Tomorrow's EFL teacher educators

ABSTRACT: Teacher education programs are an important alternative to raise standards in the teaching of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). However, there are few studies that have explored the roles of teacher educators in this setting. Three main research questions guided this study: What actions have teachers taken to attain their professional objectives as EFL teachers? What experience have they had in professional development programs? What are the characteristics of an ideal teacher education program? This paper reports the findings concentrating on the ideal characteristics of an EFL teacher educator analyzing the testimonies of teachers from public and private schools. The study used four focus groups sessions and a questionnaire as the main data collection techniques. The results suggest that issues such as knowledge of local realities, broad experience in teaching EFL, command of the language, and experience in research are identified as the most desirable characteristics of EFL teacher educators.RESUMEN: Los programas de formación de docentes son una alternativa para elevar los estándares en la enseñanza del inglés como lengua extranjera (ILE). Sin embargo, hay pocos estudios que hayan explorado los papeles de los formadores de docentes en este contexto. Tres preguntas orientaron este estudio: Qué acciones han tomado los docentes para lograr sus metas profesionales como docentes de inglés como lengua extranjera? ¿Qué experiencia han tenido en los programas de desarrollo profesional? ¿Cuáles son las características ideales de un programa de formación de docentes de inglés como lengua extranjera? Este artículo presenta los resultados concentrándose en las características ideales de un formador de docentes de inglés como lengua extranjera a través del análisis de los testimonios de docentes de colegios públicos y privados. Para el estudio se utilizaron como técnicas de recolección de los datos cuatro sesiones de grupos focales y un cuestionario. Los resultados sugieren que aspectos como conocimiento de la realidad local, amplia experiencia en la enseñanza de inglés como lengua extranjera, dominio del idioma y experiencia en investigación fueron identificados como las características más esperadas de los formadores de docentes de inglés como lengua extranjer

Nanomaterials as promising alternative in the infection treatment

Both the prevalence of antibiotic resistance and the increased biofilm-associated infections are boosting the demand for new advanced and more effective treatment for such infections. In this sense, nanotechnology offers a ground-breaking platform for addressing this challenge. This review shows the current progress in the field of antimicrobial inorganic-based nanomaterials and their activity against bacteria and bacterial biofilm. Herein, nanomaterials preventing the bacteria adhesion and nanomaterials treating the infection once formed are presented through a classification based on their functionality. To fight infection, nanoparticles with inherent antibacterial activity and nanoparticles acting as nanovehicles are described, emphasizing the design of the carrier nanosystems with targeting properties towards the bacteria and the biofilm

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Decorated with Polycationic Dendrimers for Infection Treatment

This work aims to provide an effective and novel solution for the treatment of infection by using nanovehicles loaded with antibiotics capable of penetrating the bacterial wall, thus increasing the antimicrobial effectiveness. These nanosystems, named "nanoantibiotics", are composed of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), which act as nanocarriers of an antimicrobial agent (levofloxacin, LEVO) localized inside the mesopores. To provide the nanosystem of bacterial membrane interaction capability, a polycationic dendrimer, concretely the poly(propyleneimine) dendrimer of third generation (G3), was covalently grafted to the external surface of the LEVOloaded MSNs. After physicochemical characterization of this nanoantibiotic, the release kinetics of LEVO and the antimicrobial efficacy of each released dosage were evaluated. Besides, internalization studies of the MSNs functionalized with the G3 dendrimer were carried out, showing a high penetrability throughout Gram-negative bacterial membranes. This work evidences that the synergistic combination of polycationic dendrimers as bacterial membrane permeabilization agents with LEVO-loaded MSNs triggers an efficient antimicrobial effect on Gram-negative bacterial biofilm. These positive results open up very promising expectations for their potential application in new infection therapies

Alergia alimentaria no mediada por IgE

La alergia alimentaria es una respuesta inmunitaria a las proteínas de los alimentos. Suele afectar al 8% de los niños y al 2% de los adultos en países occidentales. La alergia alimentaria no mediada por IgE afecta, principalmente, el aparato gastrointestinal. Las alergias alimentarias gastrointestinales se clasifican, por su patogenia subyacente, en: mediadas por IgE, no mediadas por IgE, o mixtas. Los síntomas de pacientes con proctocolitis alérgica inducida por proteínas alimentarias se originan por la inflamación local del colon distal, que causa hematoquecia en neonatos. Puede afectar todo el conducto gastrointestinal y provocar síntomas de emesis intratable, con subsiguientes trastornos metabólicos y choque hipovolémico. El síndrome de enterocolitis inducida por proteínas alimentarias es una alergia no mediada por IgE que suele aparecer en la infancia, con vómito prolongado repetitivo, que inicia entre 1 a 4 horas después de la ingestión de alimentos. La manifestación en adultos suele desencadenarse por el consumo de mariscos. Las enfermedades atópicas afectan del 40-60% de los pacientes con síndrome de enterocolitis inducida por proteínas alimentarias, incluso al 40-50% de quienes padecen enteropatía y proctocolitis inducidas por proteínas alimentarias. Los probióticos (Lactobacillus GG) pueden aliviar los síntomas de proctocolitis alérgica inducida por proteínas alimentarias, al alterar la composición de la microbiota intestinal. El trasplante de microbiota fecal (TMF) puede cambiar la microecología intestinal de manera eficiente comparada con los alimentos o probióticos

Modelos para la valoración genética de la disciplina de concurso completo de equitación a partir del control de rendimientos en las pruebas de selección de caballos jóvenes

