Medical diagnostics using designed molecules with sense and logic

Luminescent molecules responsive to cations, anions and even small molecules can be designed with the appropriate selectivity and sensitivity for monitoring physiological and pathological levels of analytes. We highlight some recent examples of designed molecules that can sense for a specific analyte or a combination of analytes in blood and in living cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate how molecules can be designed with built-in algorithms according to principles of Boolean logic to perform information processing. The potential future application of molecular systems able to perform multi-analyte sensing as `lab-on-a-molecule' systems for medical and environmental diagnostics is also presented.peer-reviewe

Matemáticas y movimiento. Modelación de fenómenos de variación mediados por la TI 92 y el CBR

La modelación es un proceso propio de las matemáticas que permite explicar fenómenos físicos o naturales con un diagrama, una ecuación, una descripción verbal u otro, a partir de datos recogidos. Este proceso permite hacer predicciones por lo que dicha actividad matemática se pone ahora al alcance de los alumnos y docentes de la Educación Básica y Media, gracias a los recursos computacionales e informáticos, que se están incorporando en las aulas. El taller se realizará en cuatro horas, teniendo como apoyo la calculadora TI 92, datos tomados de fenómenos de movimiento y guías preparadas para las actividades de este. Se iniciará el taller con una revisión del funcionamiento básico de la calculadora, el editor de funciones y la pantalla de gráficas. Se examinarán las características del CBR y del programa ranger y se hará una captura de datos. A partir de la gráfica, se hará un análisis del movimiento. Los datos capturados corresponden a la distancia recorrida por una pelota que rueda por una rampa. Se harán ajustes a la gráfica a partir del editor de funciones y de las posibilidades de cálculos de regresión que permite la calculadora. Se revisará la función resultante que modela el movimiento de la pelota y se examinarán los resultados a la luz del fenómeno estudiado

Potential application of a measurement tool for quality assurance of E-Learning content to a new MSc in Aerospace Engineering

While witnessing how rapidly and frequently the human life-sustaining structure of society has changed from the past to modern times, the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic presented us a unique challenge, moving a considerable part of our life more than ever online and showing us the signs that a new era has begun. While the access to information is enormous, there is a lack of proper skills in selecting the best options available to upgrade one’s educational status. Considering how fast education tools are evolving, it has become important to carry out new studies in order to increase and boost the Quality Assurance for E-learning processes in Education. In this context, recently in Malta a new Aerospace Programme kicked off through an MSc in Aerospace Engineering. This Master's has been structured as part-time and online, aiming to attract undergraduates and professionals in aeronautics from Europe, Asia and Africa, providing the skills required by national and international aerospace companies. For these reasons, the course has been chosen as a test case for the potential application of a measurement tool for its E-Learning content quality assurance. This paper describes the preliminary analysis to assess the main Quality Measurement parameter. An uncertainty parameter will be associated with the measurement, which will be improved with the increasing size of the statistical sample and iterations. The uncertainty parameter includes measurement errors, sampling errors, variability, use of surrogate data and the combined effect of assumptions that will be necessary to do in the preliminary phase due to the novelty of the study. Projections suggest that in the proposed study case of the MSc in Aerospace Engineering, the Quality Measurement parameter value will increase in the next few years, thanks to continuous investments, the sharpening of teaching and learning tools, and the growth of interest from the Maltese aerospace sector; it is expected that the uncertainty of the model will similarly decreas

Exploring the process of building academic vocabulary through academic readings among english language learners at an english language teaching program

