Account of a Foretold Death: Analysing the Response to the Pandemic in Spanish Schools

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on education, not only due to its dramatic interruption of the school year (2019-2020) but also its potential effect on many aspects regarding teaching in the future. In particular, focusing on Spain, this year’s events have also highlighted the lack of digital resources and preparedness of the schools, which has resulted in some difficulties when adapting to the new circumstances. In this paper, the author will start by explaining how the digital competence has developed into an indispensable competence for learning in the past decade, which the current global pandemic has emphasised even more. As a consequence of this pandemic, schools and education centres remained closed from March 2020 to the end of the academic year in Spain. This article focuses on the importance of technology accessibility and digital competence in language learning, as well as the way it was overlooked in practice. The immediate response from the Ministry of Education will be analysed and compared to the way teachers and schools in the Valencian region (Spain) supported the students during the enforced lockdown in the last trimester of the academic year in primary school. For this, teachers in four schools in Castellon (Valencian region) were interviewed, and drawing from their replies, the current reality of the use of technology in primary school will be examined and compared to the national guidelines and frameworks provided for educators. Questionnaires were used and analysed using a qualitative approach, while comparing the current situation to the expected response according to the educative guidelines.

Intake of Vitamin D in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in the Valencian Region and Its Possible Relationship with the Pathogenesis of the Disease

(1) Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by pronounced inflammation. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is an accurate marker for the state of inflammation, due to the high levels of this cytokine linked to the pathogenesis of the disease. These IL-6 levels could be lowered with an adequate dietary intake of vitamin D. The objective of the study was to determine the level of vitamin D ingested in a sample of patients with MS in the Valencian region (Spain), to establish the vitamin sources, and the possible link between the intake of vitamin D and the pathogenesis of the disease through a relationship with the level of IL-6. (2) Materials and Methods: A descriptive pilot study was carried out with 39 patients with MS in the Valencian region. The dietary-nutritional anamnesis was gained through the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and a food diary. Diet and eating habits were analyzed through the Easy Diet (version: 2.0.1)—Consultation Management Program® software, and IL-6 levels in blood by ELISA technique. (3) Results: The results show a low intake of vitamin D, which is significantly and negatively related to the intake of proteins of vegetable origin, which are consumed in less quantity than proteins of animal origin, and significantly and negatively related with the high blood levels of IL-6, possibly as a consequence of the high intake of fats, mainly unsaturated. (4) Conclusions: MS patients in the Valencian region ingest little vitamin D related to low intake of vegetable protein, which would explain the high levels of IL-6 linked to the high intake of mainly saturated fats.

David against Goliath: Diagnosis and Strategies for a Niche Sport to Develop a Sustainable Fan Community

Pilota, played using the hands, is a niche sport with origins dating back to Greco-Roman times. In the Valencian region of Spain, an indigenous version of the sport is played with healthy participation rates despite having to compete with the major global sports. This study is aimed at understanding the current situation of this sport in terms of knowledge, transmission channels, fan experience and media consumption, as well as the brand strategy challenges it faces for building a stable and sustainable fan community. The methodology consists of a combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques. Nearly 1500questionnaires completed across three study universes, four focus groups and 33 in-depth interviews with stakeholder representatives have served to check the data obtained and discuss the challenges facing the sport in a process of dialogue. The main finding lies in the management proposals that can be applied to most of the world’s surviving traditional sports. On a theoretical level, the study presents an analysis of niche sports in Europe from the point of view of branding and sustainability.

Need for Orthodontic Treatment in Pupils Aged between 12 and 15 in the Valencian Region (Spain)

The World Health Organization recommends carrying out periodic epidemiological studies in order to provide a basis for the evaluation of the state of health of the population at any given time; in doing so, action strategies can be established for the treatment of different pathologies. The objective of this study is to evaluate the need for orthodontic treatment in adolescents at school aged between 12 and 15 in the Spanish autonomous region known as Comunidad Valenciana (hereafter: Valencian Region). A cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of 539 12-year-old schoolchildren and 460 15-year-olds, respectively, selected by cluster sampling and representative of the school-aged population of the Valencian Region, using the IOTN-DHC, IOTN-AC, and DAI indices. The need for specific orthodontic treatment according to the IOTN-DHC was 12.6% at 12 years and 7% at 15. For the IOTN-AC and DAI indices, the treatment needs were 4.3% and 0.9% at 12 years and 30.1% and 20.9% at the age of 15. These results were similar to those obtained in the previous study carried out on the same target population. There was no significant association between the need for treatment and gender or social class. We conclude that the need for orthodontic treatment presents values similar to those obtained in 2010.

