Learning Difficulties with the Concept of Function in Maths:A Literature Review

[EN] The concept of function is a threshold concept in mathematics since it is essential for a deep understanding of the subject and is often problematic for students. Despite the importance of this concept, numerous studies have found that students have several difficulties and misconceptions about it. This work aims to assess, classify and synthesize the existing information about the learning difficulties and misconceptions related to the concept of function. In this sense, the main achievement of the work is the synthesis and classification by topics of the information gathered from the literature.This research was funded by Universitat Politecnica de Valencia. Convocatoria A+D 2021. Proyectos de Innovacion y Mejora Educativa. PIME E-1810.Trujillo Guillen, M.; Atarés Huerta, LM.; Canet Subiela, MJ.; Pérez Pascual, MA. (2023). Learning Difficulties with the Concept of Function in Maths:A Literature Review. Education Sciences. 13(5):1-13. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci1305049511313

An experience for improving the deep learning of the threshold concept of function in Mathematics

[EN] A threshold concept is a transformative concept that students must assimilate to deeply understand the subject and its subsequent transfer to other disciplines. In the field of Mathematics, there are different threshold concepts, among them, the function concept is one of the most relevant. There are numerous studies to corroborate that students have several learning difficulties and misconceptions about this concept that make it difficult to understand. In order to help students overcome learning difficulties and confront misconceptions related to the concept of function in Mathematics, our goal has been to carry out the innovation presented in this paper. The results obtained in two academic years are shown. In the first course, we only focus on detecting difficulties and misconceptions. In the second course, we also carried out an intervention in the classroom. The results suggest that the actions have improved the students' understanding of the concept of function, and also highlight other aspects to continue improving.[ES] Un concepto umbral es un concepto transformador que los estudiantes deben llegar a asimilar para abrir la puerta a la comprensión profunda de la materia y su posterior transferencia a otros ámbitos. En el campo de las Matemáticas existen diferentes conceptos umbrales, uno de los más relevantes es el de función. Existen numerosos estudios que corroboran que los estudiantes presentan diversas dificultades de aprendizaje y concepciones erróneas alrededor de este concepto que dificultan su comprensión. Con la finalidad de ayudar a los estudiantes a superar las dificultades de aprendizaje y confrontar sus concepciones erróneas relacionadas con el concepto de función en Matemáticas, se ha desarrollado la innovación que detallamos en este trabajo. Se presentan los resultados obtenidos en dos cursos académicos. En el primero de ellos, nos centramos solo en detectar dificultades y concepciones erróneas. En el segundo curso, además, realizamos una intervención en el aula. Los resultados sugieren que las actuaciones llevadas a cabo han conseguido una mejora en la comprensión de los estudiantes del concepto de función, y también destacan otros aspectos a seguir mejorando.Esta innovación ha sido financiada por la Universitat Politècnica de València. Convocatoria A+D 2021. Proyectos de Innovación y Mejora Educativa. PIME E-1810.Trujillo Guillen, M.; Atarés Huerta, LM.; Canet Subiela, MJ.; Pérez Pascual, MA. (2023). Una experiencia para favorecer el aprendizaje profundo del concepto umbral de función en Matemáticas. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 602-616. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2023.2023.1654460261

Mejora de las habilidades comunicativas y el pensamiento crítico en estudiantes de Ciencias de la Salud mediante la combinación de flipped classroom (clase invertida) y debate formal

Se propone la clase invertida (flipped classroom) y el debate formal como metodologías innovadoras para mejorar las habilidades comunicativas y el pensamiento crítico en respuesta a la demanda de tener futuros profesionales biomédicos mejor formados en estos ámbitos

Consumption of aspartame and other artificial sweeteners and risk of cancer in the Spanish multicase‐control study (MCC‐Spain)

Use of artificial sweeteners (AS) such as aspartame, cyclamate, saccharin and sucralose is widespread. We evaluated the association of use of aspartame and other AS with cancer. In total 1881 colorectal, 1510 breast, 972 prostate and 351 stomach cancer and 109 chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) cases and 3629 population controls from the Spanish Multicase-Control (MCC-Spain) study were recruited (2008-2013). The consumption of AS, from table-top sweeteners and artificially sweetened beverages, was assessed through a self-administered and validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Sex-specific quartiles among controls were determined to compare moderate consumers ( third quartile) vs non consumers (reference category), distinguishing aspartame-containing products and other AS. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to estimate adjusted OR and 95%CI, and results were stratified by diabetes status. Overall, we found no associations between the consumption of aspartame or other AS and cancer. Among participants with diabetes, high consumption of other AS was associated with colorectal cancer (OR=1.58, 95% CI 1.05-2.41, P trend=.03) and stomach cancer (OR=2.27 [0.99-5.44], P trend=.06). High consumption of aspartame, was associated with stomach cancer (OR=2.04 [0.7-5.4], P trend=.05), while a lower risk was observed for breast cancer (OR=0.28 [0.08-0.83], P trend=.03). In some cancers, the number of cases in participants with diabetes were small and results should be interpreted cautiously. We did not find associations between use of AS and cancer, but found associations between high consumption of aspartame and other AS and different cancer types among participants with diabetes

