15,505 research outputs found

    Gamification in E-Learning: game factors to strengthen specific English pronunciation features in undergraduate students at UPTC Sogamoso

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    Appendix A Characterization survey (104), Appendix B. EFL Students’ questionnaire (109), Appendix C. Characterization survey: data treatment question (113), Appendix D. Informed consent letter, English version (114), Appendix E. Carta de consentimiento informado, versión en español (117), Appendix F. Time Schedule (120), Appendix G. Sample Challenges at Moodle (126), Appendix H. Participants’ questionnaire results (128).La gamificación es un término que suele denotar el uso de componentes del juego en situaciones no relacionadas con el juego en sí para crear experiencias de aprendizaje agradables, divertidas y motivadoras para los estudiantes (Werbach y Hunter, 2012). Por lo tanto, el análisis de los factores básicos de los juegos se convierte en algo esencial a la hora de definir y utilizar la gamificación como estrategia de mediación del inglés como lengua extranjera para fortalecer rasgos específicos de pronunciación en los estudiantes de pregrado de la UPTC Sogamoso. El procedimiento de estudio se basa en la investigación acción mediante la implementación de la estrategia de gamificación para la mediación en la pronunciación del inglés, orientada a treinta estudiantes de diferentes programas de ingeniería, administración y tecnología con niveles heterogéneos de dominio del inglés. Las actividades se centran principalmente en la producción de sonidos, el ritmo, el acento y la entonación, los rasgos de pronunciación segmental y suprasegmental. Los resultados arrojaron una evidente mejora en las características segméntales y suprasegmentales de la percepción en la pronunciación de los participantes así como la contribución del objetivo de los juegos a la instrucción fonética y fonológica, la sensación en el juego a la motivación para mejorar la pronunciación, el reto establecido en los juegos a la actitud positiva de los participantes, y la sociabilidad a la exposición practica de la pronunciación inglesa.Gamification is a relatively new term that often denotes the use of game components in situations unrelated to the game itself to create enjoyable, fun, and motivating learning experiences for students (Werbach and Hunter, 2012). Therefore, analyzing the games' basic factors becomes essential when defining and using gamification as a strategy for English as Foreign Language mediation to strengthen specific pronunciation features in UPTC Sogamoso undergraduate students. The study procedure is based on action research by implementing the gamification strategy for mediation in English pronunciation, oriented to thirty students from different engineering, management, and technology programs at heterogeneous levels of English proficiency. The activities mainly focus on sound production, rhythm, stress, and intonation, segmental and suprasegmental pronunciation features. The results showed an evident improvement in the segmental and suprasegmental features of the participants' pronunciation perception as well as the contribution of game goals to phonetics and phonological instruction, the game sensation to the motivation for pronunciation improvement, the game challenge to the participants' positive attitude, and the sociality to the English pronunciation exposure practice

    Exploring the effects of spinal cord stimulation for freezing of gait in parkinsonian patients

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    Dopaminergic replacement therapies (e.g. levodopa) provide limited to no response for axial motor symptoms including gait dysfunction and freezing of gait (FOG) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Richardson’s syndrome progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP-RS) patients. Dopaminergic-resistant FOG may be a sensorimotor processing issue that does not involve basal ganglia (nigrostriatal) impairment. Recent studies suggest that spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has positive yet variable effects for dopaminergic-resistant gait and FOG in parkinsonian patients. Further studies investigating the mechanism of SCS, optimal stimulation parameters, and longevity of effects for alleviating FOG are warranted. The hypothesis of the research described in this thesis is that mid-thoracic, dorsal SCS effectively reduces FOG by modulating the sensory processing system in gait and may have a dopaminergic effect in individuals with FOG. The primary objective was to understand the relationship between FOG reduction, improvements in upper limb visual-motor performance, modulation of cortical activity and striatal dopaminergic innervation in 7 PD participants. FOG reduction was associated with changes in upper limb reaction time, speed and accuracy measured using robotic target reaching choice tasks. Modulation of resting-state, sensorimotor cortical activity, recorded using electroencephalography, was significantly associated with FOG reduction while participants were OFF-levodopa. Thus, SCS may alleviate FOG by modulating cortical activity associated with motor planning and sensory perception. Changes to striatal dopaminergic innervation, measured using a dopamine transporter marker, were associated with visual-motor performance improvements. Axial and appendicular motor features may be mediated by non-dopaminergic and dopaminergic pathways, respectively. The secondary objective was to demonstrate the short- and long-term effects of SCS for alleviating dopaminergic-resistant FOG and gait dysfunction in 5 PD and 3 PSP-RS participants without back/leg pain. SCS programming was individualized based on which setting best improved gait and/or FOG responses per participant using objective gait analysis. Significant improvements in stride velocity, step length and reduced FOG frequency were observed in all PD participants with up to 3-years of SCS. Similar gait and FOG improvements were observed in all PSP-RS participants up to 6-months. SCS is a promising therapeutic option for parkinsonian patients with FOG by possibly influencing cortical and subcortical structures involved in locomotion physiology

