Intelligibility of English regular verbs in the past tense: A study with Brazilian listeners and speakers of different L1s

This study investigated the intelligibility of regular verbs in the past produced by eight speakers of English whose first language (L1) were English, German, Spanish, or Brazilian Portuguese. Fourteen Brazilian learners of English participated as listeners and orthographically transcribed sentences produced by the speakers in two intelligibility tests. Acoustic analysis of the productions revealed that some verbs were produced in a non-target like form, but all productions were kept in the intelligibility tests in order to reflect the variability of input received by Brazilian learners of English. The orthographic transcriptions were analyzed and classified as intelligible (when transcriptions matched the form produced by the speaker), other verb forms (when transcriptions matched the verb produced, but in a different tense or form), and breakdowns in communication (when transcriptions mismatched the target verb or when the verb or the entire sentence was not transcribed). Results reveal that the number of intelligible verbs increased from the first to the second intelligibility test. The number of other verb forms decreased, and the number of breakdowns remained quite similar across the two tests. Results also indicate that speakers’ L1, listeners’ lack of familiarity with speakers’ accent and English pronunciation, as well as test conditions possibly influenced the intelligibility of verbs ending in -ed by Brazilian listeners

Brazilian learners of English perceptions about oral production on a digital storytelling task cycle

This study investigated Brazilian learners of English perceptions about their production in a digital storytelling task cycle. Participants were 14 learners of English from an undergraduate program in Brazil. Data from the present study were obtained from participants’ answers to the four questionnaires presented to them along the digital storytelling task cycle. After that, their answers were grouped and analyzed in order to have a broad view on their perceptions regarding oral production in the digital storytelling task cycle.  The present study found that participants were concerned about their oral production as a whole, that they became more engaged and critical regarding the language learning process and aware about it with the use of digital storytelling. It also found that the teacher should be prepared to use technology and tasks in class and stimulate their students to use them so that language learning may be improved from its use.KEYWORDS: oral production, digital storytelling, task, Brazilian learners of Englis

Production of English verbs ending in -ed by speakers from different L1 backgrounds

A produção dos verbos terminados em -ed está entre os desafios mais frequentes para os aprendizes de inglês. A literatura mostra que eles tendem a usar a epêntese vocálica ou a omissão do -ed para produzir estes verbos. Cada participante gravou individualmente 96 sentenças com um verbo em cada, incluindo 72 verbos terminados em ed e 24 irregulares, distratores neste estudo. Os oito participantes produziram 576 verbos com 25.52% de produções diferentes da forma alvo, sugerindo que estes resultados foram influenciados pela proficiência dos participantes, a qual pareceu ser maior do que a proficiência dos participantes dos estudos anteriores sobre verbos terminados em -ed. Falantes de português brasileiro e espanhol como L1 usaram vogal epentética e omissão do -ed na produção dos verbos enquanto que falantes de alemão usaram a omissão do- ed na produção dos verbos, produzindo estruturas silábicas menos marcadas e mais próximas das estruturas silábicas das suas L1s, assim como aconteceu em estudos anteriores. A produção dos verbos foi também influenciada pela mudança no contexto que antecede ao -ed em função de dificuldades na leitura, língua materna e ortografia do verbo. Já a produção dos verbos por falantes de inglês como L1 mostrou a omissão do -ed, a qual foi possivelmente causada pela mistura ou ligação entre sons similares durante a leitura.Production of verbs ending in -ed is among the most frequent challenges for learners of English. Literature shows that learners tend to use vowel epenthesis or -ed omission to produce these verbs. The present study investigated the production of English verbs ending in -ed by two speakers of Brazilian Portuguese, two of Spanish, two of German and two of English. Each participant individually audio-recorded 96 sentences with one verb in each of them, including 72 verbs ending in -ed and 24 irregular verbs, distractors in this study. The eight participants produced a total of 576 verbs with 25.52% of non-target productions, suggesting that these results were affected by participants’ proficiency, which seemed to be higher than the proficiency of participants from previous studies on verbs ending in -ed. Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish L1 speakers tended to use vowel epenthesis and -ed omission in verb production whereas German L1 speakers tended to use -ed omission, producing less marked syllable structures that are similar to their L1s’, following the tendency found in previous studies. Verb production was also influenced by change in the context preceding the -ed due to misreading, L1 and verb orthography. Production of verbs by English L1 speakers showed the -ed omission, which was possibly caused by blending and linking of similar sounds during the reading