Dietary Inflammatory Index, Dietary Non-Enzymatic Antioxidant Capacity, and Colorectal and Breast Cancer Risk (MCC-Spain Study)

Inflammation and antioxidant capacity have been associated with colorectal and breast cancer. We computed the dietary inflammatory index (DII®), and the total dietary non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity (NEAC) and associated them with colorectal and breast cancer risk in the population-based multi case-control study in Spain (MCC-Spain). We included 1852 colorectal cancer and 1567 breast cancer cases, and 3447 and 1486 population controls, respectively. DII score and NEAC were derived using data from a semi-quantitative validated food frequency questionnaire. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for energy-adjusted DII (E-DII), and a score combining E-DII and NEAC. E-DII was associated with colorectal cancer risk (OR = 1.93, highest quartile versus lowest, 95%CI:1.60-2.32; p-trend: 0.10). The combined score of high E-DII scores and low antioxidant values were associated with colorectal cancer risk (OR = 1.48, highest quartile versus lowest, 95%CI: 1.26-1.74; p-trend: <0.001), but not breast cancer. This study provides evidence that a pro-inflammatory diet is associated with increased colorectal cancer risk while findings for breast cancer were less consistent.This research was partially funded by the public grants from the Catalan Government (2014SGR756, 2017SGR1085, 2017SGR733, SLT006/17/76), and European Regional Development Fund-ERDF, by the “Acción Transversal del Cancer”, approved on the Spanish Ministry Council on the 11th October 2007, by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III-FEDER (PI08/1770, PI08/0533, PI08/1359, PS09/00773-Cantabria, PS09/01286-León, PS09/01903-Valencia, PS09/02078-Huelva, PS09/ 01662-Granada, PI11/01403, PI11/01889-FEDER, PI11/00226, PI11/01810, PI11/02213, PI12/00488, PI12/00265, PI12/01270, PI12/00715, PI12/00150, PI14/01219, PI14/0613, PI15/00069, PI15/00914, PI15/01032, PI11/01810, PI14/01219, PI11/02213, PIE16/00049, PI17/01179, PI17-00092), by the Fundación Marqués de Valdecilla (API 10/09), by the Red Temática de Investigación del Cáncer (RTICC) del ISCIII(RD12/0036/0036), by the Junta de Castilla y León (LE22A10-2), by the Consejería de Salud of the Junta de Andalucía (PI-0571-2009, PI-0306-2011, salud201200057018tra), by the Conselleria de Sanitat of the Generalitat Valenciana (AP_061/10), by the Recercaixa (2010ACUP00310), by the Regional Government of the Basque Country, by the Consejería de Sanidad de la Región de Murcia, by the European Commission grants FOOD-CT-2006-036224-HIWATE, by the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) Scientific Foundation – grant GCTRA18022MORE, by the Catalan Government-Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) grants 2014SGR647, 2014SGR850 and 2017SGR723. Sample collection of this work was supported by the Xarxa de Bancs de Tumors de Catalunya sponsored by Pla Director d’Oncología de Catalunya (XBTC)”, Plataforma Biobancos PT13/0010/0013" and ICOBIOBANC, sponsored by the Catalan Institute of Oncology. We thank CERCA Program, Generalitat de Catalunya for institutional support. Mireia Obón-Santacana received a post-doctoral fellow from “Fundación Científica de la Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC)”

Dietary Inflammatory Index, Dietary Non-Enzymatic Antioxidant Capacity, and Colorectal and Breast Cancer Risk(Mcc-Spain Study)

Inflammation and antioxidant capacity have been associated with colorectal and breast cancer. We computed the dietary inflammatory index (DII®), and the total dietary non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity (NEAC) and associated them with colorectal and breast cancer risk in the population-based multi case-control study in Spain (MCC-Spain). We included 1852 colorectal cancer and 1567 breast cancer cases, and 3447 and 1486 population controls, respectively. DII score and NEAC were derived using data from a semi-quantitative validated food frequency questionnaire. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for energy-adjusted DII (E-DII), and a score combining E-DII and NEAC. E-DII was associated with colorectal cancer risk (OR = 1.93, highest quartile versus lowest, 95%CI:1.60–2.32; p-trend:0.10). The combined score of high E-DII scores and low antioxidant values were associated with colorectal cancer risk (OR = 1.48, highest quartile versus lowest, 95%CI: 1.26–1.74; p-trend

