Skills and competences of audio describers in Spain

This article describes the skills and competences that professional audio describers should acquire, based on the results of a questionnaire and on interviews with lecturers of AD courses in the context of Spanish MAs. First, the input provided by audio describers and end-users for a questionnaire conducted under ADLAB PRO, an Erasmus+ project funded by the European Commission, is discussed; it focuses on data from Spanish participants. Secondly, the skills and competences identified through the questionnaire are compared to those included in specific courses on audio description within MA programmes offered at Spanish universities. The article begins with a brief discussion of terminology and ends with a discussion on how the results of our research could have an impact on training proposals for A

Panorama de la enseñanza de la audiodescripción en España : resultados de un cuestionario

La audiodescripción (AD) consiste en la conversión de imágenes a palabras para ofrecer una alternativa a los contenidos visuales a quienes no pueden acceder a estos. Puede considerarse como un tipo de traducción intersemiótica y como tal, está frecuentemente incluida en los currícula de traducción audiovisual y en los estudios de accesibilidad a los medios. Sin embargo, los estudios sobre didáctica de la audiodescripción son casi inexistentes. Este trabajo presenta los resultados de un cuestionario cuyo objetivo es obtener un panorama actual de la enseñanza de la audiodescripción en España. Analiza los resultados de los 27 participantes españoles que respondieron al cuestionario, desarrollado como parte de ADLAB PRO, un proyecto Erasmus+ financiado por la Comisión Europea. Su objetivo fundamental es crear material didáctico para la formación de los audiodescriptores. Para poder contextualizar esta investigación, el artículo explica cómo se aborda la didáctica de la audiodescripción en EspañaAudio description is a translation of images into words aiming to provide an alternative to the visual content for those who cannot access it. It can be considered an intersemiotic translation and, as such, it has often been taught as part of courses in audiovisual translation and media accessibility studies. However, studies on the specifics of the didactics of audio description are missing. This article presents the results of a questionnaire aiming to map the current situation regarding the teaching of audio description in Spain. It reports on the results obtained from 27 Spanish participants that answered a questionnaire developed as part of ADLAB PRO, an Erasmus+ project funded by the European Commission whose ultimate goal is to create didactic material for the training of audio describers. In order to contextualize such research, the article also provides an overview of the didactics of audio description in Spai

La audiodescripción en los programas de máster en España: entrevistas a profesores, audiodescriptores y empleadores

Audio description (AD) is a communication support service for blind or visually impaired people and can be considered a type of intersemiotic translation. The academic interest in AD is materialized in descriptive and experimental studies, and in others focused on professional and didactic aspects. However, more studies on the teaching of AD in relation to curriculum design are needed. In reply to this need, after enumerating the most important current challenges of translation curriculum design and those of the European Higher Education Area, this article shall explore the perceptions obtained through 15 interviews with professors of AD courses in master's degrees in Spain, audio describers and employers.La audiodescripción (AD) es un servicio de apoyo a la comunicación para las personas ciegas o con discapacidad visual y puede considerarse un tipo de traducción intersemiótica. El interés académico en AD se materializa en estudios descriptivos y experimentales, así como en otros centrados en aspectos profesionales y docentes. Sin embargo, son necesarios más estudios sobre la didáctica de la AD en relación con el diseño curricular. Con base en esa necesidad, tras presentar los retos actuales más importantes del diseño curricular en traducción, así como los del Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior, este artículo explora las percepciones obtenidas a través de 15 entrevistas a profesores de cursos de AD en los másteres españoles, a audiodescriptores y a empleadores

La enseñanza de la audiodescripción en España : panorama actual de sus prácticas de enseñanza y aprendizaje, en base a los resultados de un cuestionario

La Audiodescripción (AD) consiste en la conversión de imágenes a palabras con el objetivo de ofrecer una alternativa a los contenidos visuales a aquellas personas que no pueden acceder a estos. Puede considerarse también como un tipo de traducción y como tal, está incluida en los curricula de traducción audiovisual. Sin embargo, no existen estudios que traten sobre las características específicas de la didáctica de la audiodescripción, por lo que hemos comenzado a estudiarla con varios objetivos: analizar la situación actual en cuanto a prácticas actuales en AD, revisar la definición del perfil de los audiodescriptores profesionales, y diseñar un MOOC orientado a la formación de la AD. Este trabajo está estrechamente relacionado con el proyecto ADLAB PRO, un Erasmus+, financiado por la Comisión Europea. Está coordinado por la Universidad de Trieste y tiene como meta final crear material didáctico para la formación de los futuros audiodescriptores. La primera fase de nuestra investigación ha consistido en retratar la situación actual de la enseñanza de AD en España. Con ese fin hemos seguido la siguiente metodología: por una parte, hemos recopilado y analizado todos los cursos de AD, tanto académicos como de carácter profesional, impartidos en España en los últimos tres años, así como sus guías docentes; por otra parte, hemos analizado los datos obtenidos a través de un cuestionario dirigido a los profesores de AD en España. Esta presentación se centrará en los resultados de ese cuestionario, distribuido a nivel europeo como parte del proyecto ADLAB PRO. Realizaremos un análisis de los resultados obtenidos gracias a los participantes en España (27 en total). El cuestionario tenía como objetivo obtener una vista panorámica de la enseñanza actual de AD, tanto en entornos académicos de enseñanza superior como profesionales. En concreto, el cuestionario se adentraba en aspectos relacionados con el perfil de los profesores, los cursos que imparten (nivel, formato, modalidad, duración, tamaño de los grupos, aptitudes, actividades y sistemas de evaluación), así como con el estudio de las competencias, tanto específicas como transversales. La presentación concluirá con reflexiones sobre cómo identificar aspectos centrales de la enseñanza de la audiodescripción actual en España, en relación con la didáctica de la traducción

