Universidad Católica Silva Henríquez

The following chapter delves comprehensively into the corpus of international legislation and overarching global directives that have been promulgated pertaining to the concept of vulnerability subsequent to the seminal Nuremberg trial (1945–1946). It elucidates the evolution of conceptualizations surrounding the aforementioned term, delineating its progressive refinement culminating in the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (UNESCO 2005).

This chapter examines some key aspects that relate the category of vulnerability to Research Ethics. First, its main focus of interest, the issue of informed consent, one of the first steps taken from the Universal Legislation and Orientations. But, from Nuremberg to the present times, reality and the vital context in which research is developed has changed so rapidly that sometimes it seems not to allow researchers to keep up in measures taken to protect those who are most vulnerable. As it has been detailed in the previous chapter, the category of vulnerability was introduced into the vocabulary of bioethics in the field of biomedical research due to historical determining factors. When it became clear that unprotected or institutionalized groups such as orphans, prisoners, the elderly, or ethnic or racial minorities were involved, research began to regulate those who were recognized as the most exposed and worst defended against mistreatment and abuse by third parties, mainly those who conducted the research. Thus, the notion of vulnerable groups or populations arose. In a second moment, this chapter analyzes what this denomination implies. Finally, it addresses some other issues relevant to research ethics, which historically have had less analytical development.

The concluding chapter of Volume I serves as a comprehensive recapitulation of the book’s central themes, particularly focusing on the unresolved issues—termed ‘aporias’ herein—pertaining to the concept of vulnerability. This examination is informed by the previous extensive review of interdisciplinary research and scholarly discourse within the field of the disciplines studied, encompassing both its conceptualization as a guiding principle and as an inherent anthropological trait of the human condition.

The second chapter approaches the notion of vulnerability in current sociology. Operating with some of the contemporary sociologist’s paradigm of the “Risk Society” (U. Beck, A. Giddens), it works with the various features that compose this post-modern society, such as globalization, individualization, fear, therapeutic culture, among others. After briefly describing B. Misztal’s comprehensive proposal for vulnerability theory in sociology, it turns to the examination of the Latin American theory. This paradigm is distinguished by its political orientation towards vulnerability, contrasting with the more individualistic European perspective. In a final moment, it stops to consider migration as a crucial element in social order, social action, and social change in the contemporary configuration of global society.

Only recently, and in smaller proportions than the academic literature produced in research ethics, clinical bioethics has begun to elaborate the meaning of the concept of vulnerability in its disciplinary area, such as ethical problems in the physician-patient relationship, confidentiality, communication, genetic manipulation, etc. This chapter is dedicated to some of these issues. Clinical bioethics deals with the individual person, his or her biographical narrative, and the ethical decisions he or she must make regarding his or her life, health, illness, fertility, death, etc. If in research ethics we refer to subjects/objects of research, and to groups or populations under investigation in theory, clinical bioethics is always a concrete activity focused on the individual. This is why in this chapter the phenomenology of the ill human being, or the political dimension of Ethics of Care is undertaken, giving greater theoretical support to applied bioethical ethics.

The first chapter of Volume I approaches the concept of vulnerability in some of the very different streams present in psychology. Beginning with its origin in the Greek diathesis and in the Roman proclivitas, it briefly reviews the history of the emergence of the term in psychology and psychiatry. Once this is established, the chapter accepts the challenge of declaring certain qualities of vulnerability, or “the vulnerable” that are mainstream in todays scholarly work in psychology. It then distinguishes the understandings of the naturalistic and heuristic perspectives, to finally delve into the Spaniard psychiatrist Ignacio Boné Pina’s proposal in this regard. As an addition to the above, the chapter ends by developing the relation between vulnerability and stress, emotions and resilience.

This chapter introduces the presence of the category of vulnerability in the bioethical context. It highlights the contributions of the main authors in the field and presents some of the taxonomies of vulnerability that have been rehearsed in time. It tracks the historical development of the term vulnerability in bioethics and differentiates the European approach, the North American principlism and the Latin American paradigm of the concept in Bioethics. It finally addresses the critiques and challenges of the vulnerability category in the field of Bioethics.

