¿Cómo hacemos crecer una planta? : Una indagación con niños de 3 años de educación infantil

La práctica científica de indagación se considera idónea para aprender ciencias en educación infantil. Este trabajo presenta una indagación sobre germinación y crecimiento de plantas implementada con niños de 3 años durante 12 días, en la que se fomenta la toma de decisiones, desde la elección de semilla hasta la forma de riego o el lugar más adecuado para el crecimiento. Se exploran los avances logrados y se halla que el 62,5 % de los niños reconocen la semilla y el agua como factores necesarios para el crecimiento, y el 37,5 % incluye además la luz solar. A pesar de que algunos niños reconocieron que es necesaria para la germinación materia viva, y no inerte, otros no avanzaron en este sentido. Estos logros son relevantes porque algunas de estas dificultades se mantienen a los 6-7 años, y en este caso algunos niños de 3 años fueron capaces de expresarlo de forma sistemática en sus conclusiones.Scientific inquiry is ideal for learning science in early childhood education. This paper presents an inquiry on germination and growth of plants implemented with children of 3 years old during 12 days, in which decision making is encouraged, from the choice of seed to the way of watering or the most suitable place for the growth. The progress made is explored finding that 62.5 % of the children recognize seed and water as necessary factors for growth and 37.5 % also include sunlight. Despite the fact that some children recognized that it is necessary living matter, and not inert, for the germination, others did not advance in this sense. These achievements are relevant because some of these difficulties remain at the age of 6-7 years, and in this case, some 3-year-old children were able to express it systematically in their conclusions

Desarrollo de la consciencia metalingüística y enseñanza-aprendizaje de la lectura en educación infantil: aportaciones de un estudio experimental

En este artículo se presenta un estudio empírico realizado con alumnos de educación infantil (5-6 años) con objeto de conocer, por una parte, el grado de adquisición de la conciencia metalingüística de los escolares de esta etapa educativa y valorar el dominio de sus habilidades para el aprendizaje de la lectura, y, por otra parte, determinar las relaciones existentes entre el nivel de desarrollo de su conciencia metalingüística y el de sus habilidades para el aprendizaje lector. El objetivo último de este trabajo es esencialmente pedagógico, pues se trata de ofrecer los resultados de un estudio que se ha llevado a cabo mediante una investigación cuasiexperimental de tipo descriptivo para mejorar la enseñanza-aprendizaje de la lectura en el nivel de educación infantil, de tal manera que, una vez conocidos estos resultados y las consideraciones didácticas derivadas de los mismos, se pueda facilitar a los maestros y maestras de esta etapa educativa el ejercicio de su actividad docente, ya que las conclusiones de este estudio apuntan claramente a la necesidad de potenciar el desarrollo de la consciencia metalingüística de estos niños y niñas por sus repercusiones altamente positivas en el desarrollo de sus habilidades para la lectura.This paper presents the results of empirical research carried out with pupils aged 4-6, in Infant Education. The objectives of the research are, on the one hand, to determine the level of acquisition of the pupils´ metalinguistic awareness during this educational stage and discover their skills for learning to read. On the other hand, we wish to determine the relationship that exists between the level of development of their metalinguistic awareness and that of their learning skills for reading. The ultimate aim of this piece of work is essentially pedagogic, since we strive to offer the results of a study that has been carried out through descriptive quasi-experimental research, in order to improve the teaching-learning process for reading in Infant Education. Once these results and the didactic considerations that can be derived from them are made public, then they can be transferred to the classroom. The conclusions of this study clearly highlight the need to boost the development of metalinguistic awareness in these children, due to the positive repercussions of this awareness in the development of infant reading skills

Valoración del nivel de actividad física y aptitud física en una muestra de universitarios: Comparativa tras la pandemia de covid-19