RICORS2040 : The need for collaborative research in chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a silent and poorly known killer. The current concept of CKD is relatively young and uptake by the public, physicians and health authorities is not widespread. Physicians still confuse CKD with chronic kidney insufficiency or failure. For the wider public and health authorities, CKD evokes kidney replacement therapy (KRT). In Spain, the prevalence of KRT is 0.13%. Thus health authorities may consider CKD a non-issue: very few persons eventually need KRT and, for those in whom kidneys fail, the problem is 'solved' by dialysis or kidney transplantation. However, KRT is the tip of the iceberg in the burden of CKD. The main burden of CKD is accelerated ageing and premature death. The cut-off points for kidney function and kidney damage indexes that define CKD also mark an increased risk for all-cause premature death. CKD is the most prevalent risk factor for lethal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the factor that most increases the risk of death in COVID-19, after old age. Men and women undergoing KRT still have an annual mortality that is 10- to 100-fold higher than similar-age peers, and life expectancy is shortened by ~40 years for young persons on dialysis and by 15 years for young persons with a functioning kidney graft. CKD is expected to become the fifth greatest global cause of death by 2040 and the second greatest cause of death in Spain before the end of the century, a time when one in four Spaniards will have CKD. However, by 2022, CKD will become the only top-15 global predicted cause of death that is not supported by a dedicated well-funded Centres for Biomedical Research (CIBER) network structure in Spain. Realizing the underestimation of the CKD burden of disease by health authorities, the Decade of the Kidney initiative for 2020-2030 was launched by the American Association of Kidney Patients and the European Kidney Health Alliance. Leading Spanish kidney researchers grouped in the kidney collaborative research network Red de Investigación Renal have now applied for the Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientadas a Resultados en Salud (RICORS) call for collaborative research in Spain with the support of the Spanish Society of Nephrology, Federación Nacional de Asociaciones para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades del Riñón and ONT: RICORS2040 aims to prevent the dire predictions for the global 2040 burden of CKD from becoming true

A Dynamic Stochastic Approach to Fisheries Management Assessment. An Application to some European Fisheries

Most existing studies assessing the management of fisheries fail to check the accuracy of the parameters estimated in reproducing the observed dynamics of the resource. We present an alternative approach: assuming that the stock growth path is affected by productivity shocks that follow a Markov process, we calibrate the growth path of the resource so that the observed dynamics of resource are matched. In this context, an efficient policy consists of applying a different exploitation rule depending on the state of the resource whereas the constant-escapement rule is not the efficient policy. This approach is applied to three different fishing grounds: the European Anchovy (Division VIII), the Southern Stock of Hake (Divisions VIIIc and IXa) and the Northern Stock of Hake (mainly Divisions VII and VIII).Fisheries management, renewable resources, biomass dynamics, European fisheries.

Promotion of self-learning through the implementation and use of H5P in the Virtual Campus.

Depto. de Salud Pública y Materno - InfantilFac. de MedicinaFALSEsubmitte

Impacto económico de la introducción de una técnica de detección precoz de Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex en las muestras clínicas de un hospital español

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains an important public health problem worldwide. Our objective was to estimate the economic and health care impact of the introduction of an early diagnosis tecnique of TB, the Xpert MTB/RIF® assay (Xpert). Methods: The savings was estimated on the basis of reduction in the time of TB hospitalization at avoid the false-negative (FN) and false-positive (FP) TB cases diagnosed by auramine staining that could have been detected by Xpert between 2008-2012 in our hospital. The costs analysis was made by adding the cost arising from FN (hospitalization, special tests and equipment for respiratory isolation) and FP (TB treatment, successive medical consultations, analytical and microbiological controls). Results: We detected 19 FP and 22 FN during the 5-year study. Xpert would have detected 19 FP and 15 FN. It was estimated a minimum cost of 3217 euros per FP (treatment, successive medical consultations, analytical and microbiological controls), while each FN has required an extension of hospitalization from 7 days on average (62229 euros), both translated into a global cost of 62229 euros. After an initial investment of 16250 euros (50 cases with high suspicion of TB at 65 euros/test), the hospital would have saved 45979 euros overall in five years. Conclusions: The introduction of Xpert would improve the quality of health care of patients, avoiding both unnecessary hospitalizations and treatments. Also, Xpert carries a saving for our hospital.Fundamentos: La tuberculosis (TB) continúa siendo un problema importante de salud pública a nivel mundial. El objetivo del estudio fue estimar el impacto económico y asistencial de la introducción de Xpert MTB/RIF® (Xpert), técnica de diagnóstico rápido de TB. Métodos: Se estimó el ahorro en base a la reducción del tiempo de ingreso por TB al evitar los falsos negativos (FN) y falsos positivos (FP) de la baciloscopia que se habrían detectado por Xpert en el periodo 2008-2012. El análisis y cálculo de gastos se hizo sumando el coste de los FN (estancias más pruebas especiales y aislamiento respiratorio) y los FP (tratamiento antituberculoso, consultas sucesivas, analíticas y controles microbiológicos). Resultados: Durante los 5 años de estudio se detectaron 19 FP y 22 FN. Xpert habría detectado los 19 FP y 15 FN. El gasto mínimo estimado para los FP fue de 3.217 euros (tratamiento, consultas sucesivas, analíticas y controles microbiológicos), mientras que cada FN supuso una prolongación de una estancia media de 7 días (59.012 euros), traducidos ambos en un coste total de 62.229 euros. Con una inversión inicial de 16.250 euros (50 casos con elevada sospecha de TB a 65 euros/prueba) el hospital habría ahorrado un global de 45.979 euros en 5 años. Conclusión: La introducción de Xpert supondría un ahorro económico para el hospital y una mejora en la calidad asistencial, evitando estancias y tratamientos innecesarios