Evaluación de competencias genéricas en egresados de tecnología médica de la Universidad de Talca, Chile / Assessment of generic skills in graduates of Medical Technology, University of Talca, Chile

INTRODUCCIÓN: Las competencias genéricas se refieren a componentes del desempeño profesional que se vinculan a relaciones interpersonales y actitudes que pueden ser cultivadas en la formación. La Universidad de Talca ha definido una línea de formación orientada al desarrollo de éstas, divididas en dos competencias instrumentales, dos interpersonales y una ciudadana. El objetivo fue conocer, a través de egresados y empleadores, el nivel de logro de estas competencias. SUJETOS Y MÉTODOS: Participaron 31 sujetos de un total de 56 egresados de tecnología médica bajo el modelo del rediseño curricular ‘educación basada en competencias’ y siete empleadores de un total de 11. Se aplicaron encuestas consultando por desempeños de las cinco competencias genéricas declaradas por la universidad para todos sus egresados. Los resultados fueron analizados por categorías y expresados en porcentaje que refieren al logro de las competencias. RESULTADOS: Se encontró que para cuatro de cinco competencias, cerca del 70% de los egresados señalan haberlas alcanzado en un grado alto/muy alto, en tanto sobre el 70% de los empleadores señalan que las cinco competencias son demostradas en esa categoría. CONCLUSIÓN: Los resultados demuestran que el currículo de formación estaría desarrollando las competencias declaradas, lo que permite la formación de un profesional integral

INTRODUCTION: Generic skills refer to professional performance components linked to interpersonal relationships and attitudes that can be developed through education. The University of Talca defined a fundamental line of training aimed at developing generic skills, dividing them into instrumental, interpersonal and those related to active citizenship. In this paper, we seek to determine the level in which university graduates actually acquired these competences, through a survey applied to graduates themselves and their employers. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty-one subjects participated in a total of 56 graduates of Medical Technology under the model curriculum 'competency-based education' and seven employers. This survey was based on performance indicators corresponding to the five generic competences declared in the professional profile. The results were analyzed by categories related to the achievement of competencies, expressed as a percentage. RESULTS: It was found that in four out of five competences, over 70% of graduates consider to have attained them in a high/very high degree, while over 70% of employers pointed out that all five are demonstrated in this category. CONCLUSION: The results show that the curriculum has been successful in developing the competencies declared thus offering a comprehensive professional training

Evaluación de competencias profesionales en egresados de tecnología médica / Evaluation of professional competencies in medical technology graduates

Las reformas educativas enfatizan una educación orientada al desarrollo de competencias. Las universidades deben introducir modelos que formen profesionales competentes. El objetivo fue conocer a través de egresados, en qué medida las competencias declaradas en el perfil son logradas durante la formación. Se usó un instrumento con indicadores de desempeño del quehacer profesional. Se solicitó a los egresados que valoraran la formación entregada para el logro de las competencias. Se analizaron los resultados en categorías referidas al logro de las competencias y se consideró como deseable que más del 75 por ciento de los egresados manifiesten el logro en grado Alto. Para el dominio asistencial 16 de 25 indicadores son alcanzados en grado Alto por más del 75 por ciento de los egresados. En investigación 4 de 6 indicadores se presentan en igual categoría. Los dominios administración y educación no presentan indicadores en el rango deseable. Se concluye que las trayectorias de aprendizaje y malla curricular deben ser revisadas para asegurar el logro de todas las competencias comprometidas en el perfil en el nivel deseable(AU)

Educational reforms make emphasis on the competence development-oriented education and thus the universities should implement models that train competent professionals. The objective of this paper was to find out through the graduates' opinions to what extent the stated competencies in the profile were achieved during the formation at university. An instrument with performance indicators in the professional work was used. The graduates were asked to assess the formation received in terms of acquisition of competencies. The category results related to the acquisition of competencies was analyzed, thus considering as desirable that over 75 percent of graduates showed high standard achievement. Regarding the medical assistance domain, 16 out of 25 indicators were highly fulfilled by over 75 percent of graduates. Four out of six indicators of the research appeared in the same category. The domains called management and education did not have indicators in the desirable range. It was concluded that learning and curricular architecture routes should be reviewed in order to assure the acquisition of all the competencies involved in the profile at desirable level(AU)

IGF-1 induces IP3 -dependent calcium signal involved in the regulation of myostatin gene expression mediated by NFAT during myoblast differentiation.

