1. Investigación

Introduction: Learning molecular genetics techniques is part of the program of the genetics course of the veterinary degree. It is essential to maintain motivation and interest in genetics practice by using a common thread that connects with the students’ interests. This work describes the design, implementation, and results of a gamification strategy developed during two practical sessions in which the student becomes a geneticist to identify which dog a faecal sample collected from the street belongs to, as some municipalities currently do to promote hygiene and public health in their streets. The aim was for students to understand basic concepts and techniques in molecular genetics during these two sessions. This included learning how to extract DNA from different types of samples, describing the amplification using Random Amplification Polymorphic DNA (RAPD), and getting a better understanding of molecular markers and the theory behind Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Methodology: In the first practice, students extracted DNA from fresh dog faeces, while also discussing various DNA sources and extraction methods. Then they used the extracted DNA to create a simulated database of fictional dogs associated with students. They quantified the DNA, analysed its quality, and prepared a dilution to 10ng/μL. In the second practice, the students used RAPD to identify individuals by matching DNA from a simulated collected faeces sample to their fictional dogs DNA database. They performed amplification reactions with various primers pairs, followed by gel electrophoresis, to compare DNA band patterns and identify the dog and the fictional student associated with the uncollected dog faeces. The advantages and limitations of the RAPD technique were discussed, along with its potential applications in veterinary science and genetics. Results and discussion: The students were successful in extracting DNA with concentrations over 100 ng/μL in most cases as well as a good purity with respect to proteins. However, it was found that there was usually a low quality of DNA with respect to salts, although this did not influence the results of the second practice. They were able to generate reproducible RAPD profiles with all primer pairs. The unknown individual could be easily recognized within the database. Conclusions: It is concluded that this educational proposal is an effective option for teaching DNA extraction and the RAPD technique, as well as for many molecular genetics terms and concepts and contributes to the comprehensive training of future veterinary professionals. Additionally, the educational and social value of the practices are highlighted, as they promote interest in science, respect for the environment, and civic responsibility.

This paper investigates the influence of peer financial choices on the capital structure decisions of European and North American listed companies in the oil and gas sector. It also examines how commodity prices, particularly oil and natural gas prices, and their corporate hedging affect capital structure policies. The findings underscore the existence of peer effects in the oil and gas industry, indicating that companies consider their peers' financial decisions when determining their capital structure. Further analysis reveals that there is significant cross-country heterogeneity in capital structure peer effects conditional on financial and institutional development, and disclosure quality. Additionally, the research highlights that oil and natural gas prices, along with the hedging against these prices exposure, impact the capital structure of oil and gas companies, providing invaluable insights for industry practitioners and policymakers.

Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) represents a rare condition marked by an abnormal mobility pattern of cilia and flagella, resulting in impaired mucociliary clearance. This deficiency leads to recurrent infections and persistent inflammation of the airways. While previous studies have indicated heightened oxidative stress levels in the exhaled breath condensate of pediatric PCD patients, the assessment of oxidative stress within the affected respiratory tissue remains unexplored. Aims: To assess the oxidative status of human nasal epithelial cells (NECs) in PCD patients. Methods: Thirty-five PCD patients and thirty-five healthy control subjects were prospectively included in the study. Levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS), glutathione (GSH), intracellular Ca2+, plasma membrane potential, and oxidative damage in lipids and proteins were measured. In addition, apoptosis and mitochondrial function were analyzed by flow cytometry in NECs. Results: NECs from PCD patients showed reduced levels of apoptosis (p = 0.004), superoxide anion (O2 −, p = 0.018), peroxynitrite (ONOO−, p = 0.007), nitric oxide (NO, p = 0.007), mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide (mtH2O2, p < 0.0001), and mitochondrial superoxide anion (mtO2 −, p = 0.0004) and increased mitochondrial mass (p = 0.009) compared to those from healthy individuals. No significant differences were observed in oxidized proteins (p = 0.137) and the oxidized/reduced lipid ratio (p = 0.7973). The oxidative profile of NEC cells in PCD patients, according to their ciliary motility, recurrent otitis, recurrent pneumonia, atelectasis, bronchiectasis, and situs inversus, showed no statistically significant differences in the parameters studied. Conversely, patients with chronic rhinosinusitis exhibited lower levels of ONOO− than PCD patients without this condition, with no significant differences related to other symptoms. Conclusions: Our findings strongly suggest the presence of a redox imbalance, specifically leaning toward a reductive state, in PCD patients.

