Despite the past and present successes of vaccination for the control of infectious diseases, new vaccines need to be developed that respond to the societal demands for improving disease prevention. Vaccines that are efficient in one administration, that protect against a variety of rapidly mutating pathogen variants, and that cure chronic infections and cancers are major pursued goals. New strategies from basic immunological research in the mouse revealed that antigenized immunoglobulin-based vaccines that target dendritic cells (DC)- the key cell that orchestrate immunity- generate an unequaled quality of immunogenicity. Furthermore, the specific targeting of DC subsets resulted in eliciting specific arms of immunity i.e. either strong antibody or cytotoxic responses. However given the limited predictive value of mouse results, the translation of this approach to “real” species, such as human and domestic animals, requires further demonstration. DC subsets are well represented in the skin that appears as a convenient and efficient site for vaccine delivery. Pig is a model of choice for skin delivery, as human and swine skin structures and their DC compositions share a high degree of similarities. In addition, pig and human are both sensitive to zoonotic pathogens, with influenza representing a permanent threat as demonstrated by the 2009 pandemic. The goal of “DCVacFlu” is to generate Flu-antigenized antibody-based vaccines that target swine skin DC subsets (Flu-DCVacAb), in order to provide novel veterinary vaccines and solid preclinical information for developing corresponding human vaccines. The French coordinator has identified the conservation of DC subset organization across mammals based on functional and transcriptomic comparative analyses. This led to the selection of molecular candidates that could allow (1) targeting the “antibody promoting” DC type with the c-type lectins DECTIN2, MANNOSE R and ASGPR2 and (2) targeting the “cytotoxic T cell promoting” DC type, with the c-type lectins DEC205, CLEC9A, CLEC12A and the chemokine receptor XCR1. Interestingly, the Mexican coordinator has already developed the anti porcine DEC205 (not published), what represents the first and unique anti-DC Ab in pig. Both partners will share the development of complementary DCVacAb. Two strategies will be compared for associating the Flu antigens (FluAG) to the DCVacAb. The Mexican teams will molecularly clone a selection of DCVacAb as Single Chain Fragment variables (ScFv) fused to the Flu antigens. The French partners will exploit their novel patented strategy which consists in expressing the FluAG in fusion with streptavidin (SA) for making complexes with biotinylated DCVacAb, thus providing a simple and flexible way to antigenize DCVacAb. The selected FluAG will be the nucleoprotein (induces cytotoxic T cells) and the external ion channel M2e (induces protective antibodies) that can both induce protective immunity against a large array of Flu strains. Finally a virulent challenge with influenza A H1N1 2009 will be done in the pigs vaccinated with the most immunogenic DCVacAb structures. In total, the expectations of “DCVacFlu” are the: - Demonstration of the proof of concept of DC targeting by DCVacAb in a relevant target species (pig) for efficient vaccination via skin, - Evaluation of novel molecular targets such as XCR1, DECTIN2 and ASGPR2, not yet fully tested in the mouse, for DCVacAb strategies, - Challenge the concept of biasing the immune response types by targeting specific DC subsets in a relevant species, - Comparison of efficacy between 2 strategies to antigenize the DCVacAb, i.e. FluAG fused to ScFV and Streptavidin-FluAG linked to DCVAcAb. DCVacFlu shall provide cutting edge vaccines for veterinary medicine and convincing preclinical date useful for translation to humans, validated for influenza and transposable to other pathogens.

EPA! (Entornos Personales de Aprendizaje Inteligentes) tiene por objetivo hacer realidad el aprovechamiento de los llamados Entornos Personales de Aprendizaje (PLE por sus siglas en inglés) tanto desde la perspectiva del discente como desde la perspectiva del docente, con el fin de facilitar y mejorar el encaje entre la educación formal, el aprendizaje informal y no formal, y los requisitos de los empleadores para potenciar la empleabilidad y emprendimiento de los estudiantes.Desde el punto de vista del desarrollo tecnológico EPA! tiene como objetivo la creación de un portal inteligente para facilitar la gestión de los entornos personales de aprendizaje de discentes y docentes, haciendo un seguimiento, ofreciendo recomendaciones y credenciales, para la mejora de la calidad de dichos entornos, teniendo en cuenta el bagaje (e-porfolio) de cada usuario y sus aspiraciones profesionales, atendiendo también a las necesidades del sector productivo. EPA! tiene en cuenta la necesidad de armonizar los desarrollos tecnológicos con las metodologías docentes, por lo que no solo se ocupa de crear el sistema inteligente de seguimiento, recomendación y credencialización, sino que capacita a docentes y estudiantes en la aplicación de la metodología de entornos personales de aprendizaje, mediante diversas actividades de formación, garantizando así la inmersión y aprovechamiento de dicha metodología.Los beneficiarios son tanto estudiantes, como profesores, como el sector productivo. Durante el desarrollo del proyecto alcanzaremos directamente a 12.000 estudiantes, de los cuales 3000 son mujeres, 600 profesores (200 mujeres), 20 gestores universitarios, 500 entidades (empresas/otros).El resultado será la utilización del sistema por el mismo número de personas indicadas anteriormente y, que un 10% de los alumnos obtengan credenciales sobre su aprendizaje, convalidables al menos 360 de ellas y al menos 120 de los estudiantes habiendo sido contratados o emprendiendo.

"This Project aims to offer the tools for creating a Contemporary Art educational network in the region Yucatán-Cuba. It also aspires to help to shape two specific and parallel degrees (in Mérida an La Habana), or ideally an International Double Degree, on Contemporary Art and Cultures Management that will be taught in parallel in Mexico and Cuba using the new tools that of e-teaching and e-learning.We propose the development of a work process between American and European universities, with the support of independent professionals, experts from the museums, cultural management field, and civil society groups. We assume, as a starting point, the concept of ""multilateral construction"", for the joint design of two specialized study plans, one for the UADY University of Merida and the other for the ISA University of Havana, with the intention that they can be merged into one."

"ECALFOR project (Evaluation of teacher training in Latin America and the Caribbean. Guarantee of quality of education degrees) rests on two axes of action with high educational and social utility aligned with the strategic needs of higher education in Latin America and the Caribbean for training of compulsory education teachers:- Improvement of the disciplinary and pedagogical training of compulsory education teachers.- Quality assurance processes of higher education programs and international certification of degrees.The first of the axes is developed by carrying out an analysis of the characteristics and quality of the training that the future teachers of the compulsory education centers in primary and secondary education receive in the institutions of higher education (HEI) of the participating countries. The results of this analysis will be compared with teacher training in HEIs of the four participating countries of Europe, in order to create a transnational and harmonized model of teacher training and exchange good pedagogical practices, ""building capacity"" and synergies between the partners and energizing the internationalization and homologation of higher education of compulsory education teachers, and the qualifications that form it, in Latin America and the Caribbean.The second axe implements systems and protocols for quality assurance in teacher training qualifications, based on the creation of Quality Units in each of the Latin American and Caribbean HEIs. For this, technicians are trained in the HEIs of the partner countries with the advice of the Agency for the Quality of the University System of Galicia (ACSUG), guaranteeing this institution the application of quality assessment criteria supported by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA)."