El uso de la tecnología en el aula de matemáticas : diferencias de género desde la perspectiva de los docentes

Desde 1997 la Secretaría de Educación Pública en México ha promovido el proyecto nacional EMAT (Enseñanza de las Matemáticas con Tecnología) usando computadoras y calculadoras TI-92 para apoyar la enseñanza de las matemáticas en la escuela secundaria (alumnos entre 12 y 15 años de edad). En el marco de este proyecto hemos investigado como se ve afectado, según los profesores, el comportamiento de los estudiantes cuando se usa la tecnología para apoyar la enseñanza de las matemáticas. En particular se analiza si las respuestas de los profesores ponen en evidencia posibles diferencias de género. Veinticuatro docentes expresaron sus puntos de vista acerca de los cambios apreciados en 1.113 estudiantes en relación a: participación; capacidad para analizar un problema e interpretar las hojas de trabajo; iniciativa; solicitud de ayuda; dedicación; defensa de sus ideas; creatividad; preferencia por trabajo en equipo o individual. Los resultados muestran que, desde la perspectiva de los docentes, el uso de la tecnología en la clase de matemáticas modifica la mayoría de estos aspectos y estos cambios son distintos en varones y en mujeres. Además, los datos sugieren que los cambios de conducta conllevan una mayor equidad de género.Since 1997 the Ministry of Education in Mexico has been sponsoring the national project EMAT (Teaching Mathematics with Technology) in which computers and TI-92 calculators are used to support the teaching of mathematics at secondary school level (children aged 12 to 15). One of our concerns during this project was to investigate if teachers consider that using technology to support the teaching of mathematics affects students' behavior. In particular, teachers' responses were analyzed to detect eventual gender differences. Twenty-four teachers gave their points of view concerning the behavioral changes of 1113 students in relation to: participation; capability to analyze a problem and to interpret the worksheets; initiative; requirement for help; dedication; defense of their own ideas; creativity; preference for working in teams or individually. The results obtained show that, from the teachers' perspective the use of technology in the mathematics classroom modifies the majority of these aspects and its impact is different for girls and boys. Moreover the behavioral changes observed seem to lead to more gender equity

Kau. Los toldos tehuelches en los dibujos, grabados y fotografías de viajeros por la Patagonia (Argentina y Chile)

En este trabajo analizaremos un corpus de veintidós dibujos, grabados y fotografías de toldos tehuelches producidos por diversos viajeros que recorrieron la Patagonia desde comienzos del siglo XIX hasta comienzos del siglo XX, con el objetivo de rastrear las semejanzas y diferencias en las representaciones de dichas estructuras de habitación generadas mediante estos diferentes sistemas de representación. Para ello, centramos el estudio en la comparación de la estructura del toldo, su tamaño, apertura, orientación, paisaje circundante, cultura material, personas y fauna asociada. Los resultados del análisis muestran la existencia de sesgos en cada sistema de representación, a pesar de los cuales las imágenes muestran una continuidad en las formas de documentar visualmente una parte de la realidad pasada ; que permite rescatar elementos relativos a la agencia de los sujetos productores y usuarios de los toldos y a la pregnancia de los objetos representados, que a su vez se transmite a las imágenes que los documentan.In this paper we analyse a corpus of twenty drawings, prints and photographs of Tehuelche huts produced by several authors who travelled through Patagonia since the early nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, in order to trace the similarities and differences among the representations of these dwelling structures generated via these different systems of representation. To do this, we focus the study on the comparison of the hut`s frame, size, opening, orientation, surrounding landscape, material culture, people and associated fauna. The results of this analysis show the existence of biases in each system of representation. Despite of these biases, the images show a continuity in the ways of in which this portion of the past reality was visually documented : this allows us to rescue elements related to the agency of the subjects who produced and used these huts, and the prägnanz of the objects represented, which in turn is transmitted to the images that document it.Fil: Butto, Ana Rosa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina. Asociación de Investigaciones Antropológicas; ArgentinaFil: Saletta, María José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Asociación de Investigaciones Antropológicas; ArgentinaFil: Fiore, Danae. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Asociación de Investigaciones Antropológicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentin

Exposure of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis to Milk Oligosaccharides Increases Adhesion to Epithelial Cells and Induces a Substantial Transcriptional Response

