The Limits of Issue Ownership Dynamics : The Constraining Effect of Party Preference

Issue ownership theory argues that when a voter considers a party to be the most competent amongst others to deal with an issue (that is, the party "owns" the issue), chances are the voter will vote for that party. Recent work has shown that perceptions of issue ownership are dynamic: they are affected by the media coverage of party messages. However, based on the broad literature on partisan bias, we predict that parties' efforts to change issue ownership perceptions will have a difficult time breaching the perceptual screen created by a voter's party preference. Using two separate experiments with a similar design we show that the effect of partisan issue messages on issue competence is moderated by party preference. The effect of issue messages is reinforced when people already like a party, and blocked when people dislike a party.

La dimensión afectiva de la competencia comunicativa intercultural en la Educación Secundaria Obligatoria: escala de sensibilidad intercultural

Dialogar de forma enriquecedora, apreciando las diferencias culturales, supone disponer de cierta competencia comunicativa intercultural que tiene una especial importancia en la educación secundaria obligatoria. Para ello, proponemos evaluar las necesidades del alumnado en este periodo educativo a través de la escala de sensibilidad intercultural. Esta escala ha sido adaptada tanto a nivel lingüístico cultural, como también de nivel madurativo. Los resultados obtenidos en este diagnóstico de la comarca del Baix Llobregat, ponen de manifiesto la necesidad de desarrollar competencias de tipo afectivo en esta etapa educativa. Diversas diferencias estadísticamente significativas también nos indican la relevancia de desarrollar estas competencias en la totalidad del alumnado adolescente.

La dimensión afectiva de la competencia comunicativa intercultural en la Educación Secundaria Obligatoria: escala de sensibilidad intercultural

Dialogar de forma enriquecedora, apreciando las diferencias culturales, supone disponer de cierta competencia comunicativa intercultural que tiene una especial importancia en la educación secundaria obligatoria. Para ello, proponemos evaluar las necesidades del alumnado en este periodo educativo a través de la escala de sensibilidad intercultural. Esta escala ha sido adaptada tanto a nivel lingüístico cultural, como también de nivel madurativo. Los resultados obtenidos en este diagnóstico de la comarca del Baix Llobregat, ponen de manifiesto la necesidad de desarrollar competencias de tipo afectivo en esta etapa educativa. Diversas diferencias estadísticamente significativas también nos indican la relevancia de desarrollar estas competencias en la totalidad del alumnado adolescente.

Dimensió educativa de l'aprenentatge del discurs oral en una llengua segona o en una llengua estrangera

En un segle hem passat de considerar l'ensenyament de llengues estrangeres com una activitat marginal sense cap dimensió educativa reconeguda a considerar-lo com una activitat que cada vegada té un paper més notable en els programes deis estudiants de secundaria i que reclama més atenció en els estudis superiors. Avui dia, no és pensable una formació superior sense una comprensió ben desenvolupada de l'anglés com a llengua vehicular d'informació deis camps de coneixement més variats. Algunes formacions de caracter superior requereixen a més a més altres habilitats lingüístiques com ara parlar i escriure. La situació dominant de l'anglés, pero, no ens ha de fer oblidar que també són necessaries altres llengues si els professionals s'han de moure en un mercat de treball únic en una Europa extremadament plurilingue: i així es veura que per exemple és probablement inadequat de formar graduats i llicenciats amb perfils que els faci integrables en els sectors comercials de la indústria o les finances sense dotar-los d'uns coneixements satisfactoris de dues llengues estrangeres (a la Universitat de Barcelona, els estudiants que podrien integrar aquest grup representen actualment més d'un 20 per cent del total de l'alumnat).

Inexperienced sonographers can successfully visualize and assess a three-dimensional image of the fetal face using a standardized ultrasound protocol.

Introduction: A standardized three-dimensional ultrasonographic (3DUS) protocol is described that allows fetal face reconstruction. Ability to identify cleft lip with 3DUS using this protocol was assessed by operators with minimal 3DUS experience. Material and Methods: 260 stored volumes of fetal face were analyzed using a standardized protocol by operators with different levels of competence in 3DUS. The outcomes studied were: (1) the performance of post-processing 3D face volumes for the detection of facial clefts; (2) the ability of a resident with minimal 3DUS experience to reconstruct the acquired facial volumes, and (3) the time needed to reconstruct each plane to allow proper diagnosis of a cleft. Results: The three orthogonal planes of the fetal face (axial, sagittal and coronal) were adequately reconstructed with similar performance when acquired by a maternal-fetal medicine specialist or by residents with minimal experience (72 vs. 76%, p = 0.629). The learning curve for manipulation of 3DUS volumes of the fetal face corresponds to 30 cases and is independent of the operator's level of experience. Discussion: The learning curve for the standardized protocol we describe is short, even for inexperienced sonographers. This technique might decrease the length of anatomy ultrasounds and improve the ability to visualize fetal face anomalies.

