Making the match between content and foreign language: A case study on university students’ opinions towards CLIL

The present article intends to show the positive evaluation of post-graduate university students at a Spanish university after the curricular integration experience and the application of CLIL scaffolding techniques. It also aims to identify areas of methodological improvements and recommendations in the application of CLIL in the referred programme as well as in higher education contexts. The researchers used a cross-sectional study to survey the students’ opinion on ICL after the integration of the syllabus of one foreign language subject and another content subject in a post-graduate degree at a private Spanish university in Madrid (Spain). The results point to a positive view of CLIL from Spanish higher education post-graduate students. The survey results also seem to show the students’ confidence in CLIL for their English-led classes aids them to simultaneously increase their foreign language acquisition and their nonlinguistic contents learning. However, researchers detected certain linguistic scaffolding aspects appear to need further students’ training and teachers’ methodological adjustments, as they can negatively affect learners’ engagement and hence, their learning outcomes. The authors note more research is needed to collect data from a wider population and increase the reliability of the results.DOI: 10.18870/hlrc.v5i1.23

Monitoring fructooligossacharides production using Aspergillus aculeatus by HPLC ELSD

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are present in plants and fruits at low concentrations, thus their extraction from natural sources may not be economically viable for a large scale industrial application. Therefore, FOS production by fermentation using fungi can be an alternative. In this work, FOS were produced using Aspergillus aculeatus at different sucrose initial concentrations (88 to 265 g/L) and at temperatures from 22 to 32ºC. FOS production was monitored by HPLC-ELSD, allowing to confirm that the initial sucrose concentration significantly influenced biomass growth (a maximum value of 16 ± 2 g was achieved) although it did not significantly affect the maximum FOS yield (amount of FOS produced per initial sucrose) obtained, which varied from 51 to 59 g/g) obtained, which varied from 51 to 59 g/g. Finally, the preliminary results enabled verifying that depending on the fermentation conditions, slightly different FOS production profiles were obtained (Figure 1), revealing differences in the individual FOS concentrations (i.e., 1-kestose, nystose and fructofuranosylnystose), which could be of interest since it has been reported that the beneficial health effects of FOS may depend on the relative FOS composition.This work was also financially supported by Project POCI-01–0145-FEDER-006984–Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM, UID/AGR/00690/2013 –CIMO and UID/BIO/04469/2013 funded by FEDER - Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional through COMPETE2020-Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) – and by national funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Diseño de un sistema de enrutamiento inteligente de email para la gestión de consultas y reclamos del Banco de Crédito BCP utilizando el framework Genesys y la metodología COM

En la actualidad el Contact Center del Banco de Crédito BCP no lleva una adecuada gestión de consultas y reclamos de los clientes del Banco de Crédito BCP, debido a que ellos al enviar sus emails de consultas y/o reclamos con lleva la generación de una cola de espera en la bandeja de entrada del pool de agentes encargados, por lo cual no son respondidos a tiempo inmediato, y por ende se genera la disconformidad de los clientes. A este escenario se requiere una solución que satisfaga las necesidades de la organización, para ello se ha diseñado un Sistema de Enrutamiento Inteligente de email para gestionar eficientemente los procesos de consultas y reclamos, el cual se ha desarrollado bajo la metodología COM y las tecnologías Framework Genesys y SQL Server 2005. Con la puesta en marcha de esta solución el Contact Center del Banco de Crédito BCP logrará obtener una respuesta más rápida a sus clientes y logrará una óptima gestión de consultas y reclamos, y de esta manera lograr una mejor atención al cliente vía email.Nowadays the Contact Center of the “Banco de Crédito BCP” has not adequate management of inquiries and complaints from customers of the bank, because when they send emails of inquiries and/or complaints it generates a waiting queue in the inbox of the pool of agents in charge, so these emails aren’t reply immediately, and therefore is generated a dissatisfaction to the customer. This scenario requires a solution that meets the needs of the organization, for it has designed an Intelligent Routing System of email in order to efficiently manage inquiries and complaints processes, which has been developed under the methodology COM and technologies Framework Genesys and SQL Server 2005. With the implementation of this solution the Contact Center of the “Banco de Crédito BCP” achieved to obtain a faster response to customers and achieve optimal management of inquiries and complaints, and this way achieve a better customer service via email.Tesi

