Experiencia de innovación docente siguiendo las directrices del Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior en la enseñanza del diseño digital

El nuevo marco educativo superior establecido en la declaración de Bolonia ha introducido en nuestra metodología docente una serie de cambios muy significativos que, a nivel autonómico catalán, ha sido liderado por el DURSI (Departament d’Universitats, Recerca i Societat de la Informació). De esta forma, dicho departamento propuso la adaptación de ciertas titulaciones al futuro modelo europeo (EEES) entre las que se hallaba la de Ingeniería Informática. El departamento al que pertenecemos (Microelectrónica y Sistemas Electrónicos), ha puesto en marcha la implantación de una nueva metodología docente en un reducido número de asignaturas troncales, pertenecientes a la citada titulación, donde existe como factor común entre ellas, un alto grado de especialización tecnológica y un gran número de alumnos (más de 200). El objetivo fundamental de este trabajo es mostrar todo el proceso de adaptación que ha sido necesario para la ejecución con plenas garantías de dicha reforma educativa en nuestra asignatura (Diseño de Sistemas Digitales), así como todas las herramientas didácticas utilizadas para poder implantar dichas técnicas en una asignatura con un alto grado de experimentación práctica en los laboratorios y fomentar un mayor grado de participación y consecución de objetivos por parte del alumnado. Para conseguir el éxito final de dicho proceso, hemos utilizado una metodología docente basada en el PBL (“Problem Based Learning”), en el uso intensivo del conocido “e-learning, así como en una introducción progresiva al aprendizaje cooperativo; siempre siguiendo las directrices del grupo IDES (Grupo de Innovación Docente en Educación Superior) de la UAB. La asignatura en cuestión, ha sido estructurada en tres grandes secciones: Sesiones de teoría; Seminarios de problemas y Sesiones de laboratorios. En la sección de resultados evaluaremos el alto grado de objetivos cumplidos, la mejora significativa en el trabajo cooperativo, el incremento de la capacidad de organización y planificación, así como la buena capacidad en la resolución de problemas. A su vez, se ha conseguido que se haya obtenido un 91% de superación de la asignatura de los alumnos que han seguido los seminarios.The new higher educative framework established in the Bologna Declaration has introduced to our educational methodology a series of very significant changes that, at Catalan autonomic level, have been conducted by the DURSI (the Catalan Ministry of Universities, Research and the Information Society). With this aim, the ministry proposed the adaptation of certain degrees to the future European model, being Computer Engineering one of them. The department which we belong to (Department of Microelectronics and Electronic Systems), has started up the implantation of a new teaching methodology in a small number of core subjects, belonging to the aforementioned degree, which have in common a high level of technological specialization and a large number of students (more than 200). The main goal of our paper is to explain all the adaptation process that has been necessary for the execution of this educative reform in the subject we teach (Digital System Design). We also show all the didactic tools used to implant the new teaching methodology in a subject with a high level of experimentation in the laboratories. These tools also foment a greater degree of participation and attainment of objectives on the students’ part. In order to successfully carry out this process, we have used an educational methodology based on the Problem Based Learning technique (PBL) [2], the intensive use of e‐learning and the progressive introduction to the cooperative learning [3], always following the directives of the Unit for Innovation in Higher Education Teaching (IDES) from the UAB. The subject at issue has been structured in three great sections: Theory classes; Problem seminars y Laboratory sessions. In the results section, we will present the high level of fulfilled objectives, the significant improvement in cooperative working, the organization and planning capacity increase as well as the good aptitude in problem resolution. Moreover, the 91 per cent of the students who followed the seminars passed the subject

Biochemical analysis and optimization of inhibition and adsorption phenomena in glass-silicon PCR-chips

Altres ajuts: this work was partly funded by the Consejo de Investigaciones Cientı́ficas (CSIC), by Grant TIC97-0569 from the Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnologı́a (CICYT)The use of glass-silicon chips for PCR analysis has been widely reported in the last decade, but there have been few systematic efforts to pin down the biochemical problems such systems bring forth. Here we report a systematic analysis of material-related inhibition and adsorption phenomena in glass-silicon PCR-chips. The results suggest that the previously reported inhibition of PCR by silicon-related materials stems mainly from the adsorption of Taq polymerase at chip walls due to increased surface-to-volume ratios, and not from a straight chemical action of silicon-related materials on the PCR-mix. In contrast to Taq polymerase, DNA is not adsorbed in noticeable amounts. The net effect of polymerase adsorption can be counteracted by the addition of a titrated amount of competing protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) and the ensuing reactions can be kinetically optimized in chips to yield effective amplifications in the whereabouts of 20 mi

Gate current analysis of AlGaN/GaN on silicon heterojunction transistors at the nanoscale

The gate leakage current of AlGaN/GaN (on silicon)high electron mobility transistor(HEMT) is investigated at the micro and nanoscale. The gate current dependence (25-310 °C) on the temperature is used to identify the potential conduction mechanisms, as trap assisted tunneling or field emission. The conductive atomic force microscopy investigation of the HEMT surface has revealed some correlation between the topography and the leakage current, which is analyzed in detail. The effect of introducing a thin dielectric in the gate is also discussed in the micro and the nanoscale

Physiological parameters to support attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnosis in children : a multiparametric approach