La pratique infirmière avancée [Advanced practice nursing].

Dans les sociétés contemporaines axées sur le savoir, plus grande sera la proportion de leur population détentrice d'une formation supérieure et engagée en recherche, plus avancé sera leur développement économique et social.1,2 Par contre, dans ces sociétés, le vieillissement de la population, l'importance ccordée aux soins de santé axés sur les maladies chroniques et les coûts financiers de ceux-ci exercent une forte pression sur les systèmes de santé. Les nterventions doivent donc être les plus efficaces possible, avec un rapport coût/efficacité optimal. Cela requiert que les infirmières soient capables d'oeuvrer en pratique avancée, c'est-à-dire capables de développer, implémenter et évaluer des approches cliniques infirmières basées sur des preuves, de tester de nouvelles interventions potentiellement plus efficientes et de promouvoir un programme de recherche portant explicitement sur l'amélioration de la qualité et sécurité des soins en contexte d'interdisciplinarité.

Being Female: a handicap for researchers in the competion for NCCR.

The Swiss National Science Foundation made a call for National Centers fo Competence in Research (NCCR) for the first time in 1999 and 2004. Together, these announcements concerned all disciplines and led to 126 preproposals, which were put forward by 2134 men and women researchers. It can be assumed that this operation mobilised Swiss researchers who regarded themselves as particularly well qualified to conduct high-level research in their field. The article uses network analysis and regression analysis methods to examine to what extend women had a lower success rate than men in the two selection rounds because of their sex. On the whole, the findings attest the gender neutrality of the National Science Foundation's selection procedures. However, they also confirm the well-known fact that women scientists are less represented in the higher echelons of academia and concentrated in the social sciences and humanities, as well as showing that this concentration reduces women's chances of success in scientific competition. The article shows that unequal gender-specific success rates prior to the NCCR funding contest play a fairly significant role.

Training referential communicative skills to individuals with autism spectrum disorder: a pilot study

Summary. The present study reports the effects of referential communication training in individuals formally diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants were 20 children with ASD (M age = 14.3 yr., SD = 4.2; 6 girls, 14 boys) in the role of speakers and 20 control children, who acted as listeners. They were all enrolled in mainstream compulsory education. Inclusion/exclusion criteria were defined according to the clinical diagnosis of ASD, the presence or absence of additional or associated disability, previous training in referential communication, and any drug treatment. Speakers were randomly assigned to one of two groups (trained vs untrained). Linguistic age, cognitive level, and autistic symptoms were analyzed, respectively, with the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale (WISCR or WAISIII), and the Autistic Behavior Checklist (ABC). Communicative abilities were analyzed through two indexes related to message complexity and self-regulation. The trained group was trained in referential communication tasks (task analysis, role taking, and task evaluation), while the untrained group took part in a communicative game but without any specific communicative training. The results showed that the complexity of emitted messages had improved statistically significantly in the trained group as an effect of training. Ecological referential communication is shown to be an appropriate paradigm for studying the communicative process and its products and could be used to develop and implement a training program focused on those skills in which individuals with ASD are most deficient.

Nouveau programme de formation en médecine interne générale: implications pour les médecins de premier recours [The new postgraduate training program in general internal medicine: implications for the primary care physician].

The Swiss postgraduate training program in general internal medicine is now designed as a competency-based curriculum. In other words, by the end of their training, the residents should demonstrate a set of predefined competences. Many of those competences have to be learnt in outpatient settings. Thus, the primary care physicians have more than ever an important role to play in educating tomorrows doctors. A competency-based model of training requires a regular assessment of the residents. The mini-CEX (mini-Clinical Evaluation eXercise) is the assessment tool proposed by the Swiss institute for postgraduate and continuing education. The mini-CEX is based on the direct observation of the trainees performing a specific task, as well as on the ensuing feedback. This article aims at introducing our colleagues in charge of residents to the mini-CEX, which is a useful tool promoting the culture of feedback in medical education.

