Programs In Spain Research Articles

SPANISH LEGISLATION AND IB PYP LANGUAGE POLICY DEVELOPMENT

Given the growth of and interest in International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes in Spain, schools looking for approval to implement any of its programmes are being met with the challenge of policy development to meet the requirements for authorization. This paper will look at Spanish legislation and the supports or challenges it offers when trying to meet the needs that face schools looking towards IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) authorization. As schools already authorized will have used the 2014 version of the IB Programme Standards and Practices, this paper will focus on the development of language policy in this version as well as the 2018 versions to support these schools as they move to the next stage or new schools starting under this newer version. A comparative look at Spanish legislation that may have influenced past decisions and current legislation that will influence future decisions will summarize the support mechanisms for meeting the language policy requirement.

School principals’ preparation in Spain and in the USA: alignments between higher education and supranational recommendations

This article tackles one of the relevant issues related to the professionalization of school principals’ role: their pre-service training or, in other words, the mandatory training they receive before they can take the roles as public-school principals. The research conducted about the cases of Spain, and specifically the Region of Madrid, and the USA, and specifically the State of Washington, let us draft some conclusions on their policies and practices on this matter within these countries and regions. Also, the study of the recommendations by the international organizations selected leads us to further understand and explain the alignments between those recommendations and the real policies and practices on principals’ pre-service preparation programs in Spain and the USA. This article aims to serve education stakeholders to further develop their work towards the improvement of the professionalization of the school principals’ role.

Uncertainty and sensitivity of the sexual behavior changes to the current human papillomavirus vaccination campaign in Spain

Taking into account the public health importance of the human papillomavirus (HPV) control in the future, it is mandatory to assess the effect of the vaccination campaigns on the control of HPV spread and the associated diseases using reliable mathematical models. We propose a computational random network model with the aim of studying the transmission dynamics of HPV infections. This model reflects the herd immunity effect in the heterosexual network more accurately than the classical models. We perform a sensitivity analysis of the sexual behavior changes consisting of increasing the number of men who have sex with men (MSM), increasing the frequency of the intercourses and increasing the number of sexual partners. We find that large changes in the sexual behavior, in some extent, only have minor effects on the decline of the HPV infections in women and men in the current vaccination campaign in Spain (vaccination of young girls with a coverage of 70%). Therefore, the current vaccination program in Spain is robust for the heterosexuals. However, we cannot say the same for MSM, where they do not benefit by the herd immunity effect of the vaccination of girls, and consequently, the circulation of the virus among them remains unchanged. A consequence of the present study is that the effect of other external factors that may affect the transmission dynamics of the HPV, for instance, the tourism or the immigration, does not influence the protection provided by the current Spanish vaccination program.

La necesidad de los servicios sociales a través de un acercamiento a la renta mínima y otros servicios en especie

This article presents, from a social perspective, an approach to the experience of the auto- nomous minimum income programs in Spain, delving more specifically into the situation of the Minimum Insertion Income in Andalusia. The study has been designed with the aim of making a comparison of the different incomes described throughout the Spanish geography, delving into the figures and results of its imple mentation in the Andalusian autonomous community. To achieve this objective, a review of secondary sources has been carried out, mainly the regulations regarding minimum incomes, paying special attention to the transversal social perspective present in each of them. The need to continue this line of research with projection to the realization of a longitudinal study that allows to consolidate the knowledge about this benefit and its results is concluded.

Palbociclib combined with endocrine therapy in heavily pretreated HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer patients: Results from the compassionate use program in Spain (PALBOCOMP)

