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Recently there has been a surge of interest in technology-aided teaching strategies such as the flipped classroom. Given the growing interest in these techniques, it is important to critically evaluate their effectiveness and to begin to examine factors that might shape how effective the flipped classroom will be in a given educational setting. Although most existing research on the flipped classroom suggests an advantage of the flipped approach over a more traditional lecture approach, most of this research has been conducted in a single educational setting at a time and in ways that preclude definitive conclusions about the relative effectiveness of the flipped approach. We present the results of a study that addressed many of these methodological limitations and compared the effectiveness of the flipped approach to a traditional lecture approach across two semesters in courses from two different disciplines, finance and psychology. We found that the effectiveness of the flipped versus the traditional approach varied across the two courses. In particular, in the psychology courses the flipped approach resulted in superior performance on quizzes administered immediately after exposure to course material, but resulted in similar performance on exams administered some time after initial exposure. In contrast, in the finance courses the flipped approach resulted in similar performance on immediately administered quizzes, but superior performance on later administered exams. These results contribute to the burgeoning literature on the flipped classroom both by addressing methodological limitations found in previous work and by identifying some of the specific conditions under which the flipped approach may be a good pedagogical choice.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is an American emerging disease caused by the rodent-borne virus genus Orthohantavirus (Family: Hantaviridae: Order: Elliovirales Class: Bunyaviricetes). In Argentina, almost half of the HPS infections occur in the northwestern endemic region. In this study, we monitored rodent abundance during 2022 and 2023 in three sites with different sampling methods (removal trapping, live trapping and hunted rodents by domestic cats) to evaluate their relationship with human infections. We found a similar pattern of variation in rodent abundance across time, and particularly a synchronous rise of rodent abundance that anticipated an HPS outbreak in 2023. Our dynamic regression models revealed a positive relationship between HPS cases and rodent abundance with a three-month lag, as well as rainfall with an eight-month lag. Our results provide a framework for the planning and implementation of public health prevention campaigns based on climatology and rodent monitoring. Domestic cats bringing rodents into houses can be an overlooked risk factor, particularly if viral shedding of infected rodents is magnified by stress. HPS is a disease of public health concern due to its high mortality rate, the lack of a specific therapeutic treatment and no vaccine. Thus, prevention of infections is of the utmost importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has resulted in substantial illness and death rates worldwide. Orthohantaviruses are zoonotic viruses responsible for [...]

Pathogenic hantaviruses are members of the family Hantaviridae and genus Orthohantavirus. These viruses are responsible for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in the Americas. In Argentina, HPS was first described in [...]

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) was first recognized in 1993 during an outbreak of acute respiratory distress syndrome in the southwestern United States (1,2). Previously, only Old World hantaviruses had been [...]

We describe the first, to our knowledge, cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in northeastern Argentina and eastern Paraguay. Andes and Juquitiba (JUQ) viruses were characterized. JUQV was also confirmed in [...]

Despite the fact that rodents are considered to be the infectious source of hantavirus for humans, another route of transmission was demonstrated. Andes virus (ANDV) has been responsible for most [...]

