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Using Needs Analysis to Foster Sustainability of Business English Courses: A Case Study of a University in the South of Chile
No full textThe purpose of this study is to conduct an in-depth needs analysis in order to create a sustainable business English course. Drawing critical insights from the development and implementation of a sustainable curriculum, a mixed-methods approach was carried out that involved data collected via a structured questionnaire administered to 117 university students of business administration and accounting. The findings indicated that a substantial majority of respondents perceived their level of English language proficiency to be low, with merely 25% evaluating their English skills as either 'good' or 'excellent'. Several language skills such as speaking, listening, and writing were recognized as communicative needs for effective business communication and studies, with over 86% interested in registering for the course. Regarding pedagogical needs, the emergence of preferences for face-to-face teaching, making the course mandatory, varying perspectives regarding the frequency and duration of courses, and inclination towards small group learning were established. For the sustainability of the business English course, this study suggests an integrated, responsive, and adaptive course that emphasizes interactive learning and curriculum alignment with global business trends
Likelihood Based Inference and Bias Reduction in the Modified Skew-t-Normal Distribution
No full textIn this paper, likelihood-based inference and bias correction based on Firth's approach are developed in the modified skew-t-normal (MStN) distribution. The latter model exhibits a greater flexibility than the modified skew-normal (MSN) distribution since it is able to model heavily skewed data and thick tails. In addition, the tails are controlled by the shape parameter and the degrees of freedom. We provide the density of this new distribution and present some of its more important properties including a general expression for the moments. The Fisher's information matrix together with the observed matrix associated with the log-likelihood are also given. Furthermore, the non-singularity of the Fisher's information matrix for the MStN model is demonstrated when the shape parameter is zero. As the MStN model presents an inferential problem in the shape parameter, Firth's method for bias reduction was applied for the scalar case and for the location and scale case
The training of teachers in reflection: learning situations with the R4 method
No full textResearch on reflection in initial teacher training is a challenge consistent with the 2030 Educational Goals. This visualizes its position as an epistemic axis of knowledge construction in Educational Sciences; however, empirical evidence corroborates the presence of insufficiencies in the didactic approach of reflection. The objective of the article lies in: demonstrating the approach of learning situations based on the model of individual reflective practice specified in the R4 method of Domingo (2013) and its corresponding stages through the contents of the subject Didactics of the Spanish Language in the Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. The application of the anecdotal record and the review of documents allowed obtaining evidence on the feasibility and relevance of the application of learning situations. It was concluded that the training of teachers in reflection is a priority and requires the systematic and intentional methodological work of all teachers
Individual and Contextual Predictors of Sexual Orientation Disclosure: Two Studies with Chilean LGBT
No full textThis paper reports two studies that tested sexual orientation, residence context (urban/rural, living with parents), and perceived social support as predictors of sexual orientation disclosure in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other sexual minority (LGB+) university students in Chile. Samples comprised 268 participants for Study 1, and 160 for Study 2, who were cisgender, transgender, or nonbinary. All participants answered an online questionnaire with sociodemographic questions, a perceived social support scale, and a list of individuals to whom they disclosed their sexual orientation. In both studies, the predictors of sexual orientation disclosure were being gay or lesbian (vs. bisexual and other sexual minority individuals), not living with parents, and perceiving social support from others outside family and friends. Our findings show the need to expand the social understanding of sexual orientation beyond heterosexual-homosexual dichotomies, and to strengthen sources of social support in higher education to foster safer environments for sexual and gender minority students
Inventory of birds in two urban wetlands in Temuco (Chile): a basis for monitoring species
No full textIn the city of Temuco, Chile, the importance of urban wetlands has been recognized with the legal declaration of two key ecosystems: Humedal Vegas de Chivilc & aacute;n and Humedales de Antumal & eacute;n. This paper presents an inventory of birds in these wetlands, following the Darwin Core standard, and compares the results with other selected inventories in Chile. Observations were made using point counts and 21-hour transects. A total of 50 species from 26 families and 15 orders were identified, with a predominance of native species. Fourteen species were found in both wetlands, 20 exclusively in Chivilc & aacute;n and 15 in Antumal & eacute;n. Comparison with other studies revealed significant differences in bird composition between urban and peri-urban habitats, illustrating that urban habitats maintain a unique diversity distinct from that of peri-urban areas. The diversity of habitats and the 'least concern' status of most species highlight the importance of these wetlands as refuges for avian biodiversity. The structure of the Darwin Core database facilitates their integration with other biodiversity systems, highlighting the need for continued conservation and study of these urban ecosystems
