Estudio de perfiles evolutivos en la lectura : validación y revisión del test individual de diagnóstico de errores en lectura (TIDEL).

Llegar al proceso evolutivo del aprendizaje de la lectura sirviéndose de un instrumento diagnóstico que permitiera realizar un análisis de errores que parecía aislar con suficiente nitidez su naturaleza evolutiva con relación a este proceso de aprendizaje. Como objetivos más específicos se pretendía: extraer de la lectura oral errores de diferente calidad y cantidad en distintas etapas del desarrollo de la lectura, sistematizar un registro de errores objetivo y contextualizar al máximo la observación de la lectura oral, acercándola a la realidad del aula. Se han tenido en cuenta dos criterios en la selección: los sujetos y las conductas. En la selección de sujetos se centró en niños con problemas de aprendizaje de la lectura. Partiendo de un total de 41612 sujetos de primer curso y 43036 de segundo curso de Educación Primaria para el curso académico 1995-96, con una ratio alumnos/unidad (aula) respectivamente de 22.12 y 21.33. Se trata de un muestreo no probabilístico del tipo 'muestras de juicio, de casos típicos' con 1102 casos. En la selección de conductas el criterio de muestreo inicial fue libre dado que utiliza como unidades de muestra de conductas, todas las ocurrencias o gama de ellas a lo largo de la grabación. En primer lugar se concretó el problema y se elaboró en reactivo, atendiendo a tres criterios contextuales, metodológicos y para el muestreo observacional. Las fases de investigación fueron tres: recogida inicial de la información, con registro de grabaciones y observación cualitativa, categorización de errores y elaboración del primer cuestionario de errores; después se hizo una aplicación piloto del cuestionario, con registro de grabaciones, análisis cuantitativo y formulación del test individual de diagnóstico de errores en lectura (TIDEL) ; y la tercera fue la aplicación del TIDEL. Después hubo un análisis de datos, mediante un análisis descriptivo, seguido de un análisis y validación teniendo en cuenta las evidencias. Sigue la fase de análisis e interpretación de resultados de los perfiles de errores. Finalmente se exponen las conclusiones. Textos de lectura, hojas de observación para registrar los resultados y datos identificativos, encuestas para diferenciar entre los textos que los sujetos conocían realmente, de los que les sonaban, discusiones en grupo para determinar la categorización de los errores. El instrumento más importante fue el TIDEL (Test Individual de Diagnóstico de Errores en Lectura), que permite detectar errores en la lectura. Se recogieron diversos tipos de errores: falta de integración de las palabras, confusión de letras por la forma, deformación y cambio de elementos, doble/triple consonante e inversiones, en las reglas convencionales, reiteración-relectura-inhibición proactiva, variantes y anticipación con sentido, inmadurez en la pronunciación, y cadencia-entonación-gestos marginales, entre otros. Se infiere un proceso determinado en el desarrollo lector, en el sentido de que un descenso progresivo de los errores elementales del perfil urgente pude facilitar, en un segundo perfil atendible, las primeras tentativas de búsqueda del significado, que se hacen más patentes en el perfil aceptable, con la mayor probabilidad de aparición de los errores de 'anticipación del significado' y 'variantes con sentido'. Se produce una preponderancia de los errores elementales y otros producidos por convenciones idiomáticas. En una segunda etapa será vital la transición y salto al sentido, donde se cometen errores anticipatorios relacionados con el contenido del texto. Así pues, la evolución de la habilidad lectora escalaría dos niveles de la inteligencia que irían de la combinatoria -forma de las letras y su sonido-, al sentido (semántico). Una fase posterior de la lectura encajaría con el razonamiento.

Proyecto Ferre : diseño, desarrollo e investigación de una programación de Ciencias Naturales para el ciclo 12-16.

