World Englishes and pedagogy: EFL teaching project on the integration of the American, British and Jamaican standard varieties

Abstract The present End-of-degree project took the existing lack of correlation between the vast and prosperous range of varieties of English spoken worldwide and its scarce implication in the production of pedagogical materials utilised for the teaching of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) as its point of departure. It sought to explore and bring to light the practicability and convenience of implicating other World Englishes in education, apart from the so called “Standard British English” and “Standard American English” on which the majority of methods and textbooks are based, so as to offer students more realistic views of the language and broaden their communicative possibilities in accordance with the global status English holds currently. For this purpose, the present study trusted on the personal proposal, elaboration and in-class implementation of a series of pedagogical activities which were meticulously designed to demonstrate the efficacy and benefits of multicultural approaches in the teaching of EFL. Overall, conclusions indicated that the project was successful in raising awareness of the exposed situation among students who took part in it as well as it revealed other positive inferences of stimulating their levels of reflection on this matter. Resumen El presente Trabajo Fin de Grado toma como punto de partida la falta de correlación que existe entre el vasto y próspero repertorio de variedades de inglés del mundo y su escasa implicación en la elaboración de materiales pedagógicos utilizados para la enseñanza del inglés como lengua extranjera. Se ha pretendido explorar y demostrar la viabilidad y conveniencia de integrar otras variedades de inglés, además de las variedades británica y americana estándar, en las que la mayoría de libros y métodos se basan, para así ofrecer a los estudiantes visiones más realistas del idioma y ampliar sus posibilidades comunicativas en concordancia con el estatus global que el inglés ostenta hoy en día. Con este propósito, el estudio confió en la propuesta personal, elaboración e implementación de primera mano de una serie de actividades pedagógicas meticulosamente elaboradas para demostrar la eficacia y los beneficios de los enfoques multiculturales en la enseñanza del inglés como lengua extranjera. En general, las conclusiones obtenidas indican que el proyecto ha logrado despertar conciencia de la situación expuesta entre los estudiantes que han participado en él, y ha revelado otros aspectos positivos de haber estimulado sus niveles de reflexión sobre este tema

Performance assessment: rubrics as effective tools for the assessment of students' communicative skills in speaking and writing

El presente trabajo pretende dar a conocer los diferentes beneficios que ofrecen las rubricas a la hora de evaluar eficazmente la competencia comunicativa de los alumnos que estudian una segunda lengua, así como favorecer la continuidad del aprendizaje de dichos alumnos

Gestión de una Cooperativa de Explotación en común de la Tierra y de Comercialización, en 500 HAS. de Regadío, en San Miguel del Pino y Villamarciel (Valladolid)

El presente proyecto tiene por objeto la constitución de una cooperativa de uso en común de la tierra acordada por ciertos miembros de la Comunidad de Regantes del Canal de Tordesillas, sector I, en los términos municipales de San Miguel del Pino y Villamarciel (Valladolid). Para ello, se requiere la planificación de una alternativa de regadío con rotaciones de cinco años de duración, así como la construcción de una nave agrícola que sirva para guardar, por un lado, la maquinaria y los insumos y por otro, los productos obtenidos hasta su comercializaciónGrado en Ingeniería Forestal y del Medio Natura

Surf and turf: animal resources in the human diet in Cantabrian Spain during the Mesolithic (11.5 – 7.5 Ky cal. BP)

The beginning of the Holocene involved a series of climatic and environmental changes that affected the ways of life of the last hunter-gatherers. In the case of the Spanish Cantabrian region, these changes transformed the material culture and the way human groups interacted with the environment and, therefore, the subsistence strategies of the end of the Upper Pleistocene. In terms of the use of faunal resources, this period was characterised by an increase in the exploitation of coastal resources, mainly molluscs, but also crustaceans and echinoderms, which make up the so-called “shell middens”, while at the same time the percentage of macromammals was reduced and animals considered to have a “low energy range” were introduced into the diet. In this paper we assess the role played by each of these animal resources in the subsistence of Mesolithic human groups, determining their nutritional contribution and establishing a prey ranking based on the caloric intake of each resource. For this purpose, we collected archaeofaunal data from 14 sites from recent archaeological excavations with levels dated between ca. 11.5 and 7.5 ky cal BP in which the consumption of vertebrates and invertebrates is documented. At each of these sites we analysed diversity, homogeneity and species richness using Simpson's and Shannon's indexes, as well as the effective numbers of species for terrestrial and coastal resources, assessing the relationship between the two. With the palaeoecological and palaeoeconomic data from these archaeological sites (most of them located in caves), we estimate the weight that the different animal resources consumed by the last hunter-gatherer communities of the Cantabrian region had in their diet.Programa Estatal de Fomento de Generación de Conocimiento y Fortalecimiento Científico y Tecnológico of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovatio

