FOODLIT-PRO: Food literacy domains, influential factors and determinants—A qualitative study

Poor eating habits are increasing the prevalence of weight-related issues, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Given the demand to improve individuals’ food knowledge and competencies aiming at healthier behaviours, the current investigation explores the concept of food literacy. Considering the lack of a shared understanding of food literacy, this study aims to explore food literacy’s domains, influential factors and determinants. Using a qualitative deductive-dominant content analysis, 30 experts from food-related fields were interviewed. The obtained outcomes were compared to available food literacy frameworks. Agreement among inter-raters was nearly perfect (k = 0.82). Yielding a total of 184 codes nested within 19 categories, identified domains were Origin, Safety, Choice and Decision, Select and Acquire, Plan, Preserve, Prepare, Cook, and Knowledge; influential factors included Nutrition, Psychological, Health, Learning Contexts, Policy, Industry, Sustainability, and Social and Cultural; External determinants were “Access to Food-Related Information”, “Perishable and/or Unreliable Food-Related Information”, “Family Dynamic and/or Identity”, and “Professionals’ Unpreparedness on Food-Related Expertise”, and Internal determinants included “Prioritise Food”, “Convenience and Practicality”, “Time and Financial Management”, “Previous Food-Related Habits”, and “Innate and Learned Flavour Preferences”. In conclusion, more than half of the identified attributes (62.5%) are corroborated by the current literature. However, the manifested content unmatched with the current frameworks of food literacy literature express food-literacy-related fields of action, knowledge, competencies, and determinants that have not yet been explored. As such, this study provides new and useful information concerning food literacy definition and development, by identifying its domains, factors of influence, and potential determinants. Moreover, this work paves the way for new measurements and interventions within this field

El pensamiento de T. R. Malthius en el discurso demográfico de la prensa de referencia

El Gobierno español ha aprobado la reforma del sistema público de pensiones, al igual que otros Gobiernos europeos. Entre 1990 y el 2000 las teorías económicas que defienden el crecimiento poblacional como estímulo de la economía, no lograron el apoyo de El País. El frame analysis confirma la presencia de las doctrinas neomalthusianas y ecologistas que establecen imprescindible el control demográfico en el desarrollo económico, durante el periodo de natalidad más crítico en Occidente. El discurso periodístico subestimó las consecuencias del envejecimiento de la población en la economía y sus frames se identifican con la línea demográfica pesimistaThe spanish Government has adopted the reform of public pension system, like other european Governments. Between 1990 and 2000 the economic theories that defend the population growth as a stimulus to the economy, failed to support El País. The frame analysis confirms the presence of neo-malthusian doctrines and environmentalists which provide essential population control in economic development, during the most critical in the West. The journalistic discourse underestimated the impact of aging on the economy and their frames are identified with the pessimistic demographic on line

Homogenization Model for Aberrant Crypt Foci

Several explanations can be found in the literature about the origin of colorectal cancer. There is however some agreement on the fact that the carcinogenic process is a result of several genetic mutations of normal cells. The colon epithelium is characterized by millions of invaginations, very small cavities, called crypts, where most of the cellular activity occurs. It is consensual in the medical community, that a potential first manifestation of the carcinogenic process, observed in conventional colonoscopy images, is the appearance of Aberrant Crypt Foci (ACF). These are clusters of abnormal crypts, morphologically characterized by an atypical behavior of the cells that populate the crypts. In this work an homogenization model is proposed, for representing the cellular dynamics in the colon epithelium. The goal is to simulate and predict, in silico, the spread and evolution of ACF, as it can be observed in colonoscopy images. By assuming that the colon is an heterogeneous media, exhibiting a periodic distribution of crypts, we start this work by describing a periodic model, that represents the ACF cell-dynamics in a two-dimensional setting. Then, homogenization techniques are applied to this periodic model, to find a simpler model, whose solution symbolizes the averaged behavior of ACF at the tissue level. Some theoretical results concerning the existence of solution of the homogenized model are proven, applying a fixed point theorem. Numerical results showing the convergence of the periodic model to the homogenized model are presented.Comment: 26 pages, 4 figure

MOOCs in Research Methodology for Universities in Ecuador

It is imperative that universities incorporate ICT in their teaching and learning processes because now more than ever it is a fact that we live in the "Age of the information and interaction society", where information and communication technologies play Its determining role The general objective of this work was to create an online MOOC course with an expected learning model for undergraduate and postgraduate students. This work will encourage UNEMI to overcome limits that only apply to the education of professionals through face-to-face training systems and will adopt them in the near future in mixed learning environments that open the way to new paradigms that consider principles epistemological, ontological, ethical, political and educational. The general objective of this research was to propose a massive open online course MOOC for Research Methodology. Said course was born from the investigation of Didactic Strategies to improve the attitude towards research of students of a university in the province of Guayas, Ecuador. This work contributes to massify research at the university by using ICT as a means to change traditional face-to-face learning environments into virtual learning environments. The results obtained allow us to say with all seriousness that they have been positive, managing to educate a large group of students and teachers from an Ecuadorian university

Implementating sustainability initiatives in the supply chain: the case of Lisbon urban hotels

The issue of sustainability is increasingly more relevant for businesses, including in the Hospitality—Lodging industry, owing to its negative environmental impact. This industry is also economically important for Portugal, particularly in Lisbon. The present study investigates the degree of implementation of sustainability initiatives throughout the supply chain of 4-and 5-star urban hotels in Lisbon. A survey was sent to 54hotels, yielding 25 responses. The results show most surveyed hotels are at a low level of implementation, though with interest to move towards a medium level. Future research could explore other regions and lodging categories