The enzymatic determination of glucose in carbonated beverages: a useful tool for the undergraduate students to learn the basis of enzymatic analysis and the comparison of two analytical methods

The importance of enzymatic analysis in biochemistry, clinical chemistry and food chemistry is undoubted. The course "Applied Biochemistry" in our Faculty is aimed to undergraduate students of Chemistry and Biochemistry. In this subject, the principles and applications of enzymatic analysis are presented to the students, who receive a theoretical introductory lecture in the classroom before they carry out an experiment that should be feasible to be solved in a short laboratory period. The experimental protocol here presented, based on the enzymatic determination of glucose in carbonated beverages, has been implemented at the University of Málaga and it has been optimized according to the students’ results and commentaries along the last years. It aims to illustrate basic issues relating enzymatic analysis, including its potential application to food chemistry. Although there are several enzymatic methods that can be used for the determination of glucose, we selected the one based on the coupled reactions of glucose oxidase (GOD; EC 1.1.3.4.) and peroxidase (POD; EC 1.11.1.7.) because the kinetic constants of glucose oxidase allow the mentioned enzymatic reactions to be used in both, the end point and the kinetic enzymatic analysis methods. In this way, data for two different protocols for the determination of glucose concentration are obtained by the students from a single reaction mixture. Students construct a calibration curve for each method using a glucose standard solution, and use them to determine the glucose concentration in the problem solutions. The inclusion of replicate samples in the determination of the glucose concentration of an “ideal problem” (glucose in purified water) is used to illustrate the principles of statistics in the lab, and comparison with the “real value” allows an estimation of the accuracy of each method. The evaluation of glucose concentration in four carbonated beverages: coloured coke and uncoloured tonic sodas (regular or sugarless in both cases) makes student to recognise the appearance of interferences that should be either avoided or eliminated. Since all samples are analysed by means of end-point and kinetic methods, students can discuss the applicability of each method to these specific analytical problems. They are also encouraged to compare both analytical methods in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, accuracy, and time consumed. Chemistry and Biochemistry undergraduate students having performed this experiment in our laboratories have found it formative, interesting and challenging.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

A practice project to prevent the cookbook model as modus operandi for biochemistry laboratory learning

Laboratory learning is a crucial component of chemistry and biochemistry instruction and should be conceived as a way to develop students’ reasoning, technical or practical skills, introducing them into the scientific method principles. Nevertheless, the heavily criticized “expository instruction style”, characterized by a cookbook nature, is still the most widespread style of laboratory instruction in our universities. Alternative learning styles based in the inquiry, discovery and problem-based pedagogical approaches, have been reported to promote students’ problem solving skills, critical thought and self-confidence development. We are currently involved in the Educative Innovation Project PIE17-065, funded by University of Malaga, aimed to improve the teaching practice of Biochemistry laboratory to undergraduate students. Based on an enzymatic analysis of glucose in soft-drinks we have developed a laboratory protocol as a part of a full practice project where students must work before and after the lab session, in order to prevent the cookbook model as modus operandi, therefore preventing the situation where the students get a first glimpse of the experiment protocol whereas they put on their lab coat. The learning activities have been designed to move our students from the passive role that characterizes the step-by-step procedures, to an active and critical attitude that starts before and remains after their laboratory session, also minimizing time, space, and equipment resources. Our results have shown that this experiment has improved the learning of both, future biochemists and chemists, which showed a very positive perception of the whole practical project.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. PIE 17-06

Método CSORA: la búsqueda de conocimiento

En este artículo se ofrece una visión rápida de las necesidades del uso de buscadores para la gestión del conocimiento y de las ideas básicas de su funcionamiento. A continuación se presenta el método CSORA (Classify, Search, Organize, Relate, Adapt), conjunto de procedimientos técnicos y metodológicos que mejoran la eficacia de los buscadores haciendo posible encontrar información relevante en entornos con mucha información o información especializada. Finalmente se muestra su integración en los motores de búsqueda y en las conclusiones se incluyen las ventajas de su uso, verificadas a través de experiencias realizadas y las líneas de investigación futuras. ABSTRACT: In this paper we offer a fast overview of the usage needs of search engines for knowledge management, as well as the basic ideas about how they work. We then present the CSORA method (Classify, Search, Organize, Relate and Adapt), a set of technical and methodological procedures that improve the efficacy of search engines, making it possible to find relevant information in environments with lots of information or specialized information. Last, we show the integration of the method into the search engines. The conclusions include a description of the advantages of using this method, verified by experiments carried out, and the lines of future work

Learning contract, co-operative and flipped learning as useful tools for studying metabolism