The Study of Affective Polarization: A Methodological Stance

En la última década, la literatura en ciencia política ha introducido un nuevo concepto denominado “polarización afectiva” para caracterizar una forma de polarización política en la que predominan actitudes de favoritismo por el propio grupo y desprecio hacia el grupo rival. Este nuevo concepto nace en un escenario de fuerte tensión entre grupos políticos rivales en diversas democracias modernas. En este artículo, presentamos una revisión sistemática y crítica de la literatura empírica sobre polarización afectiva. El objetivo es poder realizar sugerencias metodológicas a tener en cuenta en la futura investigación en esta área. Como punto positivo, destacamos la variedad de medidas que se han utilizado para medir la polarización afectiva, desde medidas explícitas e implícitas hasta conductuales. Criticamos la ambigüedad con la que viene siendo utilizado el concepto de polarización afectiva, sugiriendo maneras de sobrepasar los problemas identificados. También señalamos la necesidad de una definición precisa de los objetos hacia los cuales las actitudes van a ser medidas. Por último, resaltamos la necesidad de mayores esfuerzos para establecer la validez convergente y discriminante del constructo de polarización afectiva.In the last decade, the political science literature has introduced a new concept called “affective polarization” to describe a form of political polarization in which attitudes of favoritism for one’s own group and contempt for the rival group predominate. This new concept is born in the context of strong tension between rival political groups in different modern democracies. In this article, we present a systematic and criticalreview of theempirical literature on affective polarization. The goal is to present methodological suggestions to be taken into account in future research in this area. As a positive aspect, we highlight the variety of measures that have been used to measure affective polarization, from explicit and implicit to behavioral measures. We criticize the ambiguity with which the concept is being used, suggesting ways to overcome the identified problems. We also point out the need for precise definition of the objects towards which political attitudes are to be measured. Finally, we highlight the need for further efforts to establish the convergent and discriminant validity of the affective polarization construct.Fil: Freidin, Esteban. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Economía. Instituto de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Moro, Rodrigo. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Humanidades; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Economía. Instituto de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Silenzi, María Inés. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Humanidades; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Economía. Instituto de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales del Sur; Argentin

