of scales

[EN] The graduate studies focused in researchers training is a cornerstone in the development of knowledge in contemporary societies. This study analyzes the formative processes in postgraduate education level that is mediated by tutoring designed to training researchers. Reviewing the literature, we found very few instruments that evaluated the tutoring through the study of the functions and activities at the training process. This absence can be explained by the lack of definitions about the construct called postgraduate tutoring. The predominant models of tutoring recognize that it is a personalized training model that includes: building capacity for research, professional practice and incorporation into teaching in higher education. Our work extended this concept to include also aspects related to socialization, and the integration of students into the epistemic and professional communities. The overall objective of this article was to construct a measurement instrument on postgraduate tutoring, based on an integrative theoretical model; the psychometric validation process of eleven Likert type response scales was performed. The scales included both formative and socializing functions, as well as interpersonal aspects that promote the interaction between postgraduates and tutors. The scales have an acceptable internal consistency. The validity of the instrument was obtained by factorial analysis, each scale explains more than 50% of the variance.[EN] El posgrado orientado a la formación de investigadores es una pieza angular en el desarrollo del conocimiento y las sociedades contemporáneas. Este nivel posee escasos instrumentos para evaluar la tutoría con énfasis en sus funciones y actividades. Dicha carencia puede explicarse en virtud de la falta de definiciones sobre el constructo denominado “tutoría en posgrado”. La tutoría en los estudios de posgrado se reconoce como un modelo de formativo personalizado que coadyuva al desarrollo de capacidades para la investigación, la práctica profesional y la incorporación a la docencia en la educación superior. No obstante este concepto debe ser ampliado para incluir a los aspectos relacionados con la socialización y la integración de los estudiantes a las comunidades epistémicas y profesionales. En el presente artículo se fortalecen estos atributos y se da cuenta del proceso de construcción y validación de once escalas de respuesta tipo Likert, que permiten valoran el desempeño de la tutoría en los estudios de posgrado. Las escalas fueron elaboradas con base en un modelo conceptual que integra tanto funciones formativas como las socializadoras así como aspectos interpersonales que promueven la interacción entre posgraduados y tutores. Cada escala presenta una consistencia interna aceptable. La validez de las mismas se obtuvo mediante análisis factoriales, cada escala explica más del 50% de la varianza.De La Cruz Flores, G.; Abreu Hernández, LF. (2017). Evaluación de la tutoría en los estudios d posgrado: construcción y validez de escalas. REDU. Revista de Docencia Universitaria. 15(1):11-36. doi:10.4995/redu.2017.5682.SWORD113615

Development of an economic model for the optimal management of water meters installed in banks inside buildings in water supply network

