Herramienta autor Indesahc para la creación de cursos hipermedia adaptativos

Un elemento fundamental dentro de una plataforma de gestión del aprendizaje (Learning Management Systems, LMS) es la herramienta autor para la producción del material didáctico. En este artículo presentamos un sistema de desarrollo integrado para la creación y evaluación de cursos hipermedia adaptativos accesibles, basados en páginas Web. INDESAHC (Integrated Development System for Adaptive Hypermedia Courses), facilita la introducción del mapa de contenidos del curso, según un modelo del dominio basado en temas, lecciones, conceptos y escenarios tipos, en los cuales se realiza la integración de los archivos de media mediante un entorno visual intuitivo basado en plantillas. Una vez definidas las relaciones entre los temas y los niveles de dificultad de cada lección, se genera el curso hipermedia adaptativo, cuyo diseño final puede ser evaluado a través de una herramienta accesorio llamada EPRules (Educational Prediction Rules). Esta herramienta utiliza algoritmos de minería de datos, para el descubrimiento de información útil para facilitar un proceso de retroalimentación. Se describe además, el modelo didáctico en que se basa INDESAHC y se presenta una metodología eficaz, para evitar los problemas de desorientación y sobrecarga de contenidos en la navegación.In this paper we present an integrated development system for Web Based Adaptive Hypermedia Courses. We have developed an authoring tool called INDESAHC (Integrated Development System for Adaptive Hypermedia Courses) for this purpose. This tool facilitates to the course designer introducing the conceptual map, according to a domain model based on topics, lessons, concepts and learning components. Furthermore, the program allows the integration of media files in the course by means of an intuitive visual environment based on templates. Once defined the relationship among the topics and the difficulty level of each lesson, the user can generate the hypermedia adaptive course. The final design could be evaluated with an accessory tool called EPRules (Educational Prediction Rules). This tool is based on data mining algorithms in order to discover useful information for feedback. We also discuss on how our methodology can avoid the problems of disorientation and cognitive overload

Using plant-based preparations to protect common bean against halo blight disease: the potential of nettle to trigger the immune system

Halo blight disease of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola (Pph), is responsible for severe losses in crop production worldwide. As the current agronomic techniques used are not effective, it is necessary to search for new ones which may prevent disease in common bean. In this study, we challenged four plant-based preparations (PBPs), with no other agronomic uses, as they come from industrial waste (grapevine pomace (R-G) and hop residue (R-H)) or wild plants (Urtica dioica (U) and Equisetum sp. (E)), to be used as immune defense elicitors against Pph in common bean. After studying their inhibitory effect against Pph growth by bioassays, the two most effective PBPs (R-G and U) were applied in common bean plants. By measuring the total H2O2, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzymatic activities, as well as the expression of six defense-related genes-PR1, WRKY33, MAPKK, RIN4, and PAL1-, it was observed that U-PBP application involved a signaling redox process and the overexpression of all genes, mostly PR1. First infection trials in vitro suggested that the application of U-PBP involved protection against Pph. The elicitation of bean defense with U-PBP involved a decrease in some yield parameters, but without affecting the final production. All these findings suggest a future use of U-PBP to diminish halo blight disease

Intercambio estuario-ría de elementos traza en el sistema costero de la ría de Vigo (NO Península Ibérica)

