Characterization of Different Types of Micro-Fission and Micro-Ionization Chambers Under X-Ray Beams

This research has been funded by EU 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101008126, corresponding to the RADNEXT project, and co-financed by International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility-Demo Oriented Neutron Source (IFMIF-DONES), co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund-FEDER, the project PID2022-137543NB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and ERDF “A way of making Europe”, and by the Junta de Andalucía (FQM387), and granted within the program “Precompetitive Research Projects for Young Researchers. Modality B—Projects for Doctoral Students” of the Institutional Research and Transfer Plan of the University of Granada for the year 2023.Various models of ionization and fission chambers for ionizing radiation detection, designed to operate under harsh conditions such as those found in fusion reactors or particle accelerators, have been experimentally characterized and numerically simulated. These models were calibrated using a photon beam in the X-ray spectrum. Irradiations were performed at the Biomedical Research Center of the University of Granada (CIBM) with a bipolar metal-ceramic X-ray tube operating at a voltage of 150 kV and a dose rate ranging from 0.05 to 2.28 Gy/min. All detectors under study featured identical external structures but varied in detection volume, anode configuration, and filling gas composition. To assess inter- and intra-model response variations, the tested models included 12 micro-ionization chambers (CRGR10/C5B/UG2), 3 micro-fission chambers (CFUR43/C5B-U5/UG2), 8 micro-fission chambers (CFUR43/C5B-U8/UG2), and 3 micro-fission chambers (CFUR44/C5B-U8/UG2), all manufactured by Photonis (Merignac, France). The experimental setup was considered suitable for the tests, as the leakage current was below 20 pA. The optimal operating voltage range was determined to be 130–150 V, and the photon sensitivities for the chambers were measured as 29.8 ± 0.3 pA/(Gy/h), 43.0 ± 0.8 pA/(Gy/h), 39.2 ± 0.3 pA/(Gy/h), and 96.0 ± 0.9 pA/(Gy/h), respectively. Monte Carlo numerical simulations revealed that the U layer in the fission chambers was primarily responsible for their higher sensitivities due to photoelectric photon absorption. Additionally, the simulations explained the observed differences in sensitivity based on the filling gas pressure. The detectors demonstrated linear responses to dose rates and high reproducibility, making them reliable tools for accurate determination of ionizing photon beams across a range of applications.EU 2020, 101008126International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility-Demo Oriented Neutron Source (IFMIF-DONES)European Regional Development Fund-FEDERMCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 PID2022-137543NB-I00ERDF “A way of making Europe”Junta de Andalucía (FQM387)University of Granad

Sulfur-doped carbon/TiO2 composites for ethylene photo-oxidation. Enhanced performance by doping TiO2 phases with sulfur by mobile species inserted on the carbon support

The performance of carbon xerogel/TiO2 composites in ethylene photo-oxidation was analyzed under dynamic conditions considering various parameters, namely sulfur doping, dry vs. humid conditions and type of radiation (ultraviolet, UV, vs. visible light, Vis). The catalysts were synthesized using an acid-catalyzed sol-gel process and characterized with complementary techniques, including SEM/EDX, XRD, XPS and physical adsorption of N2 and CO2, among others. The performance of samples in ethylene removal by adsorption and photo-oxidation under dynamic flow was discussed and related with their physicochemical properties and the experimental conditions. Although ethylene adsorption was hindered by doping and humidity, both factors were found to enhance photoactivity by promoting the formation of highly oxidant hydroxyl radicals (HO•). The composites showed an improved catalytic performance compared to bare TiO2, with sulfur improving the activity by approximately 8 %. The presence of the carbon material also enhanced the performance under Vis radiation by nearly 25 %. It was suggested that sulfur species could migrate from the carbon support to the TiO2 nanoparticles during carbonization, forming Ti-O-S bonds. This finding constitutes a novel, cost-effective, sustainable and scalable method for the preparation of supported and doped TiO2 nanocomposites

Halotolerant black yeast Neophaeotheca triangularis as a source of melanin

Archaea and bacteria are the most studied extremophiles, but fungi also demonstrate remarkable tolerance, particularly in hypersaline environments such as solar salterns. Among salt-adapted fungi, black yeasts have been shown to be adapted to such environments, having developed defense mechanisms such as the production of melanin, a pigment that plays a crucial role in environmental stress protection. Melanin is a complex, high-molecular-weight polymer widely found across biological kingdoms. During the isolation of microorganisms from samples collected in crystallization ponds in a saltern, a black yeast was found able to produce significant amounts of melanin. The yeast was identified as belonging to the species Neophaeotheca triangularis. The aim of this study was to optimize the cultivation conditions of the strain, to characterize the produced melanin, and to assess its biological activities, including its antitumor and antioxidant properties.European Union – Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Grant 101000327, Project FuturEnzyme)Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal (Proyectos UIDB/04565/2020 y UIDP/04565/2020;Proyecto LA/P/0140/2020)MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 / European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR (Grant JDC2022-050001-I)Ministry of Universities, Spain (PhD Grant FPU19/06170)Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Spain (Grant EST23/00709

