Competencias de comunicación oral en la educación primaria

Writing and reading have long been considered to be the two most important skills that pupils must master perfectly. For this reason, written competence has been the protagonist in education, while oral communication via listening and speaking has traditionally remained in the background. However, most criticisms of this prevalence have not been based on empirical studies but on simple verifications that are old and have not been applied to Spain. Given the lack of data and the importance of oral communication nowadays, the aim of this study is to determine the current weight of oral skills in primary education. For this purpose, 433 teachers answered an online questionnaire to determine the importance of each skill, the work dedicated to each, the activities to develop them, and the students’ perceptions. The results indicated that, although most teachers believe that the way in which oral competencies are taught has changed, these skills should have still greater importance. In fact, they consider that the content included in the school curriculum is insufficient. Teachers claim to devote similar percentages of time to writing and speaking, but not so much to listening. In addition, they consider that students experience greater satisfaction when carrying out activities related to oral skills. In conclusion, although the results are positive and some progress is being made in developing oral communication, there is still room for improvement to achieve full equivalence with the written word. Resumen La escritura y la lectura se han concebido durante muchos años como los dos canales superiores de conocimiento que los alumnos deben dominar a la perfección. Por esta razón, la competencia escrita ha sido la protagonista en la educación, mientras la oralidad, la escucha y el habla, han quedado tradicionalmente en un segundo plano. Sin embargo, la mayoría de los autores que denuncian esta prevalencia de lo escrito no se han basado en estudios sino en simples constataciones, ya antiguas, que no se han aplicado a España. Ante la falta de datos y el reconocimiento de la importancia en nuestros días de la comunicación oral, esta investigación surge con el objetivo de determinar el actual peso que tienen las competencias orales en la educación primaria. Para ello, se realizó un cuestionario online a 433 docentes destinado a conocer la importancia de cada competencia, la frecuencia de trabajo de cada una, las actividades para desarrollarlas y la percepción de los alumnos. Los resultados indicaron que, aunque la mayoría del profesorado cree que la forma de enseñar competencias orales ha cambiado, deberían tener una mayor importancia. De hecho, consideran que los contenidos propuestos en el currículo escolar no son suficientes para trabajarlas. Los docentes afirman destinar un porcentaje similar a la escritura y al habla, pero no tanto a la escucha. Además, creen que los estudiantes experimentan una mayor satisfacción cuando realizan actividades relacionadas con la competencia oral. En conclusión, aunque los resultados son positivos y se está avanzando en el desarrollo del código oral, aún queda margen de mejora para lograr la plena equiparación con el escrito.

Oxytocin as an Anti-obesity Treatment

Obesity is a growing health concern, as it increases risk for heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cancer, COVID-19 related hospitalizations and mortality. However, current weight loss therapies are often associated with psychiatric or cardiovascular side effects or poor tolerability that limit their long-term use. The hypothalamic neuropeptide, oxytocin (OT), mediates a wide range of physiologic actions, which include reproductive behavior, formation of prosocial behaviors and control of body weight. We and others have shown that OT circumvents leptin resistance and elicits weight loss in diet-induced obese rodents and non-human primates by reducing both food intake and increasing energy expenditure (EE). Chronic intranasal OT also elicits promising effects on weight loss in obese humans. This review evaluates the potential use of OT as a therapeutic strategy to treat obesity in rodents, non-human primates, and humans, and identifies potential mechanisms that mediate this effect.

The Influence of Intuitive Eating on Weight Satisfaction in College Students

Objectives The objective was to examine the relationship between intuitive eating behavior and weight satisfaction in college students. Methods A cross-sectional convenience sample of college students completed an online survey that evaluated frequency of intuitive eating, weight satisfaction (happy/neutral/upset), and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using self-reported height and weight. Independent t-tests were used to compare differences in desired weight change, BMI, and days feeling healthy and full of energy between students who identified as an intuitive eater and those who did not. An ANOVA was used to examine differences between weight satisfaction groups and frequency of intuitive eating. Results Participants (N = 655) were 19.8 ± 1.5 years old, female (63%), and white (84%). College students that identified as intuitive eaters (61%) reported significantly less desire to change their weight than non-intuitive eaters (10.76 ± 11.21 vs. 16.98 ± 13.13, P < 0.01), had a healthier BMI 24.2 ± 4.7 vs. 25.7 ± 5.8, P < 0.01), and reported more days per month (d/m) feeling healthy and full of energy (12.2 ± 8.6 vs. 2.8 ± 7.5, P < 0.001). A main effect of intuitive eating was found for weight satisfaction, (F(1,2) = 49.158, P < 0.001). Individuals who were happy with their current weight reported significantly greater intuitive eating activity than individuals who did not care about their current weight (P < 0.01) and those who were upset about their current weight (P < 0.001). Conclusions This data shows that students who identified as eating intuitively reported having a higher body weight satisfaction, a healthier BMI, and reported more d/m feeling healthy and full of energy. This research justifies the need for health programming to focus on encouraging intuitive eating behavior, especially for college students who are at risk for unhealthful diet practices. Funding Sources This project was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch project number #ME0022104 through the Maine Agricultural & Forest Experiment Station. NJ Agriculture Experiment Station.