The transition from secondary education to university education has become a critical moment for the lifestyle of young people, especially for the practice of physical activity. Therefore, the main objective of the present study was to assess the levels of physical activity in university students, by correlating the results of the IPAQ-SF and the different physical fitness variables (Eurofit). The sample consisted of 194 students of the Primary Education Degree, with a mean age of 21.37 ± 2.66 years. The main results obtained reflect the direct relationship between the practice of physical activity in general, and vigorous physical activity in particular, and optimal physical fitness of university students, linked above all to the strength component. As for the comparison between pre-pandemic (18/19) and post-pandemic (21/22) university students, the increase in physical activity after the pandemic did not show substantial differences in the physical fitness components. In conclusion, these results should lead us to reflect on the influence of an active lifestyle on physical fitness, which has an impact on overall health status and quality of life.El tránsito de la educación secundaria a la enseñanza universitaria se ha convertido en un momento crítico para el estilo de vida de los jóvenes, especialmente para la práctica de actividad física. Por ello, el principal objetivo del presente estudio fue valorar los niveles de actividad física en universitarios, mediante la correlación entre los resultados del IPAQ-SF y las distintas variables de condición física (Eurofit). La muestra estuvo conformada por 194 estudiantes del Grado de Educación Primaria, con una edad media de 21,37 ± 2,66 años. Los principales resultados obtenidos reflejan la relación directa entre la práctica de actividad física en general, y la actividad física vigorosa en particular y una óptima aptitud física de los estudiantes universitarios, vinculada sobre todo con el componente fuerza. En cuanto a la comparación entre los universitarios del curso prepandémico (18/19) y el curso pospandémico (21/22), el aumento de la actividad física tras la pandemia no reportó diferencias sustanciales en los componentes de la condición física. A modo de conclusión, estos resultados deben conducirnos a una reflexión sobre la influencia de un estilo de vida activo en la aptitud física, la cual tiene repercusión en el estado de salud general y la calidad de vida

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Identification of genetic variants associated with Huntington's disease progression: a genome-wide association study

Background Huntington's disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene, HTT. Age at onset has been used as a quantitative phenotype in genetic analysis looking for Huntington's disease modifiers, but is hard to define and not always available. Therefore, we aimed to generate a novel measure of disease progression and to identify genetic markers associated with this progression measure. Methods We generated a progression score on the basis of principal component analysis of prospectively acquired longitudinal changes in motor, cognitive, and imaging measures in the 218 indivduals in the TRACK-HD cohort of Huntington's disease gene mutation carriers (data collected 2008–11). We generated a parallel progression score using data from 1773 previously genotyped participants from the European Huntington's Disease Network REGISTRY study of Huntington's disease mutation carriers (data collected 2003–13). We did a genome-wide association analyses in terms of progression for 216 TRACK-HD participants and 1773 REGISTRY participants, then a meta-analysis of these results was undertaken. Findings Longitudinal motor, cognitive, and imaging scores were correlated with each other in TRACK-HD participants, justifying use of a single, cross-domain measure of disease progression in both studies. The TRACK-HD and REGISTRY progression measures were correlated with each other (r=0·674), and with age at onset (TRACK-HD, r=0·315; REGISTRY, r=0·234). The meta-analysis of progression in TRACK-HD and REGISTRY gave a genome-wide significant signal (p=1·12 × 10−10) on chromosome 5 spanning three genes: MSH3, DHFR, and MTRNR2L2. The genes in this locus were associated with progression in TRACK-HD (MSH3 p=2·94 × 10−8 DHFR p=8·37 × 10−7 MTRNR2L2 p=2·15 × 10−9) and to a lesser extent in REGISTRY (MSH3 p=9·36 × 10−4 DHFR p=8·45 × 10−4 MTRNR2L2 p=1·20 × 10−3). The lead single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in TRACK-HD (rs557874766) was genome-wide significant in the meta-analysis (p=1·58 × 10−8), and encodes an aminoacid change (Pro67Ala) in MSH3. In TRACK-HD, each copy of the minor allele at this SNP was associated with a 0·4 units per year (95% CI 0·16–0·66) reduction in the rate of change of the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) Total Motor Score, and a reduction of 0·12 units per year (95% CI 0·06–0·18) in the rate of change of UHDRS Total Functional Capacity score. These associations remained significant after adjusting for age of onset. Interpretation The multidomain progression measure in TRACK-HD was associated with a functional variant that was genome-wide significant in our meta-analysis. The association in only 216 participants implies that the progression measure is a sensitive reflection of disease burden, that the effect size at this locus is large, or both. Knockout of Msh3 reduces somatic expansion in Huntington's disease mouse models, suggesting this mechanism as an area for future therapeutic investigation