Relación entre la presencia de Malassezia Pachydermatis y los signos clínicos encontrados en cuadros de otitis crónicas caninas en una población de perros de raza Podenco canarios

El papel que desempeña Malassezia pachydermatis como factor perpetuante en las otitis externas caninas ha sido muy discutido. Dada la problemática que presentan las otitis en la clínica veterinaria, hemos intentado determinar la relación existente entre las manifestaciones clínicas de otitis externas crónicas caninas, y la presencia de esta levadura en los oídos de perros de raza Podenco canario. A los perros se les realizó una exploración física general, toma de muestras de ambos conductos auditivos externos, video otoscopia, y toma de biopsias de dichos conductos. Se realizó un contaje de M. pachydermatis por campo en cada una de las muestras a mil aumentos, y con objetivo de inmersión. Los resultados citológicos fueron comparados con los obtenidos de los cultivos en placa, los signos y lesiones encontrados en la exploración y con los hallados en las biopsias. Más de la mitad dé los perros estudiados padecían otitis crónica, siendo la forma eritematosa-ceruminosa la más comúnmente diagnosticada. Se aisló M. pachydermatis en el 54'28% de los conductos auditivos externos(CAE) con signos clínicos o lesiones. Como conclusión, comprobamos que el contaje por campos de esta levadura a mil aumentos en los frotis de las muestras, es un método bastante fiable para determinar el papel patógeno de M. pachydermatis en los cuadros de otitis crónicas caninas, y para decidir si instaurar o no un tratamiento antifúngica frente a las mismas a la espera de pruebas diagnósticas más concluyentes

Extracorporeal shock waves alone or combined with raloxifene promote bone formation and suppress resorption in ovariectomized rats

Osteoporosis is a metabolic skeletal disease characterized by an imbalance between osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and osteoblast-mediated bone formation. We examined the beneficial effect of shock waves (SW) alone or in combination with raloxifene (RAL) on bone loss in ovariectomized rats (OVX). Sixteen weeks after surgery, OVX were treated for five weeks with SW at the antero-lateral side of the right hind leg, one session weekly, at 3 Hz (EFD of 0.33 mJ/mm2), or with RAL (5 mg/kg/die, per os) or with SW+RAL. Sera, femurs, tibiae and vertebrae were sampled for following biochemical and histological analysis. SW, alone or combined with RAL, prevented femur weight reduction and the deterioration of trabecular microarchitecture both in femur and vertebrae. All treatments increased Speed of Sound (SoS) values, improving bone mineral density, altered by OVX. Serum parameters involved in bone remodeling (alkaline phosphatase, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand, osteoprotegerin) and osteoblast proliferation (PTH), altered by ovariectomy, were restored by SW and RAL alone or in combination. In tibiae, SW+RAL significantly reduced cathepsin k and TNF-α levels, indicating the inhibition of osteoclast activity, while all treatments significantly increased runt-related transcription factor 2 and bone morphogenetic-2 expression, suggesting an increase in osteoblastogenic activity. Finally, in bone marrow from tibiae, SW or RAL reduced PPARγ and adiponectin transcription, indicating a shift of mesenchymal cells toward osteoblastogenesis, without showing a synergistic effect. Our data indicate SW therapy, alone and in combination with raloxifene, as an innovative strategy to limit the hypoestrogenic bone loss, restoring the balance between bone formation and resorption

Hydroxytyrosol prevents metabolic impairment reducing hepatic inflammation and restoring duodenal integrity in a rat model of NAFLD.

