Institutional Policies, Secondary School Quality and Teacher Effects: Three Studies on Inequality of Educational Opportunity in Chile

Inequality of educational opportunity is a crucial topic in education policy, and a matter of strong debate in the Chilean context. In this thesis, I aim to identify and analyse likely drivers of educational inequality in Chile, by looking at three relevant dimensions: Teacher effectiveness, Secondary School Quality and School Systems’ Institutional Characteristics. First, in Chapter 2, I analyse how differentials on teacher effectiveness across Chilean schools from different socioeconomic status explain differentials in learning achievement in secondary education. Second, in Chapter 3, I assess how school level characteristics and other institutional features of the Chilean school system could be explaining students’ access to higher education. Third, in Chapter 4, and through an international comparison using PISA data, I study the effect of school accountability practices on educational outcomes, gathering lessons for the Chilean case

Assessment of Exercise Capacity in Post-COVID-19 Patients: How Is the Appropriate Test Chosen?

There is a wide range of sequelae affecting COVID-19 survivors, including impaired physical capacity. These sequelae can affect the quality of life and return to work of the active population. Therefore, one of the pillars of following-up is the evaluation of physical capacity, which can be assessed with field tests (such as the six-minute walk test, the one-minute standing test, the Chester step test, and the shuttle walking test) or laboratory tests (such as the cardiopulmonary exercise test). These tests can be performed in different contexts and have amply demonstrated their usefulness in the assessment of physical capacity both in post-COVID-19 patients and in other chronic respiratory, metabolic, cardiologic, or neurologic diseases. However, when traditional tests cannot be performed, physical function can be a good substitute, especially for assessing the effects of an intervention. For example, the Short Physical Performance Battery assessment and the Timed Up and Go assessment are widely accepted in older adults. Thus, the test should be chosen according to the characteristics of each subject

La participación en el aula escolar rural: un reto para la transformación

This work analyses the participation as a way to exert the right to education, as a mean to democratize the learning process and as a channel to achieve pertinence in the educational process. It assumes that parents, students and other members of the community have to be near the school and the classroom not only to collaborate with the tasks traditionally assigned to them but also to develop a new way of participation that involves a construction process of the learning process. To achieve this purpose, the authors enunciate different strategies, useful to the get school and community together.Recibido 11 de setiembre 2007 • Aprobado 20 de noviembre 2007     Este trabajo analiza el tema de la participación como un medio de ejercer el derecho a la educación, como forma de democratizar el proceso educativo y como vía para lograr pertinencia en el proceso. Se asume, que los padres, madres, estudiantes y otros miembros de la comunidad deben estar cerca de la escuela y aula, no sólo para colaborar con las tareas que tradicionalmente se les asignan a estas personas, sino para desarrollar una nueva forma de participación, que involucre la construcción de los procesos educativos. Para lograr este propósito, los autores y autoras enuncian una serie de estrategias útiles para el acercamiento entre escuela y comunidad. &nbsp

A Molecular Characterization of the Allelic Expression of the BRCA1 Founder Δ9–12 Pathogenic Variant and Its Potential Clinical Relevance in Hereditary Cancer:International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome is a genetic condition that increases the risk of breast cancer by 80% and that of ovarian cancer by 40%. The most common pathogenic variants (PVs) causing HBOC occur in the BRCA1 gene, with more than 3850 reported mutations in the gene sequence. The prevalence of specific PVs in BRCA1 has increased across populations due to the effect of founder mutations. Therefore, when a founder mutation is identified, it becomes key to improving cancer risk characterization and effective screening protocols. The only founder mutation described in the Mexican population is the deletion of exons 9 to 12 of BRCA1 (BRCA1Δ9–12), and its description focuses on the gene sequence, but no transcription profiles have been generated for individuals who carry this gene. In this study, we describe the transcription profiles of cancer patients and healthy individuals who were heterozygous for PV BRCA1Δ9–12 by analyzing the differential expression of both alleles compared with the homozygous BRCA1 control group using RT–qPCR, and we describe the isoforms produced by the BRCA1 wild-type and BRCA1Δ9–12 alleles using nanopore long-sequencing. Using the Kruskal–Wallis test, our results showed a similar transcript expression of the wild-type allele between the healthy heterozygous group and the homozygous BRCA1 control group. An association between the recurrence and increased expression of both alleles in HBOC patients was also observed. An analysis of the sequences indicated four wild-type isoforms with diagnostic potential for discerning individuals who carry the PV BRCA1Δ9–12 and identifying which of them has developed cancer

Use of glucocorticoids megadoses in SARS-CoV-2 infection in a spanish registry: SEMI-COVID-19