[ES] Reducir las pérdidas aparentes debidas a las inexactitudes de los contadores de agua, conocer la vida útil de los contadores o mejorar la eficiencia del parque de contadores de agua son algunos de los objetivos de las compañías de abastecimiento de agua. En este artículo se presenta el desarrollo de un modelo económico que le permite a las empresas conocer cuál es el tiempo óptimo de renovación de los contadores de agua instalados en batería y gestionar la sustitución de los mismos, con el objetivo de mejorar la eficiencia del parque de contadores de agua y mejorar el beneficio neto que obtienen las empresas por los volúmenes de agua registrada. El modelo económico estudia el estado de las baterías de contadores, localizando aquellas que se encuentran en peor estado metrológico y que, por lo tanto, deben sustituirse con mayor prioridad, y busca la ruta óptima que deben seguir los operarios para reducir los costes de desplazamiento de las labores de sustitución.[EN] One of the key objectives of water distribution companies is to reduce apparent losses caused by water meters inaccuracies, to know the useful life of water meters and to improve the overall efficiency of the meters installed in the system. This article details the development of an improved economic model that allows for a more accurate calculation of the useful life of water meters installed inside buildings, in meter banks. The new methodology improves water meter management, reduces costs and increases the water utility revenue by making the replacement activities of those meters more efficient. The new economic model searches for residential buildings in which the meters are installed in meter banks and have the worse metrological conditions. The economic model makes a selection of the meters in those buildings that need to be replaced and the ones that can be left in the bank. Then, the new economic model searches for the buildings nearby that need to be visited to optimize the tHernández-García, A.; Bazán, L.; Valera-Talavera, O.; Arregui-De La Cruz, F. (2020). Desarrollo de un modelo económico para la gestión de contadores de agua instalados en batería en redes de abastecimiento. Ingeniería del agua. 24(1):1-13. https://doi.org/10.4995/ia.2020.12164OJS113241Allender, H. 1996. Determining the economical optimum life of residential water meters. Journal of Water Engineering and Management, 143(9), 20-24.Arregui-de la Cruz, F., Cabrera-Rochera, E., Cobacho-Jordán, R. 2007. Gestión integral de contadores de agua. Valencia: Gil Industrias Gráficas, SL.Arregui, F., Cobacho, R., Cabrera, E., Espert, V. 2011. Graphical Method to Calculate the Optimum Replacement Period for Water Meters. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 137(1), 143-146. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0000100Gavara-Tortes, F., Arregui-de la Cruz, F. 2018. Análisis metrológico de contadores de agua en abastecimientos. TecnoAqua, (30), 72-80. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/120333Instituto Nacional de Estadística, 2018. Estadística sobre el suministro y saneamiento del agua en el año 2016, s.l.: Notas de prensa. Disponible en: https://www.ine.es/prensa/essa_2016.pdfMale, J., Noss, R., Moore, I. 1985. Identifying and reducing losses in water distribution systems. Noyes Publications.Planells, F., Antolí, A., López, V., Sanz, F., García-Serra, J. 1987. Diagnóstico de la gestión óptima de contadores en un sistema de distribución de agua. Tecnología del agua, 38, 42-55.Szilveszter, S., Beltran, R., Arturo, F. 2015. Performance analysis of the domestic water meter park in water supply network of Ibarra, Ecuador. Urban Water Journal, 21 Mayo.pp. 85-96. https://doi.org/10.1080/1573062X.2015.1057181Taborda, C., Anunciaçao, A. 1997. Os contadores e a qualidade da medição. Agua Scripta.Vindas Villalobos, J.C. 2005. Modelo para la cuantificación y desagregación de las pérdidas en sistemas de agua potable como herramienta para el establecimiento de un programa eficiente de reducción de pérdidas. Revista Evolución, 3(1), 29-45.Yee, M. 1999. Economic analysis for replacing residential meters. Journal of AWWA, 91(7), 72-77. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1551-8833.1999.tb08666.

Pregerminative treatments in Tillandsia ionantha seeds to obtain seedlings under in vitro culture

Objective: To search for an in vitro strategy to favor both germination and a greater number of seedlings in Tillandsia ionantha; also, to promote the development of future research on this species. Design/methodology/approach: Factor one: lighting conditions (light-dark), factor two: 13 preconditioning treatments, which included storage at room temperature and in refrigeration at 10° C, soaking (12 and 24 hours), with hydrogen peroxide (10 and 20 %), potassium nitrate (0.2 and 0.4 %), gibberellins (50 and 150 ml.l-1), three alternate incubation temperatures (28, 32 and 36 °C). They were sown in MS medium (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) at 25 %, adding 20 g.l-1 of sugar, 2 g.l-1 of activated carbon, and 5 .5 g.l-1 of agar. A flask with three seeds which coma removed was established as an experimental unit; 15 repetitions were established and placed in the incubation room at 24 °C with a photoperiod of 16:8. The germination process was recorded, and the seedlings were extracted two months after their establishment. Results: The treatment that resulted in the highest number of seeds that initiated the germination process and the highest number of plants was when the seeds were kept at room temperature. The highest contamination was observed in the treatment exposed to 32 °C. It was observed that 80% of the experimental units showed signs of imbibition within a few days, although the vast majority did not complete the process and the maximum yield was on average 1.4 seedlings. Conclusions: The best treatment is to use seeds stored at room temperature and if storage is necessary, to soak them for 12 h