Correction : Chaparro et al. Incidence, Clinical Characteristics and Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Spain: Large-Scale Epidemiological Study. J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10, 2885

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]

Incidence, Clinical Characteristics and Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Spain : Large-Scale Epidemiological Study

(1) Aims: To assess the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Spain, to describe the main epidemiological and clinical characteristics at diagnosis and the evolution of the disease, and to explore the use of drug treatments. (2) Methods: Prospective, population-based nationwide registry. Adult patients diagnosed with IBD-Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC) or IBD unclassified (IBD-U)-during 2017 in Spain were included and were followed-up for 1 year. (3) Results: We identified 3611 incident cases of IBD diagnosed during 2017 in 108 hospitals covering over 22 million inhabitants. The overall incidence (cases/100,000 person-years) was 16 for IBD, 7.5 for CD, 8 for UC, and 0.5 for IBD-U; 53% of patients were male and median age was 43 years (interquartile range = 31-56 years). During a median 12-month follow-up, 34% of patients were treated with systemic steroids, 25% with immunomodulators, 15% with biologics and 5.6% underwent surgery. The percentage of patients under these treatments was significantly higher in CD than UC and IBD-U. Use of systemic steroids and biologics was significantly higher in hospitals with high resources. In total, 28% of patients were hospitalized (35% CD and 22% UC patients, p < 0.01). (4) Conclusion: The incidence of IBD in Spain is rather high and similar to that reported in Northern Europe. IBD patients require substantial therapeutic resources, which are greater in CD and in hospitals with high resources, and much higher than previously reported. One third of patients are hospitalized in the first year after diagnosis and a relevant proportion undergo surgery

Effectiveness of an intervention for improving drug prescription in primary care patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy:Study protocol of a cluster randomized clinical trial (Multi-PAP project)

This study was funded by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias ISCIII (Grant Numbers PI15/00276, PI15/00572, PI15/00996), REDISSEC (Project Numbers RD12/0001/0012, RD16/0001/0005), and the European Regional Development Fund ("A way to build Europe").Background: Multimorbidity is associated with negative effects both on people's health and on healthcare systems. A key problem linked to multimorbidity is polypharmacy, which in turn is associated with increased risk of partly preventable adverse effects, including mortality. The Ariadne principles describe a model of care based on a thorough assessment of diseases, treatments (and potential interactions), clinical status, context and preferences of patients with multimorbidity, with the aim of prioritizing and sharing realistic treatment goals that guide an individualized management. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a complex intervention that implements the Ariadne principles in a population of young-old patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The intervention seeks to improve the appropriateness of prescribing in primary care (PC), as measured by the medication appropriateness index (MAI) score at 6 and 12months, as compared with usual care. Methods/Design: Design:pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial. Unit of randomization: family physician (FP). Unit of analysis: patient. Scope: PC health centres in three autonomous communities: Aragon, Madrid, and Andalusia (Spain). Population: patients aged 65-74years with multimorbidity (≥3 chronic diseases) and polypharmacy (≥5 drugs prescribed in ≥3months). Sample size: n=400 (200 per study arm). Intervention: complex intervention based on the implementation of the Ariadne principles with two components: (1) FP training and (2) FP-patient interview. Outcomes: MAI score, health services use, quality of life (Euroqol 5D-5L), pharmacotherapy and adherence to treatment (Morisky-Green, Haynes-Sackett), and clinical and socio-demographic variables. Statistical analysis: primary outcome is the difference in MAI score between T0 and T1 and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Adjustment for confounding factors will be performed by multilevel analysis. All analyses will be carried out in accordance with the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: It is essential to provide evidence concerning interventions on PC patients with polypharmacy and multimorbidity, conducted in the context of routine clinical practice, and involving young-old patients with significant potential for preventing negative health outcomes. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02866799Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Evolving trends in the management of acute appendicitis during COVID-19 waves. The ACIE appy II study