Objective To describe the impact of different doses of corticosteroids on the evolution of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, based on the potential benefit of the non-genomic mechanism of these drugs at higher doses. Methods Observational study using data collected from the SEMI-COVID-19 Registry. We evaluated the epidemiological, radiological and analytical scenario between patients treated with megadoses therapy of corticosteroids vs low-dose of corticosteroids and the development of complications. The primary endpoint was all-cause in-hospital mortality according to use of corticosteroids megadoses. Results Of a total of 14,921 patients, corticosteroids were used in 5,262 (35.3%). Of them, 2,216 (46%) specifically received megadoses. Age was a factor that differed between those who received megadoses therapy versus those who did not in a significant manner (69 years [IQR 59-79] vs 73 years [IQR 61-83]; p < .001). Radiological and analytical findings showed a higher use of megadoses therapy among patients with an interstitial infiltrate and elevated inflammatory markers associated with COVID-19. In the univariate study it appears that steroid use is associated with increased mortality (OR 2.07 95% CI 1.91-2.24 p < .001) and megadose use with increased survival (OR 0.84 95% CI 0.75-0.96, p 0.011), but when adjusting for possible confounding factors, it is observed that the use of megadoses is also associated with higher mortality (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.32-1.80; p < .001). There is no difference between megadoses and low-dose (p.298). Although, there are differences in the use of megadoses versus low-dose in terms of complications, mainly infectious, with fewer pneumonias and sepsis in the megadoses group (OR 0.82 95% CI 0.71-0.95; p < .001 and OR 0.80 95% CI 0.65-0.97; p < .001) respectively. Conclusion There is no difference in mortality with megadoses versus low-dose, but there is a lower incidence of infectious complications with glucocorticoid megadoses

Research priorities for maintaining biodiversity’s contributions to people in Latin America

Maintaining biodiversity is crucial for ensuring human well-being. The authors participated in a workshop held in Palenque, Mexico, in August 2018, that brought together 30 mostly early-career scientists working in different disciplines (natural, social and economic sciences) with the aim of identifying research priorities for studying the contributions of biodiversity to people and how these contributions might be impacted by environmental change. Five main groups of questions emerged: (1) Enhancing the quantity, quality, and availability of biodiversity data; (2) Integrating different knowledge systems; (3) Improved methods for integrating diverse data; (4) Fundamental questions in ecology and evolution; and (5) Multi-level governance across boundaries. We discuss the need for increased capacity building and investment in research programmes to address these challenges

Energy Estimation of Cosmic Rays with the Engineering Radio Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) is part of the Pierre Auger Observatory and is used to detect the radio emission of cosmic-ray air showers. These observations are compared to the data of the surface detector stations of the Observatory, which provide well-calibrated information on the cosmic-ray energies and arrival directions. The response of the radio stations in the 30 to 80 MHz regime has been thoroughly calibrated to enable the reconstruction of the incoming electric field. For the latter, the energy deposit per area is determined from the radio pulses at each observer position and is interpolated using a two-dimensional function that takes into account signal asymmetries due to interference between the geomagnetic and charge-excess emission components. The spatial integral over the signal distribution gives a direct measurement of the energy transferred from the primary cosmic ray into radio emission in the AERA frequency range. We measure 15.8 MeV of radiation energy for a 1 EeV air shower arriving perpendicularly to the geomagnetic field. This radiation energy -- corrected for geometrical effects -- is used as a cosmic-ray energy estimator. Performing an absolute energy calibration against the surface-detector information, we observe that this radio-energy estimator scales quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy as expected for coherent emission. We find an energy resolution of the radio reconstruction of 22% for the data set and 17% for a high-quality subset containing only events with at least five radio stations with signal.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Measurement of the Radiation Energy in the Radio Signal of Extensive Air Showers as a Universal Estimator of Cosmic-Ray Energy

We measure the energy emitted by extensive air showers in the form of radio emission in the frequency range from 30 to 80 MHz. Exploiting the accurate energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory, we obtain a radiation energy of 15.8 \pm 0.7 (stat) \pm 6.7 (sys) MeV for cosmic rays with an energy of 1 EeV arriving perpendicularly to a geomagnetic field of 0.24 G, scaling quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy. A comparison with predictions from state-of-the-art first-principle calculations shows agreement with our measurement. The radiation energy provides direct access to the calorimetric energy in the electromagnetic cascade of extensive air showers. Comparison with our result thus allows the direct calibration of any cosmic-ray radio detector against the well-established energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DOI. Supplemental material in the ancillary file

Kwapa: Gente del río. Estrategias transmedia de impacto social

En este reporte se encuentra toda la documentación del trabajo realizado durante el período de otoño 2022 dentro del proyecto de aplicación profesional Alter Código en el cual se siguió trabajando en la realización del videojuego “A orillas del río” y en la producción del documental de etnoficción “Déjennos pescar”. En el documental etnoficción se tuvo como objetivo principal el rodaje en comunidades cucapá en Baja California, a partir de esto se implementaron diversas estrategias para lograrlo. Como resultado de lo anterior, se abrió un crowdfunding junto con una estrategia de difusión en redes sociales que incluyó, además, la participación en el festival universitario y la producción de stickers para lograr mayor impacto. En el videojuego el objetivo principal consistió en desarrollar una demo jugable cuyo resultado deja definida una dirección concreta para continuar a futuro. Además, permite mostrar las herramientas que se van a implementar como tomar objetos, seleccionar, agarrar e interactuar entre personajes y el entorno. En términos de colaboración se creó un cuadernillo ilustrado para mostrar a niños y adolescentes cucapá y, de este modo, sentar las bases de retroalimentación respecto al desarrollo de la historia y diseño de personajes. Por último, el viaje de producción proveyó de material para seguir desarrollando eldocumental, al mismo tiempo que permitió al equipo de videojuego sentar las bases de una retroalimentación con base en una metodología, desde la perspectiva emic, en la que nuestros colaboradores son co-productores del sentido.ITESO, A.C