Las universidades son espacios a los que determinados estudiantes no acceden o en los que encuentran destacados obstáculos para permanecer. Avanzar hacia la construcción de universidades donde todos puedan aprender y participar es una tarea inaplazable que muchas instituciones desconocen cómo enfrentar. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo diseñar un sistema de indicadores que facilite a las instituciones universitarias la autoevaluación de las condiciones que ofrecen a sus estudiantes con respecto a la inclusión. Con una metodología basada en la revisión bibliográfica y la validación de indicadores por 18 expertos/as mediante el método Delphi, se presentan un total de 30 indicadores agrupados en seis dimensiones claves. Estas dimensiones hacen referencia a la cultura institucional, acceso equitativo, aprendizaje centrado en el alumnado, bienestar y participación, movilidad y empleabilidad y logro académico. Para facilitar el uso del instrumento, se acompaña cada indicador de una breve descripción, una medida o escala de evaluación, la periodicidad con la que conviene ser medido y el posible nivel de desagregación. Como conclusión, se reconoce la adecuación del método Delphi para la validación de indicadores y se destaca la contribución de los instrumentos de evaluación como herramientas que permiten evidenciar las situaciones de desigualdad universitaria. Se subraya la urgencia de revertir el modelo universitario hacia un modelo enfocado en el diseño de estrategias que permitan avanzar hacia la verdadera inclusión.

Flavonoids constitute a group of polyphenolic compounds characterized by a common gamma-benzo- pyrone structure considered in numerous biological systems to possess antioxidant capacity. Among the different applications of flavonoids, its genoprotective capacity against damage induced by ionizing radiation stands out, which has been related to antioxidant activity and its chemical structure. In this study, we determined the frequency of appearance of micronucleus in vivo by means of the micronucleus assay. This was conducted in mice treated with different flavonoids before and after exposure to 470 mGy X-rays; thereafter, their bone marrow polychromatophilic erythrocytes were evaluated to establish the structural factors enhancing the observed genoprotective effect. Our results in vivo show that the presence of a monomeric flavan-3-ol type structure, with absence of carbonyl group in position C4 of ring C, absence of conjugation between the carbons bearing the C2 = C3 double bond and the said ring, presence of a catechol group in ring B and characteristic hydroxylation in positions 5 and 7 of ring A are the structural characteristics that determine the highest degree of genoprotection. Additionally, a certain degree of polymerization of this flavonoid monomer, but maintaining significant levels of monomers and dimers, contributes to increasing the degree of genoprotection in the animals studied at both times of their administration (before and after exposure to X-rays).

Carnosic acid (CA) is a phenolic diterpene with high antioxidant activity that supports its radioprotective capacity. This study aims to determine whether the radiosensitizing effect of CA established in B16F10 melanoma cells also occurs in other melanin-producing cells. Cell survival analysis, apoptosis, intracellular glutathione levels, and cell cycle progression were evaluated by comparing radiosensitive cells (PNT2) with radioresistant melanin-producing cells (MELAN A, SK-MEL-1, and B16F10). In PNT2 cells, CA exhibited radioprotective capacity, with 100% cell survival after exposure to 20 Gy of X-rays (p < 0.001), decreasing apoptosis (p < 0.001) and increasing the GSH/GSSG ratio (p < 0.01), without significant modification in cell cycle progression. However, CA administration to irradiated cells failed to exert radioprotection in MELAN A and SK-MEL-1 cells, and even doubled cell death in B16F10 cells (p < 0.001). Specifically, CA did not alter apoptosis or prevent the decrease in GSH/GSSG ratio in MELAN A and SK-MEL-1 cells, while it intensified radiation-induced cell cycle disruptions in all melanin-producing cells. All of these led to a loss of radioprotective capacity in the melanin-producing cells (MELAN A and SK-MEL-1) and even induced a radiosensitizing effect in B16F10 cells. Understanding the mechanisms of action of substances such as CA could promote new applications that protect healthy cells and exclusively damage neoplastic cells when both are present within the same irradiated volume in cancer patients requiring radiotherapy.

There is an urgent need to find and develop radiation countermeasures for both planned and unplanned exposures. However, in recent years, radioprotective substances, such as rosmarinic acid (RA), have been described, presenting contradictory and even paradoxical results. In this paper, we evaluated the genoprotective capacity of 29 substances against chromosomal damage induced by gamma radiation in a comparative study using the same technique, i.e., cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay to evaluate their genoprotective capacities, at the same concentrations and administered before and after exposure to 2 Gy of gamma radiation. We then related the observed effects with their chemical characteristics to appreciate the different mechanisms of action that could explain some apparent contradictions that may emerge. In our study, before exposure to ionizing radiation, RA produced the greatest reduction in the frequency of radiation-induced micronuclei (p < 0.001), presenting the highest magnitude of protection (58%) and a dose reduction factor of 7.1 (p < 0.001); however, it loses this genoprotective capacity when administered after exposure to radiation. These results could be attributed to the different radical-scavenging and antilipoperoxidative activities of each substance tested. Antilipoperoxidant activity was found to be the most important factor in the reduction in radiation-induced chromosomal damage; thus, lipo-antioxidant substances emerged as the most effective in protecting genetic material against oxidative damage.

Carnosic acid (CA) is a phenolic diterpene with high antioxidant activity that supports its radioprotective capacity. This study aims to determine whether the radiosensitizing effect of CA established in B16F10 melanoma cells also occur in other mela-nin-producing cells. Cell survival analysis, apoptosis, intracellular glutathione levels, and cell cycle progression were evaluated by comparing radiosensitive cells (PNT2) with radioresistant melanin-producing cells (MELAN A, SK-MEL-1 and B16F10). In PNT2 cells, CA exhibited radioprotective capacity, with 100% cell survival after expo-sure to 20 Gy of X-rays (p < 0.001), decreasing apoptosis (p < 0.001) and increasing the GSH/GSSH ratio (p < 0.01), without significant modification in cell cycle progression. However, the administration of CA to irradiated cells failed to show radioprotective capacity in MELAN A and SK-MEL-1 cells, it even doubled cell death in B16F10 cells (p < 0.001); did not modify cell apoptosis, nor prevent a decrease in the GSH/GSSG ratio and intensify the modifications in the cell cycle induced by ionizing radiation. All of these led to a loss of radioprotective capacity in the melanin producing cells (MELAN A and SK-MEL-1) and even induced a radiosensitizing effect in B16F10 cells. Understanding the mechanisms of action of substances such as CA could promote new applications that protect healthy cells and exclusively damage neoplastic cells when both are present within the same irradiated volume in cancer patients requiring radiotherapy.