[EN] Little research has been done on the land-sea exchange of trace elements, which is particularly applicable to ria coasts. In particular, trace metal enrichment in the inner part of the Ria of Vigo (the San Simon Inlet) has been observed from sediment studies but there is no information about Cd, Pb and Zn fluxes through the Rande Strait, which is the natural boundary of the estuary-ria water exchange. In order to assess metal exchanges in a ria-type system, six sampling cruises on board the R/V Mytilus (IIM-CSIC) were carried out. Water column profiles of salinity, temperature and tidal currents were obtained every 30 min. The water column for dissolved and particulate metals was sampled every two hours over a complete tidal cycle. Dissolved metal concentrations were 0.01–0.18 nM for Cd, 0.5-1.9 nM for Pb and 4-44 nM for Zn. Compared with Zn (16±12%) and especially with Cd (5.4±5.0%), particulate metal represented a significant fraction of the total concentration for Pb (41±21%). Net fluxes of dissolved Cd and Zn are higher than in the particulate phase, whereas for Pb an inverse situation was observed. The net metal exchange in the Vigo estuary-ria environment was not seasonally controlled. Dissolved Cd and Pb were driven by tidal ranges and particulate Pb by the Oitavén River flow. On the other hand, Zn did not show a defined trend. The budgets obtained for the Ria of Vigo, with the exception of Pb, were one or two orders of magnitude lower than those measured in other large European estuaries[ES] Intercambio estuario-ría de elementos traza en el sistema costero de la ría de Vigo (NO península Ibérica). – Existen pocos estudios sobre los elementos traza en el intercambio tierra-océano, lo que es especialmente aplicable a las zonas costeras de las rías. En particular, respecto a la ría de Vigo se ha observado un enriquecimiento de metales traza en sedimentos pero se carece de información acerca de los flujos de Cd, Pb y Zn a través del estrecho de Rande, que es la frontera natural para el intercambio estuario-ría. A fin de evaluar este tipo de intercambios se realizaron seis campañas oceanográficas a bordo del B/I Mytilus (IIM-CSIC) para cuantificar los flujos de Cd, Pb y Zn en diferentes estaciones del año. Se obtuvieron perfiles verticales de salinidad, temperatura y corrientes cada 30 min en el centro del estrecho de Rande durante un ciclo de marea. Además, se recogieron muestras de agua en cuatro niveles cada 2h. Las concentraciones de metales disueltos oscilaron entre 0.01 y 0.18 nM para Cd, 0.5 y 1.9 nM para Pb y 4 y 44 nM para Zn. Los metales particulados supusieron una fracción pequeña respecto del contenido total de metal (5.4±5.0% para Cd y 16±12% para zinc) salvo para el plomo (41±21%). Los flujos netos de Cd y Zn disuelto fueron superiores a los del particulado mientras que para Pb ocurrió lo contrario. El intercambio de metales en el entorno estuario-ría no parece depender de las estaciones del año sino de la altura de la marea en el caso de Cd y Pb disuelto y del caudal fluvial para Pb particulado mientras que Zn no presentó una tendencia definida. Excepto para Pb, los balances obtenidos son de uno a dos órdenes de magnitud inferiores a los de otros estuarios europeos.Peer reviewe

Microgrids Power Quality Enhancement Using Model Predictive Control

In electric power systems, any deviation with respect to the theoretical sinusoidal waveform is considered to be a disturbance in the power quality of the electrical grid. The deviation can alter any of the parameters of the waveform: frequency, amplitude, and symmetry among phases. Microgrid, as a part of the electric power system, has to contribute providing an adequate current waveform in grid connected-mode, as well as to guarantee similar voltage features than the standard requirement given for public distribution grids under normal exploitation conditions in islanded mode. Adequate power quality supply is necessary for the correct compatibility between all the devices connected to the same grid. In this paper, the power quality of microgrids is managed using a Model Predictive Control (MPC) methodology which regulates the power converters of the microgrids in order to achieve the requirements. The control algorithm is developed for the following microgrids working modes: grid-connected, islanded, and interconnected. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed methodology improves the transient response in comparison with classical methods in all the working modes, minimizing the harmonic content in the current and the voltage even with the presence of non-balanced and non-harmonic-free three-phase voltage and current systems

Explorando la regeneración de la mordenita en la reacción de carbonilación de dimetiléter

