Enhancing oral expression in english as a foreign language through task-based learning and dynamic assessment

Esta tesis se presenta al análisis de una propuesta pedagógica orientada a la enseñanza de las destrezas orales en inglés como lengua extranjera en el ámbito universitario. En ella los estudiantes participan en tareas comunicativas en las que prima la interacción oral grupal, articulada en torno a una serie de seminarios, debates y simulaciones sobre temas relacionados con su campo de estudio. El trabajo en grupo se lleva a cabo de forma independiente con asistencia y supervisión del profesor. Cada grupo dispone de un espacio web colaborativo (wiki) donde lleva a cabo la integración de los contenidos así como la plataforma docente PoliformaT, desde la que se gestionan los contenidos y las tareas. En el estudio participan un grupo experimental y un grupo control formados por sujetos con un nivel intermedio bajo de inglés que estudian inglés profesional y académico en la Universitat Politècnica de València. Partiendo de un diseño basado en una medición pre y post tratamiento, el estudio pretende demostrar que existe una mejora en la expresión oral en general y en las variables de complejidad, corrección y fluidez de los participantes en el grupo experimental como consecuencia de su participación en tareas comunicativas con un alto grado de interacción grupal con relación al grupo control, en el que los estudiantes no intervienen en actividades colaborativas.This thesis reports on a case study which investigated the potential of Dynamic Assessment within the framework of Task-Based Teaching and Learning as a pedagogical approach aiming to improve oral performance in an English as a foreign language context. At the core of the pedagogical procedure was the enhancement of metalinguistic and metacognitive awareness. The study involved undergraduates (N = 30) at lower intermediate level of proficiency studying English for academic and professional purposes at Universitat Politècnica de València. Drawing on sociocultural theory constructs, a nine-week pedagogical treatment based on Dynamic Assessment principles was designed and implemented to pursue the following aims: (a) to investigate how metalinguistic awareness is evidenced through Dynamic Assessment; (b) to assess the value of this pedagogical approach in relation to the participants¿ oral performance; and (c) to investigate the participants¿ thoughts and perceptions regarding various aspects of Dynamic Assessment. Based on a pre-post test research design, the results suggest that there was overall improvement in the participants¿ oral performance although there were differences across measures. The statistical analyses are discussed in the light of Dynamic Assessment as an approach to second language development. The thesis provides an analysis of the metalinguistic dimension which was an integral aspect of the Dynamic Assessment procedure; the participants focused on a wide range of morphosyntactic, lexical, and discourse features reflecting the students¿ emerging language capacities. Finally, the rich data gathered through a variety of instruments, i.e., tests, transcripts of videotaped oral performance, interviews, and questionnaires, allowed us to gain valuable insights into the participants¿ thoughts and perceptions regarding Dynamic Assessment. We conclude the dissertation with a discussion of the feasibility of implementing individual and group DA in a foreign language context and some pedagogical implications of our findingsNogues Melendez, CM. (2013). Enhancing oral expression in english as a foreign language through task-based learning and dynamic assessment [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/31648TESI

Conocimiento y práctica de lavado de manos en el personal de salud del centro materno infantil Manuel Barreto, Lima, 2022

La presente de investigación tuvo como objetivo Determinar de qué manera el conocimiento sobre el lavado de manos se relaciona con la práctica de lavado de manos del personal de salud del Centro Materno Infantil Manuel Barreto, lima, 2022. Este estudio fue básica descriptiva no experimental, porque no se manipularon las variables, es correlacional porque permite relacionar las variables, y cuantitativo porque nos permite obtener datos susceptibles a ser cuantificados; es de corte transversal y prospectivo, ya que se obtuvo la información en un solo momento. La población estuvo conformada por 150 profesionales de salud que laboran en el Centro de Materno Infantil Manuel Barreto. Como muestra se tomó toda la población al ser una población censal. Se utilizó el programa estadístico SPSS el cual nos permitió obtener datos estadísticos descriptivos e inferenciales. Se utilizó la prueba de Rho Spearman para el análisis inferencial correlacional. Como principales resultados en la contratación de hipótesis general e hipótesis específicas tenemos que para un nivel de significancia α = 0,05, el test de Spearman arroja un Sig. = 0,000 el cual < α=0,05, por lo tanto, se afirma que el conocimiento se relaciona significativamente con la práctica de lavado de manos

Barrier biopaper multilayers obtained by impregnation of electrospun poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) with protein and polysaccharide hydrocolloids