Investigación en la escuela

Resumen tomado de la publicaciónSe presenta un estudio empírico realizado con alumnos de Educación Infantil (5-6 años) con objeto de conocer, por una parte, el grado de adquisición de la conciencia metalingüística de los escolares de esta etapa educativa y valorar el dominio de sus habilidades para el aprendizaje de la lectura; y, por otra parte, determinar las relaciones entre el nivel de desarrollo de su conciencia metalingüística y el de sus habilidades para el aprendizaje lector. El objetivo último del trabajo es esencialmente pedagógico, pues se trata de ofrecer los resultados de un estudio que se ha llevado a cabo mediante una investigación cuasiexperimental de tipo descriptivo para mejorar la enseñanza-aprendizaje de la lectura en el nivel de Educación Infantil, de tal manera que, una vez conocidos estos resultados y las consideraciones didácticas derivadas de los mismos, se pueda facilitar a los maestros de esta etapa educativa el ejercicio de su actividad docente. Las conclusiones del estudio apuntan a la necesidad de potenciar el desarrollo de la consciencia metalingüística de estos niños por sus repercusiones altamente positivas en el desarrollo de sus habilidades para la lectura.Madrid (Comunidad Autónoma). Subdirección General de Formación del Profesorado. CRIF Las Acacias; Calle General Ricardos 179; 28025 Madrid; Tel. +34915250893; Fax +34914660991; [email protected]

The effect of different concentrations of protein and fat in milk replacers on protein utilization in kid goats

The efficiency of utilization of protein for retention was analysed in pre-ruminant kid goats of the Granadina breed. Sixty male kids were used. Six were slaughtered at birth and the remaining 54 were offered different protein and fat intakes using nine different milk replacers. The protein concentrations were 200, 240 and 280g/kg dry matter (DM) and those of fat were 200, 240 and 280 g/kg DM. Animals were maintained on experiment until they were 60 days old. All were slaughtered on day 61. Nitrogen (N) balance trials were performed during the last 8 days of the 1st and 2nd months. Body composition of the animals slaughtered at birth and at 61 days were determined. Rates of energy retained as protein and as fat were determined (kJ/kg M0·75 per day) and the corresponding rates of metabolizable energy intake as protein and as fat (kJ/kg M0·75 per day) estimated. Once the relationships between the rates ofN retained and those of digestible N ingested had been established, it was evident that by increasing the protein content of the diet the efficiency of protein retention was decreased. In contrast, increasing the fat content of the milk replacer increased the efficiency of protein retention. The latter effect was noted for the milk replacers containing the high and medium levels of protein but not for those that contained the lowest level of protein, indicating that the level of protein was then the limiting factor. Having recorded this protein-sparing effect of the fat, the results obtained from the slaughter trials were used to develop generalized equations expressing the rates of energy retention in the form of protein or fat as a function of the rates of metabolizable energy intake achieved as both protein and fat. From the analysis of these equations conclusions are drawn about the variable contribution to protein retention in these animals of energy ingested as fat. This contribution depended on the energy intake achieved both in the form of protein and in the form of fat.Peer reviewe

Dietary factors affecting the maximum feed intake and the body composition of pre-ruminant kid goats of the Granadina breed

An experiment was carried out with kid goats of the Granadina breed to identify the dietary factors affecting voluntary feed intake of the kid goat and those that additively could determine its body composition. The animals used were from birth to 61 d of age, fed ad lib. on different milk replacers containing 200, 240 and 280 g crude protein/kg DM and 200, 240 and 280 g fat/kg DM, thus giving nine dietary treatments. The utilization of the milk replacers and the animals' body composition were determined by balance and slaughter trials. There were significant positive effects of protein concentration of the milk replacers on component digestibilities, energy metabolizability, feed intake, empty-body weights, empty-body composition and protein and fat retention. The concentration of fat in the milk replacers also had a significant positive effect on the digestible and metabolizable energy concentration of the diets and on fat retention. The relationships existing between feed intake and diet composition (concentration of digestible protein, metabolizable energy and digestible protein:metabolizable energy ratio) as well as between empty-body composition or protein and fat retention and diet composition, were examined. From these it was deduced that feed intake was significantly influenced by the digestible protein concentration of the diets. The higher the digestible protein concentration the higher the feed intake up to a maximum digestible protein concentration value. As the digestible protein concentration of the diets was the dietary factor which significantly influenced feed intake, this also significantly influenced the body composition and the protein and fat retention. The protein concentration of the feed at which metabolizable energy intake in these animals would be greatest was estimated to be 347 g/kg DM.This study was supported financially by the Interministerial Commission of Science and Technology (Spain) (Project GAN90-078 1).Peer reviewe