Estudio comparativo del perfil cognitivo de niños en edad escolar con tumores cerebrales infratemporales y supratentoriales que finalizaron el tratamiento médico. Impacto en el funcionamiento escolar y social de la calidad de vida relacionada con salud

Introduction: Due to scientific advances, there is a growing number of pediatric patients surviving cancer. In general, for children who suffer from central nervous system tumors, this survival is associated with secondary adverse effects, such as cognitive deficits. Objetive: To assess cognitive functions and quality of life in children with infratentorial and supratentorial brain tumors. Methods: An analytical observational and prospective study was conducted. The total sample consisted of 51 subjects. The following measurement instruments were used: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition (WISC IV), Cognitive Assessment System (CAS), Test of Memory and Learning (TOMAL), Graffar Scale; and Peds Quality of Life 4.0 Results: The comparison of the results did not show significant differences between infratentorial and supratentorial tumor location. All patients that were evaluated in the post-cancer-treatment period reveled a similar significant impairment in all the areas studied compared with the level expected in the general population. The most severely affected cognitive functions were processing speed and attention span, mainly on the planning tasks. The findings also show that quality of life at school is severely affected in these children. Conclusions: This is a preliminary study whose results may define a general trend of neurocognitive status, analyzing its impact on quality of life of the study population an posing useful questions for future research.Introducción. Los avances científicos han aumentado la cantidad de pacientes pediátricos sobrevivientes a enfermedades oncológicas. En general, para los niños que padecen Tumores del Sistema Nervioso Central, esta supervivencia se acompaña de efectos adversos secundarios, tales como déficits cognitivos. Objetivo: Evaluar las funciones cognitivas y la Calidad de vida en niños con tumores cerebrales infratentoriales y supratentoriales. Método: Se realizó un estudio analítico observacional y prospectivo. La muestra total estuvo conformada por 51 sujetos. Se utilizaron los siguientes instrumentos de medición: Escala de Inteligencia de Wechsler para niños IV (WISC IV), Sistema de Evaluación Cognitiva (CAS), Test of Memory and Learning (TOMAL), Escala Graffar y el PedsQuality of Life Versión 4. Resultados: La comparación de los resultados no arrojó diferencias significativas entre localizaciones tumorales Infratentoriales y Supratentoriales. La totalidad de los pacientes que fueron evaluados en un período de post-tratamiento oncológico, presentó un descenso similar y significativo en todas las áreas estudiadas en relación a lo esperado para la población general. Las funciones cognitivas que evidenciaron mayor compromiso fueron: la velocidad de procesamiento y la capacidad atencional (principalmente en tareas de planificación). los resultados expuestos permitieron mostrar estos déficits y un alto compromiso de la calidad de vida escolar. Conclusiones: El trabajo se presenta como un estudio preliminar. A partir de él se podría definir la tendencia general del estado neurocognitivo, analizar su impacto en la calidad de vida en la población estudiada y plantear interrogantes dirigidos a futuras investigaciones

A free boundary model for oxygen diffusion in a spherical medium

The goal of this article is to find a correct approximated solution using a polynomial of sixth degree for the free boundary problem corresponding to the diffusion of oxygen in a spherical medium with simultaneous absorption at a constant rate, and to show some mistakes in previously published solutions.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures and 2 tables. Paper accepted, in press in Journal of Biological Systems (2015

Environmental Justice: towards the equity in the enjoyment of the right to

El presente artículo tiene como objetivo presentar una visión general de la Justicia Ambiental, en sus dimensiones práctica y teórica. En la primera vertiente, este concepto designa a un movimiento social surgido en Estados Unidos, a principios de los años 80 del siglo pasado, como reacción contra el racismo ambiental. En su dimensión teórica, se trata de una amplia corriente epistemológica y axiológica que estudia los procesos de discriminación en el acceso a los recursos naturales y en la carga de contaminación. Este marco teórico, del que se presenta aquí una propuesta, incorpora nociones de la ecología política, la justicia intergeneracional o el concepto de responsabilidad ampliada jonesianoThis paperwork intends to present a general perspective of Environmental Justice in both its practical and theoretical dimensions. Regarding the first one, the concept defines a social movement originated in the United States at the beginning of the 1980´s, as a reaction against the environmental racism. On its theoretical dimension, it is a doctrinal tendency formed by a wide group of legal, political and ethical notions. It analyzes the processes of discrimination in the access to natural resources as in the burden of contamination. The theoretical frame that is introduced here includes notions from the Political Ecology, the inter-generational justice or the concept of responsibility created by Hans Jona