[EN] Multilayer biopapers composed of two electrospun layers of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) were impregnated, at the inner side of one of the layers, with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and their composites with hydrocolloids, to develop high-barrier fully biobased structures. The study aimed for the first time at comparing the impregnation of electrospun fibers with several biopolymer solutions. Thus, neat CNCs, and CNCs mixed as a minor fraction, that is, 2 wt%, with gelatin (GE), agar (AG), xanthan gum (XG), and gum arabic (GA) were assessed in their potential to improve the barrier properties of PHBV. Glycerol plasticizer was added to the composite formulations. The impregnated electrospun multilayer mats were subsequently annealed, below the PHBV melting point, to yield continuous films by an interfiber coalescence process, so-called biopapers, and thereafter characterized to evaluate their potential for high barrier food packaging applications. The morphological characterization revealed good interlayer adhesion, more noticeably for those containing CNCs and their nanocomposites with AG and XG. From their mechanical response, it was inferred that the material behavior was governed mainly by the rigidity of the PHBV substrates, and this could not be significantly improved by impregnation with any of the various hydrocolloids. Whereas the water vapor barrier was not seen to improve in any of the samples, the barrier to the organic vapor limonene, used as a standard for aroma barrier, was however improved in the samples impregnated with AG and XG composites. Interestingly, the oxygen barrier properties were significantly improved but only by impregnation with pure CNCs. This study reports for the first time a scalable impregnation technology approach to produce fully biobased barrier multilayers.This research work was funded by the H2020 EU project USABLE PAKAGING (reference number 836884) and by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICI) project RTI2018-097249-B-C21. Ms. Beatriz Melendez-Rodriguez would like to acknowledge the MICI for her FPI fellowship (BES-2016-077972) and Dr. Torres-Giner for his MICI Juan de la Cierva¿Incorporacion contract (IJCI-2016-29675). The authors would also like to acknowledge the Unidad Asociada IATA (CSIC)-UJI in Polymer Technology.Melendez-Rodriguez, B.; M'bengue, M.; Torres-Giner, S.; Cabedo, L.; Prieto, C.; Lagaron, JM. (2021). Barrier biopaper multilayers obtained by impregnation of electrospun poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) with protein and polysaccharide hydrocolloids. Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications. 2:1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carpta.2021.100150S19

A Socio-Ecological Assessment of the Potential for Vegetable Gardens in Elementary Schools Across an Urban Tropical Watershed in Puerto Rico

School vegetable gardens provide environmental services and social benefits that can have a wide impact in communities and cities, while preparing future generations for more sustainable ways of living. For a school to create and sustain a vegetable garden, both social and physical environment (soils) must be favorable. We evaluated 20 elementary schools in the Rio Piedras watershed of San Juan, Puerto Rico. At these schools, we surveyed school principals to identify social factors that are considered opportunities and constraints to establishing and sustaining a school garden. We also described the physical and chemical properties of the soils from the most suitable locations for vegetable gardens in the schoolyards. For social factors, some schools had discontinued gardening because of dwindling funding, waning interest of teachers and parents. Through in-person interviews, principals identified factors that help in implementing and sustaining long-term vegetable gardens: engagement of stakeholders, sponsorship, gardening skills and logistics, and curriculum integration. For ecological factors, the destruction of crops by exotic iguanas was also a reason that stopped school garden activities in some cases. Generally, school soils were highly disturbed, with high bulk density and low nutrient availability. The soils will require considerable remediation and management to sustain vegetable gardens in Rio Piedras schools. A social-ecological approach like that used here could be used to evaluate school gardens at other jurisdictions to increase the likelihood of success of gardening activities

Association between parental perceptions of residential neighbourhood environments and childhood obesity in Porto, Portugal

Portugal has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in Europe. Few studies have explored the relationship between parents’ perceptions of their residential neighbourhood (safety concerns and amenities of the built environment) and their children’s weight status. This study aims to examine the associations between parents’ perceptions of their residential neighbourhood and overweight/obesity among their children. Methods: Anthropometric measures of height and weight were taken for 2690 children in preschools and elementary schools in Porto. Body mass index (kg/m2 ) was calculated, and the International Obesity Taskforce (IOTF) cut-offs were used. Parents completed the ‘Environmental Module’ standard questionnaire of the International Physical Activity Prevalence Study. Chi-square tests and the logistic regression model adjusted for age, gender, maternal education and school cluster were used to examine the associations between parents’ perceptions of their residential neighbourhood and overweight/obesity among their children. Results: In this sample, 31.8% of the children were overweight (including obese). Significant associations were found between child obesity and the following residential environmental characteristics: the odds of children being obese were lower if their parents believed that it was safe (low/no crime rate) to walk/cycle at night (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.54–0.79) and during the day (OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.55–0.86) and that it was easy and pleasant (pedestrian safety) to walk in their neighbourhoods (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.58–0.90) and when local sidewalks were well maintained and unobstructed (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.01–1.40). Conclusion: Parental perceptions of neighbourhood safety and the quality of local sidewalks are significantly associated with obesity values