BackgroundThis study evaluated efficacy and safety of palbociclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, in heavily-pretreated hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+/HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (mBC) patients during the compassionate use program in Spain from February 2015 to November 2017. Patients and methodsPatient data were collected retrospectively from 35 hospitals in Spain. Patients with HR+/HER2- mBC who had progressed on ≥4 treatments for advanced disease were eligible. ResultsA total of 219 patients received palbociclib in combination with aromatase inhibitors (110; 50.2%), fulvestrant (87; 39.7%), tamoxifen (8; 3.6%) or as single agent (10; 4.6%). Mean age of the patients was 58 years; 31 patients (16.1%) were premenopausal and 162 (83.9%) were postmenopausal at the beginning of treatment with palbociclib. Patients had received a median of 3 previous lines of endocrine therapy (ET) for advanced disease. Real-world tumor response (rwTR) and clinical benefit rate were 5.9% (n = 13) and 46.2% (n = 101), respectively. The median real world progression-free survival (rwPFS) was 6.0 months (95% CI 5.7–7.0) and the median overall survival was 19.0 months (95% CI 16.4–21.7). Subgroup analysis revealed a significant difference in median rwPFS in patients treated with palbociclib plus fulvestrant depending on the duration of prior treatment with fulvestrant monotherapy (>6 versus ≤6 months; HR 1.93, 95% CI 1.37–2.73, p < 0.001). The most frequently reported toxicities were neutropenia, asthenia, thrombopenia and anemia. ConclusionsPalbociclib can be an effective and safe treatment option in patients with heavily pretreated endocrine-sensitive mBC, especially in those with longer PFS to previous ET.

Grammatical and Lexical Development During Short‐Term Study Abroad: Exploring L2 Contact and Initial Proficiency

AbstractThis study examined linguistic development among both intermediate and advanced college‐level second language (L2) learners during short‐term study abroad summer programs in Spain. Participants completed a measure of overall proficiency, as well as assessments of receptive grammatical (morphosyntactic) and lexical (semantic) abilities at the beginning and end of their programs. They also reported their use of and exposure to the target language on a weekly basis while abroad. Analyses explored (a) whether learners in each group made gains in these receptive abilities, and (b) to what extent contact with the L2 and/or initial proficiency accounted for variability in linguistic development across all learners. Results indicated that learners in both groups evidenced significant linguistic gains, in both morphosyntactic and lexical domains for the intermediate‐level learners, and in the lexical domain for the advanced learners. In analyses across all learners, L2 contact did not account for variability in either morphosyntactic or lexical development, whereas higher initial proficiency facilitated some morphosyntactic and lexical development. Results suggest that learners at both intermediate and advanced levels can experience linguistic gains during short‐term study abroad, and that initial proficiency plays a limited role in explaining variability in gains among these learners.

Explicit instruction for the development of L2 Spanish pragmatic ability during study abroad

This study investigates the effects of pragmatic instruction and short-term study abroad (SA) on the development of apologies in second language (L2) Spanish. Students who spent four weeks in different SA programs in Spain were randomly assigned either to an experimental group (n = 9) or a control group (n = 9). Native Spanish speakers from Spain were recruited to provide baseline comparison data. Prior to departure, the experimental group received explicit pragmatic instruction on how to formulate apologies in Spanish. During SA, they performed two task scenarios designed to promote their pragmatic competence. The control group did not receive pragmatic instruction, nor did they perform the tasks. Before departure and during the final week of the program, both groups completed an oral discourse completion task (ODCT) consisting of five apology scenarios. The ODCT data and appropriateness ratings indicate that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in three areas of pragmatic development: appropriateness, strategy use, and speech rate. Findings suggest that explicit pragmatic instruction both before and during SA contributes to participants’ L2 pragmatic competence.

Differences in breast cancer risk after benign breast disease by type of screening diagnosis

