Editorial

This issue of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC) fosters thought on the challenges that higher education faces in light of internationalization, regulations, and fulfilling students’ expectations. Higher education outlooks are described and analyzed with a focus on fulfilling requirements and preparing for the future, while students’ motivations and needs are explored in ways that support the achievement of educational goals.In a grounded essay, Orphanides identifies ten priority areas that European higher education must address in order to succeed at the implementation of the Bologna Process, providing a guide to engage the educational system to effectively address these challenges.Gersten emphasizes the need for general education that adapts to contemporary societal and business needs but remains rooted on the original principles of liberal arts, integrated as a way to cultivate human beings who are good citizens, developing critical thinking skills and the ability to join the business world as a competent professional.Marouchou studies the relevance, impact and role of the students’ viewpoint on how learning occurs, describing learning conceptions that go from low level, where the student is just a receiver of the subject knowledge to high level, where the student sees learning as the way to self-development into a responsible human being.Complementing the general perspective of higher education, Yob and Crawford describe a conceptual framework for mentoring based on the specific behaviors and characteristics of doctoral students.As a whole, the authors of this issue present ideas, evidence and calls for action that aim to challenge educators through the labyrinth of curriculum design, general education, learning outcomes and student mentoring; depicting the complexity and multi-dimensionality of higher education

Group and Child–Family Migration from Central America to the United States: Forced Child–FamilySeparation, Reunification, and Pseudo Adoption inthe Era of Globalization

Intercountry adoption from Latin America became a sizable, “quiet” migration to the U.S., as evident in its historical evolution from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The recent migration of unaccompanied minors and families traveling with children from these case countries has been characterized by child–family separation, prolonged detention and institutionalization of children, and adoption through various means. This study has been concerned with how both trends became intertwined in the era of globalization. To address this question, the authors examined intercountry adoption literature and migration-related briefs, legal claims, and news reports. The study suggests that internationally recognized child rights have been violated in the border crisis. Forced family separation resulting from stricter immigration measures has met criteria for child abduction, violating international convention protecting families in transnational kinship and adoption. A child–family separation typology was inferred from individual case studies ranging from separation by death to prolonged or indefinitive separation to de facto adoption. Reunification has failed for migrant children in custody since relatives or kinship members may be undocumented or parents may be deported. The current immigration system for migrant children’s care only prolongs their detention and violates their human and civil rights while turning child abduction into de facto adoption

Aplicación web para el proceso de divulgación del programa ambiental de gestión de riesgo y cambio climático (PAGRICC-MARENA) Matagalpa, año 2013

En el trabajo realizado se evaluó el proceso de divulgación del programa ambiental de gestión de riesgo y cambio climático, el cual describe el proceso actual de trabajo, identificando dificultades en el proceso existente y proponiendo una alternativa para mejorar este proceso en PAGRICC-MARENA, MATAGALPA año 2013. En la actualidad el programa presenta retraso en su proceso de divulgación debido a que no cuentan con un presupuesto asignado directamente para este, por lo cual MARENA CENTRAL divulga en forma general sus proyectos. Por lo que PAGRICC-MARENA, MATAGALPA no puede mantener informado a sus participantes de sus labores ambientales que ayuden a la prevención y conservación de los recursos naturales en el municipio como parte independiente de sus servicios que brindan a la población. Después de los resultados obtenidos identificamos la necesidad de implementar una aplicación web en PAGRICC-MARENA, MATAGALPA. Que permita que la población se involucre en las actividades que realizan y sean partícipes de intercambio de experiencias que den paso a nuevas estrategias de trabajo como principales participantes que deseen trabajar en conjunto con el programa para beneficio de ambos en cuanto a las labores que son atendidas dentro del mismo para beneficio del medio ambient

Valoración de las estrategias didácticas implementadas por la docente, para fortalecer el desarrollo de la motora fina en los niños y las niñas del III nivel de preescolar del Colegio Público 12 de Septiembre, ubicado en la comarca Silvia Ferrufino del Distrito I, del municipio de Managua, durante el segundo semestre del curso lectivo 2016