Governance of knowledge and innovation in the Ibero-American agri-food system

[EN] Aim of study: Governance and the knowledge and innovation system (KIS) are interrelated concepts. Knowledge management best practices are linked to KIS performance. This article explores the governance of the leading research, development, and innovation institutes in Ibero-American agriculture, food, and agro-industry sector. The paper reports mapping of the governance of 20 agricultural research institutes. Area of study: Latin America and the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal. Material and methods: In total, 51 strategic objectives for effective governance were identified. Self-evaluation by the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) was validated at a workshop backed by FONTAGRO, a cooperation mechanism amongst Latin American and the Caribbean countries, Portugal and Spain, and the Ibero-American Network of NARIs. Main results: As a strength, the key dimension of NARIs appears to be coordination and cooperation. This result was acknowledged in the internal and external evaluations and supports previous research on the relevance of innovation networks in Latin America. By contrast, as a challenge, the key dimension appears to be demand articulation, followed closely by capacity building. Most of the institutes are also well-positioned to develop deeper ties with social and environmental challenges. Research highlights: In the medium and long term, NARIs should make efforts to improve the processes of organizational evaluation and learning, demand articulation, and strategic direction of the institutions. Improvement in management processes, in addition to best practices for social responsibility and gender equality, appear to be short-term priorities.American Development Bank and the Knowledge Partnership Korea Fund for Technology and Innovation (KPK). Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain and ERDF (European Commission). RTI2018-093791-B-C22García Alvarez-Coque, JM.; Saini, E.; Esteban-Rodrigo, E.; Mas Verdú, F. (2020). Governance of knowledge and innovation in the Ibero-American agri-food system. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research (Online). 18(4):1-15. https://doi.org/10.5424/sjar/2020184-16883S115184Bergek A, Jacobsson S, Carlsson B, Lindmark S, Rickne A, 2008. Analyzing the functional dynamics of technological innovation systems: a scheme of analysis. Research Policy 37 (3): 37-59.Borras S, 2009. The widening and deepening of innovation policy: what conditions provide for effective governance? (No. 2009/2). Lund University, CIRCLE-Center for Innovation, Research, and Competences in the Learning Economy.Borrás S, Edler J (eds), 2014. The governance of socio-technical systems. Explaining change. Edward Elgar Publ, Cheltenham.Borrás S, Edler J, 2020. The roles of the state in the governance of socio-technical systems' transformation. Research Policy 49 (5): 103971.Bortagaray I, 2016. Políticas de ciencia, tecnología, e innovación sustentable e inclusiva en América Latina. UNESCO, Oficina de Montevideo.Braun V, Clarke V, 2006. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol 3(2): 77-101.Carayannis EG, Grigoroudis E, Campbell DF, Meissner D, Stamati D, 2018. The ecosystem as helix: an exploratory theory‐building study of regional coopetitive entrepreneurial ecosystems as quadruple/quintuple helix innovation models. R&D Manage 48(1): 148-162.Chema SG, Roseboom JE, 2003. A review of key issues and recent experiences in reforming agricultural research in Africa. Res Rep 24. ISNAR, The Hague.Choi J, Lee J, 2017. Repairing the R&D market failure: public R&D Subsidy and the composition of private R&D. Research Policy 46 (8): 1465-1478.Datta A, 2018. Strengthening research systems: concepts, actions, and actors, K4D Helpdesk Report. Institute of Development Studies, Brighton, UK.David PA, Hall BH, Toole AA, 2000. Is public R&D a complement or substitute for private R&D? A review of the econometric evidence. Research Policy 29: 497-529.Delvenne P, Thoreau F, 2017. Dancing without listening to the music: learning from some failures of the 'national innovation systems' in Latin America. In: Research handbook on innovation governance for emerging economies. pp: 37-58. Edward Elgar Publishing.Devaux A, Torero M, Donovan J, Horton D, 2018. Agricultural innovation and inclusive value-chain development: a review. J Agribus Dev Emerg Econ 8 (1): 99-123.Díaz-Bonilla E, Saini E, Henry G, Creamer B, Trigo E, 2014. Global strategic trends and agricultural research and development in Latin America and the Caribbean: A framework for analysis. International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). Cali, Colombia.Dutrénit G, Natera JM, 2017. Procesos de diálogo para la formulación de políticas de CTI en América Latina y España. CLACSO, Buenos Aires.Edler J, Fagerberg J, 2017. Innovation policy: what, why, and how. Oxford Rev Econ Policy 33 (1): 2-23.Esquivel P, Orjuela A, Barros MP, Osorio C, 2017. Potential opportunities and challenges for research collaboration with Latin America in agriculture and food science. J Agr Food Chem 65 (37): 8096-8098.Francis JA, Van Huis A, 2016. Introduction. Why focus on innovation systems: implications for research and policy. In: Innovation systems, pp. 8-13. The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), Wageningen.Geldes C, Heredia J, Felzensztein C, Mora M, 2017. Proximity as determinant of business cooperation for technological and non-technological innovations: a study of an agribusiness cluster. J Bus Ind Market 31 (1): 168-179.Guest G, MacQueen KM, Namey EE, 2011. Applied thematic analysis. Sage Publ, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA.Hartwich F, Alexaki A, Baptista R, 2007. Innovation systems governance in Bolivia: Lessons for agricultural innovation policies. IFPRI Discussion Paper 00732, December 2007. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington DC.Havas A, Weber KM, 2017. The 'fit' between forward-looking activities and the innovation policy governance sub-system: A framework to explore potential impacts. Technological Forecasting and Social Change 115: 327-337.Hillman K, Nilsson M, Rickne A, Magnusson T, 2011. Fostering sustainable technologies: a framework for analyzing the governance of innovation systems. Sci Publ Policy 38 (5): 403-415.Howlett M, 2009. Governance modes, policy regimes, and operational plans: A multi-level nested model of policy instrument choice and policy design. Policy Sci 42: 73-89.Jaramillo H, Lugones F, Salazar M, 2000. Normalización de indicadores de innovación tecnológica en América Latina y el Caribe: Manual de Bogotá, Doc. 21557, CO-BAC, Bogotá.Kilelu CW, Klerk L, Leeuwis C, 2013. Unraveling the role of innovation platforms in supporting co-evolution of innovation: Contributions and tensions in a smallholder dairy development program. Agr Syst 118: 65-77.Lupova-Henry E, Dotti NF, 2019. Governance of sustainable innovation: Moving beyond the hierarchy-market-network trichotomy? A systematic literature review using the 'who-how-what' framework. J Clean Prod 210: 738-748.Marino M, Lhuillery S, Parrotta P, Sala D, 2016. Additionality or crowding-out? An overall evaluation of public R&D Subsidy on private R&D expenditure. Research Policy 45 (9): 1715-1730.Mas-Verdu F, Ortiz-Miranda D, García-Álvarez-Coque JM, 2016. Examining organizational innovations in different regional settings. J Bus Res 69 (11): 5324-5329.McCluskey JJ, 2019. Why diversity and expectations matter. Agr Econ 50: 107-111.OECD, 1999. Managing innovation systems. OECD, Paris. https://www.oecd.org/science/inno/2101733.pdf [March 2020].Norton GW, 2011. Impact assessment of the IFPRI agricultural science and technology indicators (ASTI) project. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington DC.Pound B, Conroy C, 2017. The innovation systems approach to agricultural research and development. In: Agricultural systems. Agroecology and rural innovation for development; Snapp S, Pound B (eds). Academic Press, Elsevier, London, pp: 371-405.Ruttan VW, 2001. Technology, growth, and development: an induced innovation perspective. Oxford Univ Press, NY.Schot J, Steinmueller W, 2018. Three frames for innovation policy: R&D, systems of innovation and transformative change. Research Policy 47 (9): 1554-1567.Spielman DJ, 2005. Innovation systems perspectives on developing-country agriculture: A critical review. ISNAR Discussion paper No. 591-2016-39898. Int Policy Res Inst, Washington DC.Stads GJ, Beintema N, Pérez S, Flaherty K, Falconi C, 2016. Investigación agropecuaria en Latinoamérica y el Caribe. Un analisis de las instituciones, la inversion y las capacidades entre países. Inst Int Invest Pol Alim Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, Washington DC:Steurer R, 2007. From government strategies to strategic public management: an exploratory outlook on the pursuit of cross‐sectoral policy integration. Eur Environ 17(3): 201-214.UNDP, 2004. Strategy note on governance for human development. United Nations Development Program, New York.Villalobos VM, García M, Avila F, 2017. La innovación para el logro de una agricultura competitiva, sustentable e inclusiva, Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura, San José. Fundación Colegio de Postgraduados en Ciencias Agrícolas, México.Waddington H, White H, 2014. Farmer field schools: from agricultural extension to adult education, systematica review summary. Int Init for Impact Eval, Washington DC