Identificació de les competències més valorades en l'entorn professional i adequació del pla d'estudis de grau en enginyeria informàtica

L'execució d'aquest projecte ha volgut reflectir quines són les capacitats professionals més valorades actualment, poder entendre quines són les condicions actuals i reflexionar sobre quina és la cobertura que els plans educatius actuals -en l'àmbit de l'enginyeria informàtica- brinden a aquesta evolució, contribuint amb aquest estudi a l'objectiu general de l'àrea de competències professionals d'apropar el món acadèmic al laboral.

Le projet "SYNAPSY": un point de rencontre entre clinique et neurosciences [The "SYNAPSY" project: where psychiatrists and neuroscientists meet].

The National Center of Competence in Research project "SYNAPSY" aims at identifying certain mechanisms of psychiatric and cognitive disorders, in order to improve the understanding and the genesis of such pathologies, and to promote the development of better diagnostic tools and of new therapeutic approaches. It provides an excellent opportunity for clinical psychiatrists and neuroscientists to develop a synergic mode of collaboration. On the basis of questions stemming from clinical practice and in the frame of patients cohorts, various research projects in neuroscience should lead to progresses that may have a considerable impact on clinical practice.

Enseignement prégradué de la médecine ambulatoire a la PMU: quelques repères [Pregraduate training in ambulatory care: a Swiss perspective].

The current lack of general practitioners in Switzerland is the result of health care policy which aimed in the past years to reduce the number of medical students and physicians in private practice. Furthermore, during the past decades, the Swiss Medical Schools emphasized on the transmission of medical care by specialists and neglected primary care medicine. The Faculty of medicine at the University of Lausanne recently decided to renew the curriculum. The Department of ambulatory care and community medicine (Policlinique Médicale Universitaire) of Lausanne is committed to the elaboration of this move. The biomedical model, essential to the acquisition of clinical competence, is still taught to the students. Nevertheless, from the beginning to the end of the curriculum, an emphasis is now put on the clinical skills and the clinical reasoning.

Estilos comunicativos, vinculación universitaria y adaptación psicosocial

El presente estudio aborda la relación entre los estilos comunicativos de los estudiantes universitarios, su vinculación en la universidad y el nivel de adaptación psicosocial. Se analizan distintos estilos comunicativos en relación con el grado de vinculación universitaria y su influencia sobre el nivel de ansiedad, distimia, consumo de alcohol y dependencia de sustancias. Los datos han sido obtenidos mediante cuestionario administrado a una muestra representativa de 529 estudiantes universitarios. Los resultados indican la existencia de diferencias de género con respecto a algunos patrones comunicativos pero no en relación con la vinculación universitaria. Se constata también una relación estadísticamente significativa, aunque no muy elevada, entre los estilos comunicativos y la capacidad de los estudiantes para vincularse en el contexto universitario. Tanto los estilos comunicativos como la vinculación universitaria contribuyen a la explicación de la sintomatología afectiva, pero sólo los estilos comunicativos polémico y amigable contribuyen a la explicación del consumo de sustancias

Pla d'intervenció individual en la dislèxia i suport a les famílies en el trastorn per dèficit d'atenció i hiperactivitat

Aquest projecte té com a objectiu principal la intervenció en un context d'educació formal, obtenir experiència professional i definir quin és realment el paper del psicopedagog. Consta de tres activitats: un taller per a pares i mares de nens amb TDAH, un pla reeducatiu per a una alumna amb dislèxia i un taller de competència social per a nens amb TEA. El procés d'investigació-acció ha regit tot el procés, el qual es basa en els principis bàsics de la LEC (12/2009) de qualitat i equitat educativa i d'atenció a la diversitat, mitjançant el model col·laboratiu des d'un enfocament educacional constructiu. La comparació entre la teoria i la pràctica ha estat un punt clau per a concloure quina és la millor metodologia a emprar per a cada cas.

Compétences en soins patiatifs : que faut-il savoir faire en tant que médecin [Competencies in palliative care : what should the physicians be able to do?]

Palliative patients (patients with progressive incurable illnesses) have a number of needs, early and late in their illness trajectories. This article highlights some of the most important competencies required by physicians to address these needs. They cover a broad spectrum of domains and include pain and symptom management, communication, disclosure, prognostication, and psychological, social and spiritual needs. All physicians, generalists and specialists alike, should possess the basic competencies but should also recognize that some patients, especially those not responding to initial strategies, require timely referrals to specialized palliative care teams.