COVID-19 and the right to education in Chile: An opportunity to revisit our social contract.

The COVID-19 pandemic is pushing the world into a devastating economic and social scenario. The consequences of this crisis largely impact children and teenagers, both now and in the future. School closures have particularly affected vulnerable children, deepening the effects of their unequal socio-economic circumstances. In this context, the actions governments are taking to protect their citizens' right to education will be crucial to reducing or exacerbating inequality in the long term. The authors of this article analyse the case of Chile, one of the most successful countries in Latin America regarding educational achievement and enrolment, as well as the most segregated educational system among member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). How is the right to education being guaranteed for all during the COVID-19 pandemic? Are the measures taken by the Ministry of Education mitigating or intensifying long-term inequalities? Based on the 4-A scheme described by Katarina Tomasevski, which conceptualises national governments' obligations to guarantee the right to education, the authors examine the normative basis of Chile's market-oriented educational system (1980-2013) as well as the latest educational reform (2014-2017), which aimed to promote the right to quality education, and critically analyse the measures adopted by the Chilean Ministry of Education in response to the pandemic. The authors conclude that Chile is facing a major challenge to ensure the right to education for all. A new social contract is required to reduce structural inequalities, and to avoid a potential setback in human rights.

La COVID-19 et le droit à l'éducation au Chili : l'occasion de revisiter notre contrat social ­ La pandémie de COVID 19 entraîne le monde vers un scénario économique et social dévastateur. Les conséquences de cette crise impactent fortement le présent et l'avenir des enfants et des adolescents. Les fermetures d'écoles ont particulièrement affecté les enfants en aggravant les effets des inégalités socio-économiques. Dans ce contexte, les mesures que prennent les gouvernements pour protéger le droit des citoyens à l'éducation seront capitales en ce qui concerne la réduction ou l'aggravation des inégalités à long terme. Les auteurs de cet article analysent le cas du Chili, l'un des pays latino-américains qui connaissent le plus de succès en matière de réussite scolaire et de scolarisation, et dont le système éducatif est en même temps le plus ségrégatif de tous les pays membres de l'Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques (OCDE). Comment le droit à l'éducation pour tous y est-il garanti pendant la pandémie de COVID-19 ? Les mesures prises par le ministère de l'Éducation atténuent-elles à long terme les inégalités ou les creusent-elles ? Les auteurs s'appuient sur le schéma des 4 A (selon lequel l'éducation doit être abordable, accessible, acceptable et adaptable ­ n.d.l.t.), dans lequel Katarina Tomasevski conceptualise les obligations des gouvernements de garantir le droit à l'éducation. Ils l'utilisent non seulement pour examiner la base normative du système chilien de l'éducation axé sur le marché (1980-2013) et la dernière réforme de l'éducation (2014-2017) visant à promouvoir le droit à une éducation de qualité, mais aussi pour livrer une analyse critique des mesures adoptées par le ministère de l'Éducation chilien en réponse à la pandémie. Ils concluent que pour garantir le droit à l'éducation pour tous, le Chili doit relever un défi d'importance. Un nouveau contrat social est nécessaire pour réduire les inégalités structurelles et éviter une régression potentielle des droits humains.

COVID-19 y el derecho a la educación en Chile: Una oportunidad para revisitar nuestro contrato social ­ La pandemia del COVID-19 está empujando al mundo a un escenario económico y social devastador. Las consecuencias de esta crisis impactarán sobremanera a la niñez y adolescencia, tanto en el presente como en el futuro. El cierre de los establecimientos educativos ha afectado particularmente a la población vulnerable, profundizando los efectos de su desventaja socio-económica de origen. En este contexto, las acciones que tomen los Estados para proteger el derecho a la educación serán cruciales para reducir o exacerbar la inequidad en el largo plazo. Los autores de este artículo analizan el caso de Chile, uno de los países de América Latina con mayores tasas de matriculación y completitud, a pesar de contar con el sistema educativo más segregado entre los países de la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos (OCDE). ¿Cómo se está garantizando el derecho a la educación durante la pandemia del COVID-19? Las medidas tomadas por el Ministerio de Educación, ¿están mitigando o agudizando las inequidades en el largo plazo? Los autores abordan ambas preguntas en base a las 4-As definidas por Katarina Tomasevski, en que se conceptualizan las obligaciones de los Estados para garantizar el derecho a la educación. En primer lugar, examinan las normativas que sentaron las bases del sistema educativo orientado en el mercado (1980-2013) así como las modificaciones propuestas por la última reforma educativa (2014-2017), que buscaron promover el derecho a la educación de calidad. Luego, los autores analizan las medidas adoptadas por el Ministerio de Educación en respuesta a la pandemia. Concluyen que Chile está enfrentando un gran desafío para poder asegurar el derecho a la educación para todos. Por lo tanto, se requiere un nuevo contrato social para reducir las inequidades estructurales, y para evitar un potencial revés en materia de derechos humanos.

Teacher-child interactions in Chile and their associations with prekindergarten outcomes.

