Artículos científicos

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12466/19

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Technology-related behavioral addiction profiles and mental health in teachers
(2026-05-22) Ruiz Ordoñez, Yolanda; Gervilla, Elena; Sesé. Albert
Introduction – Teachers mental health is increasingly challenged by ubiquitous digital demands, yet little is known about how specific constellations of online behaviors and compulsive buying cluster in this key professional group or how they map onto psychiatric symptomatology. Methods – This cross-sectional study examined problematic use of the internet, mobile phones, instant messaging, social networking sites and videogames, together with compulsive buying, in 1, 043 in-service teachers from all educational stages in Spain. Participants completed validated self-report measures of problematic ICT use, compulsive buying, anxiety, depression and online vulnerability. Latent profile analysis combined with k-means clustering identified homogeneous behavioral profiles, and differences in affective symptoms and sociodemographic characteristics were tested using analysis of variance and chi-square tests. Results – Four distinct profiles emerged. A low-risk group showed minimal problematic ICT use or compulsive buying and very low levels of anxiety, depression and online vulnerability. Two intermediate groups were characterized by predominantly ICT-related risk or predominantly compulsive buying, each showing specific and clinically relevant patterns of emotional symptoms. A high-risk group, overrepresented by younger and predominantly female teachers, displayed concurrent problematic ICT use and compulsive buying together with markedly elevated anxiety, depression and online vulnerability, accounting for a large share of the variance in mental health outcomes. Younger teachers were consistently more likely to belong to the high-risk profiles that carried the greatest psychological burden. Discussion – These findings reveal substantial and clinically meaningful heterogeneity in digital and consumer risk behaviors among teachers and point to a subgroup with a profile compatible with behavioral addictions and significant psychiatric distress. The study underscores the importance of integrating digital-behavior screening into occupational mental health assessment in education and supports the development of targeted, profile-based interventions in digital literacy, emotion regulation and identity reinforcement to protect teachers mental health in technology-rich environments.
Culinary Habits, Nutritional Knowledge, and Healthy Eating Practices: A Sociodemographic Analysis of the Spanish Population
(2025-06) Sandri, Elena
Aim Understanding culinary habits and nutritional knowledge is essential for promoting healthy eating practices within a population. This study explores the relationship between culinary habits, nutritional awareness, and healthy eating practices in the Spanish population, considering sociodemographic factors. Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed, collecting data from 1534 participants through an online validated questionnaire. Variables included frequency of cooking, use of healthy and unhealthy cooking techniques, culinary knowledge, and indicators such as age, gender, education level, and living arrangements. Statistical analyses, including Kendall's Tau-b correlations and Mann-Whitney U tests, were performed to evaluate relationships and group differences. Results Findings revealed that 59.1 % of participants cook daily or almost daily, with an average cooking time of about an hour and a half. Women demonstrated significantly higher cooking frequencies (Mean = 4.25, p < 0.001) and healthier cooking techniques (Mean = 4.00, p < 0.001) compared to men. Adults also cooked more frequently (Mean = 4.26, p < 0.001) and for longer durations than younger individuals. Culinary knowledge scores ranged from 58.5 (SD = 17.6) in men to 62.5 (SD = 16.5) in women (p < 0.001), with higher education positively associated with knowledge (Mean = 62.5 vs. 59.3, p < 0.001). Significant Kendall's Tau-b correlations (p < 0.001) were observed between healthy culinary habits and knowledge variables, with coefficients frequently exceeding 0.50. Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of culinary knowledge in promoting healthier cooking practices and highlight socio-demographic disparities. The study suggests that tailored interventions focused on cooking education could improve dietary behaviors and public health outcomes. Cooking education programs may serve as a key public health strategy by fostering healthier eating habits, improving nutritional literacy, and reducing diet-related diseases. Future research should examine causal relationships and cultural influences to develop effective, evidence-based culinary interventions.