Skeletal muscle differentiation is a complex and highly regulated process characterized by cell cycle arrest, which is associated with morphological changes including myoblast alignment, elongation, and fusion into multinucleated myotubes. This is a balanced process dynamically coordinated by positive and negative signals such as the insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) and myostatin (MSTN), respectively. In this study, we report that the stimulation of skeletal myoblasts during differentiation with IGF-1 induces a rapid and transient calcium increase from intracellular stores, which are principally mediated through the phospholipase C gamma (PLC γ)/inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3 )-dependent signaling pathways. This response was completely blocked when myoblasts were incubated with LY294002 or transfected with the dominant-negative p110 gamma, suggesting a fundamental role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) in PLCγ activation. Additionally, we show that calcium released via IP3 and induced by IGF-1 stimulates NFAT-dependent gene transcription and nuclear translocation of the GFP-labeled NFATc3 isoform. This activation was independent of extracellular calcium influx and calcium release mediated by ryanodine receptor (RyR). Finally, we examined mstn mRNA levels and mstn promoter activity in myoblasts stimulated with IGF-1. We found a significant increase in mRNA contents and in reporter activity, which was inhibited by cyclosporin A, 11R-VIVIT, and by inhibitors of the PI3Kγ, PLCγ, and IP3 receptor. Our results strongly suggest that IGF-1 regulates myostatin transcription through the activation of the NFAT transcription factor in an IP3 /calcium-dependent manner. This is the first study to demonstrate a role of calcium-dependent signaling pathways in the mRNA expression of myostatin.

Estrategia metodológica para conocer la disciplina como orientación profesional / Methodological strategy to know about the discipline as professional orientation

La orientación profesional y educación vocacional adquieren un alto valor en las actividades curriculares en las Ciencias médicas, dado el dinamismo que estas presentan para ir respondiendo a los cambios sociales y tecnológicos, y que se reflejan en el ejercicio profesional, además porque se debe considerar el carácter solidario y humanista que encierra cualquiera de sus perfiles profesionales. Se presenta la estrategia metodológica e instrumentos de evaluación utilizados en una unidad de aprendizaje donde se pretende reafirmar la orientación vocacional y dar a conocer el campo ocupacional del tecnólogo médico. La estrategia utilizada se basa en aprendizaje en terreno, donde los estudiantes realizan una investigación grupal de tipo colaborativo. El plan de actividades se diseña formando grupos y cada uno trabaja un ámbito de desempeño distinto. El producto de este trabajo consiste en una presentación ante sus pares del campo investigado. La evaluación de la actividad se realiza sobre la base de pautas. La experiencia que se ha evidenciado en 4 años señala una gran motivación de los alumnos. La evaluación que se hace de ella, indica que es fundamental que los estudiantes tengan pleno conocimiento de la labor que realizan los tecnólogos médicos en los distintos ámbitos de desempeño de la disciplina que han elegido para formarse profesionalmente.

The professional orientation and the vocational education are highly valued in the curricular work in the medical sciences, given their dynamism to face the social and technological changes that affect the professional practice in addition to the solidarity and humanistic character of any medical profiles. The methodological strategy along with the evaluating instruments used in a learning unit were presented, where it was intended to reaffirm the vocational orientation and to disclose the occupational field of the medical technologist. The strategy was founded in in situ learning in which the students carry out a collaborative group research. The plan of activities was designed according to the formation of groups which work in different areas of performance. The outcome of this work is a presentation before the peers of the research field. The activity is evaluated according to several guidelines. The experience gained in 4 years evinced great motivation on the part of the students. The evaluation indicated that it is important for the students to fully know the work of the medical technologists in the various areas of performance of the discipline they chose to become health professionals.

[Programmed cell death 1 (PDCD1) gene polymorphisms and type 1 diabetes in Chilean children]. / Polimorfismos del gen del receptor de muerte celular programada 1 (PDCD1) y diabetes tipo 1 en población Chilena.