Researching classroom questioning

The complexities of the modern society and interconnected world in which we live requires students who are able to problem solve and think critically. The research on which is article is based aims to explore how classroom questioning can help students guide their learning and model the spirit of inquiry to become lifelong learners. The research took place in an International Bilingual School of Madrid during sixth grade English lessons. It shows how developing effective questioning skills requires careful planning and practice, and how students can take hold and guide their learning when given the opportunity to actively participate in the learning process.La complejidad de la sociedad moderna y el mundo interconectado en el que vivimos requiere estudiantes con una buena capacidad de razonamiento crítico y resolución de problemas. Este artículo está basado en una investigación cuyo objetivo es explorar como las preguntas formuladas en el aula pueden ayudar a los estudiantes a convertirse en individuos con destrezas para continuar aprendiendo toda su vida, y como las preguntas pueden inspirar el espíritu de indagación. La investigación tuvo lugar en un colegio internacional y bilingüe de Madrid durante las clases de inglés de sexto de Educación Primaria. La investigación muestra como desarrollar destrezas efectivas para la formulación de preguntas implica una práctica y planificación detallada. Por otro lado, también señala como los estudiantes pueden hacerse cargo y guiar su aprendizaje cuando se les da la oportunidad de participar activamente en este proceso

Prediciendo los efectos del ENSO y el cambio climático en la distribución del tiburón martillo juvenil en el norte de Perú

El tiburón martillo (Sphyrna zygaena) está amenazado de extinción debido a las pesquerías del sudeste del Pacífico. Sin embargo, existen pocos esfuerzos para manejar sus pesquerías sosteniblemente, para lo cual se requiere conocer el uso de su hábitat. Por lo tanto, esta investigación tiene como objetivo predecir la distribución espacial del tiburón martillo en los escenarios actuales de La Niña y El Niño y su distribución en el cambio climático futuro. 2994 ocurrencias de tiburones juveniles (2009 y 2017), y ocho factores ambientales fueron modelados utilizando Maxent. Los resultados indican que los predictores ambientales de distribución más importantes fueron la profundidad, la temperatura de la superficie del mar y la clorofila-a (indicador disponibilidad de presas). La mayor idoneidad del hábitat se predijo en la región central oceánica durante La Niña y en zona costera del norte en El Niño. Estos hábitats presentan condiciones oceanográficas y batimétricas únicas que resultan en zonas de alta productividad marina. En escenarios futuros de cambio climático, se predice que la idoneidad del hábitat será más costera, aumentando su vulnerabilidad a la pesca. Para mejorar la conservación del tiburones martillo y su ecosistema, estas áreas de alta idoneidad deberían ser una prioridad para futuras investigaciones y manejo.The smooth hammerhead shark (Sphyrna zygaena) is one of most captured shark species by southeastern Pacific fisheries. Their distribution and habitat use is poorly understood hindering the identification of critical habitats for their conservation and the possible impacts of environmental change on species distribution. The aim of this research was to predict the spatial distribution of smooth hammerheads based on habitat suitability from the Northern Humboldt Upwelling System (NHUS) off northern Peru. (06ºS-11ºS). To achieve this, three analyses were performed: i) characterize their population structure, ii) identify environmental factors that affect their distribution, and iii) predict their spatially and environmentally suitable habitat under current La Niña and El Niño scenarios and projected to a future scenario of ocean warming between the years 2040- 2050. Between the years 2009 and 2017, 7485 sharks were measured and georeferenced obtained from a small-scale driftnet fishery. Their ecological niche was modelled using the program MaxEnt. The results indicate that neonate and juvenile smooth hammerheads are the dominant life-stage in the northern part of NHUS where this area probably represents a nursery area. The spatial distribution of sharks varies according to their ontogeny, and at seasonal and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions. Sharks were closer to the coast during warmer (summer and El Niño conditions) periods. Four environmental variables were identified as important predictors of species distribution: depth, sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll-a, as a proxy of prey availability-, and, to a lesser degree, salinity. During current conditions, the highest suitable habitat was predicted in the central-offshore and shifted to northern-coastal part of the study area (close to the ecotone zone; 6ºS) in La Niña and El Niño conditions- respectively- as the coastal upwelling area, during El Niño warm conditions, offers the coolest environment and the highest productivity. Unique bathymetric conditions are associated with these areas (i.e. shelf break, marine canyons, narrow continental shelf, and coastal topography) generating oceanographic conditions (i.e. marine fronts, upwelling) which result in zones of exceptional high marine productivity. Under future climate change scenarios, the habitat suitability of smooth hammerheads will shift to a more coastal distribution. To enhance the conservation of smooth hammerheads and their supporting ecosystem, these areas of high suitability should be a priority for fishery management and under future scenarios of climate change, their coastal distribution could increase their catchability. Furthermore, these areas of highest suitability should be considered as candidates for a dynamic pelagic marine protected area