Computed Tomography Findings in Three Cases of Suspected Lymphovenous Communications in Cats
(2026-10-11) Librán Ferreira, Laura; Rodríguez Armas, Iván; Zamora Perarnau, Carla; Israeliantz, Nicolas; Cervera Castellanos, Vicente
Pathological lymphovenous communications are poorly characterized in veterinary medicine, and their computed tomographic features and clinical significance remain unknown. This retrospective case series aimed to describe contrast-enhanced computed tomography findings of suspected spontaneous lymphovenous communications in three cats. All cats had dilated, tortuous vessels arising from portal venous tributaries and extending to the cisterna chyli, originating from the splenic vein in two cats and the cranial mesenteric vein in one. The cisterna chyli and thoracic duct were consistently dilated and contrastenhancing, and reduced portal vein calibre cranial to the communications was present in all cats. Concurrent findings included pleural or peritoneal effusion and subcutaneous edema, with chylous pleural effusion confirmed in two cats. The recurrent anatomical distribution and associated portal and lymphatic abnormalities suggest that these communications may represent the enlargement and functional recruitment of pre-existing lymphovenous pathways in response to acquired portal and/or lymphatic hemodynamic disturbances, although a congenital origin cannot be excluded. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography may allow the recognition and anatomical characterization of suspected pathological lymphovenous communications in cats and should be considered when anomalous portal vessels are associated with concurrent cisterna chyli and thoracic duct abnormalities.
Artificial Intelligence in the Management of Malnutrition in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review
(2025-07) Sguanci, Marco; Morales Palomares, Sara; Cangelosi, Giovanni; Petrelli, Fabio; Sandri, Elena; Ferrara, Gaetano; Mancin, Stefano
Malnutrition is a critical complication among cancer patients, affecting 0.80). Machine learning algorithms, including decision trees, random forests, and support vector machines, outperformed conventional screening tools. Deep learning models applied to medical imaging achieved high segmentation accuracy (Dice similarity coefficient: 0.92-0.94), enabling early cachexia detection. AI-driven virtual dietitian systems improved dietary adherence (84%) and reduced unplanned hospitalizations. AI-enhanced workflows streamlined dietitian referrals, reducing referral times by 2.4 d. AI demonstrates significant potential in optimizing malnutrition screening, body composition monitoring, and personalized nutritional interventions for cancer patients. Its integration into oncology nutrition care could enhance patient outcomes and optimize healthcare resource allocation. Further research is necessary to standardize AI models and ensure clinical applicability. This systematic review followed a protocol registered prospectively on Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/A259M).
The association between gut microbiota and cognitive decline: A systematic review of the literature
(2026-03) Libriani, Sofia; Facchinetti, Gabriella; Marti, Flavio; Tolentino Diaz, Maria Ymelda; Sandri, Elena
The gut-brain axis has emerged as a key pathway in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, with age-related shifts in gut microbiota potentially contributing to cognitive decline and dementia progression. This systematic review evaluated the effects of microbiota-targeted interventions on cognitive outcomes in adults aged >45 years with cognitive impairment or at risk of dementia. Randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies published up to June 2025 were identified through PubMed, COCHRANE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and EMBASE. Methodological quality, assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist, ranged from moderate to high.Fifteen studies involving 4,275 participants across Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East met inclusion criteria. Interventions included probiotic supplementation, fecal microbiota transplantation, and dietary strategies such as Mediterranean and ketogenic diets. Cognitive outcomes were measured using validated tools, including the Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. Narrative synthesis indicated that microbiota modulation was associated with improvements in memory, executive function, and global cognition, particularly in individuals with prodromal or mild cognitive impairment. Reported benefits correlated with increased microbial diversity, enhanced short-chain fatty acid production, and reduced neuroinflammatory markers. In contrast, effects were limited in advanced Alzheimer's disease.Overall, gut microbiota modulation represents a promising nonpharmacological strategy to support cognitive health, with early intervention appearing crucial for optimal benefit. Nevertheless, heterogeneity in study design and intervention protocols highlights the need for large-scale, longitudinal randomized controlled trials to confirm efficacy and clarify underlying biological mechanisms.