Conhecimento do diagnóstico, tratamento e controle do diabetes mellitus no Brasil

OBJETIVO: Estimar as proporções dos indivíduos que têm conhecimento do diagnóstico, tratamento e controle do diabetes mellitus (DM) na população adulta brasileira. MÉTODO: Este é um estudo transversal, com dados de amostra representativa da população brasileira, provenientes da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS 2014/2015). Os desfechos foram definidos com base na medida de hemoglobina glicada (HbA1c), no diagnóstico autorreferido de DM e no uso de hipoglicemiantes ou de insulina. Estimou–se a proporção do conhecimento, tratamento e controle do DM de acordo com as características sociodemográficas, condição de saúde e de acesso aos serviços de saúde, e seus respectivos intervalos de 95% de confiança (IC95%). RESULTADOS: A prevalência de DM na população brasileira foi 8,6% (IC95% 7,8–9,3), 68,2% (IC95% 63,9–72,3) tinham conhecimento do seu diagnóstico, 92,2% (IC95% 88,6–94,7) dos que tinham conhecimento realizam tratamento medicamentoso, e desses, 35,8% (IC95% 30,5–41,6) tinham os níveis de HbA1c controlados. As proporções de conhecimento, controle e tratamento foram menores nos homens, com idade de 18 a 39 anos, indivíduos que possuem baixa escolaridade, sem plano de saúde e beneficiários do Programa Bolsa Família. CONCLUSÃO: Aproximadamente um em cada dez brasileiros apresenta DM. Um pouco mais da metade desta população tem conhecimento do seu diagnóstico, condição aferida por dosagem de HbA1c e diagnóstico clínico. Entre os que sabem, a grande maioria está sob tratamento medicamentoso. Porém, menos da metade destes tem seus níveis de HbA1c controlados. Cenários piores foram encontrados em subgrupos com alta vulnerabilidade social.OBJECTIVE: To estimate the proportions of awareness, treatment, and control of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the Brazilian adult population. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study, with data from a representative sample of the Brazilian population, taken from the National Health Survey(PNS 2014/2015). Outcomes were defined based on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) measurements, self-reported DM diagnosis, and use of hypoglycemic agents or insulin. The proportion of DM awareness, treatment, and control was estimated according to sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions, and access to health services, and their respective 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: DM prevalence in the Brazilian population was of 8.6% (95%CI: 7.8–9.3): 68.2% (95%CI: 63.9–72.3) were aware of their diagnosis, 92.2% (95%CI: 88.6–94.7) of those who were aware were undergoing drug treatments, and, of these, 35.8% (95%CI: 30.5–41.6) had controlled HbA1c levels. The proportions of DM awareness, control, and treatment were lower in men aged 18 to 39 years, individuals with low education, without health insurance, and beneficiaries of the Bolsa Família program. CONCLUSION: Approximately one in ten Brazilians has DM. A little more than half of this population is aware of their diagnosis, a condition measured by HbA1c dosage and clinical diagnosis. Among those who know, the vast majority are undergoing drug treatments. However, less than half of these have their HbA1c levels controlled. Worse scenarios were found in subgroups with high social vulnerability

Association between the perceived environment and overweight in adults and elderly: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Overweight is a global issue of epidemic proportions, and its negative influence on individual health is clear. However, the relation between environment and overweight is not thoroughly clear, especially concerning to the perceived environment and the physical and social aspects. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze potential associations between the perceived environment and overweight in adults and elderly in a medium-sized city. Methods A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted with 808 adult and elderly individuals. Overweight was defined as body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 based on the World Health Organization criteria. The Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale was used evaluating the perceived environment. Poisson regression was performed evaluating the relationships between the perceived environment and overweight. Results The frequency of overweight was 50.4 %. Adjusted models showed association between overweight and the variable of surrounding neighborhood as follows: “1- to 3-story apartments or condos” (most category; PR = 0.30; CI 0.12–0.76) and “4- to 6-story apartments or condos” (all categories) (PR ranged 0.40 to 0.46; p &lt; 0.05), and also, “land-use mix-diversity” was associated with overweight in this population (PR 0.81; CI 0.66–0.99). Conclusions In addition to individual characteristics, the environmental aspects are relevant to the occurrence of overweight in this population. Population-based studies using primary data on overweight remain scarce in Brazil. Finally, this study contributes to improve the understanding of the complex relationship between perceived environment and overweight, and we believe that our findings provide further justification for the development of future interventions and health promotion strategies. </jats:sec

High-oxygen-barrier multilayer films based on polyhydroxyalkanoates and cellulose nanocrystals