Dimethyl ether carbonylation (DME) to produce methyl acetate (MA) over mordenite catalysts is attracting much attention because of its high selectivity. However, acidic mordenite suffers from a fast deactivation (coking) that has not been properly studied. In the present work, we study the regeneration of the catalyst in several cycles aiming to help the future industrial application of mordenite catalysts in MA production. Both diluted and pure air have been successfully tested for the regeneration of the catalyst. The results show that 1) there is no negative effect after several regeneration cycles and 2) there is a slight improvement of catalyst productivity after the first regeneration cycle. A possible explanation to these results, which is highlighted in this work, is that the catalyst structure is not affected during regeneration while there is an initial migration of Al from the mordenite structure to extra-framework positions.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, BIOTER project, Proyecto I+D Retos ENE2012-31598Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Universidad de Sevilla, Juan de la Cierva IJCI-2017-3283

Long-Term Stability in the Trophic Ecology of a Pelagic Forager Living in a Changing Marine Ecosystem

Natural or human-induced environmental changes can modify the structure of ecological communities and thus alter food web interactions. After the collapse of hake stocks (Merluccius hubbsi) provoked by fisheries over the Patagonian shelf in 1997 profound changes have taken place in the community, including long-term dietary shifts in some marine vertebrate predators. Stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope ratios in bone collagen of subadult and adult male South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis) were measured for the period 1976–2017 to investigate if the changes occurred in the marine community from northern and central Patagonia affected the diet of this predator. Suess corrected δ13C values and δ15N values in bone collagen of fur seals did not change significantly over the study period. According to this, male fur seals have remained as pelagic foragers without changing their trophic position nor switching their main preys in the Patagonian food web over the last four decades. This long-term stability in the diet of fur seals contrasts with dietary changes reported for benthic foragers in the region. Although long-term diet studies are restricted to a few marine predators in the region, current evidence suggests that benthic-demersal foragers were more prone to dietary shifts than pelagic ones after perturbations that occurred in the marine community of northern and central Patagonia.Fil: Vales, Damián Gustavo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos; ArgentinaFil: Cardona, Luis. Universidad de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Loizaga de Castro, Rocio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos; ArgentinaFil: García, Néstor A.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos; ArgentinaFil: Crespo, Enrique Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos; Argentin

Novel Segmentation Technique for Measured Three-Phase Voltage Dips

This paper focuses on issues arising from the need to automatically analyze disturbances in the future (smart) grid. Accurate time allocation of events and the sequences of events is an important part of such an analysis. The performance of a joint causal and anti-causal (CaC) segmentation method has been analyzed with a set of real measurement signals, using an alternative detection technique based on a cumulative sum (CUSUM) algorithm. The results show that the location in time of underlying transitions in the power system can be more accurately estimated by combining CaC segmentation methods

Networked youth research for empowerment in digital society. The WYRED project

European Commision (EC). Funding H2020/CSA. Project Code: 72706

Growth of out-of-plane standing MoTe2(1-x)Se2x/MoSe2 composite flake films by sol–gel nucleation of MoOy and isothermal closed space telluro-selenization

This study describes the sol–gel processing of MoOy on Si (1 0 0) to subsequently achieve out-of-plane MoTe2/MoSe2 flake composite films by an isothermal closed space vapor transformation. The oxide precursor films have been prepared from a Mo isopropoxide solution in isopropanol and acid catalysis induced by HCl. Thermal annealing at 200, 400 and 600 °C enhanced the condensation after xerogel formation. An x-ray absorption analysis demonstrates that films condensed at 200 °C are at an intermediate chemical state between MoO3 and MoO2. To achieve MoTe2/MoSe2 composite films, the precursor oxide films were reduced in H2 and exposed to the chalcogenides by isothermal closed space vapor transport at 600 °C. The multilayered nanocomposite films grow with an out-of-plane flake-like structure and an evident integration of Se in the MoTe2 phase according to a MoTe2(1-x)Se2x alloy, with an estimation of x of 0.25. The alloy and the orientation of the flakes are consistent with the bands present in the Raman spectrum. These films are attractive for applications requiring high surface area interfaces favoring gas or ion exchange reactions with transition metal dichalcogenidesThe current research was funded by grant CTQ2017-84309-C2-2-R from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spain). The authors acknowledge the ESRF and the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (Spain), for provision of synchrotron radiation facilities and the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spain) financial support for the operation of the beamline under Grant No. PIE 2010 6 OE 01