Exploring the relationship between Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and academic performance: A multilevel analysis for Spain

With the world becoming increasingly digitalized, determining the relationship between the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and educational outcomes takes on special relevance for guiding educational policy decisions in a reasoned way. The objective of this research is to explore the relationship between different types of ICT use at school and at home, students' attitudes towards ICT, and academic performance, as well as to see if these associations differ according to the level of performance of the students. For this purpose, we apply multilevel regression models and quantile regression models with data from the Programme for International Student assessment survey (PISA) 2015. The results show differences in the sign of the association according to the ICT variable analysed. The positive association between ICT use and academic performance is related with its use for entertainment at home, the students' interest in ICT and an earlier starting age for using ICT. Results also show that higher availability of computers per student in the schools is associated with higher levels of academic performance. However, the use of ICT for schoolwork at home, the use of ICT by students in schools and the importance of ICT as a topic in social interaction for students, are factors negatively associated with academic performance. Finally, our quantile regressions by ability levels suggest that certain types of ICT use appear to be particularly associated with the academic performance of students in the lowest percentiles of performance. These results highlight the need to consider and include ICT as an input into the educational production function. Moreover, public policies should consider the interaction between ICT and the educational performance of underperforming students

Interplay of water, extra-framework cations and framework atoms in the structure of low-silica zeolites: the case of the natural zeolite Goosecreekite as studied by computer simulation

Computational methods are described that model accurately the structure of hydrated Ca-bearing zeolites. Using Goosecreekite as a model system we probe the infuence of framework ordering, cation siting and hydration of pores on the structure and its stability. We develop a methodology which allows the location of Al within the framework to be determined together with the position of extra-framework cations, in a stepwise fashion, progressing from an anhydrous model, via a dielectric continuum model, to finally, a fully atomistic model of the water in the intrazeolite pore space. Our methods reveal the complex interplay of short- and long-range interactions on the optimal structure of such materials

Measuring the potential for growth in populations investing in diapause

The intrinsic rate of population increase (r) is a common performance measure in many ecological and evolutionary studies. However, in life cycles with diapause investment resources are split into a short-term (current population growth) and a long-term (population survival through periods of unsuitable habitat conditions) component, which complicates the use of r as a single performance measure. Here we propose a new measure that integrates both performance components into a single parameter, the potential intrinsic growth rate, rpot. This is the rate of increase that a population/genotype would have if no investment in diapausing stages would occur. We show that rpot can be computed using standard demographic data from temporal series or life table experiments and demonstrate the use of the rpot for two common life cycles among zooplanktonic organisms: (1) a cyclically parthenogenetic life cycle where investment in diapause happens only during the sexual phase, and (2) an obligate sexual life cycle with a switch from non-investing females to investing females along the lifespan. Using case studies we show that choosing rpot or the standard r affects comparisons between genotypes/populations or environmental factors. We provide clues on how rpot can be estimated in other life cycles with diapause investment if appropriate assumptions are made

Cyberbullying: Education Research

first_page settings Order Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Cyberbullying: Education Research by Diana Marín Suelves 1,* [ORCID] , Ana Rodríguez Guimeráns 2, Mª Mercedes Romero Rodrigo 1 [ORCID] and Silvia López Gómez 2 [ORCID] 1 Department of Didactics and School Organization, Faculty of Philosophy and Educational Sciences, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain 2 Department of Pedagogy and Learning, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago, Spain * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Educ. Sci. 2023, 13(8), 763; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13080763 Submission received: 5 May 2023 / Revised: 11 July 2023 / Accepted: 19 July 2023 / Published: 25 July 2023 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Technologies and Digital Narratives in the Education and Development of Children and Adolescents) Download keyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Review Reports Versions Notes Abstract Today's society is characterised by a high degree of digitisation and the use of electronic devices at an increasingly early age. Data from recent studies and news reports from different parts of the world have focused on the malicious use of these devices by some young people to engage in peer-to-peer bullying, now known as cyberbullying. Given the negative impact of exposure to these situations on the health and well-being of children and young people, we felt it was important to analyse the scientific evidence from a dual perspective. To this end, we carried out a bibliometric study of 131 articles selected from the Scopus database using the PRISMA method to quantify the scientific literature in terms of productivity, collaboration, impact and dissemination. In addition, we carried out a content analysis to explore this polyhedral reality further through three main categories. The results made it possible to identify the places, authors, and journals where useful information can be found. We were also able to highlight the need for training for the various educational and social actors and to identify risk factors associated with cyberbullying and the importance of primary prevention