Global spinal mobility shows no consistent association with trunk strength in children: a schoolbased cross-sectional study
(2026-10-26) Martín Ruiz, Julio; Ros Ros, Concepción; Gallego Cerveró, Clara; Ruiz Sanchis, Laura
Background: Given the high prevalence of low back pain from adolescence, this study examined whether global spinal mobility is associated with trunk strength in healthy schoolchildren. Objective: To quantify global spinal mobility and movement speed, trunk extensor strength, and associated pain, and to examine their relationships by educational stage and sex. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 226 schoolchildren aged 9–16 years completed, in a single Physical Education session, anthropometric measurements, spinal mobility and speed assessments with an inertial sensor, the Biering-Sørensen test, an isometric deadlift with dynamometry, and the Wong- Baker pain scale. Z-scores for mobility, speed, and strength were analyzed using two-factor ANOVAs, simple and partial correlations, and linear regression, reporting effect sizes, 95% confidence intervals, and variance inflation factors. Results: Secondary school students showed greater strength than primary school students (strength index: p < 0.001), with no effect of sex; mobility did not differ between stages but was greater in girls ( p = 0.002), and speed showed a Stage × Sex interaction ( p = 0.002). Mobility was moderately associated with speed, particularly in primary school, whereas correlations with the composite strength index were non-significant in three of the four subgroups. Secondary school boys showed a small negative association (r = −0.25; 95% CI: −0.45 to −0.03; p = 0.02), driven mainly by Biering- Sørensen time (r = −0.38; p < 0.01); after anthropometric adjustment, it was no longer significant for the composite index (partial r = −0.22; p = 0.06) but persisted for Biering-Sørensen time (partial r = −0.31; p = 0.01). The mobility– pain relationship was weak, and perceived discomfort was generally low. Conclusions: Global spinal mobility showed no consistent cross-sectional association with trunk strength in healthy schoolchildren; the only association, observed in secondary school boys, was small and, after adjustment, persisted only for Biering-Sørensen time. Factors not assessed here, such as neural or coordinative aspects, might contribute to this pattern, but this hypothesis requires further investigation. The protocol proved feasible in Physical Education settings, although its screening accuracy has not yet been established.
Communicative agency as a dimension of sustainability competence: evidence from an international higher education microcredential
(2026) Javadinejad, Arash
Purpose – Despite extensive research on sustainability education, a persistent challenge remains in understanding how students translate sustainability awareness into communicatively and socially actionable forms. While existing frameworks emphasise cognitive, affective and behavioural dimensions of sustainability competence, the role of communication in enabling action remains under-theorised. This study aims to address this gap by conceptualising communicative agency as a complementary and exploratory dimension of sustainability competence. Design/methodology/approach – Adopting a qualitative exploratory case study design, the research combines diagnostic survey data with discourse analysis of student-produced artefacts within an international microcredential course on English Communication for Sustainable Development. The analysis focuses on how students construct sustainability discourse across key dimensions, including actor representation, attribution of responsibility, modalisation and audience positioning. Findings – Findings show that students initially demonstrate strong normative awareness of the importance of communication but limited confidence in its practical application. Through project-based learning, students move from awareness towards the enactment of communicative agency, constructing sustainability as actionable by identifying agents, framing responsibility, calibrating urgency and feasibility and designing audience-oriented interventions. Communication emerges not only as the transmission of information, but as a discursive resource through which students begin to structure responsibility, agency and possible action. Social implications – By foregrounding communication as a mechanism through which sustainability knowledge is translated into socially actionable forms, the study highlights the importance of preparing students to engage with sustainability challenges across diverse public, professional and institutional contexts. Communicationcentred pedagogies may support more participatory and context-sensitive forms of sustainability engagement by enabling learners to identify relevant actors, negotiate responsibility and design audience-oriented interventions. Originality/value – The study introduces communicative agency as a previously under-theorised dimension of sustainability competence, conceptualised as the discourse-mediated capacity to translate knowledge into socially actionable forms. By integrating sustainability education, discourse theory and communicative competence frameworks, the paper provides both a theoretical contribution – reframing a dimension of the knowledge–action gap as communicative in nature – and an empirical model for analysing how sustainability learning becomes operational in practice.