The Introduction to the first Volume gives a brief “State of the Art”, a Status Quaestionis, of how the term “vulnerability” has evolved and become a common category in many disciplines, in the last 50 years. It also raises the fundamental questions that have been in the background of this research throughout the course of its development. It establishes that despite its profuse development, theorizing its basic content has been as diverse as it is extensive, and today its definition is considered both necessary and controversial.

Strictly speaking, Global Bioethics was born in 1971, with Van Rensselaer Potter (1911–2001), the oncologist who gave birth to the term bioethics. His original intuition was related to the global issues of the future, interdisciplinary dialogue and the survival and quality of life of the human species. Since the nineties of the previous century, the growing globalization of political, environmental, social, and cultural discussions has led to the characterization of what has been recovered as Global Bioethics. This Chapter is dedicated to that discussion. It closes with a presentation of Hans Küng, who insists on a “global ethical frame of mind”, arising from an awareness of what we have done to our environment and our humanity.

With an approach to vulnerability from contemporary philosophy, the third chapter of this Volume highlights the concept of vulnerability as a fundamental anthropological feature, and at the same time, a singular, biographic, situational experience. It then deepens and broadens four categories from which different philosophers’ approach and expand their understanding of human vulnerability: vulnerability as dependence, vulnerability as fragility, vulnerability as being exposed to the other, and vulnerability as lability. Based on what has been developed and synthesizing the nuances contributed by each discipline, it then distinguishes three dimensions of vulnerability: Radical vulnerability (also called ontological); vulnerability as lability; and vulnerability that has been vulnerated. It finally asserts four conclusive statements on vulnerability.

This article analyses previous findings that propose a relationship between musical rhythm and language from a cognitive perspective, highlighting shared neural mechanisms. The question that has driven this work is how the theories and findings that relate musical rhythm and verbal language from a cognitive point of view could be considered in the elaboration of didactic sequences focused on the music classroom? Thus, two didactic units are proposed for primary and secondary education that integrate rhythmic and linguistic activities to enhance the teaching and acquisition of musical and linguistic competences. Finally, pedagogical implications and future research directions are discussed to evaluate the effectiveness of these proposals in different educational contexts.

The biceps curl test is easy to apply, does not require expensive equipment, and its short execution time makes it feasible in school settings with limited resources. To verify the reliability of the biceps curl test in children and adolescents and to provide reference values according to chronological age and sex. A total of 1103 schoolchildren aged 6 to 17 years (500 boys and 603 girls) were evaluated. Weight and height were evaluated and Body Mass Index (BMI) and Tri Ponderal Index (TPI) were calculated. The right and left hand biceps curl was evaluated in 30 s. Children aged 6 to 11 years used a 1 kg dumbbell and those aged 12 to 17 years used a 2 kg dumbbell. Percentiles were calculated using the LMS method. The values of the relative Technical Error of Measurement (TEM%) of the biceps curl test of both hands ranged from 0.48 to 2.89%. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) evidenced high values of 0.93 to 0.99. The Bland-Altman plot showed wide limits of agreement (-1.28 to 1.29 rep). These findings demonstrate that the test is reliable and consistent for use in pediatric populations and is suitable for different stages of physical development in school children. The values showed stability and wide limits of agreement. In addition, the proposed percentiles are useful to evaluate and monitor the strength endurance performance of both arms.

