The Brazilian Phonoaudiology Association Responds to Challenges Brought by COVID-19

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Fernanda Dreux M. Fernandes ◽  
Leonardo Wanderley Lopes ◽  
Mara Behlau
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
Robust Network ◽  
Speech Therapists ◽  
Available Resources

Purpose The pandemic created new and urgent challenges to professionals in the field of communication sciences and disorders known as Phonoaudiology in Brazil. The Brazilian Association of Phonoaudiology has the second-largest group of professionals in this field. This article presents actions and projects of the scientific association taken to support clinical and teaching practices in Brazil to face of the challenges posed by the pandemic. In addition, broad strategies were implemented to address the current and future challenges to speech therapists in Brazil. Conclusions The Brazilian Association of Phonoaudiology heard the demands of the phonoaudiologists and reacted quickly using all available resources to face the unprecedented challenges imposed by the pandemic. Immediate and future challenges included being present in the life of the average phonoaudiologist, as a scientific and professional robust network, and enlarging the number of members to represent all of Brazil, a country with geographic, racial, linguistic, and economic complex diversity.

scholarly journals COPUS, PORTAAL, or DART? Classroom Observation Tool Comparison From the Instructor User’s Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitra Asgari ◽  
Asha M. Miles ◽  
Maria Sol Lisboa ◽  
Mark A. Sarvary
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Classroom Observation ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Constructive Feedback ◽  
Time Investment ◽  
Observation Protocol ◽  
Available Resources

Classroom observation tools are used to evaluate teaching and learning activities, and to provide constructive feedback to instructors. To help instructors with selecting a suitable tool based on their needs and available resources, in this study, a group of observers assessed lectures of an introductory biology course using three, broadly cited classroom assessment tools in the STEM field: the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS); the Practical Observation Rubric to Assess Active Learning (PORTAAL); and the Decibel Analysis for Research in Teaching (DART). From a user’s perspective, we evaluated 1) the type and extent of information each tool provides, and 2) the time investment and difficulty of working with each tool. The assessment result of each tool was compared, with a list of expected outcomes generated by surveying a group of college instructors and with the result of a self-teaching assessment tool, Teaching Practices Inventory (TPI). Our findings conclude that each tool provided valuable assessment with a broad range of outcomes and time investment: PORTAAL offered the most detailed information on the quality of teaching practices and students’ engagement, but it demanded the greatest time investment. DART provided a basic estimation of active learning proportion with the least effort. The level of assessment outcome and the time investment when using COPUS was found to be less than PORTAAL, and more than DART. The TPI self-assessment outcome was found to be slightly optimistic regarding the proportion of active learning practices used in the studied course. This comparative study can help instructors in selecting a tool that suits their needs and available resources for a better assessment of their classroom teaching and learning.

ACE2 as therapeutic agent

2020 ◽  
Vol 134 (19) ◽  
pp. 2581-2595
Author(s):  
Qiuhong Li ◽  
Maria B. Grant ◽  
Elaine M. Richards ◽  
Mohan K. Raizada
Keyword(s):  
Therapeutic Agent ◽  
Renin Angiotensin System ◽  
Peptide Hormone ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Electrolyte Balance ◽  
Ang Ii ◽  
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Overwhelming Evidence ◽  
Future Challenges

Abstract The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has emerged as a critical regulator of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS), which plays important roles in cardiovascular homeostasis by regulating vascular tone, fluid and electrolyte balance. ACE2 functions as a carboxymonopeptidase hydrolyzing the cleavage of a single C-terminal residue from Angiotensin-II (Ang-II), the key peptide hormone of RAS, to form Angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7)), which binds to the G-protein–coupled Mas receptor and activates signaling pathways that counteract the pathways activated by Ang-II. ACE2 is expressed in a variety of tissues and overwhelming evidence substantiates the beneficial effects of enhancing ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/Mas axis under many pathological conditions in these tissues in experimental models. This review will provide a succinct overview on current strategies to enhance ACE2 as therapeutic agent, and discuss limitations and future challenges. ACE2 also has other functions, such as acting as a co-factor for amino acid transport and being exploited by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses (SARS-CoVs) as cellular entry receptor, the implications of these functions in development of ACE2-based therapeutics will also be discussed.

Articles Published in EJPA 2009–2010

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 290-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuulia M. Ortner ◽  
Isabella Vormittag
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Assessment ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Related Field ◽  
Broad Scope ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Report Data ◽  
Self Report Data

With reference to EJPA’s unique and broad scope, the current study analyzed the characteristics of the authors as well as the topics and research aims of the 69 empirical articles published in the years 2009–2010. Results revealed that more than one third of the articles were written by authors affiliated with more than one country. With reference to their research aims, an almost comparable number of articles (1) presented a new measure, (2) dealt with adaptations of measures, or (3) dealt with further research on existing measures. Analyses also revealed that most articles did not address any particular field of application. The second largest group was comprised of articles related to the clinical field, followed by the health-related field of application. The majority of all articles put their focus on investigating questionnaires or rating scales, and only a small number of articles investigated procedures classified as tests or properties of interviews. As to further characteristics of the method(s) used, a majority of EJPA contributions addressed self-report data. Results are discussed with reference to publication demands as well as the current and future challenges and demands of psychological assessment.

Facet Theory

1998 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Guttman ◽  
Charles W. Greenbaum
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Animal Behavior ◽  
Infant Development ◽  
Facet Theory ◽  
Structural Relationships ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
Spatial Configurations ◽  
Multidimensional Methods ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Scalogram Analysis

This article gives an overview of Facet Theory, a systematic approach to facilitating theory construction, research design, and data analysis for complex studies, that is particularly appropriate to the behavioral and social sciences. Facet Theory is based on (1) a definitional framework for a universe of observations in the area of study; (2) empirical structures of observations within this framework; (3) a search for correspondence between the definitional system and aspects of the empirical structure for the observations. The development of Facet Theory and Facet Design is reviewed from early scale analysis and the Guttman Scale, leading to the concepts of “mapping sentence,” “universe of content,” “common range,” “content facets,” and nonmetric multidimensional methods of data analysis. In Facet Theory, the definition of the behavioral domain provides a rationale for hypothesizing structural relationships among variables employed in a study. Examples are presented from various areas of research (intelligence, infant development, animal behavior, etc.) to illustrate the methods and results of structural analysis with Smallest Space Analysis (SSA), Multidimensional Scalogram Analysis (MSA), and Partial Order Scalogram Analysis (POSA). The “radex” and “cylindrex” of intelligence tests are shown to be outstanding examples of predicted spatial configurations that have demonstrated the ubiquitous emergence of the same empirical structures in different studies. Further examples are given from studies of spatial abilities, infant development, animal behavior, and others. The use of Facet Theory, with careful construction of theory and design, is shown to provide new insights into existing data; it allows for the diagnosis and discrimination of behavioral traits and makes the generalizability and replication of findings possible, which in turn makes possible the discovery of lawfulness. Achievements, issues, and future challenges of Facet Theory are discussed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document