Self-Perception of Mental Health, Covid-19 and Associated Sociodemographic-Contextual Factors in Latin America

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of alterations in self-perceived mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and their associated factors in four Latin American countries. This is a cross-sectional study based on data collected from adults in 2021 through the Collaborative Response COVID-19 Survey by the MacDonnell Academy at Washington University in St. Louis (United States). The sample was composed of 8,125 individuals from Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Chile. A generalized linear model for a binary outcome variable with a logistic link and fixed country effects was used. There were 2,336 (28.75%) individuals who considered having suffered alterations in self-perceived mental health. Unemployed individuals (OR = 1.40; 95%CI: 1.24-1.58), those with bad/regular quality of life (OR = 5.03; 95%CI: 4.01-6.31), and those with high socioeconomic status (OR = 1.66; 95%CI: 1.41-1.96) had a higher risk of self-perceived mental health alterations than those with full-time employment, excellent quality, and low socioeconomic status. According to the fixed-effects model, Brazilians living in the country during the pandemic, who disagreed with their government\u27s decisions (OR = 2.05; 95%CI: 1.74-2.42) and lacked trust in their government (OR = 2.10; 95%CI: 1.74-2.42) had a higher risk of having self-perceived mental health alterations. Nearly 30% of respondents indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic altered their self-perceived mental health. This outcome was associated with political, sociodemographic, and health risk factors. These findings should help policymakers develop post-pandemic community interventions

Píldoras Educativas para la Elaboración del Trabajo Final de Grado en Estudios Ingleses (Lengua y Lingüística).

Este proyecto plantea elaborar un módulo, estructurado en píldoras educativas (o mini-videos didácticos), para dar una visión general a los estudiantes del último curso de grado de cómo abordar la escritura del TFG

Differential responses of zooplankton assemblages to environmental variation in temporary and permanent ponds

Permanent and temporary wetlands in Mediterranean shrublands represent unique repositories of biodiversity, which are increasingly threatened by human-induced habitat loss. The zooplankton of a permanent (P1) and a temporary pond (T35) in the Natural Reserve of Castelporziano, a rare residual stretch of such a shrubland in Central Italy (Latium), was investigated to: (1) expand and deepen knowledge of these endangered freshwater habitats, which represent a crucial component of Mediterranean biodiversity; (2) identify environmental controls regulating the development of zooplankton communities of each environment; and (3) highlight differences in the adaptive responses of the zooplankton community in relation to the different ecological conditions experienced by permanent and temporary habitats. Despite summer desiccation in T35, the two ponds exhibited a relative homogeneity in hydrological and physico-chemical dynamics. Zooplankton assemblages contained 41 total taxa, of which 32 were found in P1 and 28 in T35. Out of the 41 taxa identified, 22 (> 50%) were exclusively present in one of the two ponds. On a yearly basis, the community dynamics of P1 seemed to be conditioned by physical and chemical factors and by hydrological cycle characteristics, while the community of T35 responded to algal blooms, food competition and predator/prey equilibria rather than correlating to abiotic factors. The main differences amongst zooplankton assemblages were observed over short time scales and occurred both within and between seasons, highlighting the role of some structural taxa that dominated the average composition of the community throughout the year, and the importance of "quick-response" taxa in determining the short-term composition and structure variation of pond zooplankton. A year-round cyclic community succession peculiar to each pond is described

Desarrollo de estrategias discursivas de posicionamiento en los trabajos científicos universitarios (TFGs, TFMs, TDs, y AC): Análisis de los géneros discursivos, propuestas para la formación y elaboración de píldoras educativas

El presente proyecto reúne a docentes e investigadoras de dos grupos de investigación UCM consolidados del Departamento de Estudios Ingleses, “Discurso y comunicación en lengua inglesa: estudios de lingüística cognitiva y funcional” (DISCOM-COGFUNC) (930160) y “Lingüística funcional (ingles-español) y sus aplicaciones (FUNCAP)”, que imparten asignaturas afines. Todas las integrantes del equipo han formado parte al menos de uno de los dos proyectos de innovación previos, Innova-2015-188 e Innova-2016-123, sobre Objetos de Aprendizaje Reutilizable (OARs), como son las píldoras educativas, dando así muestra de una continuidad del trabajo en la innovación educativa en el campo de la docencia de lengua y lingüística inglesas. Los objetivos generales propuestos en la solicitud del proyecto han sido la formación de estudiantes y profesores en el uso y desarrollo de estrategias discursivas de posicionamiento en: (a) los trabajos científicos universitarios (TFGs, TFMs, TDs), y (b) los artículos de investigación de los docentes. Se trataba de llevar a cabo el análisis de estos géneros discursivos, realizar propuestas para la formación en el uso de estrategias discursivas, y elaborar materiales y píldoras educativas adecuadas a cada contexto de aprendizaje