Una de las principales fuentes de información funcional para la valoración genética precoz de los animales para las distintas disciplinas ecuestres son las Pruebas de Selección de Caballos Jóvenes (PSCJ), reguladas por el MAPyA, que se están celebrando en nuestro país desde el año 2004. Las PSCJ son muy importantes en la selección de los équidos deb ido a las altas correlaciones genéticas que se han encontrado entre las variables analizadas en animales jóvenes y los resultados obtenidos posteriormente en las competiciones, lo cual implica una buena predicción del rendimiento en el animal adulto (Wallin et al. , 2003). El concurso completo de equitación (CCE), conocido internacionalmente como “Eventing”, es una disciplina ecuestre que combina distintas pruebas (doma, salto y cross), exigiendo al animal un elevado grado de diversas aptitudes. Las principales razas de caballos participantes en España en CCE son, el Caballo de Deporte Español (CDE), el caballo de raza Anglo-árabe (A-á) y el Pura Raza árabe (PRá) El objetivo de este estudio ha sido establecer los modelos genéticos idóneos para la estimación de los valores de mejora y obtener estimas de heredabilidad de los caracteres de la disciplina de CC

Attachment anxiety as mediator of the relationship between childhood trauma and personality dysfunction in borderline personality disorder

Insecure attachment has been described as mediating the relationship between childhood trauma and dysfunctional personality traits in different mental disorders. Despite the role insecure attachment and childhood trauma have independently demonstrated to play as determinants of borderline personality disorder, less is known about the mediating mechanisms explaining these associations. For the first time, we assessed adult attachment, childhood trauma and dimensional personality pathology in a sample of outpatients with borderline personality disorder and tested whether the association between childhood trauma and personality dysfunction was at least partially attributable to insecure attachment. The results showed that attachment anxiety fully mediated the relationship between specific types of trauma (emotional abuse and physical neglect) and emotional dysregulation. Further, emotional abuse was both directly associated with dissocial behaviour and indirectly via attachment anxiety (partial mediation). Emotional abuse has been described as an essential environmental factor for the development of borderline personality disorder and emotional dysregulation, on its part, as the core feature of the condition. Our results indicate that attachment anxiety explains the link between these central aspects of borderline personality disorder. Our findings are consistent with previous research and current etiological understanding of the condition and provide support for recommending a careful assessment of childhood traumatic experiences and adult attachment style to gain a more comprehensive insight into the symptoms and its heterogeneity. As a secondary aim, we assessed the effect parental mental illness may have in these mediation models, but no significant influence on childhood trauma, attachment or personality was found.This work was supported by the Health Department of the Basque Government under grant PI2014111034, by Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute and by the Research Unit of Galdakao-Usansolo Hospital. Open access funding was provided by the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU

Effective reduction of biofilm through photothermal therapy by gold core@shell based mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

Bacterial biofilms can initiate chronic infections that become difficult to eradicate. There is an unmet need for effective therapeutic strategies that control and inhibit the growth of these biofilms. Herein, light sensitive mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with photothermal (PTT) and antimicrobial combined capabilities have been developed. These nanosystems have high therapeutic potential to affect the bacterial biofilm architecture and subsequently inhibit its growth. Nucleation of gold nanorods followed by the growth of a silica shell leads to a core@shell design (AuNR@MSN) with PTT properties. Incorporation of nitrosothiol groups (-SNO) with a heat liable linker, enables an enhanced nitric oxide release upon photothermal stimulation with near infrared radiation. Further loading of an antimicrobial molecule such as the levofloxacin (LEVO) antibiotic creates a unique nanoassembly with potential therapeutic efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus bacterial biofilms. A dispersion rate of the bacterial biofilm was evident when light stimuli is applied because impregnation of the nitrosothiol functionalized nanosystem with the antibiotic LEVO led to ca. 30% reduction but its illumination with near infrared (NIR) irradiation showed a biofilm reduction of ca. 90%, indicating that localized antimicrobial exposure and PTT improves the therapeutic efficacy. These findings envision the conception of near-infrared-activated nanoparticle carriers capable of combined therapy upon NIR irradiation, which enables photothermal therapy, together with the release of levofloxacin and nitric oxide to disrupt the integrity of bacterial biofilms and achieve a potent antimicrobial therapy

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles decorated mesoporous silica nanosystem for combined antibiofilm therapy

A crucial challenge to face in the treatment of biofilm-associated infection is the ability of bacteria to develop resistance to traditional antimicrobial therapies based on the administration of antibiotics alone. This study aims to apply magnetic hyperthermia together with controlled antibiotic delivery from a unique magnetic-responsive nanocarrier for a combination therapy against biofilm. The design of the nanosystem is based on antibiotic-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) externally functionalized with a thermo-responsive polymer capping layer, and decorated in the outermost surface with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). The SPIONs are able to generate heat upon application of an alternating magnetic field (AMF), reaching the temperature needed to induce a change in the polymer conformation from linear to globular, therefore triggering pore uncapping and the antibiotic cargo release. The microbiological assays indicated that exposure of E. coli biofilms to 200 µg/mL of the nanosystem and the application of an AMF (202 kHz, 30 mT) decreased the number of viable bacteria by 4 log10 units compared with the control. The results of the present study show that combined hyperthermia and antibiotic treatment is a promising approach for the effective management of biofilm-associated infections.Depto. de Química en Ciencias FarmacéuticasFac. de FarmaciaTRUEpu

Innovando en la Gestión académica: La incorporación de protocolos y herramientas digitales en los Grados de la Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociología

Proyecto de Innovación en la Gestión Académica que tiene como objetivos principales incorporar protocolos y herramientas para la mejora en la Calidad de la gestión académica de los Grados. Principalmente aplicables a la coordinación docente de los Grados, la organización académica de los Trabajos Fin de Grado, la difusión e información de los estudios de Grado, el mantenimiento de la información web de los Grados, el reconocimiento de Créditos, y, la acogida, tutela y asesoramiento de los estudiantes de los Grados