Are Public Subsidies to Encourage Young Farmers Effective? Case Study of a First-Time Farm Set Up by a Young Female Farmer in the Valencian Region of Spain

Generational renewal and the incorporation of women into the rural world are fundamental for the sustainability and modernisation of the agricultural sector. Hence the special government protection granted to the sector, which appears in both European legislation on rural issues and in the global strategy of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Rural Development Goals involving a commitment to measures aimed at helping young farmers to set up agricultural holdings and especially at encouraging women to engage in farm management. In the case of Spain, this is nothing new, given that Law 35/2011 on the Shared Ownership of Agricultural Holdings became a veritable revolution in terms of gender in the rural world when it came into force. The results section discusses the practical application of funding for young farmers to start up an agricultural holding through a technical and economic study, and a case study of a first-time farm set up by a young female farmer. The main contribution of this work lies in answering two questions. The first one is to evaluate the efficiency of the subsidies for young people to set up farms in terms of offering a decent, stable livelihood for young men and women in Spain and the Valencian Region. The second one attempts to verify the effectiveness of both European and Spanish active public policies to encourae young men and women to join the agricultural sector.

How Do Plurilingual Teacher Trainees View the CLIL Challenge? A Case Study

The Valencian region is a Spanish autonomous community with a long-standing tradition in bilingual education. However, as opposed to some other Spanish regions, attention towards the linguistic education system from the point of view of research has been scarce. On this basis, the present investigation seeks to analyze the plurilingual education system of the Valencian region currently in force from the perspective of trainee teachers. To this end, a study has been conducted with three focus groups. The narrative produced by the participants has been analyzed taking into consideration four major dimensions, namely plurilingual programs, teacher training, methodology, and resources and materials. In this analysis, the main idea underlying each dimension has been identified and then the information has been synthesized in flow charts that broadly represent the information conveyed by the groups. The results obtained evince a lack of initial and continuous teacher training in plurilingual issues, a reality which translates into a low level of linguistic competence and methodological lacunae, as well as a lack of tailored-made teaching materials. There is thus an urgent need to revisit major aspects of the plurilingual programs and bring about certain changes that could contribute to their improvement and consolidation.

Pesticide Inhalation Exposure of Applicators and Bystanders Using Conventional and Innovative Cropping Systems in the Valencian Region, Spain

This paper provides scientific results from a European LIFE project carried out in the Valencian region of Spain during the 2017 to 2018 time frame. In 2018, more than 60,000 tons of pesticides were commercialized in Spain, with approximately 15% destined for Valencian crops. In order to improve the air quality in the agricultural areas of this region, an innovative cropping system based on irrigation was developed and compared to conventional treatments based on hand-spray and turbo application. After applying conventional treatments to five types of crops (citrus, persimmon, nectarine, watermelon, and other stone fruits), a total of 13 active substances were detected in the air. The same active substances were applied to crops using the novel irrigation system, and no pesticide was detected in the air. Moreover, applicator and bystander populations in the region were assessed for their risk of inhalation exposure to pesticides, and no risk was found when either of the techniques, the innovative and the conventional agricultural one, were applied.

Are small and medium-size food industry firms profitable? Explaining differences in their performance: The case of the Valencia Region

The main aim of this study was to determine the factors that influenced profitability of companies involved in the Valencia food industry between 2006 and 2015. For this, macroeconomic, sector and company variables were the key elements used in the statistical analysis, together with their dependenceon the economic cycle in indicating the present state of the sector in the Valencian Region. The panel data was obtained from the sabi data base and combined with transverse data and time series. Economic and financial profitability are both influenced by certain common factors, especially the sales margin. The higher the margin the higher the profit, although this relationship also depends on where the business company is located. Rotation of assets also contributes to raising profits in times of economic expansion. The Economic Crisis saw profits fall in 2009 and 2012, two of its worst years. Finally, differences were also found between large and small enterprises.