A) Promover la formación y el perfeccionamiento de los profesores participantes que se inician en la Investigación Educativa y el desarrollo curricular. B) Determinar si se produce una diferencia significativa en las variables: 'los resultados de aprendizaje y la motivación de los alumnos', al utilizar alguna de las metodologías y lecciones llamadas tradicionales con respecto a la utilización de una metodología constructivista. C) Informar a los grupos de profesores sobre el proyecto 'Ferre'. D) Elaborar un dossier. E) Diseñar y poner en práctica las nuevas unidades didácticas. El objeto del estudio es: 1. +Cómo influyen los métodos didácticos en el aprendizaje y la motivación de los alumnos?, 1.1. +Qué métodos se utilizan?. 1.2. +Cómo aprenden los alumnos?. Los presupuestos metodológicos generales se inscriben en la investigación-acción. Se ha diseñado una programación de aula, inspirada en los principios constructivistas para implantar en el tercer curso de la ESO. También se ha diseñado un sistema de 'observación de la práctica', donde se recogen los datos sobre el desarrollo de las clases, la motivación y los resultados de aprendizaje de los alumnos, obtenidos mediante una metodología tradicional y otra constructivista. Para organizar los resultados sobre el aprendizaje de los alumnos, se realizó una propuesta teórica, basada en la Psicología cognitiva y en las últimas aportaciones de los campos de la Neuroanatomía y Neurofisiología, acerca de la existencia de dos tipos diferentes de aprendizaje: A) El recognitivo. B) El asociativo. Por otro lado, se ha realizado una propuesta para clasificar los diferentes métodos utilizados por los profesores, de acuerdo a 3 dimensiones: unidireccionalidad-multidireccionalidad; verbal-experiencial; activo-pasivo. Los métodos se han agrupado en 3 tipos: transmisivos, socráticos y constructivistas. Una vez situadas las prácticas documentadas de los distintos profesores se trató de comprobar que tipo de motivación obtenían con los alumnos. Diario del profesor, grabaciones de audio, análisis de los resultados, reflexión individual y compartida con el observador, material didáctico, unidades didácticas. Datos. A) Se ha comprobado que el aprendizaje no depende tanto de los métodos como de la motivación. B) Los alumnos más motivados, generalmente por causas extrínsecas al aprendizaje, aprenden bien con todo tipo de métodos, dependiendo su motivación del profesor. Existe en cada clase un grupo de alumnos poco motivados que fracasan, con casi todos los métodos empleados. Los alumnos que tienen un interés superficial en el aprendizaje sí que son influídos por el profesor, por su forma especial de ser y dar la clase y también por la metodología utilizada. C) Los métodos influyen en el tipo de aprendizaje. Los métodos transmisivos impulsan a los alumnos a realizar aprendizajes asociativos, mientras que los métodos socráticos y constructivistas fomentan la realizacion de aprendizajes recognitivos.

La creación y la destrucción de la competencia individual : el papel de la experiencia profesional.

Este artículo pertenece a una sección de la revista dedicada a investigación. - Incluye, a modo de anexo, la tabla de modelo de adquisición de competencias obtenida de la investigación 'La valorisation des compétences sur le marché du travail' de 2001. - Resumen tomado parcialmente de la revista

Promover el aprendizaje de la competencia escritora : secuencias en las que se combina el trabajo individual y el trabajo cooperativo.

Resumen tomado de la publicación

Banking Union in the Eurozone and the European Union. CEPS Commentary, 12 June 2012

In this new CEPS Commentary, Jacopo Carmassi, Carmine Di Noia and Stefano Micossi present a rationale and detailed outline for the creation of a banking union in Europe. They argue that it is essential to clearly distinguish between what is needed to address a ‘systemic’ confidence crisis hitting the banking system – which is mainly or solely a eurozone problem – and ‘fair weather’ arrangements to prevent individual bank crises and, when they occur, to manage them in an orderly fashion so as to minimise systemic spillovers and the cost to taxpayers, which is of concern for the entire European Union.

Donepezil for the symptomatic treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: a meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomised controlled trials

Background: The objective was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of donepezil (5 and 10 mg/day) compared with placebo in alleviating manifestations of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD). Method: A systematic review of individual patient data from Phase II and III double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled studies of up to 24 weeks and completed by 20 December 1999. The main outcome measures were the ADAS-cog, the CIBIC-plus, and reports of adverse events. Results: A total of 2376 patients from ten trials were randomised to either donepezil 5 mg/day (n = 821), 10 mg/day (n = 662) or placebo (n = 893). Cognitive performance was better in patients receiving donepezil than in patients receiving placebo. At 12 weeks the differences in ADAS-cog scores were 5 mg/day-placebo: - 2.1 [95% confidence interval (CI), - 2.6 to - 1.6; p < 0.001], 10 mg/day-placebo: - 2.5 ( - 3.1 to - 2.0; p < 0.001). The corresponding results at 24 weeks were - 2.0 ( - 2.7 to - 1.3; p < 0.001) and - 3.1 ( - 3.9 to - 2.4; p < 0.001). The difference between the 5 and 10 mg/day doses was significant at 24 weeks (p = 0.005). The odds ratios (OR) of improvement on the CIBIC-plus at 12 weeks were: 5 mg/day-placebo 1.8 (1.5 to 2.1; p < 0.001), 10 mg/day-placebo 1.9 (1.5 to 2.4; p < 0.001). The corresponding values at 24 weeks were 1.9 (1.5 to 2.4; p = 0.001) and 2.1 (1.6 to 2.8; p < 0.001). Donepezil was well tolerated; adverse events were cholinergic in nature and generally of mild severity and brief in duration. Conclusion: Donepezil (5 and 10 mg/day) provides meaningful benefits in alleviating deficits in cognitive and clinician-rated global function in AD patients relative to placebo. Increased improvements in cognition were indicated for the higher dose. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Intra-individual variation of flowers in Gunnera subgenus Panke (Gunneraceae) and proposed apomorphies for Gunnerales