Siege and Conquest. Zooarchaeological Analysis of a Sealed Dump in the Luque Castle (Córdoba, Spain)

The archaeological excavations undertaken in the Castle of Luque (Córdoba, Spain) in 2007 and 2008 resulted in the identification of a rubbish dump dated to the immediate aftermath of the Castilian conquest (ad 1243), which included material from the previous period of Almohad domination (mid-12th to mid-13th centuries). The dump yielded a homogeneous and sealed faunal assemblage, which can be used to characterize the meat consumption patterns of an Andalusi community in a very specific context, marked by frontier conditions and the arrival of an important military garrison. The consumption of horse meat and changes in usual alimentary habits are examined based on the results of zooarchaeological analysis of the bone assemblage found in the dump

Dialogic Social Impact Analysis of Companies and Organizations (DSIACO): A pioneer model for evaluating social impact of companies and organizations

Scientific literature has clarified that companies’ social impact is crucial in improving society by optimising their performance and relationship with their stakeholders, creating long-term value. Companies are increasingly interested in assessing their social impact. For instance, applying regulatory compliance increases investors’ confidence, reputation, and image. It reduces risks and costs and improves decision-making, resilience, and talent retention. The concept of social impact and the scientific basis for evaluating and enhancing it have also been clarified and officially published by international organisations (besides the scientific literature). However, there is a lack of scientific literature on how to analyse companies’ social impact based on scientific evidence of social impact. Building upon the latest contributions of the ALLINTERACT research project, funded by the European scientific programme Horizon 2020, we have focused on analysing the social impact of companies and institutions. Our work is based on the communicative methodology of research, which pioneered the development and proposal of the criteria of social impact and co-creation. In this regard, a twofold goal is addressed in this study. On the one hand, a systematic literature review has been conducted to identify existing models of social impact evaluation for companies and organisations based on scientific evidence of social impact. On the other hand, the Dialogic Social Impact Analysis of Companies and Organisations model for assessing social impact tailored for companies and institutions is presented, which has been previously developed as a result of scientific research about social impact evaluation in different fields. The results of the systematic literature review extracted from the screening of 387 articles and analysis of 70 of those articles revealed the absence of any model developed enough to assess companies’ social impact based on scientific evidence of social impact. Existing models make critical errors like confusing social impact with transference. Hence, the DSIACO model presented in this article addresses this critical gap and drives scientific advancements in this area.AGAUR, Generalitat de Catalunya - (SGR 01091)European Union Horizon 2020 - (ALLINTERACT, grant 872396

Gamification in the natural science curriculum in basic education: empirical evidence of effectiveness in learning

https://www.mlsjournals.com/Educational-Research-Journal/article/view/2796Esta investigación ofrece a la comunidad educativa un diseño de propuesta de actuación en el currículo de ciencias naturales, que implicó el aprendizaje del concepto de la energía mediante la gamificación. La intervención se desarrolló en el Colegio José Martí en Bogotá, con una muestra de 32 estudiantes de quinto grado de educación básica primaria. La intención es abordar el problema científico planteado: ¿qué elementos debe contener una propuesta de actuación en el currículo del colegio José Martí que involucre la construcción del concepto de energía a través de la gamificación? Los interrogantes propuestos conducen a la formulación de varias hipótesis, entre ellas, si las estrategias de aprendizaje que utilizan la gamificación como un recurso educativo enriquecen el currículo en ciencias naturales y facilitan la construcción significativa del concepto de energía por parte los estudiantes. Esta investigación adopta un enfoque mixto, que combina métodos descriptivos, explicativos e interpretativos. Para el análisis cuantitativo, se emplearon algoritmos estadísticos como la prueba de Shapiro-Wilk y la prueba t de student, mientras que la parte cualitativa se usó el software maxqda. Este estudio aporta a la comunidad educativa una estrategia de aprendizaje innovadora para enseñar el concepto de la energía a través de la gamificación, generando cambios significativos en el currículo. Además de verificar que la utilización de herramientas tecnológicas y gamificadas, específicamente el juego “un recorrido energético: la magia de la energía” promovió un aprendizaje significativo del concepto en los estudiantes de quinto grado de básica primaria del colegio José Martí.This research offers the educational community a design proposal for action within the natural sciences curriculum, involving the learning of the concept of energy through gamification. The intervention took place José Martí School in Bogotá, with a sample of 32 fifth grade elementary students. The intention is to address the scientific problem posed: what elements should a proposal for action contain in the José Martí school curriculum that involves the construction of the concept of energy through gamification? The proposed questions lead to the formulation of several hypotheses, among them, whether learning strategies that use gamification as an educational resource enrich the natural sciences curriculum and facilitate the meaningful construction of the concept of energy by students. This research adopts a mixed approach, combining descriptive, explanatory and interpretive methods; For the quantitative analysis, statistical algorithms such as the Shapiro-Wilk test and the student t test were used, while the qualitative part was used maxqda software. This study provides the educational community with an innovative learning strategy to teach the concept of energy through gamification, generating significant changes in the curriculum. In addition to verifying that the use of technological and gamified tools, specifically the game “an energy journey: the magic of energy” promoted significant learning of the concept in fifth grade primary school students at the José Martí school