IntroductionWe aimed to assess differences in breast cancer risk across benign breast disease diagnosed at prevalent or incident screens. Materials and methodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study with data from 629,087 women participating in a long-standing population-based breast cancer screening program in Spain. Each benign breast disease was classified as non-proliferative, proliferative without atypia, or proliferative with atypia, and whether it was diagnosed in a prevalent or incident screen. We used partly conditional Cox hazard regression to estimate the adjusted hazard ratios of the risk of breast cancer. ResultsCompared with women without benign breast disease, the risk of breast cancer was significantly higher (p-value = 0.005) in women with benign breast disease diagnosed in an incident screen (aHR, 2.67; 95%CI: 2.24–3.19) than in those with benign breast disease diagnosed in a prevalent screen (aHR, 1.87; 95%CI: 1.57–2.24). The highest risk was found in women with a proliferative benign breast disease with atypia (aHR, 4.35; 95%CI: 2.09–9.08, and 3.35; 95%CI: 1.51–7.40 for those diagnosed at incident and prevalent screens, respectively), while the lowest was found in women with non-proliferative benign breast disease (aHR, 2.39; 95%CI: 1.95–2.93, and 1.63; 95%CI: 1.32–2.02 for those diagnosed at incident and prevalent screens, respectively). ConclusionOur study showed that the risk of breast cancer conferred by a benign breast disease differed according to type of screen (prevalent or incident). To our knowledge, this is the first study to analyse the impact of the screening type on benign breast disease prognosis.

Training priorities in primary education bilingual programmes in Spain

ABSTRACT Bilingual education currently faces the challenge of improving teacher training to meet the linguistic and didactic demands of a content and language integrated approach. Our paper analyses what Spanish in-service primary school teachers consider the key training priorities for their involvement in bilingual programmes. Using content data analysis, we have detected the most frequently used terms in the teachers’ answers to an open-ended question. 2,830 words were examined, and the net of relations among the training priorities emerging from their discourse was established. Our results confirm that teachers prioritise the need to be proficient in English over methodological issues, which prevail once language proficiency has been achieved. They highlight investment as being crucial both to implement school bilingual programmes and to provide training opportunities for their professional development. Our study concludes that only concerted personal and administrative efforts will bridge the gap between global educational agendas and classroom performance.

Instruction on Metaphors During a Study-Abroad Program: Students' Perceptions and Understandings

It has been observed that language learners struggle to gain access to the metaphorical structures that are part of the target language and culture. In this study, six Spanish L2 learners and nine Spanish heritage speakers from the United States completed a study abroad program in Spain in which language instruction was supplemented with a module on the subject of metaphors. This article seeks to describe this module and present learners’ perceptions of its implementation and of the learnings resulting from it, as reflected in learners’ weekly reflections and exit questionnaire. The analysis of these data indicated that most participants became aware of metaphors in every-day language. However, they were not fully able to produce metaphors themselves. Pedagogical implications of this experience include differentiated metaphor instruction for heritage speakers and L2 learners, and fostering not just metaphor awareness but competence.

Initial experience of a MitraClip valve repair program in Spain.

BackgroundThe main objective of this study was to evaluate one-year clinical outcome of patients with symptomatic mitral regurgitation (MR) treated with transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) according to the etiology of MR.MethodsData from a single high-volume center of all consecutive cases with symptomatic MR undergoing TMVR where prospectively included and followed.ResultsBetween October 2015 and October 2019, 81 consecutive patients underwent TMVR and were included in the investigation. The mean age was 75.73±7.81 years, 55 (67.9%) were male. The most frequent mechanism was functional MR (FMR) (59%). The mean EuroSCORE II was 5.7±4.94 [FMR 5.38±3.9, degenerative MR (DMR) 5.72±4.7 and mixed MR (MMR) 6.6±7.5; P=0.7776] and STS score mean was 5.21±3.31 (FMR 4.6±2.3, DMR 6.43±5.2 and MMR 5.7±3.2; P=0.126). Patients with FMR had higher rates of dilated (36 patients, 75.5%) and ischemic (15 patients, 31.3%) cardiomyopathy, as well as worse left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Procedural success was achieved in 72 (88.9%) patients, with a similar distribution between groups. The median of follow-up was 16.3 months. The primary combined endpoint occurred in 19 (23.5%) cases. The number of the combined event regarding the different etiologies were 15 (31.2%) in FMR, 2 (11.8%) in DMR and 5 (31.3%) in MMR (P=0.276). Sixteen patients (20.0%) died during the first year of follow-up and 19 (23.5%) had unplanned heart failure (HF) hospitalization. Previous surgical revascularization (HR =4.94, P=0.004) and a redo TMVR (HR =11.3, P=0.006) predicted the main event.ConclusionsTMVR with the Mitraclip device is safe, with a low incidence of complications and a high rate of procedural success. One-year outcomes show reduction of all cause death and HF admissions. Moreover, most of the patients have sustained MR reduction and an improvement in the functional class at the end of follow-up.