The potential mechanisms of action of polyphenols in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are overlooked. Here, we evaluate the beneficial therapeutic effects of hydroxytyrosol (HT), the major metabolite of the oleuropein, in a nutritional model of insulin resistance (IR) and NAFLD by high-fat diet. Young male rats were divided into three groups receiving (1) standard diet (STD; 10.5% fat), (2) high-fat diet (HFD; 58.0% fat) and (3) HFD+HT (10 mg/kg/day by gavage). After 5 weeks, the oral glucose tolerance test was performed, and at 6th week, blood sample and tissues (liver and duodenum) were collected for following determinations. The HT-treated rats showed a marked reduction in serum AST, ALT and cholesterol and improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, reducing homeostasis model assessment index. HT significantly corrected the metabolic impairment induced by HFD, increasing hepatic peroxisome proliferator activated receptor PPAR-α and its downstream-regulated gene fibroblast growth factor 21, the phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and the mRNA carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a. HT also reduced liver inflammation and nitrosative/oxidative stress decreasing the nitrosylation of proteins, reactive oxygen species production and lipid peroxidation. Moreover, HT restored intestinal barrier integrity and functions (fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran permeability and mRNA zona occludens ZO-1). Our data demonstrate the beneficial effect of HT in the prevention of early inflammatory events responsible for the onset of IR and steatosis, reducing hepatic inflammation and nitrosative/oxidative stress and restoring glucose homeostasis and intestinal barrier integrity

Long-Term Real-World Effectiveness and Safety of Ustekinumab in Crohn’s Disease Patients: The SUSTAIN Study

Background Large real-world-evidence studies are required to confirm the durability of response, effectiveness, and safety of ustekinumab in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients in real-world clinical practice. Methods A retrospective, multicentre study was conducted in Spain in patients with active CD who had received ≥1 intravenous dose of ustekinumab for ≥6 months. Primary outcome was ustekinumab retention rate; secondary outcomes were to identify predictive factors for drug retention, short-term remission (week 16), loss of response and predictive factors for short-term efficacy and loss of response, and ustekinumab safety. Results A total of 463 patients were included. Mean baseline Harvey-Bradshaw Index was 8.4. A total of 447 (96.5%) patients had received prior biologic therapy, 141 (30.5%) of whom had received ≥3 agents. In addition, 35.2% received concomitant immunosuppressants, and 47.1% had ≥1 abdominal surgery. At week 16, 56% had remission, 70% had response, and 26.1% required dose escalation or intensification; of these, 24.8% did not subsequently reduce dose. After a median follow-up of 15 months, 356 (77%) patients continued treatment. The incidence rate of ustekinumab discontinuation was 18% per patient-year of follow-up. Previous intestinal surgery and concomitant steroid treatment were associated with higher risk of ustekinumab discontinuation, while a maintenance schedule every 12 weeks had a lower risk; neither concomitant immunosuppressants nor the number of previous biologics were associated with ustekinumab discontinuation risk. Fifty adverse events were reported in 39 (8.4%) patients; 4 of them were severe (2 infections, 1 malignancy, and 1 fever). Conclusions Ustekinumab is effective and safe as short- and long-term treatment in a refractory cohort of CD patients in real-world clinical practice

Using Interpretable Machine Learning to Identify Baseline Predictive Factors of Remission and Drug Durability in Crohn’s Disease Patients on Ustekinumab

Ustekinumab has shown efficacy in Crohn's Disease (CD) patients. To identify patient profiles of those who benefit the most from this treatment would help to position this drug in the therapeutic paradigm of CD and generate hypotheses for future trials. The objective of this analysis was to determine whether baseline patient characteristics are predictive of remission and the drug durability of ustekinumab, and whether its positioning with respect to prior use of biologics has a significant effect after correcting for disease severity and phenotype at baseline using interpretable machine learning. Patients' data from SUSTAIN, a retrospective multicenter single-arm cohort study, were used. Disease phenotype, baseline laboratory data, and prior treatment characteristics were documented. Clinical remission was defined as the Harvey Bradshaw Index <= 4 and was tracked longitudinally. Drug durability was defined as the time until a patient discontinued treatment. A total of 439 participants from 60 centers were included and a total of 20 baseline covariates considered. Less exposure to previous biologics had a positive effect on remission, even after controlling for baseline disease severity using a non-linear, additive, multivariable model. Additionally, age, body mass index, and fecal calprotectin at baseline were found to be statistically significant as independent negative risk factors for both remission and drug survival, with further risk factors identified for remission