Aspects of management that influence the process of municipal and regional planning of the Unified Health System

Modelo do estudo: Estudo descritivo, transversal, com abordagem qualitativa. Objetivos do estudo: descrever e analisar a opinião de gestores e técnicos do setor saúde sobre os instrumentos e os recursos que integram o processo de planejamento no Sistema Único de Saúde. Metodologia: foram entrevistados 26 participantes, entre gestores e técnicos dos municípios e do estado que compõem o Departamento Regional Saúde XIII. Para análise dos dados, utilizou-se a Análise de Conteúdo em sua vertente temática. Resultados: o espaço de planejamento e cogestão regional, conhecido como Colegiado de Gestão Regional, se mostrou potente para a troca de experiências, mas apresentou fragilidades em relação a falta de coesão pelos diferentes níveis de conhecimento dos gestores e condições financeiras diversas entre os municípios. Notouse que a permanência dos gestores nos cargos foi positiva, desde que acompanhada por práticas de educação permanente. Por fim, a construção e a execução do planejamento tiveram como grandes barreiras o subfinanciamento e a judicialização na saúde, levando alguns municípios a escolha de políticas indutoras do nível federal e a terceirização da contratação de recursos humanos. Conclusão: O Colegiado de Gestores Regional apresentou grande potencial e poderia colaborar com a diminuição de retrocessos, a cada descontinuidade política, no processo de planejamento municipal e regional se fosse dado maior enfoque à coordenação federativa e ao aporte técnico do estado.Study model: Descriptive, cross-sectional study with a qualitative approach. Objectives of the study: to describe and analyze the opinion of managers and technicians of the health sector on the instruments and resources that integrate the planning process in Unified Health System. Methodology: 26 participants were interviewed, among managers and technicians from the municipalities and the state that make up the Regional Health Department XIII. To analyze the data, we used Content Analysis in its thematic aspect. Results: The regional planning and co-management space, known as the Regional Management Collegiate, proven to be influential for the exchange of experiences, but it showed weaknesses about the lack of cohesion due to the different levels of managerial knowledge and diverse financial conditions among the municipalities. It was noticed that the permanence of the managers in the positions was positive, as long as accompanied by practices of permanent education. Finally, the construction and execution of the planning had as main barriers the underfinancing and the judicialization in health, leading some municipalities to choose policies to induce the federal level and outsourcing the hiring of human resources. Conclusion: The Collegiate of Regional Managers presented great potential and could collaborate with the reduction of setbacks, with each political discontinuity, in the process of municipal and regional planning if the greater focus given to federative coordination and state technical contribution

Proviral Quasispecies Diversity Is Not Associated With Virologic Breakthrough or CD4+ T Cell Loss in HIV-1 Elite Controllers