    Transportation Planning, Policy, and Electric Micro-Mobilities: A Knowledge Synthesis of Recent Publications

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    This SSHRC-funded (Grant #972-2020-1009) scoping review synthesizes existing research (2010-2021) related to both private and shared electric micro-mobilities (i.e. e-bikes, e-scooters, e-unicycles, e-skateboards). It considers themes such as: rider demographics, usage, and motivations; mobility justice; benefits of and barriers to EMM use; safety and injuries; modal shift among forms of transportation; rider satisfaction with mode choice; environmental impact; conflict and controversy; EMM pilot programs; and EMM integration, legislation, and policy recommendations. Aside from scholarship, media reports are also included, in order to speak to the environment in which the research takes place

    Unraveling the effect of sex on human genetic architecture

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    Sex is arguably the most important differentiating characteristic in most mammalian species, separating populations into different groups, with varying behaviors, morphologies, and physiologies based on their complement of sex chromosomes, amongst other factors. In humans, despite males and females sharing nearly identical genomes, there are differences between the sexes in complex traits and in the risk of a wide array of diseases. Sex provides the genome with a distinct hormonal milieu, differential gene expression, and environmental pressures arising from gender societal roles. This thus poses the possibility of observing gene by sex (GxS) interactions between the sexes that may contribute to some of the phenotypic differences observed. In recent years, there has been growing evidence of GxS, with common genetic variation presenting different effects on males and females. These studies have however been limited in regards to the number of traits studied and/or statistical power. Understanding sex differences in genetic architecture is of great importance as this could lead to improved understanding of potential differences in underlying biological pathways and disease etiology between the sexes and in turn help inform personalised treatments and precision medicine. In this thesis we provide insights into both the scope and mechanism of GxS across the genome of circa 450,000 individuals of European ancestry and 530 complex traits in the UK Biobank. We found small yet widespread differences in genetic architecture across traits through the calculation of sex-specific heritability, genetic correlations, and sex-stratified genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We further investigated whether sex-agnostic (non-stratified) efforts could potentially be missing information of interest, including sex-specific trait-relevant loci and increased phenotype prediction accuracies. Finally, we studied the potential functional role of sex differences in genetic architecture through sex biased expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) and gene-level analyses. Overall, this study marks a broad examination of the genetics of sex differences. Our findings parallel previous reports, suggesting the presence of sexual genetic heterogeneity across complex traits of generally modest magnitude. Furthermore, our results suggest the need to consider sex-stratified analyses in future studies in order to shed light into possible sex-specific molecular mechanisms

    Genome-wide identification of the genetic basis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

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    Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a complex disease that leads to motor neuron death. Despite heritability estimates of 52%, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have discovered relatively few loci. We developed a machine learning approach called RefMap, which integrates functional genomics with GWAS summary statistics for gene discovery. With transcriptomic and epigenetic profiling of motor neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), RefMap identified 690 ALS-associated genes that represent a 5-fold increase in recovered heritability. Extensive conservation, transcriptome, network, and rare variant analyses demonstrated the functional significance of candidate genes in healthy and diseased motor neurons and brain tissues. Genetic convergence between common and rare variation highlighted KANK1 as a new ALS gene. Reproducing KANK1 patient mutations in human neurons led to neurotoxicity and demonstrated that TDP-43 mislocalization, a hallmark pathology of ALS, is downstream of axonal dysfunction. RefMap can be readily applied to other complex diseases