Background: In 2020, ACIE Appy study showed that COVID-19 pandemic heavily affected the management of patients with acute appendicitis (AA) worldwide, with an increased rate of non-operative management (NOM) strategies and a trend toward open surgery due to concern of virus transmission by laparoscopy and controversial recommendations on this issue. The aim of this study was to survey again the same group of surgeons to assess if any difference in management attitudes of AA had occurred in the later stages of the outbreak. Methods: From August 15 to September 30, 2021, an online questionnaire was sent to all 709 participants of the ACIE Appy study. The questionnaire included questions on personal protective equipment (PPE), local policies and screening for SARS-CoV-2 infection, NOM, surgical approach and disease presentations in 2021. The results were compared with the results from the previous study. Results: A total of 476 answers were collected (response rate 67.1%). Screening policies were significatively improved with most patients screened regardless of symptoms (89.5% vs. 37.4%) with PCR and antigenic test as the preferred test (74.1% vs. 26.3%). More patients tested positive before surgery and commercial systems were the preferred ones to filter smoke plumes during laparoscopy. Laparoscopic appendicectomy was the first option in the treatment of AA, with a declined use of NOM. Conclusion: Management of AA has improved in the last waves of pandemic. Increased evidence regarding SARS-COV-2 infection along with a timely healthcare systems response has been translated into tailored attitudes and a better care for patients with AA worldwide

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

La formación en audiodescripción en España Prácticas docentes y competencias del audiodescriptor

L’audiodescripció (AD) consisteix en la conversió d’imatges a paraules amb l’objectiu d’oferir una alternativa als continguts visuals per a les persones que no hi poden accedir. Es pot considerar un tipus de traducció intersemiòtica i, com a tal, s’ha inclòs sovint en el currículum de traducció audiovisual i en els estudis d’accessibilitat als mitjans. Per poder contextualitzar aquesta investigació, abordarem de forma teòrica el tema de la didàctica de l’AD a Espanya. Hi ha una bibliografia extensa sobre l’adquisició de competències en educació en general i en traducció, així com en traducció audiovisual. No obstant això, no hi ha gaires propostes enfocades a definir el perfil de l’audiodescriptor professional. En aquest context analitzarem separadament els resultats de dos qüestionaris desenvolupats com a part d’ADLAB PRO, un projecte Erasmus + finançat per la Comissió Europea. Aquests qüestionaris es van administrar a professors d’AD, a audiodescriptors i usuaris. A més, estudiarem les reflexions de professors d’AD de programes de màster espanyols, d’audiodescriptors i d’ocupadors, obtingudes mitjançant entrevistes. Oferirem en primer lloc un panorama actual de l’ensenyament de l’audiodescripció a Espanya. En segon lloc, reflexionarem sobre les competències que han d’adquirir els audiodescriptors.La audiodescripción (AD) consiste en la conversión de imágenes a palabras con el objetivo de ofrecer una alternativa a los contenidos visuales a quienes no pueden acceder a estos. Puede considerarse como un tipo de traducción intersemiótica y como tal, está frecuentemente incluida en el currículo de la traducción audiovisual y en los estudios de accesibilidad a los medios. Para poder contextualizar esta investigación, abordaremos de forma teórica el tema de la didáctica de la AD en España. Existe una bibliografía extensa sobre la adquisición de competencias en educación en general y en traducción, así como en traducción audiovisual. Sin embargo, no existen muchas propuestas enfocadas en definir el perfil del audiodescriptor profesional. En este contexto analizaremos por separado los resultados de dos cuestionarios desarrollados como parte de ADLAB PRO, un proyecto Erasmus+ financiado por la Comisión Europea. Estos se administraron a profesores de AD, a audiodescriptores y a usuarios. Además, analizaremos las reflexiones de profesores de AD en programas de máster españoles, de audiodescriptores y de empleadores, a partir de entrevistas realizadas. Obtendremos en primer lugar un panorama actual de la enseñanza de la audiodescripción en España. En segundo lugar, reflexionaremos sobre las competencias que deben adquirir los audiodescriptores.Audio description (AD) consists of converting images to words with the aim of offering an alternative to the visual contents to those who cannot access it. It can be considered as a type of intersemiotic translation and as such, it is frequently included in the curriculum of audiovisual translation and in studies of media accessibility. In order to contextualize this research, we will address the subject of AD didactics in Spain from a theoretical perspective. There is an extensive bibliography on the acquisition of skills in education in general and in translation, as well as in audiovisual translation. However, there are not many proposals focused on defining the profile of the professional audio describer. In this context we will separately analyze the results of two questionnaires developed as part of ADLAB PRO, an Erasmus + project funded by the European Commission. These were administered to AD teachers, audio describers, and users. In addition, we will analyze the reflections of AD teachers in Spanish master's programs, of audio describers and of employers, based on interviews. We will first obtain a current overview of the teaching of audio description in Spain. Second, we will reflect on the skills that audio describers should acquire.Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Programa de Doctorat en Traducció i Estudis Intercultural