Elite controllers (EC) are able to control HIV-1 replication to extremely low levels (<50 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL) in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. However, some EC experience CD4+ T cell loss and/or lose their ability to control HIV-1 over the course of infection. High levels of HIV-1 env proviral diversity, activated T cells and proinflammatory cytokines were pointed out as relevant biomarkers for detection of EC at risk of virologic/immunologic progression. The aim of this study was to assess the importance of proviral diversity as a prognostic marker of virologic and/or immunologic progression in EC. To this end, we analyzed plasma viremia, total HIV DNA levels, T cells dynamics, and activation/inflammatory biomarkers in EC with low (ECLD = 4) and high (ECHD = 6) HIV-1 env diversity. None of ECLD and ECHD subjects displayed evidence of immunologic progression (decrease in absolute and percentage of CD4+ T cells) and only one ECHD subject presented virologic progression (≥2 consecutive viral loads measurements above the detection limit) 2–5 years after determination of proviral env diversity. Despite differences in proviral genetic diversity, the ECLD and ECHD subgroups displayed comparable levels of total cell-associated HIV DNA, activated CD8+ T (CD38+HLA-DR+) cells and plasmatic inflammatory biomarkers (IP-10, IL-18, RANTES, PDGF-AA, and CTACK). These results indicate that the genetic diversity of the HIV-1 proviral reservoir is not a surrogate marker of residual viral replication, immune activation or inflammation, nor an accurate biomarker for the prediction of virologic breakthrough or CD4+ T cells loss in EC

Empregando a abordagem de inventário participativo no contexto da saúde, no município de Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil

A história do sistema de saúde brasileiro perpassa muitas lutas e conquistas sociais, nas quais observa-se a participação ativa dos municípios. Neste cenário, Ribeirão Preto é um município da região Sudeste, do interior do Estado de São Paulo, com cerca de 720 mil habitantes, aparecendo no cenário brasileiro como produtor agrícola, provedor de assistência em saúde, produtor de conhecimento no campo da saúde e ator político de relevância. Especialmente, destaca-se que quando a Constituição Brasileira de 1988 foi aprovada, vários sanitaristas da cidade atuaram na implantação do Sistema Único de Saúde. Atualmente, o sistema de saúde municipal conta com 47 unidades básicas de saúde, sendo 21 com equipes de estratégia de saúde da família, 6 centros de atenção psicossocial, sendo 1 com pronto atendimento, 4 centros especializados em reabilitação, sendo 2 municipais e 2 estaduais, 8 ambulatórios de especialidades, 4 unidades de pronto atendimento e 11 hospitais, alguns com gestão municipal e outros com gestão estadual. A Prefeitura Municipal de Ribeirão Preto, com interveniência da Secretaria Municipal da Saúde, mantém também parceria com as instituições de ensino do Município, estabelecendo cooperação mútua entre os serviços de saúde e as instituições formadoras de profissionais da área da saúde, para a execução de ações de assistência à saúde na atenção primária e especializada

Reduction of HIV-1 Reservoir Size and Diversity After 1 Year of cART Among Brazilian Individuals Starting Treatment During Early Stages of Acute Infection

The aim of early combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) of HIV is to limit the seeding of the viral reservoir during the initial phase of infection and, consequently, decrease intrahost viral diversity. Here, we assessed the effect of early cART on size and complexity of the proviral reservoir. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and plasma samples were obtained from ten HIV-infected Brazilian individuals diagnosed at the acute phase of infection, before (PREART) and 12 months (M12ART) after suppressive cART. HIV proviral reservoir size was determined by quantitative real-time PCR; intrahost viral diversity of the env C2-V3 region was assessed by single genome amplification or next-generation sequencing in PBMC and plasma, respectively. Mean nucleotide diversity (π) and normalized Shannon entropy (HSN) were used to infer the complexity of the viral population. Compared to PREART, M12ART saw an immunological recovery with a gain of ∼200 CD4+ T cells (P = 0.008) and a normalization of the CD4/CD8 ratio [1.0 (IQR: 0.88–1.18), P = 0.016], as well as a significant decrease in HIV-1 RNA (∼4 log, P = 0.004) and DNA (∼1 log, P = 0.002) levels. The median time to achieve viral suppression was 3 months (IQR: 2.8–5.8 months). The high intermixing between sequences from both visits suggests that the HIV-1 DNA reservoir remained remarkably stable under cART. After 1 year of cART, there was a minor reduction in proviral π (PreART = 0.20 vs. M12ART = 0.10; P = 0.156) but a significant decrease in HSN (PreART = 0.41 vs. M12ART = 0.25; P = 0.019). We found no correlation between π or HSN at PreART and the rate of HIV DNA decay, T CD4+ counts, or CD4/CD8 ratio at M12ART. Based on a small cohort of Brazilian infected individuals under early cART and analyses of the env region, 1 year of follow-up suggested a reservoir size reduction, allowed a significant decrease of HIV-1 complexity, and achieved immunological restoration regardless of the initial HIV-1 plasma viral load, CD4+ T cell counts, or HIV-1 subtype. However, further studies in the Brazilian setting aiming a longer follow-up and larger cohort are required in this field

