Metabolic syndrome and associated factors in a population-based sample of schoolchildren in Colombia: The FUPRECOL Study

In contrast to the definition of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adults, there is no standard definition of MetS in pediatric populations. We aimed to assess the differences in the prevalence of MetS in children and adolescents aged 9–17 years in the city of Bogota (Colombia) using four different operational definitions for these age groups and to examine the associated variables. A total of 673 children and 1,247 adolescents attending public schools in Bogota (54.4% girls; age range 9–17.9 years) were included. The prevalence of MetS was determined by the definitions provided by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and three published studies by Cook et al., de Ferranti et al., and Ford et al. The prevalence of MetS was 0.3%, 6.3%, 7.8%, and 11.0% according to the IDF, Cook et al., Ford et al., and de Ferranti et al. definitions, respectively. The most prevalent components were low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high triglyceride levels, whereas the least prevalent components were abdominal obesity and hyperglycemia. Overall, the prevalence of MetS was higher in obese than in non-obese schoolchildren. In conclusion, MetS diagnoses in schoolchildren strongly depend on the definition chosen. These findings may be relevant to health promotion efforts for Colombian youth to develop prospective studies and to define which cut-offs are the best indicators of future morbidity.

Sobre magia, sensualidad y belleza: procesos de subjetividad femenina, sororidad y empoderamiento a través de la danza del vientre en la Academia Anasi de Bogotá

Esta investigación se centra en analizar la danza del vientre como una práctica sociocultural que transforma las subjetividades de sus practicantes, en el caso particular de las mujeres integrantes de la academia Anasi de Bogotá. Basada en la autoetnografía y a partir de experiencias individuales y colectivas de las mujeres integrantes del lugar, la danza es presentada como un proceso que conduce al empoderamiento femenino individual y colectivo. Esto sucede en el marco de una sociedad patriarcal, donde los cuerpos femeninos están cargados de connotaciones y limitaciones. Además de que el estilo dancístico ha sido dotado histórica y socialmente de prejuicios y nociones sexistas y machistas en torno a él y a sus bailarinas.

Educational Inclusion in the Regular Classroom: an Asperger Syndrome Case

The following paper resulted from the final research project conducted for my Master’s Degree in Teacher Training for Teachers of Primary Education (1st – 6th grade of the Basic General Education). This research project was conducted under the supervision of the Rural Education Division of the Center for Research and Teaching in Education (CIDE-UNA, Spanish acronym), in coordination with the Central America Educational and Cultural Coordination (CECC). The research is qualitative with an interpretative approach. Our main objective was to analyze the process of inclusive education in the regular classroom for a person with Asperger’s Syndrome, defined as a type of social impairment. The case study method was used in this research, as it allows a deeper study. A girl was chosen from a public school in an urban area of San José, Costa Rica. Three techniques were used to obtain information: interviews, questionnaires and documentation (personal file, behavior record, and psychological assessment) related to the girl with Asperger. The triangulation of sources was used as a method of analysis. The conclusion of the project was that regular schools may have children miss-diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, and that our schools are still far from achieving inclusive education, but efforts are being made to achieve it. For a more opportune intervention, some recommendations based on this study were provided to the family and the school of the girl with Asperger.

“È per un bambino o una bambina?” Stereotipi di genere nella letteratura per l'infanzia: proposta di traduzione di due albi illustrati

The aim of this dissertation is to propose a translation into Italian of two American picturebooks: Is That For a Boy or a Girl? written by S. Bear Bergman and illustrated by Rachel Dougherty, and Jacob's New Dress written by Sarah and Ian Hoffman and illustrated by Chris Case. The common thread of the two books is the critique of gender stereotypes in children’s literature and in other aspects of childhood at large, such as gender expression. The two titles were in fact selected from the bibliography created by the European project G-BOOK (Gender Identity: Child Readers and Library Collections), which was spearheaded by Centro MeTRa, an Italian research centre affiliated with the University of Bologna which aims to promote gender-positive and inclusive literature. The thesis is divided into four chapters, the first of which is devoted to a discussion of children's literature as a whole and to the analysis of the illustrated fiction subgenre, the category to which the above-mentioned volumes belong. The second chapter focuses on diversity, highlighting its key role in education and the relevant trends in publishing and translation studies. The third chapter consists of a brief presentation of the works I have chosen. Following the introduction of the plot and the biography of the authors, the chapter focuses on the analysis of the two illustrated books from a linguistic, stylistic, iconographic and commercial point of view, in preparation for translation. Finally, in the fourth chapter I present my translation proposal, complete with a commentary on the problems I encountered and the translation techniques that allowed me to overcome them.

Contribution of rare damaging variants in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous and highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorder with a complex genetic architecture, consisting of a combination of common low-risk and more penetrant rare variants. This PhD project aimed to explore the contribution of rare variants in ASD susceptibility through NGS approaches in a cohort of 106 ASD families including 125 ASD individuals. Firstly, I explored the contribution of inherited rare variants towards the ASD phenotype in a girl with a maternally inherited pathogenic NRXN1 deletion. Whole exome sequencing of the trio family identified an increased burden of deleterious variants in the proband that could modulate the CNV penetrance and determine the disease development. In the second part of the project, I investigated the role of rare variants emerging from whole genome sequencing in ASD aetiology. To properly manage and analyse sequencing data, a robust and efficient variant filtering and prioritization pipeline was developed, and by its application a stringent set of rare recessive-acting and ultra-rare variants was obtained. As a first follow-up, I performed a preliminary analysis on de novo variants, identifying the most likely deleterious variants and highlighting candidate genes for further analyses. In the third part of the project, considering the well-established involvement of calcium signalling in the molecular bases of ASD, I investigated the role of rare variants in voltage-gated calcium channels genes, that mainly regulate intracellular calcium concentration, and whose alterations have been correlated with enhanced ASD risk. Specifically, I functionally tested the effect of rare damaging variants identified in CACNA1H, showing that CACNA1H variation may be involved in ASD development by additively combining with other high risk variants. This project highlights the challenges in the analysis and interpretation of variants from NGS analysis in ASD, and underlines the importance of a comprehensive assessment of the genomic landscape of ASD individuals.

“A Phoenix First Must Burn”: Proposta di traduzione parziale del racconto “Sequence” di J. Marcelle Corrie

Questo elaborato presenta la traduzione in italiano della prima metà del racconto “Sequence” di J. Marcelle Corrie, facente parte dell’antologia “A Phoenix First Must Burn: Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance and Hope”. Il primo capitolo fornisce una panoramica sulla rappresentazione della comunità afroamericana nell’editoria e nella società americana, mentre il secondo capitolo introduce in modo più approfondito l’antologia e il racconto. La proposta di traduzione presentata nella sezione successiva è seguita dall’analisi del testo di partenza e dal commento sulle scelte traduttive che riguardano il livello sintattico e stilistico, i realia e i termini fantascientifici. In appendice si trova il racconto completo in inglese. L’obiettivo dell’elaborato è anche di trasmettere l’importanza di promuovere la pubblicazione di storie scritte da persone appartenenti a comunità sottorappresentate.