The effects of asynchronous computer voice conferencing on learners\u27 anxiety when speaking a foreign language

This study investigated the influence of asynchronous computer voice conferencing on learners\u27 anxiety when speaking in a foreign language. The technology chosen was the voice board powered by Wimba. Three research questions guided this study: Research Question 1: What is the learners\u27 perception of their language anxiety when speaking in the asynchronous computer voice conferencing environment?, Research Questions 2: How empowered do the learners feel to take risks in the asynchronous computer voice conferencing environment?, and Research Question 3: How concerned are the learners about being evaluated by others when making oral mistakes in the foreign language in the asynchronous computer voice conferencing environment?;The study involved both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The population for the quantitative component of this study consisted of 35 students enrolled in two sections of college-level Intermediate Spanish 2 (Spanish 204). Four questionnaires were used to gather the quantitative data of this study: A demographic survey, the Computer Anxiety Index (CAIN), the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), and the Wimba Anxiety Scale. Using purposeful sampling methods, four participants were interviewed for the qualitative component of this investigation. In addition, a rubric was designed and used for the evaluation of risk-taking in student contributions to the Wimba and classroom discussions.;Results indicate that there was a strong potential for the reduction of anxiety associated with the voice board. A number of students experienced a reduction of their level of anxiety due to the elimination of the time pressure of the classroom and opportunity to edit their contributions. The conditions of the point of access to the technology were found to have a negative effect on student anxiety on the voice board. A negative attitude towards going to the language laboratory, technical difficulties during the Wimba activities, and instructional time had a negative effect on the level of anxiety. Increased risk-taking in oral contributions and reduced fear of negative evaluation were also found in the Wimba environment

The COVID-19 pandemic and the degree of persistence of US stock prices and bond yields.

This paper analyses the possible effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the degree of persistence of US monthly stock prices and bond yields using fractional integration techniques. The model is estimated first over the period January 1966-December 2020 and then a recursive approach is taken to examine whether or not persistence has changed during the following pandemic period (up to February 2021). We find that the unit root hypothesis cannot be rejected for stock prices while for bond yields the results differ depending on the maturity date and the specification of the error term. In general, bond yields appear to be more persistent, although there is evidence of mean reversion in case of 1-year yields under the assumption of autocorrelated errors. The recursive analysis shows no impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the persistence of stock prices, whilst there is an increase in the case of both 10- and 1- year bond yields but not of their spread.pre-print201 K

Persistence, non-linearities and structural breaks in European stock market indices.

This paper examines persistence, structural breaks and non-linearities in the case of five European stock market indices, namely the FTSE100 (UK), DAX30 (Germany), CAC40 (France), IBEX35 (Spain) and FTSE MIB40 (Italy), using fractional integration methods. The empirical results provide no evidence of non-linearities in either prices or returns; the former are found to exhibit unit roots and the latter to be I(0) in most cases. Further, between 2 and 4 structural breaks are found for each of the return series, and mean reversion in some subsamples.pre-print715 K

Inflation in the G7 countries: persistence and structural breaks.

This paper examines long-range dependence in the inflation rates of the G7 countries by estimating their (fractional) order of integration d over the sample period January 1973—March 2020. The results indicate that the series are very persistent, the estimated value of d being equal to or higher than 1 in all cases. Possible non-linearities in the form of Chebyshev polynomials in time are ruled out. Endogenous break tests are then carried out, and the degree of integration is estimated for each of the subsamples corresponding to the detected break dates. Significant differences are found between subsamples and countries in terms of the estimated degree of integration of the series, which is likely to be related to the reputation and credibility of the monetary authorities.post-print669 K

How has the announcement of the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccine impacted the market?

As COVID-19 has hit the whole world hard, finding a vaccine that alleviates its effects has been one of the most anticipated events in 2020. This work studies the impact of the two main events in 2020 on companies’ stock exchange activities: announcing COVID19 as a world pandemic and announcing the first coronavirus vaccine. This study was carried out by an event study methodology using Nasdaq-100 data. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and quantile (Q) regression were used to obtain the returns expected from shares and to assess if there were any significant differences in the reactions of the analysed sectors on the market in each event window. The obtained empirical results show different share performances by sectors. Specifically, only those shares from the technology sector positively and significantly reacted to the first announcement. However, the opposite can be stated of the second event insofar as confidence in financial markets recovered to a greater extent in the sectors hardest hit by the first announcement. These conclusions are meaningful for companies, investors and governments to make better decisions or to adopt new policies

A Review of metabolic staging in severely injured patients

An interpretation of the metabolic response to injury in patients with severe accidental or surgical trauma is made. In the last century, various authors attributed a meaning to the post-traumatic inflammatory response by using teleological arguments. Their interpretations of this response, not only facilitates integrating the knowledge, but also the flow from the bench to the bedside, which is the main objective of modern translational research. The goal of the current review is to correlate the metabolic changes with the three phenotypes -ischemia-reperfusion, leukocytic and angiogenic- that the patients express during the evolution of the systemic inflammatory response. The sequence in the expression of multiple metabolic systems that becomes progressively more elaborate and complex in severe injured patients urges for more detailed knowledge in order to establish the most adequate metabolic support according to the evolutive phase. Thus, clinicians must employ different treatment strategies based on the different metabolic phases when caring for this challenging patient population. Perhaps, the best therapeutic option would be to favor early hypometabolism during the ischemia-reperfusion phase, to boost the antienzymatic metabolism and to reduce hypermetabolism during the leukocytic phase through the early administration of enteral nutrition and the modulation of the acute phase response. Lastly, the early epithelial regeneration of the injured organs and tissues by means of an oxidative metabolism would reduce the fibrotic sequelae in these severely injured patients

Digital-distance-education: a step back?