A model of the radiation emitted by a source in the vicinity of a Kerr black hole

“The present thesis is the study of: the physics that characterizes the Bessel beams, the behavior of the reected radiation by a parabolic mirror considering inclined incident light rays and Kirchho's diraction theory applied to the phenomenon of reection of light ray by a parabolic mirror, in particular that of the LMT/GTM antenna. It is shown that adiractional beams which are invariant under translations along the axis of propagation, are characterized by a family of wavefronts and a caustic, and it is found that the caustic qualitatively coincides with the absolute maximum of the intensity pattern. Then, expressions for: the incident light rays and wavefronts, the reected light rays, the reected wavefronts, the caustic and the ronchigram have been ob- tained; those general results are applied to the parameters of the antenna of the LMT/GTM and it is shown that the caustic has a singularity of the hyperbolic umbilic type, which is locally stable under small perturbations of the optical system. The results presented could be associated to the radiation of a static source, in the geometrical optics limit. Finally, an expression for the intensity pattern associated with the reection of a Bessel beam of order m by the LMT/GTM antenna has been determined; the preliminary results are presented”

Researching classroom questioning

The complexities of the modern society and interconnected world in which we live requires students who are able to problem solve and think critically. The research on which is article is based aims to explore how classroom questioning can help students guide their learning and model the spirit of inquiry to become lifelong learners. The research took place in an International Bilingual School of Madrid during sixth grade English lessons. It shows how developing effective questioning skills requires careful planning and practice, and how students can take hold and guide their learning when given the opportunity to actively participate in the learning process.La complejidad de la sociedad moderna y el mundo interconectado en el que vivimos requiere estudiantes con una buena capacidad de razonamiento crítico y resolución de problemas. Este artículo está basado en una investigación cuyo objetivo es explorar como las preguntas formuladas en el aula pueden ayudar a los estudiantes a convertirse en individuos con destrezas para continuar aprendiendo toda su vida, y como las preguntas pueden inspirar el espíritu de indagación. La investigación tuvo lugar en un colegio internacional y bilingüe de Madrid durante las clases de inglés de sexto de Educación Primaria. La investigación muestra como desarrollar destrezas efectivas para la formulación de preguntas implica una práctica y planificación detallada. Por otro lado, también señala como los estudiantes pueden hacerse cargo y guiar su aprendizaje cuando se les da la oportunidad de participar activamente en este proceso

A Critical Analysis of Environmental Education in Mexican Preschools: Images of Childhood and Pedagogical Models

This is a qualitative study about Environmental Education (EE) in Mexican preschools. The purpose of this research is twofold. On the one hand, it aims to explore the ways in which EE is understood and practised in two Mexican preschools with contrasting pedagogical approaches and on the other hand, it seeks to critically analyse how dominant images of childhood and pedagogical models influence the ways in which EE is understood and practised in these Mexican preschools. This study consisted of two case studies. One is a private independent preschool fully guided by the Waldorf pedagogy (also known as Steiner education) and the other is a semiprivate preschool guided by the Mexican national curriculum and inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach. The main data collection methods used were interviews with 4 and 5-year-old children using a photo elicitation technique, interviews with teachers and other academic staff, interviews with parents, as well as class observations, and other naturally occurring data such as children’s conversations, drawings and models were also included. This thesis is framed theoretically and methodologically by a poststructural approach (Foucault, 1976;1982; Weedon, 1992) and sociological theories of childhood (James, 2010; James, Prout & Jenks, 1998; Jenks, 2004; Kennedy, 2000; Smith, 2012; Sorin, 2005). It unfolds from the premise that diverse images of childhood generate practices which regulate the adult/child relationships (Duhn, 2012; Kennedy,2000; James, 2010; Jenks, 2004; Smith, K., 2012, Sorin, 2005; Woodhead, 2006). The central argument in my thesis is that certain images could either limit or facilitate the possibilities to move towards more critical views of EE in which both children and teachers are recognised as competent citizens and social agents of change that can work together within a democratic community towards a more sustainable world. Ultimately, this thesis sheds light on how certain images of childhood, particularly romantic notions of natural childhood and developmentally driven images could limit the possibilities to move towards more critical and active approaches of EE in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) that recognise children as social agents, and fully value children and teachers’ potential to contribute to a more sustainable world