Devon Kavanaugh is in receipt of a Teagasc Walsh Fellowship. The authors would also like to acknowledge the support of Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 08/SRC/B1393 and the Alimentary Glycoscience Research Cluster (AGRC).peer-reviewedIn this study, we tested the hypothesis that milk oligosaccharides may contribute not only to selective growth of bifidobacteria, but also to their specific adhesive ability. Human milk oligosaccharides (3′sialyllactose and 6′sialyllactose) and a commercial prebiotic (Beneo Orafti P95; oligofructose) were assayed for their ability to promote adhesion of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis ATCC 15697 to HT-29 and Caco-2 human intestinal cells. Treatment with the commercial prebiotic or 3′sialyllactose did not enhance adhesion. However, treatment with 6′sialyllactose resulted in increased adhesion (4.7 fold), while treatment with a mixture of 3′- and 6′-sialyllactose substantially increased adhesion (9.8 fold) to HT-29 intestinal cells. Microarray analyses were subsequently employed to investigate the transcriptional response of B. longum subsp. infantis to the different oligosaccharide treatments. This data correlated strongly with the observed changes in adhesion to HT-29 cells. The combination of 3′- and 6′-sialyllactose resulted in the greatest response at the genetic level (both in diversity and magnitude) followed by 6′sialyllactose, and 3′sialyllactose alone. The microarray data was further validated by means of real-time PCR. The current findings suggest that the increased adherence phenotype of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis resulting from exposure to milk oligosaccharides is multi-faceted, involving transcription factors, chaperone proteins, adhesion-related proteins, and a glycoside hydrolase. This study gives additional insight into the role of milk oligosaccharides within the human intestine and the molecular mechanisms underpinning host-microbe interactions.Science Foundation IrelandTeagasc Walsh Fellowship Programm

THE EFFECTS OF EMPLOYING MINDFULNESS ACTIVITIES WITH JAPANESE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Learning a foreign language can be challenging. If the learning environment is compulsory, motivation can also contribute to the struggles. Mindfulness, a psychological construct, is a robust topic in the academic literature. Mindfulness is a mindset that views the world from multiple perspectives, reorganizing what is perceived, focusing on the present moment and keeping open to new ideas (Langer, 1997). Moreover, mindfulness is claimed to increase interest and academic outcomes. Therefore, the construct was employed in this research to validate these claims and to contribute to second language education. This study was designed to fill several gaps in the second language acquisition (SLA) literature. First, the construct of mindfulness has not been explored in SLA as a mindset to engage students in learning. Second, the construct of interest has not been investigated in SLA in tandem with mindfulness. Lastly, mindfulness has never been employed with motivated or unmotivated high school students in the compulsory education system in Japan. The following research hypotheses and research question were investigated: (a) The treatment group receiving the mindful tasks will outperform the comparison group receiving normal foreign language instruction on vocabulary learning and reading comprehension measures; (b) The treatment group receiving mindful tasks would be more engaged, interested, and like English more than before. Increased interest will lead to improvements in language performance; and, (c) To what extent do mindful practices assist low-achieving proficiency high school students in enhancing their abilities? The participants were students attending a private high school in Japan. Both the treatment and comparison groups included 45 female and 34 male students, respectively, for a total of 79 participants. A Rasch analysis was utilized to confirm the validity and reliability of the mindfulness and interest questionnaires and to transform the raw scores into equal interval measures. MANOVA, ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient data were analyzed to ascertain differences between groups and within groups for all tests and constructs measured. The results indicated that mindfulness was not a significant influence on improved outcomes in language performance for the treatment group, although the descriptive statistics did show small gains in the hypothesized direction. The dependent variables included the mindfulness and interest questionnaires, as well as vocabulary and reading comprehension questions. The independent variable was the mindfulness tasks. The dependent variables were vocabulary and reading comprehension measures. The results of the MANOVA were the treatment effect was not significant, F(2,81) = .397, p < .67, η2 = .01. The results of the ANOVA were the treatment effect was not significant, F(1,82) = .82, p < .77, η2 =. 001. There was also no significant correlation between increased mindfulness and increased interest. Out of the six factors, all except for sensitivity to new contexts, showed negative relationships. The only positive relationship was not significant. Lastly, a one-way repeated measures ANOVA showed no improvement for the low-proficiency treatment group, ∧= .30, F(2,18) = 1.30, p < .30, η2 = .13, over time. The effect of mindfulness on improved language performance outcomes might have been influenced by the following: shallow levels of processing, lack of clear goals for the participants, unclear task design protocols, working memory issues and environmental restraints. A lack of correlation between increases in mindfulness and interest gains might have been attributable by the compulsory nature of the course, time constraints and the lack of perceived utility of the tasks by the part pants. Lastly, the reason for the lack of improvement for the low-achieving proficiency participants might not be an issue of proficiency, because both the low- and high-achieving participants of the treatment condition did not improve. Overall, these findings suggest that mindfulness is more nuanced and more complex than originally expected.Teaching & Learnin