Collaborative learning in politics: creating spaces for political socialization in the classroom

This paper analyses changes in attitudes towards politics among the students of a Bachelor of Communication degree program in Spain after applying an educational innovation project including a formal civic education, an open classroom climate and collaborative learning strategies in politics. The effects of the project on the knowledge and interest towards politics of the participants were measured through a mixed methodology. First, a survey was administered both before and after the project was implemented. Second, focus groups were also conducted in both referred moments. The results show an increase in both understanding and having an interest in politics among students. In the context of low levels of formal instruction on politics during secondary school, such as in the Spanish case, these findings show that political disaffection among youth relates to a serious lack of knowledge about politics.

Natives and immigrants enrolled in Spanish intermediate vocational education and training: a comparative study

ABSTRACT This article looks at the differences and similarities between Spanish-born and immigrant students enrolled in the first year of Intermediate Vocational Education (IVET) programmes in Spain. We analyse and compare their sociodemographic and academic backgrounds, their reasons for choosing IVET courses, their dropout intention and, finally, their commitment and engagement with the IVET programs in which they are enrolled. Data were obtained from a sample of 1,119 students, aged between 16 and 18, enrolled in first year IVET courses in the regions of Balearic Islands and Catalonia (Spain). The sampling strategy adopted was convenience sampling. Among other conclusions, the results point to students with an immigrant background having greater financial difficulties and a higher likelihood of having unemployed parents when compared with native ones. Also, immigrant students, mostly chose the IVET programmes in which they are enrolled to improve their employability. Finally, students from an immigrant background reported poorer relationships with teachers and classmates, as well as lower family availability/assistance and higher levels of school/academic indiscipline. These results point out the need for ongoing implementation of interventions aimed at providing greater assistance to immigrant students both in school guidance and more support by their teachers. This intervention is vital in order to increase the family support in the educational pathways of the immigrant students.

La figura de la mujer en programas de infoentretenimiento en España: el resistente techo de cristal

Purpose: This article aims to analyse the figure of women and the manifestations of their gender role in five successful infotainment programmes in Spain. Design / Methodology / Approach: Through the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the attributes of each of its interventions, this study tries to empirically demonstrate the existence of these roles. It focuses on the number of appearances of both sexes in five infotainment programs (El Intermedio, El Hormiguero, La Resistencia, Late Motiv and Polònia), as well as their clothing, their personalities or the evident phenomenon of sexualization of the woman’s body. Results: It can be summarized that the presence of men and women in the analysed programmes is markedly disparate, as well as that there is a pattern in the clothing of men and women, not to mention that the objectification of the female sex is evident in each of the television products. Limitations / Implications: The large audiences of such programmes can have an impact on the image of women in society. By reviewing only a finite group of episodes from five programmes, it can be said that this is an exploratory study. Originality / Contribution: This text contributes to gender studies in contemporary Spanish television, in one of the least addressed fields, that of infotainment. It shows that in this macrogenre there is still a glass ceiling, not only because the main hosts of the programmes are men, but also because of the entrenched gender roles.

Comparison Of Handgrip Strength Test Values From International Cohorts Of Normal And Active Older Adults

