Analysis of the involvement of participants in a school-based physical activity promotion programme in adolescence

The objective of this article is to evaluate ‘Sigue la Huella’ (‘Follow the Footprint’), a 2-year Spanish school-based physical activity promotion intervention, taking into account the viewpoints of the different agents involved. The evaluation entails a qualitative analysis of the strengths and weaknesses associated with the agents’ participation, providing recommendations to improve the future application of this and other interventions. We draw on participatory research data collected through six focus groups with 35 participants (11 students, 14 teachers and 10 parents), semi-structured interviews with the two intervention facilitators, and an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses by the community advisory group. The results of this study identify some recommendations that focus on a new policy proposal within the school context, driven by the responsible institutions, for the programme to improve the participation of the different stakeholders in future replication and institutionalisation efforts. In the opinion of all the participants, including stakeholders, the need for an organisational and cultural change in the schools is considered; one that will support Physical Education (PE) teachers in order for them to head this type of interventions and ensure their sustainability. Reference is also made to the need for school education projects, and for the effective collaboration between teachers and students, as well as their empowerment. Furthermore, greater engagement of all agents involved in promoting school physical activity (PA), especially among girls and older teenagers, parents and non-PE teachers, must be achieved

Exploring differences between phonetic classes in Sleep Apnoea Syndrome Patients using automatic speech processing techniques

This work is part of an on-going collaborative project between the medical and signal processing communities to promote new research efforts on automatic OSA (Obstructive Apnea Syndrome) diagnosis. In this paper, we explore the differences noted in phonetic classes (interphoneme) across groups (control/apnoea) and analyze their utility for OSA detectio

Es posible armonizar el trabajo humano, con la inteligencia artificial

Este artículo de investigación está inspirado en el libro “¡Sálvese quien pueda! El futuro del trabajo en la era de la automatización” del escritor Andrés Oppenheimer (2018), quien relata en su obra su preocupación y alarma con base en una investigación de Oxford Martin School en el año 2013, a través de la cual se pronosticaba que alrededor de un 47% de los empleos podrían desaparecer en lo sucesivo de los próximos 15 a 20 años por la automatización. Sin embargo, hace aproximadamente mes y medio en una entrevista, al doctor Oppenheimer señaló que dicha predicción con el Covid-19 se había adelantado 10 años. Por lo tanto, esta investigación está dirigida a establecer, la relación entre la Inteligencia artificial con el trabajo humano, en cuanto a la generación de empleo, principio de la estabilidad laboral, sobre la base de las necesidades actuales y el futuro del trabajo. Es posible una relación entre la inteligencia artificial o IA, al punto que limite el trabajo humano, sobre las políticas de generación de empleo y el principio de estabilidad laboral.Universidad Libre Seccional Socorro - Facultad de derecho y ciencias políticasThis research article is inspired by the book “Who can save themselves! The future of work in the era of automation ”by the writer Andrés Oppenheimer (2018), who relates in his work his concern and alarm based on an investigation by the Oxford Martin School in 2013, through which it was predicted that around 47% of jobs could disappear in the next 15 to 20 years due to automation. However, about a month and a half ago in an interview, Dr. Oppenheimer pointed out that this prediction with Covid-19 had been advanced 10 years. Therefore, this research is aimed at establishing the relationship between artificial intelligence and human work, in terms of job creation, the principle of job stability, based on current needs and the future of work. A relationship between artificial intelligence or AI is possible, to the point that it limits human work, on employment generation policies and the principle of job stability

Phylogeography of Chelonus insularis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and Campoletis sonorensis (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Two Primary Neotropical Parasitoids of the Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

In a previous study, we observed no spatial genetic structure in Mexican populations of the parasitoids Chelonus insularis Cresson (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and Campoletis sonorensis Cameron (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) by using microsatellite markers. In the current study, we investigated whether for these important parasitoids of the fall armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) there is any genetic structure at a larger scale. Insects of both species were collected across the American continent and their phylogeography was investigated using both nuclear and mitochondrial markers. Our results suggest an ancient north-south migration of C. insularis, whereas no clear pattern could be determined for C. sonorensis. Nonetheless, the resulting topology indicated the existence of a cryptic taxon within this later species: a few Canadian specimens determined as C. sonorensis branch outside a clade composed of the Argentinean Chelonus grioti Blanchard, the Brazilian Chelonus flavicincta Ashmead, and the rest of the C. sonorensis individuals. The individuals revealing the cryptic taxon were collected from Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on tomato (Lycopersicon spp.) and may represent a biotype that has adapted to the early season phenology of its host. Overall, the loosely defined spatial genetic structure previously shown at a local fine scale also was found at the larger scale, for both species. Dispersal of these insects may be partly driven by wind as suggested by genetic similarities between individuals coming from very distant location