Objective The evaluation of bone health during the growth stage is extremely important, as it is a key factor to prevent bone diseases in adulthood. The objectives of the study were: a) to verify if there are differences in bone health with other geographic regions, b) to develop bone health curves using quantitative ultrasonography (QUS) through the Broadband Ultrasonic Attenuation (BUA) parameter in children and adolescents residing in a high altitude region of Peru and c) to determine specific cut-off points for bone health assessment in this particular population. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out in schoolchildren in a high altitude region of Peru. The sample consisted of 1468 children and adolescents (724 males and 744 females). The age range was 6.0 to 17.9 years old. Weight and height were evaluated. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. Bone quality was evaluated by quantitative ultrasonography (QUS) of the calcaneus. The parameters measured were Speed of Sound (SOS, m/s); Broadband Ultrasonic Attenuation (BUA, dB/MHz); and Bone Quality Index (BQI= αSOS+αBUA, αβ: temperature corrections). Results There were small discrepancies in bone health (BUA) between studies from various geographic regions. Values differed across all age ranges from ~0.36 to ~10.86 in males and from ~0.26 to ~6.68 in females. At later ages during adolescence the values are relatively similar, reaching a plateau around 16 and 17 years of age. Percentiles were calculated for BUA by age and sex. Sensitivity and specificity values in females are slightly higher relative to males. However, the Youden Index reflects 0.84 for both sexes and the appropriate cut-off point for men is ≤67.8 and for women is ≤63.7. Conclusion The study demonstrated that there are small discrepancies in bone health (BUA) among children between children and adolescents from different geographic regions. These findings support the creation of specific references and cut-off points for bone health in the pediatric population of a high altitude region of Peru. The results suggest the application of percentiles for the assessment of bone health in school and epidemiological contexts.

Background The evidence supporting the benefits of early exercise in post-bariatric patients is growing. This study analyzed the effects of early exercise (1-week post-bariatric surgery) on body composition in patients with overweight and obesity 1 month after surgery. Methods Thirty patients (age 36.5 ± 12.3 [range, 18–65] years; body mass index [BMI], 36.2 ± 12.3 kg/m², range, 29–48) who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for bariatric surgery were instructed to participate in an exercise training program initiated on day 3 post-surgery and to follow a recommended protein intake of 60 g/day. After 1-month post-surgery, patients were stratified into those who adhered to exercise recommendations and those who did not. Pre- and post-differences in total weight loss (TWL), skeletal muscle mass (SMM), fat mass (FM), and visceral fat mass (VFM) were compared. Results TWL, SMM, and FM loss were similar between non-adherent and adherent subjects (10.2 ± 3.5 kg and 11.9 ± 3.6 kg; p = 0.2; 2.9 ± 1.0 kg and 3.2 ± 1.2; p = 0.2; 6.2 ± 2.1 kg and 7.5 ± 3.6 kg; p = 0.2, respectively), whereas VFM was markedly reduced in the adherent group (29.9 ± 18.2 cm² vs 14.6 ± 9.4 cm²; p = 0.01) compared to the non-adherent group. When the group was divided according to adherence to exercise and protein intake or non-adherence to both conditions, there was a significant difference in TWL, FM, and VFM losses (p < 0.05). In contrast, no differences in SMM were found. Conclusions Early exercise training accelerated visceral fat mass loss during the initial recovery period in patients after bariatric surgery. Additionally, adherence to daily protein intake recommendations can increase total body weight and fat mass loss.

This study aimed to adapt and analyze the psychometric properties of the Exercise Behavior Regulation Questionnaire (BREQ-3) for assessing motivation towards incidental physical activity. An instrumental study in a sample of 346 university students (21.1 ± 2.6 years, and 61.3% women) from various universities in Chile was undertaken. An adaptation of the BREQ-3 was applied, and a confirmatory factor analysis was performed using a robust weighted least squares estimator to assess the construct validity of the scale. Also, the convergent validity was evaluated using the average variance extracted, the discriminant validity using composite reliability, and the internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha (α) and McDonald’s omega (ω) coefficients. The six-factor structure of intrinsic motivation (α = 0.96, ω = 0.96), integrated regulation (α = 0.95, ω = 0.95), identified regulation (α = 0.89, ω = 0.90), introjected regulation (α = 0.75, ω = 0.77), external regulation (α = 0.80, ω = 0.83), and amotivation (α = 0.75, ω = 0.79), with acceptable fit indices after eliminating items 8 and 11, was confirmed—χ²/df: 2.196, CFI: 0.99, TLI: 0.99, RMSEA: 0.059 (90% CI; 0.051–0.067). Adaptation of the BREQ-3 appears to be a reliable measure for assessing motivation in the context of incidental physical activity. Its use will contribute to understanding the explanatory mechanisms underlying this behavior.