Es el Abstract de una comunicación a un congreso internacional sobre educaciónUndergraduate students in Biology identify Metabolic Biochemistry as a particularly difficult subject. This is due to the fact that students need to interconnect properly all the contents of its syllabus throughout their study of the subject in order to get a global insight of the complex regulatory features controlling metabolic pathways within the metabolic network under different physiologic and pathologic conditions, as well as metabolism as a whole. Due to these objective difficulties, a high percentage of our students face the study of this subject as a very hard task beyond their forces and capacities. This perception leads to high rates of premature dropout. In previous years, less than 40% of all the registered students attended the examinations of Metabolic Biochemistry (a subject in the second year of the Degree of Biology at our University). Even worse, less than 25% of our students passed the exams. From the academic year 2015/16 on, we are developing innovative teaching projects (PIE15-163 and PIE17-145, funded by University of Malaga) aimed to increase our student loyalty to the subject (and hence to increase their attendance to exams) and to help them to learn more effectively metabolism and its regulation. These innovative teaching projects are based on the use of several powerful tools: a learning contract and problem-based learning within the framework of group tasks promoting an actual collaborative learning in a flipped classroom. The present communication will show the implementation of the PIE15-163 and PIE17-145 projects and some results obtained from them.This work was supported by Malaga University funds granted to the educational innovation project PIE17-145. The attendance to the END2018 International Conference on Education and New Developments (June 2018, Budapest, Hungary) has received a grant from "I Plan Propio Integral de Docencia. Universidad de Málaga"]

La evolución del branding a través de la experiencia

A medida que las marcas fueron evolucionando, también fue necesario que lo hagan las herramientas de creación y gestión de marca, con el fin de poder crear valor para los clientes y comunicar de forma clara su esencia, valores e identidad

Wood-Decay Fungi Fructifying in Mediterranean Deciduous Oak Forests: A Community Composition, Richness and Productivity Study.

first_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Wood-Decay Fungi Fructifying in Mediterranean Deciduous Oak Forests: A Community Composition, Richness and Productivity Study by Ángel Ponce 1,2,Elena Salerni 3,*ORCID,Maria Nives D’Aguanno 4ORCID andClaudia Perini 3,5ORCID 1 Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain 2 Joint Research Unit CTFC—AGROTECNIO—CERCA, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain 3 Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy 4 Institute of Microbiome and Applied Sciences, Malta Life Sciences Park (LS2.1.12—LS2.1.15), SGN 3000 San Gwann, Malta 5 NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Forests 2023, 14(7), 1326; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14071326 Received: 5 June 2023 / Revised: 23 June 2023 / Accepted: 25 June 2023 / Published: 28 June 2023 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity, Abundance, and Distribution of Wood-Decay Fungi) Download Browse Figures Review Reports Versions Notes Abstract Deadwood is involved in several important ecological roles, being the fundamental habitat of wood-decay fungi. At the same time, this polyphyletic group of fungi is the principal agent of wood decomposition, regulating the carbon cycle and the food resource for many other organisms. It is known that the diversity and community composition of wood-decay fungi are related to the tree species, decay stage and size of the woody debris in which they are living. Nevertheless, there is a lack of information on Mediterranean Quercus cerris L. forests. In response, we explored how wood-decay fungi colonize different woody types and how the productivity, richness and community composition of these fungi is influenced by the decay stage and size of the deadwood. Our results indicate that the studied groups, i.e., Ascomycetes, Corticioids, Polyporoids and Heterobasidiomycetes responded differently to the woody debris classes. Moreover, we note the high importance of smaller and soft-decayed woody debris for community composition and richness, hosting a great number of species, in addition to the positive effect of the heterogeneity of the woody debris size for wood-decay fungi productivity

Adult performance in naming spatial dimensions of objetcs.

Sin resumenSin resume

Influence of the Surface Viscosity on the Breakup of a Surfactant-Laden Drop

We examine both theoretically and experimentally the breakup of a pendant drop loaded with an insoluble surfactant. The experiments show that a significant amount of surfactant is trapped in the resulting satellite droplet. This result contradicts previous theoretical predictions, where the effects of surface tension variation were limited to solutocapillarity and Marangoni stresses.We solve numerically the hydrodynamic equations, including not only those effects but also those of surface shear and dilatational viscosities. We show that surface viscosities play a critical role to explain the accumulation of surfactant in the satellite droplet.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad DPI2013-46485-C3-1-R, TRA2013- 45808-RJunta de Extremadura GR1004

Nursing in Peripheral Arterial Disease

La enfermedad arterial periférica se produce debido a un estrechamiento de los vasos sanguíneos periféricos, el cual puede llegar a obstruir los vasos y reducir el flujo de sangre causando isquemia y necrosis en los tejidos que no están adecuadamente perfundidos. El diagnóstico de la enfermedad arterial periférica se produce mediante un examen físico y pruebas diagnósticas de imagen. La educación sanitaria juega un papel fundamental para realizar unos óptimos cuidados hacia la recuperación y control de los factores de riesgo cardiovascular causantes de esta enfermedad, por ello realizamos una revisión de los cuidados de enfermería para optimizar los resultados.Peripheral arterial disease occurs due to a narrowing of the peripheral blood vessels, which can obstruct vessels and reducing blood flow causing ischemia and necrosis in the tissues that are not adequately perfused. The diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease is produced by a physical examination and diagnostic imaging tests. Health education plays a fundamental role to perform some optimal care towards the recovery and control of cardiovascular risk factors that cause this disease, therefore conducted a review of nursing care to optimize the resul