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Background: Inquiry-based teaching (IBT) and improving school climate are the two most commonly used strategies for fostering learning and critical thinking skills in students. IBT has positioned itself as one of the most recommended "active" methodologies for developing intellectual autonomy and complex thought processes, whereas school climate is considered to be a protective factor that helps mitigate adverse conditions and has a positive impact on teaching and learning. This study investigates the relationship between IBT and school climate with the academic performance of Colombian students in the PISA 2015 test. Results: Using a two-level Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM), the results show a negative association between IBT and students' scientific performance in the test. However, results show a positive association between IBT and students' self-reported critical thinking skills. Results also show that school climate is a positive moderating factor on learning. Contextual factors such as the student's grade level at the time of sitting for the PISA test, gender, and socioeconomic characteristics are strong predictors of science achievement in PISA. Conclusions: These results reveal the need for additional research on the effect of the so-called active methodologies and school context on student learning. Regarding IBT, it seems that its influence is greater on student's perception and motivation, than in acquisition of scientific knowledge. Positive school climate is a protective factor that can help to improve student learning. In Colombia, the quality of students' educational outcomes has largely been attributed to their socioeconomic background. However, the results of this study show that, although students' and schools' socioeconomic characteristics continue to be strong predictors of academic performance, teaching practices can have an even larger impact.

Abstract: The efficacy and safety of two polyvalent horse-derived antivenoms in Bothrops asper envenomings were tested in a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial performed in Colombia. Both antivenoms were manufactured from the same pool of hyperimmune plasma. Antivenom A was made of F(ab′)2 fragments, generated by pepsin digestion and caprylic acid precipitation, whereas antivenom B consisted of whole IgG molecules produced by caprylic acid precipitation followed by ion-exchange chromatography. Besides the different nature of the active substance, antivenom B had higher protein concentration, slightly higher turbidity and aggregate content. No significant differences were observed in the efficacy of antivenoms. Both halted local and systemic bleeding (P = 0.40) within 6–12 h of treatment in 100% of the cases, and restored blood coagulation (P = 0.87) within 6–24 h in 84.7% of patients, and within 48 h in all of them, in agreement with restoration of plasma fibrinogen concentration. Venom concentrations in serum dropped significantly (P < 0.001), to very low levels, 1 h after antivenom infusion. Nevertheless, eight patients (11.1%), four for each antivenom, presented recurrence of venom antigenaemia at different times, from 6 to 96 h, with clinical significance (recurrent coagulopathy) only in one group B patient (2.9%). Serum creatine kinase (CK) activity was increased, as a consequence of local myonecrosis. There was no significant difference (P = 0.51) in the incidence of early adverse reactions to antivenom administration (28.9% for patients of group A and 20.6% for patients of group B), most of the reactions being mild, mainly cutaneous. The most frequent complications were cellulitis (16.7%), abscess formation (5.6%), acute renal failure (8.3%), and compartmental syndrome (5.6%). In conclusion, IgG and F(ab′)2 antivenoms, prepared by caprylic acid fractionation, presented similar efficacy and safety profiles for the treatment of B. asper envenomings in Colombia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]