BACKGROUND: Programmed cell death 1 (PDCD-1) immune-receptor is a key element in the negative regulation of peripheral tolerance in T cells. Several polymorphisms of this gene have been described and it is linked with susceptibility to autoimmune diseases like Lupus and Multiple Sclerosis. AIM: To analyze four gene polymorphisms of PDCD-1 gene and explore its possible contribution as a susceptibility gene for type 1 diabetes (T1D). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed 160 cases with T1D of recent diagnosis aged 9.5 +/- 3.3 years and 160 control children aged 10.7 +/- 3.1 years. Four genetic variants of PDCD-1 gene were studied (PD1.2; PD1.5; PD1.6 and PD1.9) by polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzymes. Autoantibodies GAD65 and anti-IA-2 were also measured in all studied children. The comparison of allelic and genotypic frequency and consistency with respect to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium test were analyzed using Chi-square and Fisher exact test. RESULTS: No differences between cases and controls were observed for PDCD1.2; PDCD1.5 and PDCD1.9 polymorphisms. PDCD1.6 polymorphism (carriers of allele A) had a higher frequency in the control group (0.794 versus 0.644, p < 0.017). There was no particular association of these polymorphisms with anti- GAD65 and anti-IA-2 antibodies among patients with T1D. CONCLUSIONS: Only PDCD1.6 polymorphism showed differences between T1D cases and controls. Possibly, none of these genetic variants of PDCD1 has a relevant role as a marker for T1D in the Chilean population.

Interactions between programmed death 1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) gene polymorphisms in type 1 diabetes.

AIM: To explore the contribution of the PD-1 gene polymorphisms involved in T1D as well as the relationship between the PD-1/CTLA-4 genes and soluble CTLA-4 concentrations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 261 incident cases of T1D and 280 healthy children less 15 years old were included in this study. Haplotypes for polymorphisms of the PD-1 and CTLA-4 genes were determined by PCR and RFLP methods. Screening for soluble CTLA-4 was done using an ELISA assay. Statistical analysis was performed using the online SHESIS package. RESULTS: Our results show that sCTLA-4 levels were higher in T1D than in controls (2.99+/-1.7 ng/ml versus 1.43+/-0.31 ng/ml, p<0.001). The allele dosage of CTLA-4 on PD-1 haplotypes, showing a significant modified effect of G carriers over AA genotype on the sCTLA-4 concentrations (5.48+/-2.09 ng/ml versus 3.27+/-1.30 ng/ml, p<0.03 in T-C haplotype) and (1.92+/-0.79 ng/ml versus 3.41+/-1.10 ng/ml, p<0.02 in C-T haplotype). CONCLUSION: Consistent with the higher serum sCTLA-4 levels observed in other autoimmune diseases, our results suggest that sCTLA-4 is elevated in T1D. Our data suggest a possible gene dosage effect of "G"CTLA-4 carriers on sCTLA-4 over the possible protective or susceptible effect conferred by PD-1 haplotypes.

Structure-based design of novel 2-amino-6-phenyl-pyrimido[5',4':5,6]pyrimido[1,2-a]benzimidazol-5(6H)-ones as potent and orally active inhibitors of lymphocyte specific kinase (Lck): synthesis, SAR, and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity.

Lck, or lymphocyte specific kinase, is a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase of the Src family expressed in T-cells and NK cells. Genetic evidence from knockout mice and human mutations demonstrates that Lck kinase activity is critical for T-cell receptor-mediated signaling, leading to normal T-cell development and activation. A small molecule inhibitor of Lck is expected to be useful in the treatment of T-cell-mediated autoimmune and inflammatory disorders and/or organ transplant rejection. In this paper, we describe the structure-guided design, synthesis, structure-activity relationships, and pharmacological characterization of 2-amino-6-phenylpyrimido[5',4':5,6]pyrimido[1,2- a]benzimidazol-5(6 H)-ones, a new class of compounds that are potent inhibitors of Lck. The most promising compound of this series, 6-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-2-((4-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)phenyl)amino)pyrimido[5',4':5,6]pyrimido-[1,2- a]benzimidazol-5(6 H)-one ( 25), exhibits potent inhibition of Lck kinase activity. This activity translates into inhibition of in vitro cell-based assays and in vivo models of T-cell activation and arthritis, respectively.