A study of inflorescence and flower development in 12 species from four of the six subgenera of Gunnera (Gunneraceae) was carried out. In the species of subgenus Panke, initiation of floral apices along the partial inflorescences is acropetal but ends up in the late formation of a terminal flower, forming a cyme at maturity. The terminal flower is the largest and the most complete in terms of merosity and number of whorls and thus it is the most diagnostic in terms of species-level taxonomy. The lateral flowers undergo a basipetal gradient of organ reduction along the inflorescence, ranging from bisexual flowers (towards the distal region) to functionally (i.e. with staminodia) and structurally female flowers (towards the proximal region). Our results show that the terminal structure in Gunnera is a flower rather than a pseudanthium. The terminal flower is disymmetric, dimerous and bisexual, representing the common bauplan for Gunnera flowers. It has a differentiated perianth with two sepals and two alternate petals, the latter opposite the stamens and carpels. Comparisons with other members of the core eudicots with labile floral construction are addressed. We propose vegetative and floral putative synapomorphies for the sister-group relationship between Gunneraceae and Myrothamnaceae. (C) 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 160, 262-283.

Radon in homes and risk of lung cancer: collaborative analysis of individual data from 13 European case-control studies

Objective: To determine the risk of lung cancer associated with exposure at home to the radioactive disintegration products of naturally Occurring radon gas. Design: Collaborative analysis of individual data from 13 case-control studies of residential radon and lung cancer. Setting Nine European countries. Subjects 7148 cases Of lung cancer and 14 208 controls. Main outcome measures: Relative risks of lung cancer and radon gas concentrations in homes inhabited during the previous 5-34 years measured in becquerels (radon disintegrations per second) per cubic incite (Bq/m(3)) Of household air. Results: The mean measured radon concentration in homes of people in tire control group was 97 Bq/m(3), with 11% measuring > 200 and 4% measuring > 400 Bq/m(3). For cases of lung cancer the mean concentration was 104 Bq/m(3). The risk of lung cancer increased by 8.4% (95% confidence interval 3.0% to 15.8%) per 100 Bq/m(3) increase in measured radon (P = 0.0007). This corresponds to an increase of 16% (5% to 31%) per 100 Bq/m(3) increase in usual radon-that is, after correction for the dilution caused by random uncertainties in measuring radon concentrations. The dose-response relation seemed to be linear with no threshold and remained significant (P=0.04) in analyses limited to individuals from homes with measured radon < 200 Bq/m(3). The proportionate excess risk did not differ significantly with study, age, sex, or smoking. In the absence of other causes of death, the absolute risks of lung cancer by age 75 years at usual radon concentrations of 0, 100, and 400 Bq/m(3) would be about 0.4%, 0.5%, and 0.7%, respectively, for lifelong non-smokers, and about 25 times greater (10%, 12%, and 16%) for cigarette smokers. Conclusions: Collectively, though not separately, these studies show appreciable hazards from residential radon, particularly for smokers and recent ex-smokers, and indicate that it is responsible for about 2% of all deaths from cancer in Europe.

Opposing effects of cis-9,trans-11 and trans-10,cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid on blood lipids in healthy humans

Background: Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is reported to have weight-reducing and antiatherogenic properties when fed to laboratory animals. However, the effects of CLA on human health and, in particular, the effects of individual CLA isomers are unclear. Objective: This study investigated the effects of 3 doses of highly enriched cis-9,trans-11 (0.59, 1.19, and 2.38 g/d) or trans-10,cis-12 (0.63, 1.26, and 2.52 g/d) CLA preparations on body composition, blood lipid profile, and markers of insulin resistance in healthy men. Design: Healthy men consumed 1, 2, and 4 capsules sequentially, containing either 80% cis-9,trans-11 CLA or 80% trans-10,cis-12 CLA for consecutive 8-wk periods. This phase was followed by a 6-wk washout and a crossover to the other isomer. Results: Body composition was not significantly affected by either isomer of CLA. Mean plasma triacylglycerol concentration was higher during supplementation with trans-10,cis-12 CLA than during that with cis-9,trans-11 CLA, although there was no influence of dose. There were significant effects of both isomer and dose on plasma total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations but not on HDL-cholesterol concentration. The ratios of LDL to HDL cholesterol and of total to HDL cholesterol were higher during supplementation with trans-10,cis-12 CLA than during that with cis-9,trans-11 CLA. CLA supplementation had no significant effect on plasma insulin concentration, homeostasis model for insulin resistance, or revised quantitative insulin sensitivity check index. Conclusion: Divergent effects of cis-9,trans-11 CLA and trans10,cis-12 CLA appear on the blood lipid profile in healthy humans: trans-10,cis-12 CLA increases LDL:HDL cholesterol and total:HDL cholesterol, whereas cis-9,trans-11 CLA decreases them.