Quality of teacher-child interactions is central to prekindergarten children's learning. In the United States, the quality of teacher-child interactions is commonly assessed using the teaching through interactions conceptual framework and an associ/ated observational tool, the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). This study examined: (a) whether there was evidence supporting three distinctive domains of teacher-child interactions in Chile (construct validity) and (b) whether these domains predicted end-of-prekindergarten language, academic, and executive function skills in Chile (predictive validity). The sample consisted of 91 Chilean prekindergarten classrooms (1,868 four-year-old children). The findings support both construct and predictive validity of the teaching through interactions conceptual framework as assessed by the CLASS in Chile. Implications for cross-country comparison of quality of teacher-child interactions in prekindergarten classrooms are discussed.

Understanding the Relationship between Preschool Teachers' Well-Being, Interaction Quality and Students' Well-Being.

A substantial body of research shows that teacher-student interactions have a significant impact on student outcomes. However, to our knowledge, less is known about the association between teachers' and students' well-being and the implications for teacher-child interactions, particularly in the preschool context. Research Findings. Using ordinary least squares regression, we investigated the association between affective balance and burnout among 28 preschool teachers and the emotional and behavioral problems of 593 students between three and four years old. We found that teacher affective balance-not teacher burnout-was associated with fewer emotional and behavioral problems in children. Furthermore, the different domains of interaction quality affected children's well-being in different ways. Practice or Policy. In initial teacher training and continuing professional development, teachers should be provided with support and strategies to help them manage their mental health and children well-being. Some interventions which have shown encouraging results are discussed.

Survey data on the impact of COVID-19 on parental engagement across 23 countries.

This data article describes the dataset of the International COVID-19 Impact on Parental Engagement Study (ICIPES). ICIPES is a collaborative effort of more than 20 institutions to investigate the ways in which, parents and caregivers built capacity engaged with children's learning during the period of social distancing arising from global COVID-19 pandemic. A series of data were collected using an online survey conducted in 23 countries and had a total sample of 4,658 parents/caregivers. The description of the data contained in this article is divided into two main parts. The first part is a descriptive analysis of all the items included in the survey and was performed using tables and figures. The second part refers to the construction of scales. Three scales were constructed and included in the dataset: 'parental acceptance and confidence in the use of technology', 'parental engagement in children's learning' and 'socioeconomic status'. The scales were created using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Multi-Group Confirmatory Analysis (MG-CFA) and were adopted to evaluate their cross-cultural comparability (i.e., measurement invariance) across countries and within sub-groups. This dataset will be relevant for researchers in different fields, particularly for those interested in international comparative education.

[Clinical predictors of ventricular arrhythmia storms in Chagas cardiomyopathy patients with implantable defibrillators]. / Predictores clínicos de tormenta arrítmica en pacientes con cardiomiopatía Chagásica con un desfibrilador automático implantable.

OBJECTIVES: To define the predictive factors of electrical storm (ES) in patients with Chronic Chagas Heart Disease (CCh) with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied 21 consecutive patients with CCh in whom an ICD was implanted between April 2005 and December 2008, with a mean follow up of 867 days. Patients were classified into two groups according to the presence of electrical storm episodes. We compared baseline characteristics, medical treatment and determinants of ventricular function. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Of the 21 patients with CCh there were eight women (37%), mean age 61 years and an EF of 30%. It was noted at least one episode of arrhythmic storm in 9 cases (incidence of 43%). The total number of episodes of arrhythmic storm was 13 and the number of ventricular arrhythmias in each episode of arrhythmic storm was 15.6 (range 3-61). A trigger was identified in only two cases (pulmonary infectious process and decompensation of chronic heart failure). After analyzing the possible predictors of arrhythmic storm was found that a greater percentage of subjects with this complication had an EF <35% (89% vs. 50%, p = 0.01) and NYHA functional class III (66% vs. 8.3%, p = 0.001). In contrast, a lower percentage of subjects with arrhythmic storm were under beta-blocker treatment (55% vs. 100%, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In subjects with CCh with an ICD, the following variables are predictive of arrhythmic storm: EF <35%, NYHA functional class III-IV and absence of beta-blocker treatment.

Classroom ability composition and the role of academic performance and school misconduct in the formation of academic and friendship networks.

This paper examined the association between friendship and academic networks and how the connections these networks have with academic performance and school misconduct differ when comparing three types of classrooms where students were grouped based on their academic ability (i.e., high-, low-, and mixed-ability). The sample was composed of 528 seventh to ninth graders (Mage = 15; 64.1% girls) from 12 classrooms (four in each category of ability grouping) across two waves in five schools in Chile. The effects of academic performance and school misconduct on receiving academic and friendship nominations were examined, as well as the interplay between academic and friendship relationships. Furthermore, the extent to which similarity in adolescents' academic performance and school misconduct contributed to the formation and maintenance of academic and friendship relationships was examined. Sex, socioeconomic status, and structural network features were also taken into account. Longitudinal social network analyses (RSiena) indicated that (1) in high-ability classrooms students chose high-achieving peers as academic partners; (2) in high-ability classrooms students avoided deviant peers (i.e., those high in school misconduct) as academic partners; and (3) academic relationships led to friendships, and vice versa, in both high- and low-ability classrooms. Whereas the interplay of friendship and academic relationships was similar in high- and low-ability classrooms, the formation and maintenance of academic networks unfolded differently in these two types of classrooms.