    In search of 'The people of La Manche': A comparative study of funerary practices in the Transmanche region during the late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age (250BC-1500BC)

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    This research project sets out to discover whether archaeological evidence dating between 2500 BC - 1500 BC from supposed funerary contexts in Kent, flanders and north-eastern Transmanche France is sufficient to make valid comparisons between social and cultural structures on either side of the short-sea Channel region. Evidence from the beginning of the period primarily comes in the form of the widespread Beaker phenomenon. Chapter 5 shows that this class of data is abundant in Kent but quite sparse in the Continental zones - most probably because it has not survived well. This problem also affects the human depositional evidence catalogued in Chapter 6, particularly in Fanders but also in north-eastern Transmanche France. This constricts comparative analysis, however, the abundant data from Kent means that general trends are still discernible. The quality and volume of data relating to the distribution, location, morphology and use of circular monuments in all three zones is far better - as demonstrated in Chapter 7 -mostly due to extensive aerial surveying over several decades. When the datasets are taken as a whole, it becomes possible to successfully apply various forms of comparative analyses. Most remarkably, this has revealed that some monuments apparently have encoded within them a sophisticated and potentially symbolically charged geometric shape. This, along with other less contentious evidence, demonstrates a level of conformity that strongly suggests a stratum of cultural homogeneity existed throughout the Transmanche region during the period 2500 BC - 1500 BC. The fact that such changes as are apparent seem to have developed simultaneously in each of the zones adds additional weight to the theory that contact throughout the Transmanche region was endemic. Even so, it may not have been continuous; there may actually have been times of relative isolation - the data is simply too course to eliminate such a possibility

    Identification of new regenerative therapies in reproductive medicine and their application as a future therapeutic approach for endometrial regeneration