Analyzing training dependencies and posterior fusion in discriminant classification of apnoea patients based on sustained and connected speech

We present a novel approach using both sustained vowels and connected speech, to detect obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) cases within a homogeneous group of speakers. The proposed scheme is based on state-of-the-art GMM-based classifiers, and acknowledges specifically the way in which acoustic models are trained on standard databases, as well as the complexity of the resulting models and their adaptation to specific data. Our experimental database contains a suitable number of utterances and sustained speech from healthy (i.e control) and OSA Spanish speakers. Finally, a 25.1% relative reduction in classification error is achieved when fusing continuous and sustained speech classifiers. Index Terms: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), gaussian mixture models (GMMs), background model (BM), classifier fusion

Opportunities and challenges from the use of genomic selection for beef cattle breeding in Latin America

In 2009, Latin American countries had approximately 401 million cattle (29% of the world’s total cattle population) and produced 8.2 million tonnes of beef, equivalent to 29% of the world’s total production (FAO, 2011). Beef in Latin American countries is produced under widely differing climates (ranging from tropical to temperate), resources available (vegetation, food), types of markets, and genetic backgrounds of the animals. The main production systems are classified as beef and dual-purpose cattle. The genetic backgrounds of animals vary from purebred European (Bos taurus taurus) or Zebu (Bos taurus indicus) to crossbreeds (Figures 1 and 2). Beef production systems may also be characterized by their management intensification levels as grazing only, grazing with food supplementation, and feedlot production. The main beef-producing countries are Brazil (51.6% of the total Latin American beef production), Argentina (18.5%), Mexico (9.4%), and Colombia (5.1%). Other countries contributing more than 1% of the total regional production are Uruguay, Venezuela, Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Chile (Table 1). Latin America is a region of the world that can significantly increase its production in response to beef demand. Brazil has a mature beef cattle industry based on grass-fed cattle, in which feeding B. taurus indicus cattle, especially the Nellore breed, is a common practice. Over the last 8 years, beef production in Brazil has become one of the most important activities for employment and wealth creation. Foot-and-mouth disease issues are still a factor limiting the increase in Latin American beef exports (Ferraz and de Felício, 2010; Domingues Millen et al., 2011). Only a few Latin American countries, including Chile and Mexico, have the status of being free of this disease without vaccination. In most countries, the disease is controlled using a combination of free areas without vaccination and areas with vaccination. Other countries with a strong B. taurus indicus background in their beef cattle populations are those with large tropical areas dedicated to beef cattle production, such as Colombia, Venezuela, and Paraguay. Beef production in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and some portions of Brazil and Mexico is based mainly around the production of B. taurus taurus cattle (Peel et al., 2010; Arelovich et al., 2011; Domingues Millen et al., 2011). The Mexican beef cattle industry consists of 2 nearly separate market components. Beef producers in the northern part of Mexico have largely focused on the production of calves for export to the United States (Galyean et al., 2011). European beef genetics have been widely used in the region, beginning with importations of Hereford cattle and continuing with today’s popularity of Angus and Brangus along with several continental breeds, such as Charolais and Simmental. The central and southern regions of Mexico have historically produced grass-fed beef for the national market as well as dual-purpose dairy-Zebu crossbred cattle to produce milk and beef (Peel et al., 2010). Currently, breeding programs for the genetic evaluation of beef cattle in Latin America are based on statistical analyses in which performance and pedigree information are integrated. These analyses are based on a mixed model methodology, in particular the animal model statistical approach using best linear unbiased prediction methods to obtain estimated breeding values (EBV) for economically important traits. This methodology for obtaining EBV has been set up in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, Venezuela, and other countries. It has been established for specific purebred populations and also for some crossbred populations, such as multibreed populations with a dual purpose (beef and milk) in the Latin American humid tropics, which involve animals crossbred between B. taurus taurus and B. taurus indicus and composite breeds. Most programs focus on evaluating growth and reproductive traits, although a few have included longevity (stayability), heifer pregnancy, conformation, and carcass and meat quality traits

Diseño, aplicación y evaluación de un programa de intervención escolar para incrementar los niveles de actividad física en los adolescentes