Epigenetics in Health and Disease: Focus on epigenetic mechanisms as systems of change and adaptability

Epigenetics can be described as the field that studies the distinct molecular mechanisms that modulate gene expression without entailing actual changes in the genetic sequence. The regulation of gene expression is a fundamental process in cellular and molecular biology, which ultimately promotes cellular adaptation in response to internal and external environmental stimuli. Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone post translational modification (PTM), and non-coding RNA are the most broadly studied epigenetic mechanisms shown to play a vital role in the regular maintenance of distinct cellular populations as well as in the pathology of a variety of health-associated maladies. The current thesis presents a collection of studies addressing the distinctive roles of epigenetic mechanisms as systems of change and adaptability and their association with different healthy/diseased phenotypes. Such studies will focus on research topics involved in 1) Epigenetic treatment of genomic imprinting disorder, 2) transcriptional and epigenetic alterations associated with resilient behavior to chronic stress, 3) host-gut microbiota communication network associated with the stress-response system, and 4) transcriptional alterations associated with mTOR inhibition in adult neurons. In addition, several studies will highlight the progression of various methodologies used to monitor the diverse epigenetic alterations and their influence on gene expression changes. Each study provides a unique prospect emphasizing the role of the epigenetic mechanism in the referred health-associated condition as well as its broad function as an evolutionary tool of change and adaptability. Lastly, this thesis will present a novel outlook and concepts aiming to properly define and sub-classify the distinct epigenetic mechanisms based on their capacity of alteration and their necessity in various cellular populations. Such novel views could provide a stimulating re-evaluation of the distinct epigenetic mechanisms, which will encourage further examination of the basic models of epigenetics and will herewith contribute to the field’s further progression.208 Seiten, Diagramm

(In)accessibility conditions to the Photographic heritage of Patagonian-Fuegian Indigenous People

En este artículo presentaremos un panorama sistemático acerca las condiciones de accesibilidad a las fotografías etnográficas de indígenas patagónico-fueguinos, a fin de evaluar y discutir las posibilidades reales de ejercer el derecho de acceso público a la información que aportan estos documentos. Primero, indagaremos en el nuevo lugar que ocupa la fotografía en lainvestigación en ciencias sociales y en el rol que cumplen los archivos en la custodia de estos documentos. Luego, analizaremos de manera rigurosa la localización y las condiciones de accesibilidad a las 1465 fotografías relevadas en un total de 13 archivos, tanto públicos como privados y tanto centrales como locales y extranjeros. Para ello, analizaremos: a) la cantidad de fotografías conservadas en cada archivo, b) la existencia de datos contextuales como autor, fecha, lugar y epígrafe, c) las condiciones de preservación, d) el orden, clasificación y descripción, e) la consulta y el acceso y f) la difusión de cada archivo. Finalmente, indagaremos en cómo estos problemas de accesibilidad al patrimonio fotográfico indígena obstaculizan una valoración real de la historia, la memoria y la identidad.In this paper we will present a systematic overview about the accessibility conditions to the ethnographic photographs of the Patagonian-Fuegian Indigenous People, in order to assess and discuss the real possibilities to exercise the right of Public Access to the Information provided by these documents. First, we will look into the new place occupied by photography in the social science research and the role played by archives in the custody of these documents. Then, we will rigorously analyze the location and accessibility conditions of the 1465 photographs surveyed in a total of 13 archives, both public and private and both central, local and foreign. In order to do this, we will analyze: a) the number of photographs stored in each archive, b) the existence of contextual data such as author, date, place and epigraph, c) preservation conditions, d) order, classification anddescription, e) consultation and access and f) outreach of each archive. Finally, we will inquire into how these problems of accessibility to indigenous photographic heritage hinder a real assessment of history, memory and identity.Fil: Butto, Ana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnica. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina

Yagan Heritage in Tierra del Fuego (Argentina): The Politics of Balance

This paper analyses the tangible and intangible Yagan heritage contents exhibited by the Museo del Fin del Mundo (MFM, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina) and presented during its guided tour led by Yagan Community Counsellor Victor Vargas Filgueira. We show how the critical outlook of Fuegian history offered in the latter challenges the traditional past-only fossilized view of the Yagan, building past–present links and helping to overcome biased hegemonic discourses. We also discuss how employing a member of the Yagan Community at the MFM has been an efficient and low-budget strategy that helps to comply with some Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which are difficult to attain in developing countries. Significant outcomes of this process include: (a) providing a full-time formal job to a member of an Indigenous Community who has been traditionally dispossessed of/in their own territory; (b) acknowledging him as a knowledge holder and valuable member of society; (c) moving the role of Yagan People from subject to agent of the MFM. This process has fostered the dialogue between Yagan voices and academic discourses, challenging traditional Western dichotomies-ecology/economy, natural/cultural heritage, and so forth, and contributing to the discussion of key concepts on sustainability and engagement.Fil: Fiore, Danae. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras; Argentina. Asociación de Investigaciones Antropológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Butto, Ana Rosa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Vargas Filgueira, Victor. Museo del Fin del Mundo; Argentin

Visualización de los roles de género en las fotografías etnográficas de mapuches y tehuelches (siglos XIX-XX)

En este trabajo nos proponemos revisar críticamente las representaciones de género, especialmente las representaciones del género femenino, en las fotografías etnográficas de mapuches y tehuelches, obtenidas por militares, científicos y misioneros religiosos que recorrieron la región patagónica y mantuvieron un contacto directo con estas poblaciones a fines del siglo XIX y comienzos del XX. Para ello, analizamos un corpus de 689 fotografías (353 de grupos mapuche y 336 de grupos tehuelche) desde la perspectiva de la “arqueología visual” y centrados en las variables de edad, vestimenta y ornamentos. Así, encontramos que estas imágenes permiten rescatar no sólo la visión de los fotógrafos acerca de las mujeres indígenas, sino también la visión de las propias mujeres y sus femineidades no hegemónicas.Fil: Butto, Ana Rosa. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas Asociación de Investigaciones Antropológicas; Argentina

Huellas visuales, huellas materiales: Sitios y artefactos de indígenas patagónicos y fueguinos registrados en las fotografías tomadas durante la conformación y expansión del estado-nación argentino (desde fines del siglo XIX hasta mediados del siglo XX) y sus implicancias para el registro arqueológico

Esta tesis aborda las representaciones fotográficas de los pueblos originarios patagónicos y fueguinos durante el período de conformación y expansión del estado-nación argentino, entre los siglos XIX y XX. La muestra de análisis se compone de un corpus de 1841 fotografías: 353 de individuos del pueblo mapuche, 336 de tehuelches, 513 de shelk´nam, 428 de yámana/yagán y 211 de alakaluf/kawésqar. Estas fotografías son entendidas como índices de una realidad representada, en la que actúan la agencia del fotógrafo como la del fotografiado, lo que permite recuperar la agentividad indígena. A partir de este gran corpus de imágenes, se evalúan los distintos procesos de contacto intercultural entre la sociedad occidental y las sociedades indígenas. En el análisis se evalúan las estructuras y los artefactos fotografiados, así como el género y la edad de los sujetos fotografiados. Los panoramas resultantes de cada una de las sociedades se comparan entre sí. El trabajo permite mostrar que a pesar de que los fotógrafos hayan buscado representar al otro como salvaje o como transculturable, en las imágenes puede leerse la variabilidad cultural de cada sociedad y la especificidad de su proceso de contacto.Fil: Butto, Ana. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras

Visualización de los roles de género en las fotografías etnográficas de mapuches y tehuelches (siglos XIX-XX)

En este trabajo nos proponemos revisar críticamente las representaciones de género, especialmente las representaciones del género femenino, en las fotografías etnográficas de mapuches y tehuelches, obtenidas por militares, científicos y misioneros religiosos que recorrieron la región patagónica y mantuvieron un contacto directo con estas poblaciones a fines del siglo XIX y comienzos del XX. Para ello, analizamos un corpus de 689 fotografías (353 de grupos mapuche y 336 de grupos tehuelche) desde la perspectiva de la “arqueología visual” y centrados en las variables de edad, vestimenta y ornamentos. Así, encontramos que estas imágenes permiten rescatar no sólo la visión de los fotógrafos acerca de las mujeres indígenas, sino también la visión de las propias mujeres y sus femineidades no hegemónicas.Fil: Butto, Ana Rosa. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas Asociación de Investigaciones Antropológicas; Argentina