Luis Cernuda (1902-1963) Poeta y profesor. Tras su año centenario
(Asociación Nacional de Catedráticos de Instituto. ANCABA, 2003-06) de Ancos Morales, Beatriz
La autora muestra cómo la actividad de profesor acompañó a Cernuda durante gran parte de su vida adulta, primero en Francia y después en Inglaterra, Estados Unidos y México. La docencia fue para él un medio de subsistencia, mientras que la poesía representaba su verdadera vocación. El texto destaca la influencia que tuvieron el exilio, la soledad, la búsqueda del amor y el conflicto entre realidad y deseo en su obra literaria. A través de cartas, escritos autobiográficos y poemas, se describe a un Cernuda marcado por el desarraigo, pero también profundamente comprometido con la creación poética y la enseñanza
Análisis bibliométrico de espacios de aprendizaje innovadores y flexibles en educación superior (2015-2025)
(2026-01-01) Ginesta Martínez, Josefina; Cebrián Cifuentes, Sara; Guerrero Valverde, Empar
Este estudio analiza bibliométricamente la producción científica sobre los espacios de aprendizaje innovadores y flexibles en educación superior durante el periodo 2015-2025. Se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura usando las bases de datos Scopus, Web of Science y ERIC, seleccionando 157 artículos analizados con técnicas bibliométricas mediante el software VOSviewer. Se examinaron indicadores de producción científica, coocurrencia de términos, colaboración entre autores e instituciones, así como distribución geográfica y temporal. Los resultados muestran un crecimiento sostenido en la producción científica, con incremento significativo a partir de 2020 y un pico en 2025. China lidera la producción por país, seguida de España, Tailandia y Australia. Emergieron cinco ejes temáticos principales: factores humanos y contextos de aprendizaje, competencias digitales docentes, innovaciones metodológicas y entornos inteligentes, integración y transformación digital, y tecnologías emergentes. El análisis evidencia la madurez del campo y la creciente relevancia de los espacios de aprendizaje innovadores en educación superior, impulsados por metodologías activas centradas en el alumnado y la integración de tecnologías digitales avanzadas.
Culinary memories, perceived barriers, and motivations for home cooking among younger and older adults in Spain: a qualitative cross-sectional study.
(2026-09-24) Palau Ferré, Alma María; Esteve-Claramunt, Francisca; Cangelosi, Giovanni; Mancin, Stefano; Casaña Mohedo, Jorge; Micheluzzi, Valentin; Sandri, Elena; Petrelli, Fabio
Home cooking is a key determinant of health and cultural transmission. In Mediterranean countries like Spain, contemporary social changes are among the factors that may have contributed to shifts in traditional dietary patterns, with young adults potentially more exposed to a dietary transition. This study comparatively explores culinary perceptions, childhood memories, perceived barriers, and daily motivations related to home cooking among young and older adults in Spain. A qualitative, cross-sectional design based on content analysis was conducted across Spain using an online survey administered between November 2025 and January 2026 and reported in accordance with the COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qualitative research tool. To capture intergenerational shifts, two age-based subsamples were extracted from a single overall sample and compared using an extreme case comparison strategy: Young Adults (< 30 years old) and Older Adults (> 59 years old). From the overall sample of 169 respondents, 78 participants belonging to the two extreme age cohorts were analyzed. Among these, the younger cohort (n = 26) experiences culinary habits through the lens of recent independent living, showing a proactive search for less processed foods and a technical modernization of cooking via time-saving appliances (e.g., air fryers) to overcome time constraints. Conversely, the older cohort's (n = 52) practices are rooted in traditional slow cooking. While retirement provides them with abundant time, physical fatigue and loneliness act as barriers. Both generations converge in their emotional attachment to traditional Spanish spoon dishes ("platos de cuchara") and view socialization as the primary catalyst for cooking. Participants' accounts suggest that traditional cooking practices are perceived as a cultural and potential public health resource. Exploring the intergenerational transmission of these practices may contribute to the knowledge base on how healthier and more sustainable food-related behaviors could be fostered, though these findings should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating rather than as direct evidence for policy.