Construir con Madera

Guía divulgativa ‘Construir con madera’, elaborada por la Cátedra Madera de la Universidad de Navarra y el Gobierno de Navarra. La publicación pretende explicar de forma sencilla los beneficios y posibilidades de este material en la construcción, tanto en lo que respecta a su resistencia, comportamiento frente al fuego, durabilidad, capacidad de aislamiento, propiedades acústicas, estética, respeto al medio ambiente y sostenibilidad como fuente de energía. A modo de ejemplo, en la guía se incluyen numerosas fotografías de diversas construcciones en Navarra en las que se ha empleado madera, así como ilustraciones de otros edificios del mundo

Influence of chronic food deprivation on structure-function relationship of juvenile rat fast muscles

In the present study, we analyze the influence of chronic undernutrition on protein expression, muscle fiber type composition, and fatigue resistance of the fast extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle of male juvenile rats (45 ± 3 days of life; n = 25 and 31 rats for control and undernourished groups, respectively). Using 2D gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry, we identified in undernourished muscles 12 proteins up-regulated (8 proteins of the electron transport chain and the glycolytic pathway, 2 cross-bridge proteins, chaperone and signaling proteins that are related to the stress response). In contrast, one down-regulated protein related to the fast muscle contractile system and two other proteins with no changes in expression were used as charge controls. By means of COX and alkaline ATPase histochemical techniques and low-frequency fatigue protocols we determined that undernourished muscles showed a larger proportion (15 % increase) of Type IIa/IId fibers (oxidative- glycolytic) at the expense of Type IIb (glycolytic) fibers (15.5 % decrease) and increased fatigue resistance (55.3 %). In addition, all fiber types showed a significant reduction in their cross-sectional area (slow: 64.4 %; intermediate: 63.9 % and fast: 61.2 %). These results indicate that undernourished EDL muscles exhibit an increased expression of energy metabolic and myofibrillar proteins which are associated with the predominance of oxidative and Type IIa/IId fibers and to a higher resistance to fatigue. We propose that such alterations may act as protective and/or adaptive mechanisms that counterbalance the effect of chronic undernourishment. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

Multiple myeloma and SARS-CoV-2 infection : clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of inpatient mortality

There is limited information on the characteristics, prognostic factors, and outcomes of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) hospitalized with COVID-19. This retrospective case series investigated 167 patients reported from 73 hospitals within the Spanish Myeloma Collaborative Group network in March and April, 2020. Outcomes were compared with 167 randomly selected, contemporary, age-/sex-matched noncancer patients with COVID-19 admitted at six participating hospitals. Among MM and noncancer patients, median age was 71 years, and 57% of patients were male; 75 and 77% of patients, respectively, had at least one comorbidity. COVID-19 clinical severity was moderate-severe in 77 and 89% of patients and critical in 8 and 4%, respectively. Supplemental oxygen was required by 47 and 55% of MM and noncancer patients, respectively, and 21%/9% vs 8%/6% required noninvasive/invasive ventilation. Inpatient mortality was 34 and 23% in MM and noncancer patients, respectively. Among MM patients, inpatient mortality was 41% in males, 42% in patients aged >65 years, 49% in patients with active/progressive MM at hospitalization, and 59% in patients with comorbid renal disease at hospitalization, which were independent prognostic factors on adjusted multivariate analysis. This case series demonstrates the increased risk and identifies predictors of inpatient mortality among MM patients hospitalized with COVID-19

NGS-Based Molecular Karyotyping of Multiple Myeloma: Results from the GEM12 Clinical Trial