El presente estudio trata de la valoración de las estrategias utilizadas por la docente de III nivel de preescolar, para favorecer el desarrollo del área de motora fina realizada en el Colegio Público 12 de Septiembre. Esta investigación se realizó bajo un enfoque cualitativo, de tipo descriptivo transversal, utilizando como técnicas de recolección de datos la entrevista y la observación. La técnica de observación se realizó un total de 9 visitas al centro educativo, a través de las cuales se conoció que la docente no implementa estrategias didácticas variadas en sus actividades, durante el período en que se presenciaron las clases, la docente únicamente utilizaba hojas de aplicación para colorear. Se encontró mediante la entrevista realizada, que esta posee pocos conocimientos necesarios en lo que respecta a las estrategias pedagógicas del nivel que imparte. De acuerdo a los resultados obtenidos se concretó la necesidad de brindar alternativas a la docente que le permitan visualizar nuevas estrategias metodológicas que desarrollen el área motora fina, siendo ésta tan importante en la preparación del niño para que pueda alcanzar nuevos aprendizajes en las etapas posteriores. Esto llevó a diseñar, planificar y efectuar un taller de capacitación a través del cual se propusieron estrategias didácticas que fortalecen el desarrollo de la motora fina, tales como: movimientos por medio de cantos que permitan prepararse para utilizar las manos en diversas actividades, utilización de diferentes técnicas plásticas: amasar, rasgar, colorear, pintar, puntear, cepillar, calar, plegar, entre otras

Anosmia in COVID-19 could be associated with long-term deficits in the consolidation of procedural and verbal declarative memories

[EN] Background and purposeLong-COVID describes the long-term effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In long-COVID patients, neuropsychological alterations are frequently reported symptoms. Research points to medial temporal lobe dysfunction and its association with anosmia in long-COVID patients. This study aims to investigate the acquisition and consolidation of declarative and procedural memory in long-COVID patients and to explore whether anosmia is related to these dissociated memory functions. MethodsForty-two long-COVID participants and 30 controls (C) were recruited. The sample of long-COVID patients was divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of anosmia, group A and group NA, respectively. Objective performance in verbal declarative memory (Paired-Associate Learning, PAL), procedural memory (Mirror Tracing Test, MTT), general cognitive function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale), psychomotor speed, and incidental learning (Digit Symbol Substitution Test) were assessed and compared among the A, NA, and C groups. Long-term retention of PAL and MTT were assessed 24 h after acquisition. ResultsLower scores in general cognition, psychomotor speed, and sustained attention were found in A and NA compared with C. However, incidental learning, both cue-guided and free-recalled, was diminished in group A compared with C, with no differences with group NA. General cognition and incidental learning were related to declarative memory function exclusively in long-COVID groups. Long-COVID groups presented lower long-term retention of verbal declarative memory than controls in recall tests but no differences in recognition tests. No group differences were found in the acquisition of procedural memory. However, long-term retention of this memory was worse in group A as compared to the NA and C groups, respectively, when errors and time of execution were considered. ConclusionFindings support that consolidation of both procedural and declarative memories is more affected than the acquisition of these memories in long-COVID patients, who are also more vulnerable to deficits in delayed recall than in recognition of declarative memories. Deficits in the consolidation of procedural memory and immediate recall of declarative information are especially relevant in long-COVID participants with anosmia. This indicates that anosmia in COVID-19 could be associated with a long-term dysfunction of the limbic system.This work was supported by the Conselleria d'Innovacio, Universitats, Ciencia i Societat Digital de la Generalitat Valenciana (GVA-COVID19/2021/025), Gobierno de Aragon (Departamento de Ciencia, Universidad y Sociedad del Conocimiento), and FEDER "Construyendo Europa desde Aragon" for the research group with reference S31_20D.Llana, T.; Mendez, M.; Zorzo, C.; Fidalgo, C.; Juan, M.; Mendez-Lopez, M. (2022). Anosmia in COVID-19 could be associated with long-term deficits in the consolidation of procedural and verbal declarative memories. Frontiers in Neuroscience (Online). 16:1-15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.10828111151

Soil investigation using a participative approach for agri-environmental improvement in Monegros, Spain

5 Pags.- 1 Tabl.- 2 Figs.The saline wetlands of the Monegros Desert, in the center of the Ebro Basin (NE Spain), host valuable biodiversity and pedodiversity. A part of this area has been proposed for inclusion in the Natura 2000 E. U. Network. However, agricultural intensification is changing the area as more land is consolidated for new irrigation or is plowed to obtain CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) subsides. Soil mapping is needed to assist in the delimitation of natural habitats and make conservation compatible with agriculture. The methodology presented here to characterize agri-environmental areas takes into account current agricultural and environmental practices. The approach was participative, asking the opinion of farmers and agricultural and environmental officers about a new agrienvironmental measure which could be proposed to the Rural Development section of the CAP The measure would economize agriculture inputs in unproductive areas and also meet nature conservation purposes. A GIS data base was built for selecting the farming plots suitable for new agricultural practices favoring biodiversity and pedodiversity. At the local scale, we used remote sensing and pedodiversity criteria for selecting low productive areas to be prospected. The opinion po!! resulted in a positive response, with a 67% of the managed surface favoring a new CAP measure compatible with nature conservation. The po!! corifirmed the interest of thefarmers in having detailed maps of the soil features that limit crop production.MEC and FEDER funded this work within the Project AGL2006-01283.Peer reviewe