Este estudio parte de la hipótesis que contempla la posibilidad de que los textos académicos pueden promover el aprendizaje de vocabulario académico, principalmente al ser expuestos de forma constante a ellos, dentro de un contexto de aprendizaje significativo. Coady (1997) asevera que el desarrollo de vocabulario en los estudiantes depende del nivel de exposición al lenguaje que desean aprender. Cuando a los estudiantes de Ingles se les provee de lecturas ricas en contenido y vocabulario comprensible, se incrementan las posibilidades de que adquieran una buena suficiencia en lenguaje académico. El programa de Enseñanza de la Lengua Inglesa en la Universidad New Judea proponía las condiciones ideales para explorar, a través de una investigación cualitativa, cómo tres estudiantes interactuaban con textos académicos, y hasta que punto esta exposición, les permitió aprender vocabulario académico nuevo. Mediante el uso de observaciones, entrevistas semi- estructuradas y ejercicios escritos, los participantes expusieron una constante predisposición por aprender vocabulario académico nuevo, diferentes maneras de aprender el significado de dichos términos y una favorable respuesta a la enseñanza explicita de terminología nueva. Los participantes mostraron también como la exposición a lecturas académicas afectó, de una manera directa su aprehensión de nuevos términos académicos. Los hallazgos de este estudio sugieren que los estudiantes de Ingles tienen voluntad de aprender vocabulario nuevo cuando se les da la oportunidad de discutir acerca de sus significados dentro del salón de clase. Este estudio también resalta la importancia que tienen para los estudiantes los diccionarios (online, en Ingles y bilingües) en el proceso mismo del aprendizaje de nueva terminología académica. Dentro de los hallazgos encontrados en este estudio también podemos resaltar las estrategias cognitivas de las cuales los participantes hicieron uso, tales como la inferencia, la identificación y las conexiones lógicas de términos. Los resultados de este estudio han señalado, una vez más, la relación existente entre textos y términos de la cual el programa de Licenciatura en Enseñanza de la Lengua Inglesa no puede prescindir. Es importante entonces generar espacios educativos en los cuales el estudiante tenga la posibilidad de ser enseñado en estrategias y herramientas de aprendizaje de términos, los cuales pueden derivar ó no, en una mejor accesibilidad a los textos académicos (Marzano, 2005)

Gli idioms: un aspetto centrale della competenza lessicale

il saggio prende in considerazione alcuni aspetti psicolinguistici degli idioms, come ad esempio la cristallizzazione e la flessibilità; l'opacità e la trasparenza e la frequenza d'uso al fine di determinare implicazioni utili all'apprendimento e all'insegnaento delle forme idiomatiche, argomento spesso trascurato nella didattica delle lingue

Il ruolo delle emozioni in contesto glotto-geragogico

Emotions play a key role in human life. Indeed, emotions are essential for human life so much that the survival of the human species would be compromised in the absence of emotions. Emotions have an important biological function and they play a fundamental role in the human adaptation during the evolution processes. Emotions guide our decisions, goals, and interests. They are involved in the development of judgments and opinions on the world around us and they contribute significantly to the social and sentimental interaction of the individual within the society in which he/she lives. Given these premises, in this paper it will be argued the fundamental role of emotions in the learning processes and their deep connection with the cognitive functions. In particular, the increasing importance of emotions during human life will be taken in consideration. In this perspective, it will be highlighted that the elderly appreciate emotions and emotional experiences and several studies confirm that the processing of emotions do not deteriorate in the elderly, but rather they are improved. Therefore, for the language education of the elderly, emotions must be considered a central aspect

La memoria a lungo termine nell’invecchiamento. Implicazioni per l’educazione linguistica degli anziani

Abstract Since long ago investigations about human memory in psychological and neuropsychological fields have assumed that human memory cannot be represented as a unitary concept. Memory skills are to be considered as a set of interacting processes and systems which have particular functional properties and involve several neural areas. The memory processes include operations such as the encoding of input by the sensorial memory and attentional processes, the keeping and elaboration of input by the short-term memory and working memory. These latter operations are essential for developing the cognitive functions useful for learning, reasoning and problem solving. The memory processes also include the phases of information storage and retrieval which make available the information for the necessary cognitive (and emotional) activities which the individual play in interacting with the world. Long-term memory is responsible for the phases of storage and retrieval of information. It has the task of organizing and associating knowledges of a different nature in a stable and functional way for recovering them. This paper intends to describe the main aspects of the long-term memory from the perspective of aging, in order to establish some useful linguistic implications from the point of view of a language education for the elderly

