Digital Competence Assessment. A Proposal for Operationalizing the Critical Dimension

The European Commission considers the development of digital competences a strategic action to spread and to develop a more active digital participation of citizens. The objective is to increase the level of digital competence in the European citizens up to 2015 and to reduce the number of those who don’t use new technologies and don\u27t surf the net. At the base of an active citizenship there are creativity skills, the ability to support one’s own point of view, the ability to quest, to have a critical reflection, communicative, collaborative, problem solving and listening abilities. Scholars have started to create shared digital skills definitions, to find and to create reference indicators. This paper wants to focus on the critical dimension of the digital competence, trying to simplifying it through more specific analysis levels and though cognitive tools and methodological data that can be useful to educators and researchers to create evaluation tools applicable to different contests and targets.In this paper, we offer a theoretical definition of the critical competence starting from the European framework; an operational definition of the critical competence starting from semiotic and linguistic patterns in literature; and a compilation of an evaluation rubric

Digital competence assessment. A proposal of operationalization of the critical analysis

The objective of the paper is to stimulate a scientific reflection about the conceptual and practical definition of the digital competence and, especially, of the critical analysis. This proposal is deepened in the research project about “ digital capabilities and social capital” in the Observatory Mediamonitor Minori, Sapienza. The reference framework is the one by P. Celot and J.M. Pérez Tornero (2009), re-built in this case through the comparison with others International patterns. It introduced 5 levels of digital competence (comprehension, critics, culture, creative and citizenship). The paper is focused to create an analytical and procedural pattern for the assessment of the digital competences in the international framework. Specifically, this paper focuses on the operational definition of the second level of the digital competence (critics). The process of the operationalization of this level is a basic step to select the measurable indicators and to plan evaluation tools of the capabilities connected to the critical analysis applied to digital media. This paper is structured in these following phases: - introduction of the research project; - theoretical definition of the critics; - construction of the pattern starting from semiotic and linguistic patterns of the literature; - hypothesis of operationalization of case study. • Patton, M. Q., "Developmental Evaluation: Applying Complexity Concepts to Enhance Innovation and Use." Guilford Press New York. 2011. • Eco, U., Sei passeggiate nei boschi narrativi, Bompiani, Milano, 2000 • Greimas, A. J., Modelli semiologici, a cura di Paolo Fabbri e Giuseppe Paioni, Argalia, Urbino 1967 • Celot P., Pérez Tornero J. M., (2009), Study on Assessment Criteria for Media Literacy Levels. A comprehensive view of the concept of media literacy and the understanding of how media literacy level in Europe, EC., website: http://ec.europa.eu/culture/media/literacy/studies/index_ • Celot P., Pérez Tornero J. M., (2010), Media literacy in Europa. Leggere, scrivere e partecipare nell'era mediatica, Eurilink, Roma, • Nussbaum M. C., Creating Capabilities. The Human development Approach, (2011), Cambridge (Mass.) - The belknap Press of Harvard University Press, London (trad. Creare capacità. Liberarsi dalla dittatura del Pil, Il Mulino, Bologna 2012). • Unesco, ICT COMPETENCY STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS. Competency Standards Modules, UK, 2008 • van Deursen, A. J. A. M. (2010). Internet Skills. Vital assets in an information society. University of Twente. Retrieved from http://doc.utwente.nl/75133

Two Distinct Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1a Clades Have Different Geographical Distribution and Association With Natural Resistance to NS3 Protease Inhibitors

Background. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 is the most prevalent worldwide. Subtype 1a, compared with 1b, shows lower response rates and higher propensity to select for drug resistance to NS3 and selected NS5A and nonnucleoside NS5B inhibitors. Two distinct clades of subtype 1a have been described. Methods. Using Bayesian methodology, we performed a time-scaled phylogeny reconstruction of clade separation and characterized the geographic distribution, phylodynamics, and association with natural resistance variants of NS3 sequences from 362 patients carrying subtype 1a HCV. Results. All sequences segregated in 2 clearly distinct clades. Clade I showed an earlier origin from the common ancestor compared with clade II. Clade I virus was more prevalent in non-European countries, represented mostly by United States, compared with European (75.7% vs 49.3%; P < .001). The prevalence of the natural NS3 variant Q80K, associated with resistance to the macrocyclic protease inhibitor simeprevir, was detected in 51.6% of clade I and 0% of clade II (P < .001); clade I showed a lower genetic barrier for Q80K, whereas no sign of selective pressure at any protease inhibitor resistance-associated codon was detected. Conclusions. Hepatitis C virus subtype 1a clades have a clearly different distribution in Europe and the United States, and the natural resistance mutation Q80K is exclusively associated with clade I

Two distinct hepatitis C virus genotype 1a clades have different geographical distribution and association with natural resistance to NS3 protease inhibitors

Background. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 is the most prevalent worldwide. Subtype 1a, compared with 1b, shows lower response rates and higher propensity to select for drug resistance to NS3 and selected NS5A and nonnucleoside NS5B inhibitors. Two distinct clades of subtype 1a have been described. Methods. Using Bayesian methodology, we performed a time-scaled phylogeny reconstruction of clade separation and characterized the geographic distribution, phylodynamics, and association with natural resistance variants of NS3 sequences from 362 patients carrying subtype 1a HCV. Results. All sequences segregated in 2 clearly distinct clades. Clade I showed an earlier origin from the common ancestor compared with clade II. Clade I virus was more prevalent in non-European countries, represented mostly by United States, compared with European (75.7% vs 49.3%; P < .001). The prevalence of the natural NS3 variant Q80K, associated with resistance to the macrocyclic protease inhibitor simeprevir, was detected in 51.6% of clade I and 0% of clade II (P < .001); clade I showed a lower genetic barrier for Q80K, whereas no sign of selective pressure at any protease inhibitor resistance-associated codon was detected. Conclusions. Hepatitis C virus subtype 1a clades have a clearly different distribution in Europe and the United States, and the natural resistance mutation Q80K is exclusively associated with clade I