Developing general cultural awareness in a monocultural English as a foreign language context in a Mexican university: a wiki-based critical incident approach

© 2013 Association for Language Learning. This article explores what the ‘intercultural turn’ might mean in the case of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). The discussion is contextualised in what has been termed the ‘expanding circle’ of English and focuses on an English as a foreign language (EFL) class in a Mexican university, a context where the full implications of a shift from EFL to English as a lingua franca (ELF) have yet to be addressed. We consider how the intercultural turn might be understood in this Mexican context and then present the rationale for, and design of, a technology-based (wiki) extra-curricular pilot project which adopted less of an EFL/cultural and more of an ELF/intercultural approach. We evaluate the evidence from this small-scale project in terms of students\u27 developing general cultural awareness and suggest that this type of project, an example of the intercultural turn, might be more widely applicable in similar ‘expanding circle’ EFL contexts

In Vitro Studies Evaluating Leaching of Mercury from Mine Waste Calcine Using Simulated Human Body Fluids

In vitro bioaccessibility (IVBA) studies were carried out on samples of mercury (Hg) mine-waste calcine (roasted Hg ore) by leaching with simulated human body fluids. The objective was to estimate potential human exposure to Hg due to inhalation of airborne calcine particulates and hand-to-mouth ingestion of Hg-bearing calcines. Mine waste calcines collected from Hg mines at Almadén, Spain, and Terlingua, Texas, contain Hg sulfide, elemental Hg, and soluble Hg compounds, which constitute primary ore or compounds formed during Hg retorting. Elevated leachate Hg concentrations were found during calcine leaching using a simulated gastric fluid (as much as 6200 μg of Hg leached/g sample). Elevated Hg concentrations were also found in calcine leachates using a simulated lung fluid (as much as 9200 μg of Hg leached/g), serum-based fluid (as much as 1600 μg of Hg leached/g), and water of pH 5 (as much as 880 μg of Hg leached/g). The leaching capacity of Hg is controlled by calcine mineralogy; thus, calcines containing soluble Hg compounds contain higher leachate Hg concentrations. Results indicate that ingestion or inhalation of Hg mine-waste calcine may lead to increased Hg concentrations in the human body, especially through the ingestion pathway

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Background: Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. // Methods: We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung's disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. // Findings: We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung's disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middle-income countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in low-income countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. // Interpretation: Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Application of X-ray Synchrotron Based Techniques to the Study of the Speciation, Sorption and Bioavailability of Hg in Environmental and Biological Systems