Effects of cis-9,trans-11 and trans-1 0,cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid on immune cell function in healthy humans

Background: Animal studies have suggested that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a natural component of ruminant meat and dairy products, may confer beneficial effects on health. However, little information on the effects of CLA on immune function is available, especially in humans. Furthermore, the effects of individual isomers of CLA have not been adequately investigated. Objective: This study investigated the effects of supplementing the diet with 3 doses of highly enriched cis-9,trans-11 CLA (0.59, 1.19, and 2.38 g/d) or trans-10,cis-12 CLA (0.63, 1.26, and 2.52 g/d) on immune outcomes in healthy humans. Design: The study had a randomized, double-blind, crossover design. Healthy men consumed 1, 2, and 4 capsules sequentially that contained 80% of either cis-9,trans-11 CLA or trans-10,cis-12 CLA for consecutive 8-wk periods. This regimen was followed by a 6-wk washout and a crossover to the other isomer. Results: Both CLA isomers decreased mitogen-induced T lymphocyte activation in a dose-dependent manner. There was a significant negative correlation between mitogen-induced T lymphocyte activation and the proportions of both cis-9,trans-11 CLA and trans-10,cis-12 CLA in peripheral blood mononuclear cell lipids. However, CLA did not affect lymphocyte subpopulations or serum concentrations of C-reactive protein and did not have any consistent effects on ex vivo cytokine production. Conclusion: CLA supplementation results in a dose-dependent reduction in the mitogen-induced activation of T lymphocytes. The effects of cis-9,trans-l I CLA and trans-10,cis-12 CLA were similar, and there was a negative correlation between mitogen-induced T lymphocyte activation and the cis-9,trans-11 CLA and trans-10,cis-12 CLA contents of mononuclear cells.

Influence of environmental stress on distributions of times to first division in Escherichia coli populations, as determined by digital-image analysis of individual cells

The distributions of times to first cell division were determined for populations of Escherichia coli stationary-phase cells inoculated onto agar media. This was accomplished by using automated analysis of digital images of individual cells growing on agar and calculation of the "box area ratio." Using approximately 300 cells per experiment, the mean time to first division and standard deviation for cells grown in liquid medium at 37 degrees C and inoculated on agar and incubated at 20 degrees C were determined as 3.0 h and 0.7 h, respectively. Distributions were observed to tail toward the higher values, but no definitive model distribution was identified. Both preinoculation stress by heating cultures at 50 degrees C and postinoculation stress by growth in the presence of higher concentrations of NaCl increased mean times to first division. Both stresses also resulted in an increase in the spread of the distributions that was proportional to the mean division time, the coefficient of variation being constant at approximately 0.2 in all cases. The "relative division time," which is the time to first division for individual cells expressed in terms of the cell size doubling time, was used as measure of the "work to be done" to prepare for cell division. Relative division times were greater for heat-stressed cells than for those growing under osmotic stress.

Incorporation of cis-9, trans-11 or trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid into human erythrocytes in vivo

The purpose of this study was to determine the incorporation into erythrocytes of cis (c)-9,trans (t)-11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and t10,c12 CLA consumed as supplements highly enriched in these isomers. Healthy men (31 8 years) consumed 1, 2, and 4 capsules containing approximately 80 g/100 g of either c9,t11 CLA or t10,c12 CLA for sequential 8-week periods. Fatty acid concentrations in erythrocyte total lipids were determined at baseline and after consumption of the highest dose. The increase in c9,t11 CLA concentration (0.31 g/100 g) was significantly greater than that in t10,c12 CLA (0.19 g/100 g). This was associated with minor changes in concentrations of some fatty acids of chain length greater than 20 carbons. These data suggest selective assimilation of individual CLA isomers into erythrocyte lipids and partial substitution for specific saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. (C) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Largest connected component of a star graph with faulty vertices

In order to make a full evaluation of an interconnection network, it is essential to estimate the minimum size of a largest connected component of this network provided the faulty vertices in the network may break its connectedness. Star graphs are recognized as promising candidates for interconnection networks. This article addresses the size of a largest connected component of a faulty star graph. We prove that, in an n-star graph (n >= 3) with up to 2n-4 faulty vertices, all fault-free vertices but at most two form a connected component. Moreover, all fault-free vertices but exactly two form a connected component if and only if the set of all faulty vertices is equal to the neighbourhood of a pair of fault-free adjacent vertices. These results show that star graphs exhibit excellent fault-tolerant abilities in the sense that there exists a large functional network in a faulty star graph.