Junctophilin-1 is a modifier gene of GDAP1-related Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

Mutations in the GDAP1 gene cause different forms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, and the primary clinical expression of this disease is markedly variable in the dominant inheritance form (CMT type 2K; CMT2K), in which carriers of the GDAP1 p.R120W mutation can display a wide range of clinical severity. We investigated the JPH1 gene as a genetic modifier of clinical expression variability because junctophilin-1 (JPH1) is a good positional and functional candidate. We demonstrated that the JPH1-GDAP1 cluster forms a paralogon and is conserved in vertebrates. Moreover, both proteins play a role in Ca(2+) homeostasis, and we demonstrated that JPH1 is able to restore the store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE) activity in GDAP1-silenced cells. After the mutational screening of JPH1 in a series of 24 CMT2K subjects who harbour the GDAP1 p.R120W mutation, we characterized the JPH1 p.R213P mutation in one patient with a more severe clinical picture. JPH1(p.R213P) cannot rescue the SOCE response in GDAP1-silenced cells. We observed that JPH1 colocalizes with STIM1, which is the activator of SOCE, in endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane puncta structures during Ca(2+) release in a GDAP1-dependent manner. However, when GDAP1(p.R120W) is expressed, JPH1 seems to be retained in mitochondria. We also established that the combination of GDAP1(p.R120W) and JPH1(p.R213P) dramatically reduces SOCE activity, mimicking the effect observed in GDAP1 knock-down cells. In summary, we conclude that JPH1 and GDAP1 share a common pathway and depend on each other; therefore, JPH1 can contribute to the phenotypical consequences of GDAP1 mutations

Circadian waves of transcriptional repression shape PIF-regulated photoperiod-responsive growth in Arabidopsis

Plants coordinate their growth and development with the environment through integration of circadian clock and photosensory pathways. In Arabidopsis thaliana, rhythmic hypocotyl elongation in short days (SD) is enhanced at dawn by the basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTORS (PIFs) directly inducing expression of growth-related genes [1-6]. PIFs accumulate progressively during the night and are targeted for degradation by active phytochromes in the light, when growth is reduced. Although PIF proteins are also detected during the day hours [7-10], their growth-promoting activity is inhibited through unknown mechanisms. Recently, the core clock components and transcriptional repressors PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATORS PRR9/7/5 [11, 12], negative regulators of hypocotyl elongation [13, 14], were described to associate to G boxes [15], the DNA motifs recognized by the PIFs [16, 17], suggesting that PRR and PIF function might converge antagonistically to regulate growth. Here we report that PRR9/7/5 and PIFs physically interact and bind to the same promoter region of pre-dawn-phased, growth-related genes, and we identify the transcription factor CDF5 [18, 19] as target of this interplay. In SD, CDF5 expression is sequentially repressed from morning to dusk by PRRs and induced pre-dawn by PIFs. Consequently, CDF5 accumulates specifically at dawn, when it induces cell elongation. Our findings provide a framework for recent TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION 1 (TOC1/PRR1) data [5, 20] and reveal that the long described circadian morning-to-midnight waves of the PRR transcriptional repressors (PRR9, PRR7, PRR5, and TOC1) [21] jointly gate PIF activity to dawn to prevent overgrowth through sequential regulation of common PIF-PRR target genes such as CDF5

Fluholoscopy¿Compact and Simple Platform Combining Fluorescence and Holographic Microscopy

The combination of different imaging modalities into single imaging platforms has a strong potential in biomedical sciences as it permits the analysis of complementary properties of the target sample. Here, we report on an extremely simple, cost-effective, and compact microscope platform for achieving simultaneous fluorescence and quantitative phase imaging modes with the capability of working in a single snapshot. It is based on the use of a single illumination wavelength to both excite the sample's fluorescence and provide coherent illumination for phase imaging. After passing the microscope layout, the two imaging paths are separated using a bandpass filter, and the two imaging modes are simultaneously obtained using two digital cameras. We first present calibration and analysis of both fluorescence and phase imaging modalities working independently and, later on, experimental validation for the proposed common-path dual-mode imaging platform considering static (resolution test targets, fluorescent micro-beads, and water-suspended lab-made cultures) as well as dynamic (flowing fluorescent beads, human sperm cells, and live specimens from lab-made cultures) samples