Regulación de la profesión en España: asociaciones, colegios y Consejo General
(2019-07-15) Palau Ferré, Alma María
Analizar la normativa que regula la actuación y competencia de la profesión de Dietista-Nutricionista y de los Colegios Oficiales en España, desde diferentes organismos y en los diferentes ámbitos.
Sacituzumab Govitecan in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis of Single-Arm Efficacy and Integration of Randomized and Real-World Evidence
(2026-06-20) Pérez Bermejo, Marcelino; Mazon-Albalate, Marcelo; Murillo Llorente, María Teresa; Perez-Murillo, Javier; Legidos García, María Ester; Tomás Aguirre, Francisco; Palau Ferré, Alma María; Martínez Peris, Miriam; Ventura González, Ignacio
Background/Objectives: Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) carries a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Sacituzumab govitecan (SG), an anti-Trop-2 antibody-drug conjugate, has shown activity in this setting, but a quantitative synthesis integrating randomized and real-world evidence-particularly in underrepresented subgroups-was lacking. We aimed to summarize the comparative benefit of SG, which derives from a single randomized trial, and to assess whether trial-level efficacy is consistent with the activity observed in routine practice. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020, we searched PubMed/MEDLINE and Web of Science (January 2017-April 2026) for trials and observational cohorts of SG monotherapy in mTNBC. Comparative effects were taken from randomized data; single-arm efficacy (objective response rate [ORR], clinical benefit rate [CBR], median progression-free [PFS], and overall survival [OS]) was pooled using random-effects models. Risk of bias was assessed with RoB 2 and ROBINS-I. The review was registered in the Open Science Framework. Results: Nine studies (1242 patients; 980 SG-treated) were included: one randomized trial (ASCENT), two single-arm trials, and six real-world cohorts. In ASCENT, SG improved PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.41, 95% CI 0.33-0.63) and OS (HR 0.51, 0.42-0.64). Pooled ORR was 31.1% (28.0-34.4), and CBR was 42.2% (37.7-46.8), with the median PFS being 4.8 months (4.4-5.3) and OS being 11.0 months (9.3-13.0); trial-derived and real-world estimates were concordant. The benefit persisted in older patients (HR 0.25) and Black women (HR 0.44) but not in those with brain metastases (HR 0.68, 0.38-1.23). Conclusions: SG shows clinically meaningful activity in mTNBC that is broadly consistent between controlled trials and routine practice. Comparative superiority over chemotherapy rests on a single randomized trial (ASCENT); the pooled single-arm estimates describe activity and its consistency rather than a comparative effect.
Waist Circumference and Handgrip Strength as Potential Nursing Vital Signs in Type 2 Diabetes: A Preliminary Assessment
(2026-05) Gómez-Taylor, Barbara; Casaña Mohedo, Jorge; Palau Ferré, Alma María; Práxedes Gómez, Rocío; Quesada Hernández, Aaron; Navarro Escobar, Ernesto; Sandri, Elena; Morales Palomares, Sara
Background and aims: The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between muscle function, dietary quality, body composition markers, and metabolic status in ambulatory patients with type 2 diabetes. The study sought to validate low-cost tools, such as handgrip strength and waist circumference, as potential ;nursing vital signs; for metabolic risk stratification. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with adult patients with type 2 diabetes. Muscle function was assessed through handgrip strength (dynamometry) and metabolic status via the HOMA-IR index. Visceral adiposity was estimated using waist circumference and the Lipid Accumulation Product (LAP); dietary quality was evaluated with the Spanish Healthy Eating Index (IASE), and cellular health through the phase angle (PhA) obtained by electrical bioimpedance. Non-parametric tests and Spearman correlations were applied due to the non-normal distribution of the data. Conclusions: In this ambulatory diabetic population, waist circumference emerged as a practical and potent surrogate for insulin resistance burden. Although metabolic dysfunction was not directly associated with dietary quality or phase angle, a high prevalence of probable sarcopenia (36.1%) and poor dietary quality (77.8%) were detected. The implementation of non-invasive tools like waist circumference and handgrip strength in nursing consultations could optimize early risk stratification and allow for more targeted lifestyle interventions.