In recent years, educational research has focused on implementing digitalization in education. However, the imposed practice of distance learning due to COVID 19 has shown that distance teaching still has a long path to follow to evolve. The digital platforms and methodologies available for use are still far from promoting real interaction and a way to manage emotions at a distance - the essence of face-to-face teaching. Based on the last months' challenging experience of distance teaching, it is clear that HEIs have to rethink their actions in this field and plan ahead. To help build an answer, we have developed a study to assess the impact that this time of digital distance learning has had on the lives of students and teachers and the results it has brought to academic and social life. The study was developed using questionnaires and interviews with students who, in the last months, have experienced distance learning with synchronous classes and whose evaluation was almost exclusively carried out at distance.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Socioeconomic Position and the Health Gradient in Cuba: Dimensions and Mechanisms

Background: To throw light on the under-researched association between socioeconomic position (SEP) and health in Cuba, this study examined SEP gradients in health and their underlying mechanisms among urban Cuban adults aged 18-65. Methods: By applying linear regressions to data from the 2010 National Survey on Risk Factors and Chronic Diseases, the analysis explored the SEP-health gradient along three SEP dimensions-education, occupation, and skin colour-using ten health measures: Self-reported health (SRH), general and abdominal obesity, hypertension, high glucose, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, and cumulative risk factors. Regressions also included behaviours and health-related risk perceptions (tobacco and alcohol consumption, diet, physical activity, and risk-related behaviours). It thus investigated the SEP-health gradient and its underlying mechanisms via both behaviours and health-related risk perceptions. Results: Once controlling for gender, age, marital status, region and provincial dummies, the analysis detected educational gradients in SRH (estimated coefficient [95% CI]: Middle-level education = 3.535 [1.329, 5.741], p \u3c 0.01; high-level education = 5.249 [3.050, 7.448], p \u3c 0.01) that are partially explainable by both health-affecting behaviours (tobacco and alcohol consumption, diet, physical and sedentary activity) and risk perceptions. Using objective measures of health, however, it found no SEP-health gradients other than hypertension among people identified as having Black skin color (adjusted for demographic variables, 0.060 [0.018, 0.101], p \u3c 0.01) and high cholesterol among those identified as having Mulatto or Mestizo skin color (adjusted for demographic variables,-0.066 [-0.098,-0.033], p \u3c 0.01). Conclusions: In terms of objective health measures, the study provides minimal evidence for an SEP-health gradient in Cuba, results primarily attributable to the country\u27s universal healthcare system-which offers full coverage and access and affordable medications- A nd its highly developed education system

La coevaluación del equipo versus el resultado académico

[EN] This paper deals with the implementation of a system of peer assessment of collaborative work as a tool to measure students level of awareness of the work done in groups. Then, their collaborative work perception is compared with the academic results obtained by the group. The teacher provides a rubric for assessing the ability of collaborative group work. This group reflection on the methods and skills developed by working as a unit encourages critical analysis of individuals. The application of this methodology intends to provide information to the group, and teachers , to better understand the value that the group makes about its capabilities and compare those with their academic results.[ES] En este trabajo se describe la implementación de un sistema de coevaluación del trabajo colaborativo de los alumnos como herramienta para medir el nivel de conciencia que los alumnos adquieren del trabajo desarrollado grupalmente, y comparar su percepción con los resultados académicos obtenidos por el grupo. El docente proporciona una rúbrica de evaluación de la capacidad de trabajo colaborativo del grupo. Con ello se fomenta la reflexión grupal sobre los procedimientos y aptitudes desarrollados en el ejercicio del trabajo colaborativo, y así fomentar el análisis crítico de los individuos como una unidad de trabajo. A través de esta metodología se pretende aportar información al grupo, y al docente, para conocer mejor la valoración que el grupo hace sobre sus capacidades y compararlos con los resultados académicos obtenidos. Palabras clave: trabajo colaborativo, coevaluación, resultados académicos, análisis crítico.Domenech, J.; De La Poza, E.; Vincent Vela, MC.; Lloret Mauri, J. (2015). La coevaluación del equipo versus el resultado académico. En In-Red 2015 - CONGRESO NACIONAL DE INNOVACIÓN EDUCATIVA Y DE DOCENCIA EN RED. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2015.2015.1648OC

Actininopathy : A new muscular dystrophy caused by ACTN2 dominant mutations

Objective To clinically and pathologically characterize a cohort of patients presenting with a novel form of distal myopathy and to identify the genetic cause of this new muscular dystrophy. Methods We studied 4 families (3 from Spain and 1 from Sweden) suffering from an autosomal dominant distal myopathy. Affected members showed adult onset asymmetric distal muscle weakness with initial involvement of ankle dorsiflexion later progressing also to proximal limb muscles. Results In all 3 Spanish families, we identified a unique missense variant in the ACTN2 gene cosegregating with the disease. The affected members of the Swedish family carry a different ACTN2 missense variant. Interpretation ACTN2 encodes for alpha actinin2, which is highly expressed in the sarcomeric Z-disk with a major structural and functional role. Actininopathy is thus a new genetically determined distal myopathy. ANN NEUROL 2019;85:899-906.Peer reviewe