This study reports on the development and characterization of organic recyclable high-oxygen-barrier multilayer films based on different commercial polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) materials, including a blend with commercial poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), which contained an inner layer of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and an electrospun hot-tack adhesive layer of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) derived from cheese whey (CW). As a result, the full multilayer structures were made from bio-based and/or compostable materials. A characterization of the produced films was carried out in terms of morphological, optical, mechanical, and barrier properties with respect to water vapor, limonene, and oxygen. Results indicate that the multilayer films exhibited a good interlayer adhesion and contact transparency. The stiffness of the multilayers was generally improved upon incorporation of the CNC interlayer, whereas the enhanced elasticity of the blend was reduced to some extent in the multilayer with CNCs, but this was still much higher than for the neat PHAs. In terms of barrier properties, it was found that 1 µm of the CNC interlayer was able to reduce the oxygen permeance between 71% and 86%, while retaining the moisture and aroma barrier of the control materials.This research work was funded by the H2020 EU project YPACK (reference number 773872) and by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICI) project RTI2018-097249-B-C21.Beatriz Melendez-Rodriguez would like to acknowledge the MICI for her FPI fellowship (BES-2016-077972) and Sergio Torres-Giner for his MICI Juan de la Cierva–Incorporación contract (IJCI-2016-29675). The authors would also like to acknowledge the Unidad Asociada in Polymer Technology, joint unit IATA(CSIC)-UJI

Development of 177Lu-scFvD2B as a Potential Immunotheranostic Agent for Tumors Overexpressing the Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen

The clinical translation of theranostic 177Lu-radiopharmaceuticals based on inhibitors of the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) has demonstrated positive clinical responses in patients with advanced prostate cancer (PCa). However, challenges still remain, particularly regarding their pharmacokinetic and dosimetric properties. We developed a potential PSMA-immunotheranostic agent by conjugation of a single-chain variable fragment of the IgGD2B antibody (scFvD2B) to DOTA, to obtain a 177Lu-labelled agent with a better pharmacokinetic profile than those previously reported. The labelled conjugated 177Lu-scFvD2B was obtained in high yield and stability. In vitro, 177Lu-scFvD2B disclosed a higher binding and internalization in LNCaP (PSMA-positive) compared to PC3 (negative control) human PCa cells. In vivo studies in healthy nude mice revealed that 177Lu-scFvD2B present a favorable biokinetic profile, characterized by a rapid clearance from non-target tissues and minimal liver accumulation, but a slow wash-out from kidney. Micro-SPECT/CT imaging of mice bearing pulmonary microtumors evidenced a slow uptake by LNCaP tumors, which steadily rose up to a maximum value of 3.6 SUV at 192 h. This high and prolonged tumor uptake suggests that 177Lu-scFvD2B has great potential in delivering ablative radiation doses to PSMA-expressing tumors, and warrants further studies to evaluate its preclinical therapeutic efficacy

Development and Characterization of Electrospun Fiber-Based Poly(ethylene- co -vinyl Alcohol) Films of Application Interest as High-Gas-Barrier Interlayers in Food Packaging

In the present study, poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) with 44 mol % ethylene content (EVOH44) was managed to be processed, for the first time, by electrospinning assisted by the coaxial technology of solvent jacket. In addition to this, different suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), with contents ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 wt %, were also electrospun to obtain hybrid bio-/non-bio nanocomposites. The resultant fiber mats were thereafter optimally annealed to promote interfiber coalescence at 145 °C, below the EVOH44 melting point, leading to continuous transparent fiber-based films. The morphological analysis revealed the successful distribution of CNCs into EVOH44 up to contents of 0.5 wt %. The incorporation of CNCs into the ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer caused a decrease in the crystallization and melting temperatures (TC and Tm) of about 12 and 7 °C, respectively, and also crystallinity. However, the incorporation of CNCs led to enhanced thermal stability of the copolymer matrix for a nanofiller content of 1.0 wt %. Furthermore, the incorporation of 0.1 and 0.5 wt % CNCs produced increases in the tensile modulus (E) of ca. 38% and 28%, respectively, but also yielded a reduction in the elongation at break and toughness. The oxygen barrier of the hybrid nanocomposite fiber-based films decreased with increasing the CNCs content, but they were seen to remain high barrier, especially in the low relative humidity (RH) regime, i.e., at 20% RH, showing permeability values lower than 0.6 × 10−20 m3·m·m−2·Pa−1·s−1. In general terms, an optimal balance in physical properties was found for the hybrid copolymer composite with a CNC loading of 0.1 wt %. On the overall, the present study demonstrates the potential of annealed electrospun fiber-based high-barrier polymers, with or without CNCs, to develop novel barrier interlayers to be used as food packaging constituents