Nutritional Needs, Dietary Knowledge, and Culinary Skills in Individuals with Diabetes Mellitus: A Scoping Review
(2026-05) Casaña Mohedo, Jorge; Murillo Llorente, María Teresa; Palau Ferré, Alma María; Faus García, María; Gómez Taylor, Barbara; Esteve Claramunt, Francisca; Palomares, Sara Morales; Sandri, Elena
Dietary management is a cornerstone of diabetes mellitus (DM) care. However, a persistent disconnect remains between theoretical nutritional knowledge, what individuals are advised to eat, and the practical culinary skills required to translate these recommendations into daily practice. This gap is frequently compounded by socioeconomic constraints and cultural determinants. To map the available evidence on dietary knowledge, culinary skills, and food-related practices among people with DM, with particular attention to barriers and facilitators in daily-life settings. A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for scoping reviews guidelines. Major databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase) were searched for studies published between 2014 and 2025. Extracted variables were mapped deductively to the World Health Organization International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, distinguishing self-care and dietary management (d5) from domestic-life competencies related to meal preparation (d6). Forty-six studies were included. The evidence base was heterogeneous and focused largely on dietary self-management, whereas comparatively few studies explicitly assessed instrumental cooking skills (n = 8). Across studies, structural barriers, particularly food insecurity and the cost and availability of healthier foods, frequently limited the feasibility of recommended diets. Skills-based interventions, including culinary medicine and hands-on cooking programs, were associated with improvements in culinary self-efficacy and, in some studies, clinically meaningful hemoglobin A1c reductions. Family dynamics, peer support, and culturally shaped practices (including religious observances) emerged as important determinants of adherence. Current diabetes education strategies risk achieving conceptual adequacy without practical applicability. Effective dietary management in DM requires a shift from predominantly prescriptive nutritional advice toward skills-based approaches grounded in culinary medicine. Future interventions should be culturally responsive and explicitly address environmental and social barriers to bridge the gap between clinical recommendations and real-world implementation. This systematic review followed a protocol registered prospectively on Open Science Framework available at: https://doi.org/10.17605/ OSF.IO/J9PHQ.
Double Burden of Malnutrition and the Relationship Between Reported Intestinal Parasitosis and Anemia in School-Aged Children from a Peri-Urban Community of Limpio (Paraguay): A Cross-Sectional Study
(2026-07-05) Murillo Llorente, María Teresa; Perez-Murillo, Javier; Martínez Peris, Miriam; Palau Ferré, Alma María; Ventura González, Ignacio; Legidos García, María Ester; Casaña Mohedo, Jorge; Pérez Bermejo, Marcelino
Background/Objectives: The nutrition transition in low- and middle-income countries has produced a double burden of malnutrition (coexistence of excess weight, undernutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies), with scarce evidence in schoolchildren from vulnerable peri-urban areas of Paraguay. The objective was to characterize, in a multidimensional way, the nutritional status of children and adolescents from Limpio and to explore its associations with anemia and clinical, dietary, and environmental variables, in particular, reported intestinal parasitosis. Methods: Cross-sectional observational study in 90 participants aged 6 to 16 years recruited by convenience at six community settings. Anthropometry, body composition, capillary hemoglobin, dietary patterns, and environment were assessed. Weight status was classified using the WHO 2007 references (z-scores), anemia was described using WHO thresholds, and central obesity was assessed using a waist-to-height ratio > 0.5. Non-parametric tests, Fisher's exact test, Spearman correlations, and multivariable logistic regression were used. Results: Overweight or obesity affected 39.3% (obesity, 16.7%) and central obesity 22.4%, with no cases of thinness, coexisting with anemia (27.0%), stunting (8.2%), and reported intestinal parasitosis (24.1%). Anemia was more frequent in children with reported intestinal parasitosis (45% versus 