The hand-grip strength test (HST) is one of the most utilized tests to measure muscle strength in older adults. It has been used to assess sarcopenia and fragility in older adults’ populations. PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to compare HST data from active older adults engaged in a physical activity promotion program in Spain with normative values of the general population in the same age ranges in Colombia (Ramírez-Vélez et al., 2019) and South Korea (Yoo et al., 2017). METHODS: 1,862 older adults aged ≥60 years old who participated in a physical activity promotion program were evaluated with the HST measured with a dynamo-meter. For the comparison with the other international cohorts [Colombian NC=5237 (≥60) and South Korean NSK=935 and 147 (≥65 and ≥80, respectively)], we divided the study by gender (W = women and M = men) and by age ranges (≥60=1, ≥65=2 ≥80=3). From our 1,862 sample, we included all of them in 1 (W=1632 and M=230), 1840 in 2 (W=1608, M=232) and 807 in 3 (W=695, M=112). RESULTS: Sample (n) and population (NSK and NC) averages HST vales (kg) were obtained in the three age groups (1, 2, and 3). The means were 1 = n (W:20.3; M:34.2) and N (W:16.7; M:26.7); 2 = n (W:19.8; M:33.1) and N (W:20.5; M:33.6); and 3 = n (W:18.9; M:31.1) and N (W:16.7; M:26.9). The Cohen's d effect size as the standardized mean difference between n and N using the standard deviation of N due to the large sample size was calculated. The results were as follows: 1 = (W:0.63; M:0.88); 2 = (W:-0.14; M:-0.07); and 3 = (W:0.48; M:0.70). CONCLUSION: The comparison shows that our sample data obtained higher values in HST by gender as well as by age, with moderate (0.63) to high (0.88) effect sizes when compared to Colombian data over 60 years old. The comparison with South Korean age groups shows that there are no differences when comparing our sample data with over 65 years data however the effect sizes are moderate when comparing older age groups (≥80). These findings suggest that physical activity could be an optimal therapeutic treatment against the muscle lost assessed with the HST even in older adults aged ≥80 years old.

Spatial Trends in Salmonella Infection in Pigs in Spain.

Salmonella is one of the most important foodborne pathogens worldwide. Its main reservoirs are poultry and pigs, in which infection is endemic in many countries. Spain has one of the largest pig populations in the world. Even though Salmonella infection is commonly detected in pig farms, its spatial distribution at the national level is poorly understood. Here we aimed to report the spatial distribution of Salmonella-positive pig farms in Spain and investigate the presence of potential spatial trends over a 17-year period. For this, data on samples from pigs tested for Salmonella in 2002–2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019 as part of the Spanish Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance program, representing 3,730 farms were analyzed. The spatial distribution and clustering of Salmonella-positive pig farms at the province level were explored using spatial empirical Bayesian smoothing and global Moran's I, local Moran's I, and the Poisson model of the spatial scan statistics. Bayesian spatial regression using a reparameterized Besag-York-Mollié Poisson model (BYM2 model) was then performed to quantify the presence of spatially structured and unstructured effects while accounting for the effect of potential risk factors for Salmonella infection at the province level. The overall proportion of Salmonella-positive farms was 37.8% (95% confidence interval: 36.2–39.4). Clusters of positive farms were detected in the East and Northeast of Spain. The Bayesian spatial regression revealed a West-to-East increase in the risk of Salmonella infection at the province level, with 65.2% (50% highest density interval: 70–100.0%) of this spatial pattern being explained by the spatially structured component. Our results demonstrate the existence of a spatial variation in the risk of Salmonella infection in pig farms at the province level in Spain. This information can help to optimize risk-based Salmonella surveillance programs in Spain, although further research to identify farm-level factors explaining this pattern are needed.

The effectiveness of R&amp;D subsidies in fostering firm innovation: The role of knowledge-sourcing activities

This article presents a novel conceptual framework that uses the notion of knowledge sourcing to explain how firms realize benefits from R&amp;D subsidies in terms of innovations. The study considers two dimensions of the firm’s knowledge sourcing: its R&amp;D effort and level of openness to technology markets. This article proposes that the policy-induced effects of R&amp;D subsidies on the knowledge-sourcing process increase firms’ innovation outcomes, thus making this policy intervention effective in promoting innovation. By using panel data from Spanish manufacturing firms, this article presents evidence consistent with the hypothesis that by changing the knowledge sourcing of firms, National R&amp;D subsidy programs in Spain also favor more firm innovation, measured by patent applications and new product launches. It is also documented that the granting of R&amp;D subsidies does not affect firm innovation directly but rather through inducing changes in the firm’s R&amp;D effort and openness to technology markets. JEL CLASSIFICATION: O32, O36, O38

Low Prevalence of HER2-Positive Breast Carcinomas among Screening Detected Breast Cancers.