The widespread implementation of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) across school settings in Europe as an innovative and effective means of improving Foreign Language learning and teaching, has triggered a profusion of academic research on its tenets and rewards. The focus has been on theoretical discussions of CLIL’s ins and outs and few empirical studies on key players’ views regarding its efficacy. A consistent outcome of the latter has been the call made by CLIL practitioners for more guidance in the practical application of this approach. The goal of this study is to encourage a shift of focus from the theoretically-based discussion of this approach to one centred on its practical application. This study is a discussion paper that intends to encourage discussion and research on teacher training to better tackle the methodological concerns of those teachers in CLIL practice. This study concludes that, as a reality, CLIL methodology exists and is not merely a theory.

Nearly all patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) report ear-nose-throat (ENT) symptoms. However, scarce evidence exists about how ENT symptoms relate to pulmonary disease in PCD. We explored possible associations between upper and lower respiratory disease among patients with PCD in a multicentre study. Methods We included patients from the ENT Prospective International Cohort (EPIC-PCD). We studied associations of several reported ENT symptoms and chronic rhinosinusitis (defined using patient-reported information and examination findings) with reported sputum production and shortness of breath, using ordinal logistic regression. In a subgroup with available lung function results, we used linear regression to study associations of chronic rhinosinusitis and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) accounting for relevant factors. Results We included 457 patients (median age 15 years, interquartile range 10-24 years; 54% males). Shortness of breath associated with reported nasal symptoms and ear pain of any frequency, often or daily hearing problems, headache when bending down (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.29-3.54) and chronic rhinosinusitis (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.57-3.38) regardless of polyp presence. Sputum production associated with daily reported nasal (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.20-4.09) and hearing (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.10-3.64) problems and chronic rhinosinusitis (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.48-3.07). We did not find any association between chronic rhinosinusitis and FEV1. Conclusion Reported upper airway symptoms and signs of chronic rhinosinusitis associated with reported pulmonary symptoms, but not with lung function. Our results emphasise the assessment and management of upper and lower respiratory disease as a common, interdependent entity among patients with PCD.

Objective: Hyperintensity signal in T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been related to better therapeutic response during pasireotide treatment in acromegaly. The aim of the study was to evaluate T2 MRI signal intensity and its relation with pasireotide therapeutic effectiveness in real-life clinical practice. Design, Patients and Measurements: Retrospective multicentre study including acromegaly patients treated with pasireotide. Adenoma T2-weighted MRI signal at diagnosis was qualitatively classified as iso-hyperintense or hypointense. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I), growth hormone (GH) and tumour volume reduction were assessed after 6 and 12 months of treatment and its effectiveness evaluated according to baseline MRI signal. Hormonal response was considered ‘complete’ when normalization of IGF-I levels was achieved. Significant tumour shrinkage was defined as a volume reduction of ≥25% from baseline. Results: Eighty-one patients were included (48% women, 50 ± 1.5 years); 93% had previously received somatostatin receptor ligands (SRLs) treatment. MRI signal was hypointense in 25 (31%) and hyperintense in 56 (69%) cases. At 12 months of follow-up, 42/73 cases (58%) showed normalization of IGF-I and 37% both GH and IGF-I. MRI signal intensity was not associated with hormonal control. 19/51 cases (37%) presented a significant tumour volume shrinkage, 16 (41%) from the hyperintense group and 3 (25%) from the hypointense. Conclusions: T2-signal hyperintensity was more frequently observed in pasireotide treated patients. Almost 60% of SRLs resistant patients showed a complete normalization of IGF-I after 1 year of pasireotide treatment, regardless of the MRI signal. There was also no difference in the percentage tumour shrinkage over basal residual volume between the two groups.