20%; adjusted OR 5.44; 95% CI 1.44-20.51). Height-for-age was inversely associated with the number of siblings (rho = -0.25). Conclusions: This population showed a double burden of malnutrition. The association between reported, non-laboratory-confirmed intestinal parasitosis and capillary-hemoglobin-defined anemia was exploratory and non-causal, given the cross-sectional design. Together with the high burden of anemia, these findings raise the hypothesis of a possible triple burden of malnutrition, which would require confirmation through stool parasitological testing and biomarkers of iron status, inflammation, and other micronutrients. These findings are compatible with integrated community strategies addressing dietary quality, sanitation, and access to safe water; decisions on deworming and micronutrient supplementation should be guided by local parasitological surveillance and biomarker-based assessment rather than by these data alone. Because the study used a convenience sample from a single peri-urban community during one fieldwork period, the findings should not be generalized beyond similar vulnerable settings without further confirmation.
The Architecture of AI-Mediated Learning: A Three-Layer Framework
(2026) Javadinejad, Arash; Davari, Maedeh
Artificial intelligence (or AI) is rapidly transforming digital learning environments, reshaping how educational processes are organized, how knowledge is produced, and how learning is evaluated. Despite a growing body of research on AI in education, existing studies often examine technological, pedagogical, and ethical dimensions in isolation, leaving a lack of integrative frameworks capable of explaining how AI restructures learning environments as a whole. This study addresses this gap by proposing a three-layer conceptual framework that models AI-mediated learning environments through the interaction of efficiency, pedagogy, and ideology. The framework conceptualizes AI integration as a system of interdependent processes: the efficiency layer captures the optimization of educational activities through automation and data-driven personalization; the pedagogical layer explains how AI reshapes learning processes, feedback cycles, and learner strategies; and the ideological layer examines the normative assumptions embedded within AI systems, including issues of epistemic authority, linguistic norms, and algorithmic bias. Drawing on a structured synthesis of recent empirical research across domains such as generative AI tools, automated feedback systems, intelligent tutoring systems, and AI-supported assessment, the study demonstrates how these dimensions interact to structure contemporary digital learning environments and generate both affordances and tensions. The main theoretical contribution lies in advancing a system-level analytical framework that moves beyond tool-specific approaches and enables a more integrated understanding of AI in education. In practical terms, the framework provides educators and policymakers with a lens to critically evaluate AI integration, supporting more informed decisions on assessment design, sustainable learning practices, and inclusive digital education.
The impact of dissonance on simulation experience: a teacher training case study
(2026-04-27) Angelini Doffo, María Laura; Javadinejad, Arash; Diamanti, Roberta
This study examines how student teachers experience controversial stakeholder profiles in a simulation-based teacher education programme and how these experiences contribute to professional development. The study pursues two objectives: to examine the capacity of simulation to reveal student teachers’ perceptions of contested profiles (head of school, ESL teacher, parent and pedagogue) in a complex school scenario; and to analyse how these perceptions and related emotions, including discomfort, frustration and disappointment, support the development of communication, metacognitive and professional skills. Using a qualitative approach, the study draws on participants’ reflective reports and expert observations collected during the simulation. Findings show that the parent profile emerged as the most controversial and dissonant role, generating emotional tension, disagreement and personal conflict that challenged participants’ assumptions about teaching. These results highlight the pedagogical value of incorporating dissonant roles into simulation-based teacher education and underscore the importance of addressing parent-teacher communication within comprehensive training programmes.