A statistical and modeling study on the effects of radiation on Au/Ta/ ZrO2(Y)/Pt/Ti memristive devices

In this study we have investigated the impact of the changes induced by ion irradiation on the performance and reliability of Au/Ta/ZrO2(Y)/Pt/Ti memristive devices. A comprehensive experimental approach was employed, involving irradiation with various ion species, including H+, Ne+, O+, and Kr+ to simulate different radiation environments. Thus, advanced statistical and modeling techniques to analyze the effects of irradiation on the resistive switching (RS) characteristics of the devices have been employed. Results revealed alterations in the post-irradiation RS parameters, including set and reset voltages and currents. These changes were found to depend on the ion species and dosage, with heavier ions such as Kr+ causing more pronounced effects. The findings are supported by detailed Monte Carlo simulations, which provided insights into the distribution of vacancies within the memristive devices under neutron irradiation. The experimental data, combined with the modeling results, indicate that RS is generally tolerant to radiation, although ion irradiation can lead to the formation of defect structures that affect the switching parameters of memristive devices

Tourism, linguistic landscape and cultural identity

Los estudios sobre el uso de las lenguas en los espacios públicos se han desarrollado fundamentalmente en las dos últimas décadas como una nueva faceta de la investigación sociolingüística bajo el nombre de «Paisaje lingüístico». Estos han experimentado un rápido crecimiento en la última década. El turismo, convertido en una de las actividades económicas más relevantes de los países industrializados, junto con las estrategias de globalización de las empresas multinacionales, está entre las causas de este crecimiento. En este artículo ofrecemos un panorama de los datos de evolución del turismo en España y los datos migratorios de la sociedad actual que contextualizan y justifican la aparición de este paisaje lingüístico multilingüe. Mostramos algunos ejemplos de la configuración de esta nueva dinámica y sus consecuencias en la identidad cultural de las regiones a través de las revistas publicadas en otras lenguas para extranjeros residentes en España y la rotulación en caracteres chinos y árabes de restaurantes locales. Por último, hacemos un balance de los textos incluidos en este monográfico.Studies on language use in public places have developed mainly over the last two decades as a new perspective of sociolinguistic research. This use of language in public places has been called Linguistic Landscape (LL). These studies have experienced rapid growth over the last decade. Tourism, which has become one of the most important economic activities in industrialised countries, together with the globalisation strategies of multinational companies, is among the causes of this growth. In this article, we provide an overview of the evolution of tourism in Spain and migration data which contextualise and justify the emergence of this multilingual linguistic landscape. We show some examples of the configuration of this new dynamic and its consequences on the cultural identity of the regions through magazines published in other languages for foreign residents in Spain and signage in Chinese and Arabic languages in local restaurants. Finally, we summarise the texts included in this monograph.Universidad de Granada, Vicerrectorado de Investigación y Transferencia, Proyectos de investigación Medialab UGR - Cultura y Sociedad Digital, Plan Propio de Investigación de la Universidad de Granada (2023-2024; PP2023.MLAB.05

Test of a moderated mediation model of green team resilience

Our paper assesses a moderated mediation model of green team resilience (GTR). Pointedly, it investigates: (a) the link between green ambidextrous leadership and GTR; (b) leaders’ green sense of humor as a mediator between green ambidextrous leadership and GTR; (c) market turbulence as a moderator of the impact of green ambidextrous leadership on GTR via green sense of humor. The abovementioned links were tested utilizing the partial least squares structural equation modeling on data collected from 372 hotel employees in Malaysia. The model proposed in our paper was viable. The results suggest that green exploitative and explorative leadership, as the two components of green ambidextrous leadership, foster GTR, and green sense of humor mediates said associations. More importantly, market turbulence strengthens the positive impact of green exploitative leadership on GTR via green sense of humor