Application of the thermal time model of embryonic development duration to the culture of octopod cephalopods
No full textData about the effect of temperature on the duration of embryonic development, or the incubation process, are relatively abundant for octopod cephalopods. Experimental data can be used to fit the thermal time classic model of development in order to predict the duration of the process and the range of temperatures within which development proceeds according to the model and with high survival (permissive range), with potential applications for basic research and production activities. The present work is aimed at fitting this classical model to fourteen data sources dealing with eleven species of octopods, seven of them not being previously analyzed, and discussing the constraints and applications of the model. As a result, it is possible to hold that the thermal time model of development duration suitably fits experimental data in octopods, and can be used to schedule hatching events in a production facility. Nevertheless, the range of temperatures tested in the literature is usually too limited to allow an appropriate estimation of the permissive range, so an extension of the temperature range to the known limits of each species is suggested. In addition, when the model is applied to whole spawnings with culture purposes, it is recommended to set the very first hatchings as the criterion for the end of the incubation. Further research is needed to ascertain if temperature fluctuations within and/or out of the permissive range can have implications for the parameterization of the model in octopod species
Effect of diet composition on maturation rate of female Atlantic salmon (<i>Salmo</i><i> salar)</i> ) during gonadal maturation (vol 582, 740513, 2024)
No full textMacrozoobentos em gradiente altitudinal no norte da Patagônia, Rio Cautín (38° S, região da Araucanía, Chile)
Get PDFThe Cautín River is closely related with the economic development of Temuco city, (38°S; Chile). Existing knowledge of the Cautín River is limited to information about its biological characteristics as a reference for the evaluation and assessment of water quality. The object of this study was to develop taxonomic characterisation of the benthic macroinvertebrates along the main course of the Cautín River, and to study the community structure using correlation analysis between community parameters. To carry out this research, the macroinvertebrate community was studied in 10 sampling sites distributed along the main course of the river. The samples were taken in summer (1997 and 2000), when optimal hydrological conditions existed. Analysis of the samples showed that the benthic fauna was composed of 56 taxa, the dominant group being insects with 48 taxa. Three main sectors were recognised in the course of the Cautín River: high, middle and low. Each sector has restricted-distribution species, while other species are widely distributed along the river. These distribution patterns seem to be influenced by dissolved oxygen concentration, temperature, altitudinal distribution and anthropo-cultural activity, present at every sampling site. Finally, this research provides a first approach to the biology of the Cautín River. Further studies could be planned on the basis of this knowledge to investigate water quality indicators based on macroinvertebrate communities
A GAINST ANTHROPOCENTRIC EXCEPTIONALISM: POSTHUMAN SUBJECTIVITIES IN MÓNICA OJEDA'S LAS VOLADORAS
No full textThe short story collection Las voladoras , published in 2020 by Ecuadorian writer M & oacute;nica Ojeda, consists of eight stories that are shaped by an imaginative blend of the uncanny, violence, and the feminine. Within this narrative context, the aim is to address the assembly of women's bodies as heterogeneous constructs in relation to the violence they must confront, thus configuring posthuman subjectivities. We propose that in these stories, there are relationships between humans and non-humans that could be associated with what Donna Haraway terms 'queer kinship.' These relationships reveal ways of articulating women's identities with an explicitly collective and posthuman dimension, where Haraway's concept of 'becoming-with' becomes paramount: 'To be one is always to become with many'. The reason these stories adopt this stance is because strictly human relationships, particularly those of men toward women, are highly hostile, marked by an excess of power and, therefore, violence. This motivates the need for women to generate complex, intergenerational, and vital connections among themselves and with other living entities, where such human exceptionalism can be nullified, contested, and/or transformed
Lithium and disease modification: A systematic review and meta-analysis in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease
No full textThe role of lithium as a possible therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative diseases has generated scientific interest. We systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed pre-clinical and clinical studies that evidenced the neuroprotective effects of lithium in Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). We followed the PRISMA guidelines and performed the systematic literature search using PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. A total of 32 articles were identified. Twenty-nine studies were performed in animal models and 3 studies were performed on human samples of AD. A total of 17 preclinical studies were included in the meta-analysis. Our analysis showed that lithium treatment has neuroprotective effects in diseases. Lithium treatment reduced amyloid-beta and tau levels and significantly improved cognitive behavior in animal models of AD. Lithium increased the tyrosine hydroxylase levels and improved motor behavior in the PD model. Despite fewer clinical studies on these aspects, we evidenced the positive effects of lithium in AD patients. This study lends further support to the idea of lithium's therapeutic potential in neurodegenerative diseases