En el proceso de renovación temática y metodológica experimentado por la historia, los estudios sobre las mujeres han cobrado especial protagonismo, destacando las investigaciones sobre religiosidad y espiritualidad. Tanto es así que, en algunos casos, el pasado de las monjas –sobre todo las del tiempo de la Contrarreforma– es conocido casi mejor que el de los frailes. No ocurre lo mismo, sin embargo, con las hijas de santo Domingo, sobre todo en los territorios de la antigua provincia de Aragón y de manera especial en el ámbito valenciano. Su memoria escrita quedó desperdigada –cuando no arrasada– a causa de los desastres bélicos y las convulsiones políticas contemporáneas, que condenaron al olvido a los grandes cenobios monjiles aquí establecidos por la Orden de Predicadores. El presente libro se ocupa de una de tales fundaciones, que, bajo la advocación de ‘Corpus Christi’ levantaría en Vila-real, a finales de los años treinta del seiscientos, sor Inés del Espíritu Santo –en el siglo Sisternes de Oblites–, la dominica valenciana más ilustre de todos los tiempos.

Las Capillas Reales desempeñaron un papel relevante en Europa a lo largo de los siglos xvi, xvii y xviii. De manera especial en España, muy condicionadas por la configuración político-administrativa de la propia Monarquía a partir de un conglomerado de reinos, cada uno con sus correspondientes Casas Reales y Capillas particulares en continuo proceso de adaptación a los usos y necesidades de sus titulares. Bastante conocida resulta la castellana, primera y más importante de todas las hispánicas bajo el reinado de Austrias y Borbones y por esta razón con abundante bibliografía al respecto. El caso descrito, sin embargo, contrasta con el de los territorios peninsulares de la Corona de Aragón, prácticamente ignorados por la historiografía actual. Véase sino la Capilla del Palacio Real de Valencia, cuyo ignoto devenir –desde sus orígenes posteriores a la conquista cristiana hasta la extinción sobrevenida con la guerra de Independencia– sale por fin a la luz, bien es cierto que para los tiempos modernos fundamentalmente, caracterizados –no de manera casual– por la progresiva decadencia de esta.

European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) are nocturnal insectivores frequently found in urban areas. In the last decades, their population has declined in various European countries and human activities have emerged as significant contributors to this trend. While the literature has mainly focused on trauma as the major cause of mortality, few authors have considered pathological findings. The present study is based on the results of full post-mortem examinations performed on 162 European hedgehogs in Italy and 109 in Switzerland. Unlike in previous studies, the main cause of mortality was infectious diseases (60.5%), followed by traumatic insults (27.7%). The lungs were the main organ affected, showing mostly lymphoplasmacytic (45.9%), granulomatous (18.1%) or suppurative (8.2%) pneumonia. Nematodes were detected in 57.2% of all lungs and were significantly associated with pneumonia (p-value < 0.001). To our knowledge, this is the first study to report infectious diseases as the main cause of hedgehog death, emphasizing the need for wildlife rescue centers to adopt appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic measures. Further research is necessary to determine the broad range of infectious agents that affect this species and elucidate their interplay with the host. Finally, citizen sensitization should be implemented to promote responsible behaviors that could reduce human-related traumatic events.

Background and objectives: Self-reported psychological variables related to pain have been posited as the major contributors to the quality of life of fibromyalgia (FM) women and should be considered when implementing therapeutic strategies among this population. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of low-pressure hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on psychological constructs related to pain (i.e., pain catastrophism, pain acceptance, pain inflexibility, mental defeat) and quality of life in women with FM. Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial. Thirty-three women with FM were randomly allocated to a low-pressure hyperbaric oxygen therapy group (HBOTG) (n = 17), who received an 8-week intervention (5 sessions per week), and a control group (CG) (n = 16). All women were assessed at baseline (T0) and upon completion of the study (T1) for self-perceived pain intensity, pain catastrophism, pain acceptance, pain inflexibility, mental defeat and quality of life. Results: At T1, the HBOTG improved across all variables related to pain (i.e. self-perceived pain intensity, pain catastrophism, pain acceptance, pain flexibility, mental defeat) (p < 0.05) and quality of life (p < 0.05). In contrast, the CG showed no improvements in any variable. Furthermore, significant differences between the groups were found in quality of life (p < 0.05) after the intervention. Conclusions: HBOT is effective at improving the psychological constructs related to pain (i.e. pain catastrophism, pain acceptance, pain flexibility, mental defeat) and quality of life among women with FM.