Moda sostenible. Diseñando modelos de economía circular en la región

El PAP Moda Sostenible: Diseñando modelos de economía circular en la región, tiene como objetivo general: activar economías locales, involucrando a los pequeños productores de la región en el sistema de la moda, desde una perspectiva sostenible. Como metodología se utiliza un modelo circular de moda sostenible1 basado en los tres pilares de la sostenibilidad: desarrollo económico, cuidado ambiental y cohesión social, con el que se busca incrementar los ingresos de los artesanos y productores de la comunidad destino, fortalecer el tejido social de los involucrados, gestionar de manera adecuada los recursos naturales con los que se trabaje y generar vínculos entre los consumidores y los productores. Durante este primer periodo se plantearon tres objetivos clave, que permitieron obtener resultados favorables: 1. Se realizaron manuales y fichas derivadas del análisis de los recursos naturales y humanos de la organización destino, que permitieron generar las primeras líneas de acción y propuestas de mejora. 2. Se creó una línea de productos viable y asequible para incrementar ingresos inmediatos en la comunidad destino que permitirá invertir en los desarrollos de mejora posteriores. Se creo @parakata una marca con identidad que ofrece los productos de los artesanos productores, con una línea de accesorios que ya se encuentra en fase de testeo dentro del mercado meta y una propuesta museográfica que se implementará para atraer nuevos clientes y aliados al lugar de origen de la producción artesanal (Casita de Piedra Cetcaser). 3. Se fortalecieron habilidades de los artesanos y productores tras detectar áreas de oportunidad para posibles mejoras integrales que se abordaron bajo manuales y capacitaciones en línea. Ofreciendo con esto a los beneficiarios, herramientas para prepararse y apropiarse de los productos y servicios diseñados en colaboración con las alumnas del PAP, permitiendo así su sostenibilidad a lo largo del tiempoITESO, A.C

Kwapa: Gente del río. Estrategias transmedia de impacto social

En este reporte se encuentra toda la documentación del trabajo realizado durante el período de otoño 2022 dentro del proyecto de aplicación profesional Alter Código en el cual se siguió trabajando en la realización del videojuego “A orillas del río” y en la producción del documental de etnoficción “Déjennos pescar”. En el documental etnoficción se tuvo como objetivo principal el rodaje en comunidades cucapá en Baja California, a partir de esto se implementaron diversas estrategias para lograrlo. Como resultado de lo anterior, se abrió un crowdfunding junto con una estrategia de difusión en redes sociales que incluyó, además, la participación en el festival universitario y la producción de stickers para lograr mayor impacto. En el videojuego el objetivo principal consistió en desarrollar una demo jugable cuyo resultado deja definida una dirección concreta para continuar a futuro. Además, permite mostrar las herramientas que se van a implementar como tomar objetos, seleccionar, agarrar e interactuar entre personajes y el entorno. En términos de colaboración se creó un cuadernillo ilustrado para mostrar a niños y adolescentes cucapá y, de este modo, sentar las bases de retroalimentación respecto al desarrollo de la historia y diseño de personajes. Por último, el viaje de producción proveyó de material para seguir desarrollando eldocumental, al mismo tiempo que permitió al equipo de videojuego sentar las bases de una retroalimentación con base en una metodología, desde la perspectiva emic, en la que nuestros colaboradores son co-productores del sentido.ITESO, A.C