Understanding Speaking Demotivation in Iranian EFL Contexts: A Self- Determination Theory Analysis of Learner and Teacher Perspectives
(2026-08-30) Davari, Maedeh; Javadinejad, Arash
This study investigates how speaking demotivation is experienced and interpreted by Iranian English as a Foreign Language learners and teachers through the lens of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), with particular attention to autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Thirty participants (15 learners and 15 teachers) from two private language institutes in Iran took part in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using theory-informed thematic analysis. The findings indicate that speaking demotivation emerges as a contextually mediated process shaped by the interaction between learners’ psychological experiences and instructional conditions. Learners primarily emphasised affective and relational factors, including lack of social support, negative classroom climate, and limited agency, whereas teachers foregrounded structural constraints such as proficiency gaps, exam-oriented practices, and limited opportunities for authentic language use. Notable divergences between teacher and learner perspectives suggest misalignment in how demotivating experiences are recognised and addressed in classroom practice. The study contributes to the literature by providing a theoretically grounded account of speaking demotivation that connects psychological needs with classroom conditions. It also highlights the importance of designing need-supportive speaking environments and increasing teacher awareness of the affective and agentic dimensions of learner engagement.
From tools to pedagogical ecologies: a systematic review of artificial intelligence in EFL/ESL education
(2026-08-25) Javadinejad, Arash; Davari, Maedeh
Introduction: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly embedded in English as a Foreign/Second Language (EFL/ESL) education, yet existing research remains fragmented across tools, skills, and short-term outcomes. This review examines how AI is integrated into EFL/ESL education across language skills, instructional domains, and educational contexts. Methods: This PRISMA-guided systematic review synthesised 221 unique peerreviewed publications. Moving beyond a tool-centred inventory, the review analysed AI through four interrelated dimensions: pedagogical roles, mediating processes, reported outcomes, and contextual constraints. Results: AI systems increasingly operated as multifunctional pedagogical actors rather than isolated instructional aids. The most frequently coded roles were teacher orchestration/support, content and materials generation, assessment or diagnosis, coaching or practice companionship, tutoring or scaffolding, and conversational partnership. AI-mediated learning was especially concentrated in writing and speaking/communication, where text-based, voice-based, multimodal, immersive, and adaptive systems supported feedback, revision, rehearsal, and learner–system interaction. Reported benefits included expanded practice opportunities, accelerated feedback cycles, redistributed instructional labour, skill development, learner autonomy, affective support, assessment and monitoring, collaboration, and multilingual engagement. Recurring challenges included technical reliability and feedback quality, teacher readiness, privacy and data security, learner over-reliance, infrastructural inequality, bias and cultural mismatch, authorship and academic-integrity concerns, and methodological weaknesses. Discussion: Interpreted through a three-layer framework of efficiency, pedagogy, and ideology, the synthesis conceptualises AI in EFL/ESL education as a pedagogical ecology in which tools, learners, teachers, feedback regimes, assessment practices, institutional infrastructures, and governance arrangements interact. The review provides a theory-informed framework for analysing, designing, and governing AI-mediated language education beyond simple claims of technological effectiveness.
News values and discursive construction of economy in the Brexit referendum
(Cardiff University Press, 2026) Javadinejad, Arash; Maruenda-Bataller, Sergio
Economic issues played a central role in the Brexit debate, yet previous studies on Brexitrelated news discourse have paid relatively little attention to them. This paper examines the discursive construction of the economy as a newsworthy topic in campaign coverage in the UK’s quality newspapers. To this end, we analysed a corpus of four major British broadsheets, categorizing them based on ideological orientation (left-right) and Brexit stance (Leave-Remain). Employing a mixed method approach within Corpus Assisted Discourse Studies (CADS), we applied Discursive News Values Analysis (DNVA) alongside Corpus Linguistic tools and techniques. The findings indicate that the primary factor shaping similarities and differences in discursive practices surrounding the economy during the campaign coverage was the Leave-Remain divide, rather than traditional left-right political affiliations.

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