Experimental impacts of a teacher professional development program in Chile on preschool classroom quality and child outcomes.

We assessed impacts on classroom quality and on 5 child language and behavioral outcomes of a 2-year teacher professional-development program for publicly funded prekindergarten and kindergarten in Chile. This cluster-randomized trial included 64 schools (child N = 1,876). The program incorporated workshops and in-classroom coaching. We found moderate to large positive impacts on observed emotional and instructional support as well as classroom organization in prekindergarten classrooms after 1 year of the program. After 2 years of the program, moderate positive impacts were observed on emotional support and classroom organization. No significant program impacts on child outcomes were detected at posttest (1 marginal effect, an increase in a composite of self-regulation and low problem behaviors, was observed). Professional development for preschool teachers in Chile can improve classroom quality. More intensive curricular approaches are needed for these improvements to translate into effects on children.

Effect of irrigants on the survival of human stem cells of the apical papilla in a platelet-rich plasma scaffold in human root tips.

INTRODUCTION: Intracanal disinfection is a crucial step in regenerative endodontic procedures. However, this novel endodontic treatment lacks standardization, and numerous treatment protocols have been reported without knowledge of the effect of disinfection protocols on the survival of stem cells. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that different root canal irrigation protocols alter survival of stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAP). METHODS: SCAP were isolated from immature human third molars, and a subpopulation of STRO-1 expressing cells was selected and expanded in vitro. Standardized human root segments (n = 5/group) were irrigated with 1 of 4 protocols: (1) 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), (2) 6% NaOCl/17% EDTA/6% NaOCl, (3) 17% EDTA/2% chlorhexidine (CHX), or (4) 6% NaOCl/17% EDTA/6% NaOCl/isopropyl alcohol/2% CHX. Subsequently, STRO-1-enriched SCAP were mixed with platelet-rich-plasma, seeded into the root tips, and cultured for 21 days. Roots were then decalcified, processed for immunohistochemistry, and stained for vimentin and TO-PRO-3. The proportion of viable (vimentin-positive) cells was calculated on the basis of the total cell counts (TO-PRO-3) for each group. RESULTS: Irrigation with 17% EDTA best supported cell survival (89% viability; P < .001 versus all other groups), followed by irrigation with 6% NaOCl/17% EDTA/6% NaOCl (74%; P < .001 versus the 2 groups containing 2% CHX). Conversely, protocols that included 2% CHX lacked any viable cells. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, the results suggest that irrigants alone greatly affect the survivability of STRO-1-enriched SCAP within the root canal environment and that inclusion of EDTA in irrigation protocols might be beneficial in regenerative procedures.

Aftershocks of Chile's earthquake for an ongoing, large-scale experimental evaluation.

Evaluation designs for social programs are developed assuming minimal or no disruption from external shocks, such as natural disasters. This is because extremely rare shocks may not make it worthwhile to account for them in the design. Among extreme shocks is the 2010 Chile earthquake. Un Buen Comienzo (UBC), an ongoing early childhood program in Chile, was directly affected by the earthquake. This article discusses (a) the factors the UBC team considered for deciding whether to put on hold or continue implementation and data collection for this experimental study; and (b) how the team reached consensus on those decisions. A lesson learned is that the use of an experimental design for UBC insured that the evaluation's internal validity was not compromised by the earthquake's consequences, although cohort comparisons were compromised. Other lessons can be transferred to other contexts where external shocks affect an ongoing experimental or quasi-experimental impact evaluation.

Predictores clínicos de tormenta arrítmica en pacientes con cardiomiopatía Chagásica con un desfibrilador automático implantable / Clinical predictors of ventricular arrhythmia storms in Chagas cardiomyopathy patients with implantable defibrillators

OBJECTIVES: To define the predictive factors of electrical storm (ES) in patients with Chronic Chagas Heart Disease (CCh) with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied 21 consecutive patients with CCh in whom an ICD was implanted between April 2005 and December 2008, with a mean follow up of 867 days. Patients were classified into two groups according to the presence of electrical storm episodes. We compared baseline characteristics, medical treatment and determinants of ventricular function. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Of the 21 patients with CCh there were eight women (37%), mean age 61 years and an EF of 30%. It was noted at least one episode of arrhythmic storm in 9 cases (incidence of 43%). The total number of episodes of arrhythmic storm was 13 and the number of ventricular arrhythmias in each episode of arrhythmic storm was 15.6 (range 3-61). A trigger was identified in only two cases (pulmonary infectious process and decompensation of chronic heart failure). After analyzing the possible predictors of arrhythmic storm was found that a greater percentage of subjects with this complication had an EF <35% (89% vs. 50%, p = 0.01) and NYHA functional class III (66% vs. 8.3%, p = 0.001). In contrast, a lower percentage of subjects with arrhythmic storm were under beta-blocker treatment (55% vs. 100%, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In subjects with CCh with an ICD, the following variables are predictive of arrhythmic storm: EF <35%, NYHA functional class III-IV and absence of beta-blocker treatment.