Conflicting results have been reported regarding the prevalence of screen-detected human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast carcinomas and non-screen detected HER2-positive breast carcinomas. To address this issue, we evaluated the prevalence of HER2-positive breast carcinomas in two independent regional screening programs in Spain. The clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical characteristics of 479 (306 and 173) screen-detected breast carcinomas and 819 (479 and 340) non-screen-detected breast carcinomas diagnosed in women between 50 and 69-year-olds were compared. The prevalence of HER2-positive breast carcinomas was 8.8% and 6.4% in the two series of screen-detected tumors, compared with 16.4% and 13% in non-screen-detected carcinomas. These differences were statistically significant. This lower prevalence of HER2-positive in-screen-detected breast carcinomas was observed in both hormone receptor positive (luminal HER2) and hormone-receptor-negative (HER2 enriched) tumors. In addition, a lower prevalence of triple-negative and a higher prevalence of luminal-A breast carcinomas was observed in screen-detected tumors. Moreover, a literature review pointed out important differences in subrogate molecular types in screen-detected breast carcinomas among reported series, mainly due to study design, technical issues and racial differences.

Efficacy of \u201cFamily Connections\u201d, a program for relatives of people with borderline personality disorder, in the Spanish population: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundPatients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience significant affect regulation difficulties that cause serious consequences in their work, emotional, and social environments. This dysfunctional pattern also produces great suffering and a heavy burden on their relatives. Fortunately, some studies show that treatment of relatives of people with BPD begins to be important in the patients’ recovery and in improving family dynamics. One of the treatments that has obtained the most empirical support is Family connections (FC). This 12-session program is an adaptation of different Dialectical Behavior Therapy strategies. To test the efficacy of FC, five uncontrolled clinical trials were conducted, with pre-post treatment and follow-up assessments. The results of these studies and subsequent replications showed an improvement in family attitudes and caregiver burnout. Our research team adapted FC for delivery in the Spanish population. We intend to test the efficacy of this program versus a treatment as usual condition. Moreover, we aim to test the efficacy of this program and study its effectiveness (in terms of participants’ acceptance). This paper presents the study protocol.MethodsThe study is a randomized controlled trial. The participants will be recruited in a Personality Disorders Unit and randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions: Family Connections group (FC) or Treatment As Usual (TAU). Primary outcome measures will be the BAS and FAD-GFS. Secondary outcomes will include DASS-21, FES, GS, and QLI. Participants’ treatment acceptance and degree of satisfaction will also be measured. Participants will be assessed at pre-, post-treatment, and 6-month follow-up. Intention to treat and per protocol analyses will be performed.DiscussionThis is the first study on FC for relatives of people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) compared to an active condition (TAU), and this is the first time relatives’ and patients’ data will be analyzed. In addition, it is the first study to test the efficacy of the program in Spain. This intervention could contribute to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of current treatment programs for relatives of people with BPD, help to decrease burden, and improve the family connection.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04160871. Registered November 15th 2019.

Características y contenidos de los programas de maestría en salud pública en España

ObjectiveTo compare the main academic characteristics and contents of the different master's programs in public health currently offered in Spain. MethodA systematic search has been carried out in the Register of Universities, Centers and Degrees of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports. The main academic characteristics and the contents (mandatory and optional) of the programs of 11 official master's degrees with the renewed accreditation in 2018 were analyzed based on the data published on the universities’ web pages. ResultsMost programs are 60 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System), face-to-face, taught in Spanish, include in their curriculum the completion of a master's thesis but not professional practices. Only contents related to statistics and basic epidemiology, and the training activity of master's thesis, are offers by all programs. ConclusionsThe majority of public health master's programs in Spain shows a certain homogeneity regarding their academic characteristics, but a great heterogeneity in relation to their contents. There is also a great heterogeneity in the credits granted to the different subjects, especially optional subjects. It would be advisable to standardize a common core, especially in the mandatory contents.