LA COMPRENSIONE E PRODUZIONE DI IDIOMS ASPETTI PSICOLINGUISTICI E RIFLESSIONI GLOTTODIDATTICHE

Nelle interazioni quotidiane si utilizzano molto spesso metafore, espressioniidiomatiche e unità lessicali che possiedono un forte grado di idiomaticità. Il linguaggiofigurato non appartiene, infatti, solo alla retorica di poeti e scrittori, ma rappresenta unarisorsa imprescindibile per ogni parlante nei contesti comunicativi di ogni giorno. Frasiidiomatiche, collocazioni, co-occorrenze, forme routinizzate e cristallizzate costituisconouna componente rilevante del corpus lessicale di una lingua. Tuttavia, per la loro stessanatura, esse presentano alcune difficoltà nel loro apprendimento. Tali espressioni, infatti,sono trasparenti all'interno di una determinata comunità linguistica, ma possono essereincomprensibili o di difficile interpretazione per coloro che apprendono una linguastraniera, perché in molti casi in esse il significato normale delle parole viene disatteso.Inoltre, nella prassi didattica e nei testi, la riflessione sul linguaggio figurato vienegeneralmente trascurata e l'apprendimento delle espressioni idiomatiche è spessorelegato ad attività poco significative e marginali. Nel presente contributo sono descrittele caratteristiche principali delle forme idiomatiche sotto il profilo psicolinguistico evengono proposte alcune indicazioni metodologiche, nella speranza che nei corsi dilingua si risvegli una nuova attenzione verso il lessico ed in particolare verso gli aspettidel linguaggio figurato e degli idioms

Very process of living together educates: learning in, from and for co-operative life in rural Malta

This dissertation contributes to our knowledge about the development of Maltese cooperatives, placing the process in a wider historical and ideological perspective. More importantly it delves into the learning that goes on in and around co-operatives. Finally it contributes to the discussion about the potential which co-operatives have in enabling communities to work towards a more equitable world. Three were the guiding questions. What do people learn in the co-op, as they get involved in setting up and running a community-owned enterprise? What do people learn from the co-op, as they interact with it in its day-to-day business? What do people learn for the co-op, as they turn towards co-operation to create a more equitable world? To answer these questions, I first conducted research about the origins of co-operation in Britain, the dissemination of the model across the British Empire, and its development in Malta. Then I conducted a case study research with two Maltese rural co-operatives, one at the village of Mġarr, the Mġarr Farmers’ Co-operative Society, and the other located at Manikata, Koperattiva Rurali Manikata. I interviewed ten co-operators from each case study, followed up by a group discussion with each co-op’s committee. I analysed the transcripts by making reference to authors who have contributed to the discussion around democracy, critical citizenship and critical pedagogy. The case studies show that in co-operatives people learn how to turn personal problems into collective struggles. They develop their personal and collective identities in their activism. They learn to assume responsibility in contributing towards the common good, becoming aware that taking action is a learning process at the individual and the collective level. The case studies also show that people learn from co-operatives in different ways. The co-operatives under study both organised non-formal educational activities open to the members of the community. They provided goods and services to the wider community, and customers learned as they interacted with both co-ops. Activists from both co-ops sought to build bridges with civil society and with political authorities in their search for alliances over to achieve their objectives. In doing so they could open up learning spaces beyond the confines of the co-op. Finally the research makes the case for co-operatives by showing how they have the potential to give voice to local communities. They can ‘claim spaces’ where individual abilities are turned into collective strength through participation in democratic dialogical processes. Cooperatives can scale up the struggle for legitimacy around local structures of feeling as they develop into oppositional or alternative discourses to the status quo