Food-Intolerance Genetic Testing: A Useful Tool for the Dietary Management of Chronic Gastrointestinal Disorders

The rise in food intolerances and celiac disease, along with advanced diagnostic techniques, has prompted health professionals to seek effective and economical testing methods. This study evaluates combining genetic tests with routine carbohydrate-absorption breath tests to classify patients with chronic gastrointestinal disorders into therapeutic groups, enhancing dietary management and improving gut health and quality of life. Forty-nine patients with suspected carbohydrate intolerance underwent genetic testing for lactase non-persistence, hereditary fructose intolerance, and celiac disease risk. Simultaneously, breath tests assessed lactose and fructose absorption. The lactase non-persistence genotype appeared in 36.7% of cases, with one hereditary fructose-intolerance case in a heterozygous condition. Celiac disease risk markers (HLA-DQ2/8 haplotypes) were found in 49.0% of the population. Secondary lactose and/or fructose malabsorption was present in 67.3% of patients, with 66.1% of lactase non-persistence individuals showing secondary lactose malabsorption. Fructose malabsorption was prevalent in 45.8% of patients at risk for celiac disease. Two main treatment groups were defined based on genetic results, indicating primary and irreversible gastrointestinal disorder causes, followed by a sub-classification using breath test results. Genetic testing is a valuable tool for designing dietary management plans, avoiding unnecessary diet restrictions, and reducing recovery times

Pre- and post-synthetic modulation of the ordering temperatures in a family of anilato-based magnets

We report the synthesis and characterization of six novel heterometallic molecule-based 2D magnets with the bromanilato ligand (C6O4Br22− = 1,3-dibromo-2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone dianion) and six different benzene derivative molecules. The compounds, formulated as (NBu4)[MnCr(C6O4Br2)3]·1.75C6H5Br (1), (NBu4)[MnCr(C6O4Br2)3]·C6H5X with X = Cl (2), I (3) and CH3 (4) and (NBu4)[MnCr(C6O4Br2)3]·2C6H5X with X = CN (5) and NO2 (6), present the classical hexagonal honeycomb-(6,3) lattice with alternating Mn(II) and Cr(III) ions. The layers are packed in an eclipsed way along the a direction giving rise to hexagonal channels where the benzene derivative molecules are located with π-π interactions between the benzene and anilato rings. The interlayer space contains the NBu4+ cations needed to compensate the anionic charge of the [MnIICrIII(C6O4Br2)3]− layers. The Mn-Cr exchange coupling through the bromanilato ligands is antiferromagnetic, leading to a long range ferrimagnetic order in the six compounds with ordering temperatures around 10 K. These ordering temperatures can be slightly modified in the range 9.5-11.4 K by simply changing the benzene-derivative solvent molecule. Here we discuss the possible structural and electronic reasons for this tuning effect of the solvent molecule and the important structural role played by the solvent molecules. We also show that it is possible to exchange the solvent molecules inside the hexagonal channels post-synthetically causing a tiny change in the ordering temperature and coercive field. Furthermore, we also show that it is possible to further change the ordering temperatures by simply removing the solvent molecules by heating the sample at low pressures to obtain a de-solvated phas

Prevalence and factors associated with the problematic use of the smartphone in Honduran university students

The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has increased exponentially, leading to rapid changes in society. It has transformed the way we communicate, socialize, seek information, and even entertain ourselves. However, its uncontrolled use, known as problematic smartphone use (PSU), has been linked to numerous negative consequences. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of PSU in a sample of Honduran university students and to examine its possible sociodemographic and personality correlates. The sample consists of 791 students from Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University in Honduras (77.2% women) with a mean age of 26.29 years. A descriptive, correlational, and comparative analysis was conducted using SPSS 28.0. The results indicate a PSU prevalence of 19.97% and show that both the Big Five personality traits and self-esteem are associated with this behavior. In conclusion, this study is the first to establish the prevalence of PSU among Honduran university students These findings may have significant implications for the development of policies aimed at reducing excessive technology use in this at-risk group