ABSTRACT Promoting incidental physical activity (IPA) can help reduce sedentary lifestyles and physical inactivity levels in the population. However, there is heterogeneity in the definition of IPA, and studies have yet to synthesize the empirical findings on this topic. This review aimed to (1) Synthesize the definitions of the IPA used in the scientific literature, (2) Identify the behaviors part of the IPA, and (3) Synthesize the main findings on IPA. The review followed PRISMA guidelines. A systematic search was performed in July 2023, and an update was made in February 2024 in the CINAHL databases by EBSCOhost, Cochrane Library, Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science. The search phrase was (“incidental physical activity” OR “incidental physical activity of daily living” OR “incidental movement” OR “vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity” OR “VILPA” OR “physical activity of daily living”). Fifty-five studies were included, with non-experimental (40), experimental (12), qualitative studies (2), and mixed design (1). Ten different terms for IPA were identified, and a conceptual definition was included in 33 articles. Behaviors measured as part of the IPA were reported in 41 articles. These definitions describe unstructured, unplanned, and unintentional physical activities of daily living that are performed as a by-product of an activity with a different primary purpose during free or occupational time and without specific fitness, sport, or recreation goals. Include light and vigorous intensities ranging from short sessions of < 1 min to prolonged ones. They include home activities, self-care, gardening, occupation, active transportation, and walking. Furthermore, evidence on IPA suggests an association with a lower risk of all-cause mortality. The findings of this review contribute to the updated study of IPA. Advances in data processing methods are needed to capture the diversity of behaviors and deepen the understanding of IPA.

We provide a methodology for decoupling the bulk gravitational field equations of braneworld black holes to suppress the bulk singularities. Thus, we provide a regular braneworld black hole setup. To achieve this, we apply a Minimal Geometric Deformation (MGD) with respect to a coupling constant α to the 4D Minkowski spacetime embedded in an extra dimension. This results in a gravitational decoupling into a system A with equations of motion of order α 0 and a system B, related to the so-called Quasi-Einstein equations of order α. This methodology allows for the construction of a regular geometry everywhere. We outline the necessary constraints for eliminating singularities and provide a recipe for solving the equations of motion. Both the warp factor, the scalar field, and the potential obtained are smooth and free from Dirac delta singularities. A control parameter is introduced such that, in the limit b → 0, the Randall-Sundrum (RS) setup is recovered, resulting in a transition from a thick brane to a thin brane. The asymptotic behavior of the curvature invariant lim y→±∞ R 5D (r, y) is positive near the de Sitter core (for small r), asymptotically negative for finite r > r * , and asymptotically flat at the 4D boundary as r → ∞. Although this work aims to suppress bulk singularities, it is expected that our methodology may be useful for future investigations related to the embedding of gravitational objects within other braneworld contexts. a

Dieses Kapitel exploriert den Prozess des Lernens des Lehrerberufs, der in einem Praktikum stattfindet, indem es die Perspektive des situierten Lernens anwendet, um die Rolle anderer Akteure als Treiber des Lernens, die Modalitäten der Aneignung von Beiträgen der Anderen durch Trainee-Lehrkräfte und das von ihnen erlernte berufliche Wissen zu untersuchen. Es beinhaltet eine explorative Fallstudie mit 13 Trainees aus zwei chilenischen Ausbildungszentren. Das Selbstkonfrontationsinterview wurde als Technik zur Informationserzeugung verwendet, mit insgesamt 28 Stunden Tonaufnahmen, die transkribiert und durch Analyse von konzeptualisierenden Kategorien codiert wurden. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Interaktion mit verschiedenen Akteuren eine Quelle des Lernens ist. Das Vorhandensein/Fehlen von pädagogischer Intentionalität in der Beteiligung des Anderen am beruflichen Lernprozess der Trainee-Lehrkräfte führt uns auch dazu, Interaktionen zu betrachten, die pädagogisiert sind; d. h., die auftretenden Elemente sollen als berufliches Wissen verstanden werden, während andere kein pädagogisches Ziel haben. Schließlich teilen die verschiedenen Modalitäten der Wissensaneignung die Tatsache, dass sie verschiedene Arten der Nutzung des Anderen als Treiber des Lernens und des Aufbaus von Berufswissen darstellen, das in den pädagogischen Interventionen der Trainee-Lehrkräfte kontextualisiert ist.