Emilia María Carmona Calero

First came the digital banks without offices, and then the “fintech” companies that combined technology and finance to achieve greater efficiency and new business models. Later was the turn of transport and logistics, understood as the sector whose economic activities derived from the transport of people and goods, while on the one hand, it has had a new spring thanks to factors such as online sales. Then, perhaps catalyzed by the pandemic scenario, the turn has reached education, where years ago was only a complement of traditional education, now is a central part with multiple modern methodologies. Numerous studies exist about using or implementing these e-learning procedures, but technical analysis is barely found in references. This work aims to analyze the digital transformation of the main sectors of our society, including finances, transport, and education, together with several examples of how technology was helping to fight the pandemic scenario.

Hydrocephalus is a central nervous system condition characterized by CSF buildup and ventricular hypertrophy. It is divided into two types: communicative and non-communicating hydrocephalus. Congenital hydrocephalus has been linked to several changes in the subcommissural organ (SCO). However, it is unclear whether these changes occur before or as a result of the hydrocephalic illness. This report presents three cases of human fetuses with hydrocephalus: one non-communicating case, two communicating cases, and two controls. Hematoxylin–Eosin (H&E) or cresyl violet and immunohistochemistry with anti-transthyretin were used to analyze SCO morphological and secretory changes. We conclude that in the cases presented here, there could be an early regression in the SCO of the communicating cases that is not present in the non-communicating case.

Hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular affection and premature death worldwide. The spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) is the most common animal model of hypertension, which is characterized by secondary ventricular dilation and hydrocephalus. Aquaporin (AQP) 1 and 4 are the main water channels responsible for the brain’s water balance. The present study focuses on defining the expression of AQPs through the time course of the development of spontaneous chronic hypertension. We performed immunofluorescence and ELISA to examine brain AQPs from 10 SHR, and 10 Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) rats studied at 6 and 12 months old. There was a significant decrease in AQP1 in the choroid plexus of the SHR-12-months group compared with the age-matched control (p < 0.05). In the ependyma, AQP4 was significantly decreased only in the SHR-12-months group compared with the control or SHR-6-months groups (p < 0.05). Per contra, AQP4 increased in astrocytes end-feet of 6 months and 12 months SHR rats (p < 0.05). CSF AQP detection was higher in the SHR-12-months group than in the age-matched control group. CSF findings were confirmed by Western blot. In SHR, ependymal and choroidal AQPs decreased over time, while CSF AQPs levels increased. In turn, astrocytes AQP4 increased in SHR rats. These AQP alterations may underlie hypertensive-dependent ventriculomegaly.

Pandemic scenario has significantly changed several factors of life, including teaching, and learning at university. The development of suitable teaching materials to support university studies is mandatory to overcome distance learning difficulties and improve traditional teaching methodologies. This work explains a novel method for the preparation of teaching materials for medical sciences, but also plausible for other learning fields. An encephalon was extracted and prepared by using this methodology for teaching purposes. More than 200 students evaluated several factors of the material prepared this way, indicating a better understanding (up to 80%) of theoretical contents related to this human section, together with a high usability and good physical appearance