Simple Summary Multiple Myeloma (MM) is considered an incurable chronic disease, which prognosis depends on the presence of different genomic alterations. To accomplish a complete molecular diagnosis in a single essay, we have designed and validated a capture-based NGS approach to reliably identify pathogenic mutations (SNVs and indels), genomic alterations (CNVs and chromosomic translocations), and IGH rearrangements. We have observed a good correlation of the results obtained using our capture panel with data obtained by both FISH and WES techniques. In this study, the molecular classification performed using our approach was significantly associated with the stratification and outcome of MM patients. Additionally, this panel has been proven to detect specific IGH rearrangements that could be used as biomarkers in patient follow-ups through minimal residual disease (MRD) assays. In conclusion, we think that MM patients could benefit from the use of this capture-based NGS approach with a more accurate, single-essay molecular diagnosis. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has greatly improved our ability to detect the genomic aberrations occurring in multiple myeloma (MM); however, its transfer to routine clinical labs and its validation in clinical trials remains to be established. We designed a capture-based NGS targeted panel to identify, in a single assay, known genetic alterations for the prognostic stratification of MM. The NGS panel was designed for the simultaneous study of single nucleotide and copy number variations, insertions and deletions, chromosomal translocations and V(D)J rearrangements. The panel was validated using a cohort of 149 MM patients enrolled in the GEM2012MENOS65 clinical trial. The results showed great global accuracy, with positive and negative predictive values close to 90% when compared with available data from fluorescence in situ hybridization and whole-exome sequencing. While the treatments used in the clinical trial showed high efficacy, patients defined as high-risk by the panel had shorter progression-free survival (p = 0.0015). As expected, the mutational status of TP53 was significant in predicting patient outcomes (p = 0.021). The NGS panel also efficiently detected clonal IGH rearrangements in 81% of patients. In conclusion, molecular karyotyping using a targeted NGS panel can identify relevant prognostic chromosomal abnormalities and translocations for the clinical management of MM patients

Identification and Characterization of Anaplasma phagocytophilum Proteins Involved in Infection of the Tick Vector, Ixodes scapularis

Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an emerging zoonotic pathogen transmitted by Ixodes scapularis that causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis. Here, a high throughput quantitative proteomics approach was used to characterize A. phagocytophilum proteome during rickettsial multiplication and identify proteins involved in infection of the tick vector, I. scapularis. The first step in this research was focused on tick cells infected with A. phagocytophilum and sampled at two time points containing 10–15% and 65–71% infected cells, respectively to identify key bacterial proteins over-represented in high percentage infected cells. The second step was focused on adult female tick guts and salivary glands infected with A. phagocytophilum to compare in vitro results with those occurring during bacterial infection in vivo. The results showed differences in the proteome of A. phagocytophilum in infected ticks with higher impact on protein synthesis and processing than on bacterial replication in tick salivary glands. These results correlated well with the developmental cycle of A. phagocytophilum, in which cells convert from an intracellular reticulated, replicative form to the nondividing infectious dense-core form. The analysis of A. phagocytophilum differentially represented proteins identified stress response (GroEL, HSP70) and surface (MSP4) proteins that were over-represented in high percentage infected tick cells and salivary glands when compared to low percentage infected cells and guts, respectively. The results demonstrated that MSP4, GroEL and HSP70 interact and bind to tick cells, thus playing a role in rickettsia-tick interactions. The most important finding of these studies is the increase in the level of certain bacterial stress response and surface proteins in A. phagocytophilum-infected tick cells and salivary glands with functional implication in tick-pathogen interactions. These results gave a new dimension to the role of these stress response and surface proteins during A. phagocytophilum infection in ticks. Characterization of Anaplasma proteome contributes information on host-pathogen interactions and provides targets for development of novel control strategies for pathogen infection and transmission. (Résumé d'auteur

Innovative Crop Productions for Healthy Food: The Case of Chia (Salvia hispanica L.)

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is an ancient crop from Central America which has been recently rediscovered as a source of ω-3 and nutraceuticals in seeds. Besides traditional seed consumption, innovative uses of the plant seeds and leaves have been proposed based on the high protein content and the production of mucilage which lends itself to a range of applications. This chapter reviews research on the plant’s genetics and breeding, quality, and uses. Agronomic studies which have only recently started worldwide are also presented along with results from case studies in Basilicata

Herramienta para la mejora de la gestión de espacios de estudio en la Universidad de Salamanca

Memoria ID2022-087. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2022-2023