La toxicitat del mercuri depèn de la seva probabilitat d'exposició, factors geoquímics i ecològics, i en particular de l'espècie química en què es troba. No obstant això, el nombre i veracitat de tècniques analítiques d'especiació segueix sent molt limitat. En conseqüència, les tècniques espectroscòpiques d'absorció de raig-X (XAS) basades amb la radiació sincrotró, han esdevingut eines interessants i fàcilment disponibles per a superar la manca existent en aquest camp. Entre altres, les tècniques més comuns són XANES (X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy) i EXAFS (Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure). Altres progressos en aquest camp es basen en la unió de les tècniques d'absorció amb a una alta resolució espacial a nivell de microescala, usant les tècniques µ-XRF (microscopic X-ray Fluorescence) o µ-XAS. La comprensió del perill per al medi ambient plantejat pel metilmercuri (CH3HgCl i CH3HgOH) adsorbit sobre típics components del sòl ha estat assolida per la combinació de les tècniques XAS i bacteris sensors luminiscents (Escherichia coli MC1061, pmerBRBSluc). La quantitat de Hg adsorbit ha resultat ser depenent del pH, mentre que el caràcter de l'enllaç independent del pH. En comparar la interacció entre el metilmercuri i les argiles o materials húmics, els primers han donat lloc a un caràcter iònic més alt i per tant a una possibilitat de mobilització del mercuri més gran. A més, aquesta interacció ha resultat ser més estable pel CH3HgOH que pel CH3HgCl.El districte d'Almadén a Ciudad Real ha donat lloc a un dels ambient més impactats pel Hg arreu del món. En aquest context, les tècniques XAS (juntament amb SES, XRD i SEM-EDS) s'han utilitzat per a estudiar el comportament del mercuri en aquesta regió. El cinabri s'ha trobat que és l'espècie principal en minerals i sòls, mentre que el metacinabri és l'espècie principal en les escòries. En totes les mostres, també s'han trobat sals més solubles de mercuri (HgCl2, HgSO4 i schuetteite). Les tècniques de microsonda també han revelat correlacions elementals entre el Hg i el Pb, Ni i S, indicant un possible acoblament geoquímic d'aquests elements. Les correlacions també s'han identificat entre el Hg i Fe/Mn, el qual s'ha atribuït a l'absorció del mercuri sobre els oxihidròxids de Fe i Mn. D'altra banda, les indústries clor-àlcali amb càtode de mercuri han estat un dels usos industrials més importants del mercuri a Europa occidental. El gravamen del comportament del mercuri en aquests ambients ha estat conduït per les tècniques XAS acoblades a SES. La informació d'especiació ha demostrat que els compostos inorgànics de mercuri dominen en totes les mostres de sòl considerades, sent cinabri i corderoite les principals espècies. No obstant això, també s'han identificat fases lleument solubles (HgO i HgSO4) en proporcions de menor importància. Per altra banda, l'anàlisi de µ-XRF ha demostrat una correlació geoquímica de Hg, Cu i Ni, que suggereixen la formació de possibles solucions sòlides d'aquests elements dintre de la mateixa estructura cristal·lina. Finalment, les tècniques de microsonda amb radiació sincrotró s'han proposat per a l'observació directa del mercuri i altres elements presents en dents humanes restaurades amb amalgames de mercuri. Les anàlisis han demostrat una difusió mínima del Hg a través de la dent, amb la identificació d'una correlació lineal entre el Hg i el Cu. Per altra banda, s'ha identificat una difusió significativa del Cu i el Zn de l'amalgama a la regió de la dentina, suggerint un possible intercanvi del Ca2+ amb el Cu2+/Zn2+ en els cristalls d'hidroxiapatita (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2). Per altra banda, µ-EXAFS ha determinat que l'ambient molecular inicial del Hg en la regió de l'amalgama està limitat per la fase ?-Ag2Hg3 formada durant el procés d'amalgamacióToxicity of mercury is determined by the likelihood of exposure, geochemical and ecological factors, and in particular by the chemical species in which it is found. Chemical speciation become of an utmost importance when assessing the risk associated to mercury impacted environments. Despite this, the number and reliability of analytical techniques able to recognise different mercury species is still very limited, even more when dealing with solid samples. Hence, synchrotron-based x-ray absorption spectroscopic (XAS) techniques have risen as an interesting and readily available tool to overcome the existing speciation gap. Among others, the most common techniques dealing with speciation are XANES (X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy) and EXAFS (Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure). Further developments in this field focus on the coupling of x-ray absorption techniques to a spatial resolution at a micro-scale level, by using µ-XRF (microscopic X-ray Fluorescence) or µ-XAS techniques.The understanding of the environmental hazard posed by methylmercury (CH3HgCl and CH3HgOH) adsorbed onto a number of key soil materials has been accomplished by the combination of XAS techniques and luminisent sensor bacteria (Escherichia coli MC1061, pmerBRBSluc). The amount of Hg adsorbed was observed to be pH-dependent, whereas the bond character was found to be pH-independent. When comparing interaction between methylmercury and clays or humic materials, the former resulted in a higher ionic character and consequently in a larger possibility of mercury mobilisation. Additionally, this interaction was observed to be more stable for CH3HgOH than for CH3HgCl, due to the higher reactivity of the hydroxyl group. The Almadén district in Ciudad Real has lead to one of the most Hg-impacted environments found around the world. In this context, XAS techniques (complemented with SES, XRD and SEM-EDS analyses) have been utilised to study the mercury behaviour in this region. Cinnabar has been found to be the main species in ores and soils, whereas metacinnabar was the main species in slag. In all samples, slightly soluble mercury salts (HgCl2, HgSO4 and schuetteite) have been also found. Microprobe techniques have also revealed elemental correlations between Hg and Pb, Ni and S, indicating a possible geochemical linkage of these elements. Correlations were also identified between Hg and Fe/Mn, which have been attributed to sorption of mercury onto oxy-hydroxides of Fe and Mn. Chlor-alkali industries with mercury cathode remain as one of the most important industrial applications of mercury in Western Europe, which become one of the most important point-sources for mercury contamination. The assessment of mercury behaviour in these environments has been conducted by XAS techniques coupled to SES. Speciation information showed that inorganic mercury compounds dominate in all soil samples considered, being cinnabar and corderoite the main species. However, slightly soluble phases (HgO and HgSO4) have been also identified in minor proportions. On the other hand, µ-XRF analysis has shown a geochemical correlation of Hg, Cu and Ni, which suggest the possible formation of solid solutions of these elements within the same crystalline structure.Finally, synchrotron X-ray microprobe techniques have been proposed for the direct observation of mercury and other elements present in human teeth restored with dental amalgams. Microprobe analyses showed a minimum diffusion of Hg throughout the tooth, with the identification of a linear correlation between Hg and Cu. On the other hand, a significant diffusion of Cu and Zn from the amalgam to the dentine region was identified, which suggested the possible exchange of Ca2+ by Cu2+/Zn2+ in hydroxiapatite crystals (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2). On the other hand, µ-EXAFS has determined that the initial molecular environment of Hg in the amalgam region is limited to the ?-Ag2Hg3 phase formed during the amalgamation process

Aplicación de análisis micropaleontológicos cuantitativos en estratigrafía secuencial : el Cretácico inferior de la cuenca de Organyà (Pirineos, España)

El análisis cuantitativo de los componentes fosilíferos de las microfacies en rocas carbonatadas se manifiesta como una herramienta útil para reconocer ciclos sedimentarios de diferente orden que pasarían desapercibidos en análisis únicamente cualitativos. El método cuantitativo utilizado se basa en el recuento de todos los organismos fósiles presentes en la misma superficie de cada lámina delgada o equivalente, los cuales son clasificados según su biotopo particular en función de su situación en la plataforma. Ello permite cuantificar las variaciones del medio por pequeñas que éstas sean e interpretar el aumento o disminución de la lámina de agua en una plataforma, así como otras características del medio, como el tipo de sustrato. El método se ha aplicado al estudio de los sedimentos urgonianos de la Cuenca de Organyà (Barremiense-Aptiense inferior), tanto de secuencias deposicionales mayores como de secuencias elementales