Patients frequently report chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) after breast cancer surgery (BCS). The paravertebral block (PVB) is an effective technique to reduce acute postoperative pain after BCS, but its efficacy in preventing CPSP is unclear. This meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy of PVB in preventing CPSP after BCS. We searched Medline, Embase, CENTRAL, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, ClinicalTrials.gov, and WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform for studies comparing PVB with control for CPSP prevention after BCS, from inception to April 2020. The primary outcome was CPSP at 6 months, and the secondary outcomes were CPSP at 3 and 12 months, chronic postsurgical neuropathic pain (CPSNP) at 6 months, and PVB-related complications. Data were pooled and analyzed with a random-effects model, and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) system was used to evaluate the certainty of evidence. A total of 12 studies were included in the study; data for the 6-month time point from 7 studies (2161 patients) were analyzed, and no difference was found between PVB and control in terms of efficacy in preventing CPSP after BCS (risk ratio (RR) 0.82 (95% CI 0.62 to 1.08)), with a moderate quality of evidence according to the GRADE system. Similar results were obtained at 3 and 12 months (RR 0.78 (95% CI 0.57 to 1.06), RR 0.45 (95% CI 0.14 to 1.41), respectively). Data for the 12-month time point from seven studies (2087 patients) were analyzed and showed that PVB protected against CPSNP, with low quality of evidence (RR 0.51 (95% CI 0.31 to 0.85)). In conclusion, CPSP was not found significantly prevented by PVB after BCS despite the limits in the included studies; nevertheless, PVB could prevent CPSNP by impacting the transition from acute to chronic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Randomized clinical trials designed to assess analgesic agents and/or techniques used for postoperative pain control have several limitations, which are addressed in this article. Efficacy of analgesics cannot be limited to the evaluation of pain intensity or the amount of opioid rescue medication, but it also means to evaluate parameters such as the delay and duration of the effect, the number of patients with satisfactory pain control, and side effects. Because combination of analgesics is the standard of care in clinical practice, its value also needs to be documented. Eventually, analgesic treatments have to be considered in the settings of postoperative supportive care and enhanced recovery programmes after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The pain trajectory after ankle surgeries for osteoarthritis is relevant to describe. The purpose of this prospective study was to describe pain after ankle surgery and explore the link between perioperative factors and the development of postoperative pain. Methods: Duration, severity, type of preoperative pain, psychological distress, opioid consumption, and type of surgery were evaluated in 49 patients who were followed for 18 months. Acute postoperative pain in the first 10 days after surgery was modeled by a pain trajectory. Univariate analysis was conducted to identify predictors of acute pain trajectory and chronic pain. Results: Eighty-seven percent of patients had preoperative chronic pain, 34% had a high postoperative pain trajectory, 44% of whom reported chronic pain at 18 months. The patients who developed a high acute pain trajectory had higher preoperative opioid consumption (50% vs 19.4%, P = .04), a higher incidence of preoperative neuropathic pain (68.8% vs 32.3%, P = .02), a higher brief pain inventory score (51.5 vs 34, P = .01), and a higher psychological distress score (8 vs 3, P = .002). The patients who developed chronic pain had a higher brief pain inventory score (42 vs 33, P = .04), a higher psychological distress score (6 vs 4, P = .04), and a higher preoperative pain intensity (8 vs 6, P = .008). No association was found between the type of ankle surgery and pain. Conclusion: Patients with psychological distress and more severe preoperative pain were more at risk to develop acute pain and chronic pain after ankle surgery regardless of the surgery performed. Level of Evidence: Level II, prospective comparative study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We examine the impact of tick-size reductions on market quality in three currency futures. • The bid-ask spreads drop significantly for the EUR, JPY, and MXN contracts. • We find significant improvement in market quality for the Mexican peso contracts. • The overall improvement for the EUR and JPY contracts is less significant. Abstract The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) recently reduced the tick sizes of three foreign currency futures contracts: the Mexican peso, the Japanese yen, and the euro. We examine the impact of tick-size reductions on market quality in these three futures contracts. We find significant evidence of increased market quality for the Mexican peso contracts, but less significant evidence for the other two contracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

the antihypertensive drug α-methyldopa (MD) stands as one of the extensively used medications for managing hypertension during pregnancy. Zinc deprivation has been associated with many diseases. In this context, the synthesis of a Zn coordination complex [Zn(MD)(OH)(H 2 O) 2 ]·H 2 O (ZnMD) provide a promising alternative pathway to improve the biological properties of MD. ZnMD was synthesized and physicochemically characterized. Fluorescence spectral studies were conducted to examine the binding of both, the ligand and the metal with bovine serum albumin (BSA). MD, ZnMD, and ZnCl 2 were administered to spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) rats during 8 weeks and blood pressure and echocardiographic parameters were determined. Ex vivo assays were conducted to evaluate levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and nitric oxide (NO). Cross-sectional area (CSA) and collagen levels of left ventricular cardiomyocytes were also assessed. Furthermore, the expression of NAD(P)H oxidase subunits (gp91phox and p47phox) and Superoxide Dismutase 1 (SOD1) was quantified through western blot analysis. The complex exhibited a moderate affinity for binding with BSA showing a spontaneous interaction (indicated by negative ΔG values) and moderate affinity (determined by affinity constant values). The binding process involved the formation of Van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds. Upon treatment with MD and ZnMD, a reduction in the systolic blood pressure in SHR was observed, being ZnMD more effective than MD (122 ± 8.1 mmHg and 145 ± 5.6 mmHg, at 8th week of treatment, respectively). The ZnMD treatment prevented myocardial hypertrophy, improved the heart function and reduced the cardiac fibrosis, as evidenced by parameters such as left ventricular mass, fractional shortening, and histological studies. In contrast, MD did not show noticeable differences in these parameters. ZnMD regulates negatively the oxidative damage by reducing levels of ROS and lipid peroxidation, as well as the cardiac NAD(P)H oxidase, and increasing SOD1 expression, while MD did not show significant effect. Moreover, cardiac nitric oxide levels were greater in the ZnMD therapy compared to MD treatment. Both MD and ZnMD have the potential to be transported by albumin. Our findings provide important evidence suggesting that this complex could be a potential therapeutic drug for the treatment of hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction. [Display omitted] • The Zn-α-methyldopa complex (ZnMD) has been synthesized and characterized. Compared to MD. • It showed similar moderate spontaneous interaction with BSA. • It improved the antihypertensive action. • It is significantly more effective in the prevention of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. • It negatively regulates ROS production more effectively than MD alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]