Junto al creciente problema de la disminución de los niveles de práctica de actividad física y la generalización de una conducta sedentaria desde edades cada vez más tempranas, se constata la falta de estudios destinados a comprobar la eficacia de programas de intervención para la promoción de la actividad física y la salud. La literatura científica más reciente aboga por la promoción de la actividad física se aborde a partir de modelos ecológicos apoyándose en los centros escolares. Un cambio profundo en la conducta de los adolescentes que evidencie una mayor práctica de actividad física requiere de su implicación activa y de la transformación global de su entorno, haciendo partícipes a todos los agentes y actores que forman parte del mismo. Esta investigación consiste en tres estudios realizados en diferentes etapas durante tres cursos escolares. El primer estudio de carácter descriptivo y transversal pretende analizar y describir los niveles de actividad física, el grado de cumplimiento con las recomendaciones de práctica de actividad física saludable y las variables asociadas con dicho cumplimiento, en una muestra de adolescentes. Paralelamente a este estudio, se realiza el segundo que trata de comprender las percepciones de padres, profesores y alumnos con el propósito de obtener unas líneas básicas para la intervención que nos orienten sobre lo que se hace y se puede hacer desde los centros escolares para la promoción de la actividad física. Ambos estudios forman parte de la evaluación diagnostica que se realizó al inicio de esta investigación. El tercer estudio corresponde a un diseño cuasi-experimental y longitudinal que pretende evaluar la eficacia del programa de intervención, diseñado y aplicado en un contexto de referencia ajustándose al máximo a las circunstancias específicas de un centro de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria como foco de promoción de la actividad física. El programa de intervención integral se aplica con un carácter multi-componente, bajo las premisas del modelo social-ecológico, a través del canal curricular y no curricular. Los resultados confirman que el programa de intervención ¿Sigue la Huella¿ ha sido eficaz para incrementar los niveles diarios de actividad física moderada vigorosa y favorecer el porcentaje de estudiantes que cumplen las recomendaciones internacionales de práctica de actividad física saludable. También se confirma que todos los adolescentes que participaron en el programa, independientemente del género, consiguieron mejoras significativas en sus niveles diarios de actividad física moderada vigorosa. Finalmente, podemos afirmar que para mejorar dichos niveles es fundamental que el programa sea estable y que se desarrolle durante un largo periodo de tiempo

Neurorrestauración tras la isquemia cerebral: papel de los neurotransmisores en la neurogénesis postisquémica

Introduction. Brain ischemia and reperfusion produce alterations in the microenvironment of the parenchyma, including ATP depletion, ionic homeostasis alterations, inflammation, release of multiple cytokines and abnormal release of neurotransmitters. As a consequence, the induction of proliferation and migration of neural stem cells towards the peri-infarct region occurs. Development. The success of new neurorestorative treatments for damaged brain implies the need to know, with greater accuracy, the mechanisms in charge of regulating adult neurogenesis, both under physiological and pathological conditions. Recent evidence demonstrates that many neurotransmitters, glutamate in particular, control the subventricular zone, thus being part of the complex signalling network that influences the production of new neurons. Conclusion. Neurotransmitters provide a link between brain activity and subventricular zone neurogenesis. Therefore, a deeper knowledge of the role of neurotransmitters systems, such as glutamate and its transporters, in adult neurogenesis, may provide a valuable tool to be used as a neurorestorative therapy in this pathology.Peer Reviewe

Vulnerabilidad jurídica de la información digital de los habitantes del estado salvadoreño frente a los ciberdelitos por agentes fuera de la jurisdicción salvadoreña

La globalización y el desarrollo tecnológico ha llevado a la aldea global a la era digital o transformación digital a pasos acelerados, junto a este fenómeno van los riesgos que esto genera y por eso surge la necesidad de analizar la situación jurídica de la información digital de los habitantes del Estado salvadoreño frente a ciberdelitos por agentes fuera de la jurisdicción. Es por lo anterior que se realiza una investigación de carácter académica descriptiva con el fin de acreditar el conocimiento del tema en investigación, he ahí la presentación desde un enfoque descriptivo y sintético. La investigación es de tipo exploratoria-descriptiva por el hecho que no es tan riguroso, pero si busca recabar información que permita reconocer el fenómeno y materia en estudio. En cuanto al método que se utilizó es analítico-inductivo porque se buscó descomponer en partes el todo, yendo de lo particular a lo general y luego agrupar cada parte para realizar un análisis estructurado. El informe consta de tres aspectos principales en sus tres capítulos respectivamente, que giran en torno a la protección de la información personal digital. Primero, la evolución del derecho en materia de ciberespacio; Segundo, el marco jurídico salvadoreño en esta materia; Tercero, los retos y perspectivas en torno a la seguridad jurídica y la existencia o no de una política pública en materia de ciberseguridad y protección de la información personal digital. Finalmente, se encuentras las conclusiones y recomendaciones como resultado del análisis y estudio en la materia. Palabras claves: Información personal digital, ciberseguridad, ciberdelitos, ciberderecho, seguridad jurídica, gobernanza regional, gobernanza global