Survival of HIV/AIDS patients treated under ART follow-up at the University hospital, northwest Ethiopia

Introduction The survival of HIV/AIDS patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) is determined by a number of factors, including economic, demographic, behavioral, and institutional factors. Understanding the survival time and its trend is crucial to developing policies that will result in changes. The aim of this study was to compare the survival estimates of different subgroups and look into the predictors of HIV/AIDS patient survival. Methods A retrospective cohort study of HIV/AIDS patients receiving ART at the University of Gondar teaching hospital was carried out. To compare the survival of various groups, a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify factors influencing HIV/AIDS patient survival rates. Results In the current study, 5.91% of the 354 HIV/AIDS patients under ART follow-up were uncensored or died. Age (HR = 1.051) and lack of formal education (HR = 5.032) were associated with lower survival rate, whereas family size of one to two (HR = 0.167), three to four (HR = 0.120), no alcoholic consumption (HR = 0.294), no smoking and chat use (HR = 0.101), baseline weight (HR = 0.920), current weight (HR = 0.928), baseline CD4 cell count (HR = 0.990), baseline hemoglobin (HR = 0.800), and no TB diseases were associated with longer survival rate. Conclusions Fewer deaths were reported in a study area due to high patient adherence, compared to previous similar studies. Age, educational status, family size, alcohol consumption, tobacco and chat usage, baseline and current weight, baseline CD4 cell count, baseline hemoglobin, and tuberculosis (TB) diseases were all significant predictors of survival of HIV/AIDS patients.

Rethinking Secularization: Banal Catholicism, Morality Policies and the Politics of Belonging in Spain

The articulation between religion, politics and the law in contemporary European societies is a complex matter. In this article, we argue that classical secularization approaches fail to capture the ambivalent form of Catholicism in Europe, and we advance an alternative approach that reconsiders two elements: temporality and social space. Firstly, we propose to adopt an “eventful temporality”, which enables the consideration of the impact of unexpected social and political events in altering the direction as well as shaping the public presence and form of religion. Secondly, we stress the need to focus on understanding the specificity of the different fields in which religion is mobilized, and the configuration and dynamics of each of these fields to explain the current weight of Christian majority churches in European societies. Drawing on empirical data from Spain, we examined the role and influence of Catholicism in three fields of public life: that of public services, that of morality politics and finally, that of the politics of belonging. In doing so, we identified their different temporalities (a long-term inertia in the first case, more abrupt changes in relation to the other two) as well as their specific dynamics in terms of actor constellations, issues at stake and symbolic repertoires.

Rapid weight gain in early life is associated with severity of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis in children

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate whether rapid weight gain in early life was associated with the severity of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis in children.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 190 patients (1–24 months) hospitalized for RSV bronchiolitis. Parameters of bronchiolitis severity were compared between rapid (change in weight z-score from birth >0.67, n = 65) and normal weight gain groups (n = 125). We assessed for correlations between bronchiolitis severity and weight gain. Linear regression was performed to predict for bronchiolitis severity based on weight gain, controlling for covariates. SPSS was used for statistical analyses.Results: The rapid weight gain group had longer mean durations of tachypnea (2.3±2.0 vs. 1.7±1.8 days, P = 0.027), wheezing (3.2±2.5 vs. 1.6±1.8 days, P < 0.001), and chest retractions (1.5±2.2 vs. 0.6±1.3 days, P = 0.007). Correlations of weight gain with tachypnea (r = 0.146), wheezing (r = 0.279), and chest retractions (r = 0.179) were statistically significant. Weight gain predicted for tachypnea (B = 0.485, P = 0.013) and wheezing (B = 0.846, P = 0.001) durations after adjusting for covariates of severity (age, sex, current weight, RSV type, coin-fection, recurrent bronchiolitis, hospital stay, fever, oxygen supplementation, maximal respi-ratory and heart rates, and laboratory indices).Conclusions: Our findings suggest an association between weight gain and severity of RSV bronchiolitis in young children. Weight gain was significantly associated with the durations of tachypnea and wheezing. The trajectory of weight gain in early life may play a significant role in the clinical course of RSV bronchiolitis.

Body size perception, knowledge about obesity and factors associated with lifestyle change among patients, health care professionals and public health experts

Background The attitudes towards obesity may have an important role on healthier behavior. The goal of the present study was to explore the attitudes towards obesity and to investigate how these attitudes were associated with lifestyle-changing behavior among the patients attending primary care centers, health care professionals and public health experts. Methods This cross-sectional survey study was performed in 10 primary care offices in different regions in Lithuania and in 2 public health institutions. Nine hundred thirty-four patients, 97 nurses, 65 physicians and 30 public health experts have filled the questionnaire about attitudes towards obesity and presented data about lifestyle-changing activities during last 12 months. The attitudes were compared between different respondent groups and factors associated with healthier behaviors were analyzed among overweight/obese individuals in our study population. Results Participants failed to visually recognize correct figure corresponding to male and female with obesity. Majority of respondents’ perceived obesity as a risk factor for heart diseases and diabetes but had less knowledge about other diseases associated with weight. About one third of respondents changed their lifestyle during last 12 months. Overweight individuals with age < 45 years (OR 1.64, 1.06–2.55; p = 0.025) were more likely and those who overestimated current weight (OR 0.44, 0.20–0.96; p = 0.036) less likely to change their lifestyle. Disappointment with their current weight (OR 2.57, 1.36–4.84; p = 0.003) was associated with healthier behavior among participants with obesity. Conclusion Participants had similar body size perception and knowledge about obesity. Younger age had significant association with lifestyle changing behavior among overweight individuals and disappointment with current weight among obese participants.

Crowdfunding

In this chapter, the research deals with NGOs and their current weight in state's development and public conditions improvement. The researcher also goes to connect the financial challenging faced by NGOs and how the use of crowdfunding platform is important specifically to solicit funding to start, continue, and expand its works. The chapter will highlight the crowdfunding models suitable for NGOs specifically crowdfunding and NGOs in developing countries with describing crowdfunding policies and regulations. Through that, the researcher helps in shaping best practices based on NGO success stories. This chapter will also review previous studies and statistics as a guide for the researcher to present crowdfunding as a tool for the non-profit sector.