An integrative methodology based on protein-protein interaction networks for identification and functional annotation of disease-relevant genes applied to channelopathies

Biologically data-driven networks have become powerful analytical tools that handle massive, heterogeneous datasets generated from biomedical fields. Protein-protein interaction networks can identify the most relevant structures directly tied to biological functions. Functional enrichments can then be performed based on these structural aspects of gene relationships for the study of channelopathies. Channelopathies refer to a complex group of disorders resulting from dysfunctional ion channels with distinct polygenic manifestations. This study presents a semi-automatic workflow using protein-protein interaction networks that can identify the most relevant genes and their biological processes and pathways in channelopathies to better understand their etiopathogenesis. In addition, the clinical manifestations that are strongly associated with these genes are also identified as the most characteristic in this complex group of diseases. This research provides a systems biology approach to extract information from interaction networks of gene expression. We show how large-scale computational integration of heterogeneous datasets, PPI network analyses, functional databases and published literature may support the detection and assessment of possible potential therapeutic targets in the disease. Applying our workflow makes it feasible to spot the most relevant genes and unknown relationships in channelopathies and shows its potential as a first-step approach to identify both genes and functional interactions in clinical-knowledge scenarios of target diseases.This work was supported by funds from MINECO-FEDER (TIN2016–81041-R to E.R.), European Human Brain Project SGA2 (H2020-RIA 785907 to M.J.S.), Junta de Andalucía (BIO-302 to F.J.E.) and MEIC (Systems Medicine Excellence Network, SAF2015–70270-REDT to F.J.E.)

Influencia de la variabilidad climática en las enfermedades respiratorias agudas en Bogotá