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    El útero es uno de los principales órganos internos del sistema reproductor femenino. Está compuesto de tres capas tisulares: perimetrio, miometrio y endometrio. Esta última capa recubre la cavidad intrauterina y es responsable directa de la implantación embrionaria (para la cual necesita un grosor endometrial mínimo). Entre las patologías que afectan al endometrio pueden distinguirse, entre otras, la atrofia endometrial (insuficiente grosor endometrial) y el síndrome de Asherman (presencia de adhesiones intrauterinas y tejido fibrótico), las cuales conforman el hilo conductor de esta tesis, compuesta de 4 artículos científicos. En ambos casos, el tejido endometrial se encuentra degenerado, lo que dificulta la implantación embrionaria, ocasionando problemas de fertilidad. A día de hoy, ninguna de estas patologías cuenta con una cura totalmente efectiva. Hasta el momento, una de las opciones terapéuticas más prometedora es la inyección de células madre. Por ello, el primer objetivo de esta tesis fue evaluar como la inyección de células madre derivadas de la médula ósea (aisladas con la detección del antígeno CD133), que había resultado ser efectiva tanto en un modelo humano como en uno animal, estaba modificando el endometrio molecularmente. Para así, intentar entender cuáles son los mecanismos paracrinos a través de los cuales llevan a cabo su acción terapéutica. Este primer estudio reveló que estas células madre parecían estar promoviendo la regeneración endometrial mediante la creación de un escenario inmunomodulador (sub-expresión del gen CXCL8), que daría paso a la sobreexpresión de genes involucrados en la regeneración tisular, como SERPINE1, IL4, y JUN. Otro tratamiento que ha ido ganando acepción con los años es el plasma rico en plaquetas, eje central del manuscrito 2. Este manuscrito evidencia como este plasma, especialmente si proviene de sangre de cordón umbilical, es capaz de promover procesos celulares, como la migración y la proliferación de las células endometriales, así como eventos regenerativos en un modelo animal con daño endometrial inducido. Sea cual sea la aproximación terapéutica de elección, se ha hipotetizado que esta regeneración tisular podría surgir de la estimulación del nicho de células madre presente en el endometrio. Es por ello que el objetivo 3 supuso el estudio de los trabajos publicados, tanto de modelos murinos como humanos, relativos a esta población de células madre endometriales. Esta búsqueda permitió concluir que aún quedan lagunas de conocimiento, bien sea en la definición de marcadores celulares específicos o en de la contribución de la médula ósea a este nicho de células madre endometriales. Finalmente, dada la mencionada falta actual de una terapia definitiva para las pacientes con atrofia endometrial o síndrome de Asherman, el cuarto y último objetivo de esta tesis supuso el estudio de todas aquellas aproximaciones que se han llevado a cabo en modelos animales que simulan este tipo de patologías humanas. Este trabajo concluyó que si bien están emergiendo nuevas terapias muy prometedoras, como son aquellas derivadas de la bioingeniería (por ejemplo, uso de hidrogeles o biomoldes), todavía falta perfeccionar y estandarizar los modelos tanto animales como in vitro que permitan una mejor traslación clínica de las mismas.The uterus is one of the main internal organs of the female reproductive system. It is composed of three different tissue layers: perimetrium, myometrium, and endometrium. This last layer covers the intrauterine cavity and is directly responsible for embryo implantation (for which it needs a certain minimum endometrial thickness). Among the pathologies affecting the endometrium, we can distinguish, among others, endometrial atrophy (characterized by an insufficient endometrial thickness) and Asherman's syndrome (a rare disease characterized by the presence of intrauterine adhesions and fibrotic tissue), which form the common thread of this thesis, composed of four original manuscripts. In both cases, the endometrial tissue is degenerated, which hinders the correct embryo implantation, causing then fertility problems. To date, none of these pathologies has a totally effective cure. So far, one of the most promising therapeutic options is the injection of stem cells. Therefore, the first objective was to evaluate how the infusion of bone marrow-derived stem cells (isolated with the antigen CD133), which had proven effective in both a human and an animal model, was modifying the endometrium at the molecular level. Then, this work aimed to understand the paracrine mechanisms through which these cells were carrying out their therapeutic and regenerative action over the endometrial tissue. This first study revealed that these stem cells appeared to be promoting endometrial regeneration by creating an immunomodulatory scenario (down-regulation of the CXCL8 gene), which would give way to the over-expression of genes (SERPINE1, IL4, and JUN) involved in tissue regeneration. Another treatment gaining acceptance over the years is a blood derivate, platelet-rich plasma, which was the focus of the second manuscript. This work shows how this plasma, mainly derived from umbilical cord blood rather than adult peripheral blood, can promote cellular processes, such as cell migration and proliferation of different types of endometrial cells (from primary culture and from stem cell lines). These plasmas also revealed how they triggered the over-expression of certain proteins involved in regenerative events in a mouse model with induced endometrial damage. Whatever the therapeutic approach of choice, it has been hypothesized that regeneration could arise from stimulation of the stem cell niche present in the endometrium. That is why objective three involved studying those works, both murine and human models, concerning this population of endometrial stem cells. This search concluded that there are still gaps in knowledge, either in the definition of specific endometrial stem cell markers or in the contribution of the bone marrow to this endogenous endometrial stem cell niche. Finally, given the aforementioned current lack of definitive therapy for patients with endometrial atrophy or Asherman's syndrome, the last objective involved studying all those approaches that have been carried out in animal models that simulate this type of human pathology. This work concluded that although new therapies are emerging, such as those derived from bioengineering (e.g. use of decellularized scaffolds or hydrogels), there is still a need to perfect and standardize both animal and in vitro models to allow a better clinical translation of these therapies

    The Influence of Quality on eWOM: A Digital Transformation in Hotel Management

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    612324There is no doubt that the use of Internet for purchasing products and services has constituted a crucial change in how people go about buying them. In the era of digital transformation, the possibility of accessing information provided by other users about their personal experiences has taken on more weight in the selection and buying processes. On these lines, traditional word-of-mouth (WOM) has given way to electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), which constitutes a major social change. This behavior is particularly relevant in the services area, where potential users cannot in advance assess what is on offer. There is an abundant literature analyzing the effects of eWOM on different variables of interest in this sector. However, little is known about the factors that determine eWOM. Thus, the main objective of the present paper is to analyze the impact of two variables (objective quality and perceived quality) on eWOM. Both of them are crucial for potential customers in the process of finding hotel accommodations and they can motivate people to make such comments. The results demonstrate that these variables truly have a significant impact on whether or not users make comments on line. Moreover, it proved possible to observe certain differences according to the profile of the tourist involved and the destination where the hotel is located. In the current changing environment, this information is of great use for hotel managers in order to design strategies according to the type of guest they wish to attract.S
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