Comportamiento Innovador de la empresa Tres Montañas, en el departamento de Matagalpa, período 2016

En esta investigación se aborda el Comportamiento Innovador de las PYMES, en los departamentos de Estelí, Jinotega y Matagalpa, período 2016. Aplicado a la empresa Tres Montañas. Según WEST & FARR (1989) citado por (Navarro, 2007) “Comportamiento innovador puede ser definido como todas las acciones individuales dirigidas a la generación, introducción, aplicación, de una novedad beneficiosa a cualquier nivel de la organización”. El objetivo es analizar el Comportamiento Innovador de la empresa Tres Montañas, en el departamento de Matagalpa, período 2016, ya que con el análisis de esta variable se podrá determinar si la empresa Tres Montañas presenta un Comportamiento Innovador Proactivo o Reactivo. Con el desarrollo de la investigación se pudo determinar que la empresa Tres Montañas presenta un comportamiento innovador reactivo basándose en que utiliza investigación y desarrollo (I+D) para mejorar los servicios y la tecnología es incorporada por medio de la compra de licencias. La empresa ha innovado en el proceso, a través de la introducción de aplicaciones computarizadas, introducción de software de base de datos e introducción de maquinaria y equipo de trabajo; en el servicio ha innovado en las mejoras de la calidad, higiene, seguridad, rapidez e infraestructura y en mercadotecnia en mejoras en la atención al cliente y capacitación del personal, teniendo debilidad en la publicidad de la empresa. El comportamiento innovador reactivo al igual que el proactivo es de mucha importancia para las empresas porque propicia la competencia de éstas en el mercado, una empresa ofende y la otra se defiende, por tal motivo el comportamiento innovador crea ventajas competitivas en las empresa

Learning in the navigational space: Age differences in a short-term memory for objects task Learning and Individual Differences

Age differences during development in visuospatial short-termmemory (VSTM) in navigation have not been sufficiently proven. The performance of typically developing children from five age groups (from 5 to 9 years old) and one group of young adults (from 25 to 30 years old) was studied in an Augmented Reality navigational VSTM task that involved remembering the location of objects presented in increasing span lengths. The main results showed that navigational VSTM has not fully developed at the age of 9. The measures of performance significantly improved between ages 8 and 9. The overall performance on our navigational task was not influenced by gender, but therewas a slight advantage for maleswhen the difficulty of the task increased regarding the performance accuracy and the errors committed. The Augmented Reality task correlated with traditional spatial tests. Possible cognitive, biological, and methodological explanations for the findings are discussed.This work was funded mainly by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through the CHILDMNEMOS project (TIN2012-37381-C02-01) and confinanced by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). Other financial support was received from the Gobierno de Aragon (Departamento de Industria e Innovacion), Fondo Social Europeo for Aragon, Fundacion Universitaria Antonio Gargallo, and Obra Social Ibercaja. We would like to thank the following for their contributions: the "Escola d'Estiu" and especially Juan Cano, Miguelon Gimenez, and Javier Irimia; the ETSInf for letting us use its facilities; the children who participated in the study and their parents who filled out the parent's questionnaires.Mendez Lopez, M.; Pérez Hernández, E.; Juan, M. (2016). Learning in the navigational space: Age differences in a short-term memory for objects task Learning and Individual Differences. Learning and Individual Differences. 50:11-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2016.06.028S11225

Wayfinding Strategy and Gender - Testing the Mediating Effects of Wayfinding Experience, Personality and Emotions

Background: Individual differences have been seen to play a key role in spatial orientation. Gender implications have been previously described but little is known about how other variables, such as wayfinding anxiety, emotional difficulties and wayfinding experience can mediate this relationship. Methods: A group of 269 participants were involved in this study and completed questionnaires on their self-reported allocentric orientation strategy, wayfinding experience and satisfaction with the ability for wayfinding. Emotional outcomes were also investigated: spatial and trait anxiety, neuroticism, difficulties in emotion regulation, and personal safety. First, a principal component analysis was conducted and the studied variables were grouped into four components: outdoor wayfinding experience, wayfinding-related fear, emotional difficulties, and effective wayfinding skill. Afterwards, structural equation modelling was performed, using the MPLUS statistical program. Results: The results showed that gender constitutes a predictor for using an effective wayfinding skill and for feeling wayfinding-related fear. However, outdoor wayfinding experience, wayfinding-related fear and emotional difficulties did not mediate the relationship between effective wayfinding skill and gender. Conclusion: These results highlight the differential contribution of gender in the emotions that are experienced during spatial orientation and emotions that are related to other types of situations. The limitations, strengths and theoretical implications of the proposed model are discussed. Further investigation is needed in order to understand the role of emotions in spatial orientation