Introduction: Acute respiratory infection is one of the most significant causes of morbidity in Bogota, and its burden of disease has increased in association with climate variability.Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate weekly trends of acute respiratory infection in relation to meteorological variables (temperature, relative humidity and cumulative rainfall) in Bogota during 2011 and 2012.Materials and methods: Epidemiological and meteorological data from 104 weeks were gathered. Temporal variability was taken into account including previous weeks and spatial variability was considered by studying each zone of the city separately (north, south, east, west). Statistical analysis was performed through Poisson dynamic regression models.Results: The relative humidity had the greater impact on acute respiratory infection and its effects lasted between 8 to 10 weeks. Cumulative rainfall had effects only in the east zone, while the temperature presented mild effects across the four different zones of the city.Conclusion: Such results are the first step for the design of health-related early warning systems associated with climate variability.Introducción. La enfermedad respiratoria es una de las principales causas de morbilidad en Bogotá y los efectos de la variabilidad climática se han reflejado en un aumento del número de casos.Objetivo. En el presente estudio se analizó el comportamiento semanal de la enfermedad respiratoria aguda en Bogotá y se asoció con las variables climatológicas de temperatura, humedad relativa y precipitación, analizando su impacto en la aparición de casos en la ciudad.Materiales y métodos. El análisis se llevó a cabo mediante la estimación de modelos de regresión de Poisson, con datos epidemiológicos de 104 semanas correspondientes a los años 2011 y 2012. La variabilidad climática temporal se analizó considerando los efectos de las variables en semanas anteriores y, para el análisis de la variabilidad espacial, la ciudad se dividió en cuatro zonas: norte, sur, oriente y occidente.Resultados. Los resultados de las correlaciones cruzadas demostraron que en tres de las cuatro zonas la humedad relativa tenía un mayor impacto sobre los casos de enfermedad respiratoria aguda y su efecto persistía hasta por ocho y diez semanas. La precipitación, por el contrario, tuvo impacto únicamente en la zona oriente, mientras que la temperatura tuvo efectos moderados en todas las zonas.Conclusión. Debido al componente dinámico de estos modelos, los resultados son un primer paso para el diseño de un sistema de alerta temprana en salud que tome en cuenta la variabilidad climática

Relación entre el peso, talla y edad de alumnos de tercer año básico de los colegios Juan Pablo II, San Esteban Diácono y Puelmapu, y su variación entre los meses de agosto y noviembre del año 2015

Tesis (Profesor de Educación Física, Licenciado en Educación)La presente tesis realiza el estudio de comparación entre tres establecimientos educacionales de la Región Metropolitana, San Esteban Diacono, colegio de dependencia particular pagado, Puelmapu, colegio de dependencia particular subvencionado, Juan pablo II colegio de carácter municipal. La diferencia a estudiar de cada establecimiento es el resultado del índice de masa corporal que presentan alumnos de tercero básico. En cada establecimiento se recopilaran los datos de la evaluación inicial que hace cada dependencia escolar a sus alumnos correspondientes al mes de agosto 2015. La segunda recopilación de datos de los índices de masa corporal los realiza el grupo de trabajo de este estudio, donde se evaluarán a estos alumnos en el mes de Noviembre para así estudiar los cambios físicos que presentan los niños en este periodo de tiempo y la diferenciación que arrojara el estudio en la comparación de los niños de los tres establecimientos educacionales entre sí. Presentando diferencias en índices de masa corporal, peso y talla según sus edades y análisis en las pautas de trabajo de percentiles (ISAK). Por medio de instrumentos de evaluación que serán de carácter cuantitativo, será la viabilidad de este estudio que se trabajará con tablas de recolección de datos para la comparación y análisis, además contando con los correspondientes gráficos que explicaran los resultados entre los establecimientos entre si y los cambios físicos de los alumnos en el período de tiempo establecido a estudiar

The persistence of red deer (Cervus elaphus) in the human diet during the Lower Magdalenian in northern Spain: Insights from El Cierro cave (Asturias, Spain)

he dominance of red deer in Magdalenian records in Cantabrian Spain is a well-studied issue. Given the great accumulations of this species in those deposits, researchers have offered diverse interpretations of the phenomenon, related to ecology, orography or ethology. However, fewer papers carry out comparative intra-site analysis, which is able to document the existence of changes or continuities in the subsistence strategies at an archaeological site. The aim of this paper is to present the results of the archaeozoological analysis of Levels F and G in El Cierro cave (Asturias, Spain), both of them dated during Greenland Stadial 2, in the Lower Magdalenian (15,460 ± 75 and 15,580 ± 75 BP, respectively). Similar percentages of mammals have been documented in the two levels, as well as the same meat and fat consumption and processing strategies. Thus, this paper intends to determine how much energy red deer supplied to the diet of the humans that inhabited El Cierro, in comparison with other hunted and consumed fauna during the Lower Magdalenian. This study highlights the continuity of exploitation patterns of faunal resources in El Cierro cave during the Lower Magdalenian. This continuity is specifically seen in red deer, since the geographic characteristics of the Sella Valley, the abundance of the biotype, and the economic profitability of this species made it the main resource of animal origin for the hunter-gatherers at that site.This research was undertaken in the context of the Spanish projects HAR2014-51830-P funded by the Programa Nacional de Humanidades in the R&D Plan of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, and HAR2017-82557-P, funded by the Programa Estatal de Fomento de la Investigación Científica y Técnica de Excelencia, of the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, and PhD scholarship Junta de Castilla y León and Fondo Social Europeo (R. Portero)