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a high-prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, frequently co-occurring with other psychiatric and medical conditions. Current diagnosis is time-consuming and often delays effective treatment; to date, no valid biomarker has been identified to facilitate this process. Research has linked the core symptoms of ADHD to autonomic dysfunction resulting from impaired arousal modulation, which contributes to physiological abnormalities that may serve as useful biomarkers for the disorder. While recent research has explored alternative objective assessment tools, few have specifically focused on studying ADHD autonomic dysregulation through physiological parameters. This study aimed to design a multiparametric physiological model to support ADHD diagnosis. In this observational study we non-invasively analyzed heart rate variability (HRV), electrodermal activity (EDA), respiration, and skin temperature parameters of 69 treatment-naïve ADHD children and 29 typically developing (TD) controls (7-12 years old). To identify the most relevant parameters to discriminate ADHD children from controls, we explored the physiological behavior at baseline and during a sustained attention task and applied a logistic regression procedure. ADHD children showed increased HRV and lower EDA at baseline. The stress-inducing task elicits higher reactivity for EDA, pulse arrival time (PAT), and respiratory frequency in the ADHD group. The final classification model included 4 physiological parameters and was adjusted by gender and age. A good capacity to discriminate between ADHD children and TD controls was obtained, with an accuracy rate of 85.5% and an AUC of 0.95. Our findings suggest that a multiparametric physiological model constitutes an accurate tool that can be easily employed to support ADHD diagnosis in clinical practice. The discrimination capacity of the model may be analyzed in larger samples to confirm the possibility of generalization

Development of a CMOS-compatible PCR chip : comparison of design and system strategies

Altres ajuts: this work was partly funded by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), by grant TIC97-0569 from the Comision Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología (CICYT).In the last decade research in chips for DNA amplification through the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been relatively abundant, but has taken very diverse approaches, leaving little common ground for a straightforward comparison of results. Here we report the development of a line of PCR chips that is fully compatible with complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology and its revealing use as a general platform to test and compare a wide range of experimental parameters involved in PCR-chip design and operation. Peltier-heated and polysilicon thin-film driven PCR chips have been produced and directly compared in terms of efficiency, speed and power consumption, showing that thin-film systems run faster and more efficiently than Peltier-based ones, but yield inferior PCR products. Serpentine-like chamber designs have also been compared with standard rectangular designs and with the here reported rhomboidal chamber shape, showing that serpentine-like chambers do not have detrimental effects in PCR efficiency when using non-flow-through schemes, and that chamber design has a strong impact on sample insertion/extraction yields. With an accurate temperature control (±0.2 °C) we have optimized reaction kinetics to yield sound PCR amplifications of 25 µl mixtures in 20 min and with 24.4 s cycle times, confirming that a titrated amount of bovine albumin serum (BSA, 2.5 µg µl−1) is essential to counteract polymerase adsorption at chip walls. The reported use of a CMOS-compatible technological process paves the way for an easy adaption to foundry requirements and for a scalable integration of electro-optic detection and control circuitr

Synthesis and Isomeric Analysis of RuII Complexes Bearing Pentadentate Scaffolds

A RuII-pentadentate polypyridyl complex [RuII(κ-N5-bpy2PYMe)Cl]+ (1+, bpy2PYMe = 1-(2-pyridyl)-1,1-bis(6-2,2'-bipyridyl)ethane) and its aqua derivative [RuII(κ-N5-bpy2PYMe)(H2O)]2+ (22+) were synthesized and characterized by experimental and computational methods. In MeOH, 1+ exists as two isomers in different proportions, cis (70%) and trans (30%), which are interconverted under thermal and photochemical conditions by a sequence of processes: chlorido decoordination, decoordination/recoordination of a pyridyl group, and chlorido recoordination. Under oxidative conditions in dichloromethane, trans-12+ generates a [RuIII(κ-N4-bpy2PYMe)Cl2]+ intermediate after the exchange of a pyridyl ligand by a Cl- counterion, which explains the trans/cis isomerization observed when the system is taken back to Ru(II). On the contrary, cis-12+ is in direct equilibrium with trans-12+, with absence of the κ-N4-bis-chlorido RuIII-intermediate. All these equilibria were modeled by density functional theory calculations. Interestingly, the aqua derivative is obtained as a pure trans-[RuII(κ-N5-bpy2PYMe)(H2O)]2+ isomer (trans-22+), while the addition of a methyl substituent to a single bpy of the pentadentate ligand leads to the formation of a single cis isomer for both chlorido and aqua derivatives [RuII(κ-N5-bpy(bpyMe)PYMe)Cl]+ (3+) and [RuII(κ-N5-bpy(bpyMe)PYMe)(H2O)]2+ (42+) due to the steric constraints imposed by the modified ligand. This system was also structurally and electrochemically compared to the previously reported [RuII(PY5Me2)X]n+ system (X = Cl, n = 1 (5+); X = H2O, n = 2 (62+)), which also contains a κ-N5-RuII coordination environment, and to the newly synthesized [RuII(PY4Im)X]n+ complexes (X = Cl, n = 1 (7+); X = H2O, n = 2 (82+)), which possess an electron-rich Hκ-N4C-RuII site due to the replacement of a pyridyl group by an imidazolic carbene

Psychosomatic response to acute emotional stress in healthy students

The multidimensionality of the stress response has shown the complexity of this phenomenon and therefore the impossibility of finding a unique biomarker among the physiological variables related to stress. An experimental study was designed and performed to guarantee the correct synchronous and concurrent measure of psychometric tests, biochemical variables and physiological features related to acute emotional stress. The population studied corresponds to a group of 120 university students between 20 and 30 years of age, with healthy habits and without a diagnosis of chronic or psychiatric illnesses. Following the protocol of the experimental pilot, each participant reached a relaxing state and a stress state in two sessions of measurement for equivalent periods. Both states are correctly achieved evidenced by the psychometric test results and the biochemical variables. A Stress Reference Scale is proposed based on these two sets of variables. Then, aiming for a non-invasive and continuous approach, the Acute Stress Model correlated to the previous scale is also proposed, supported only by physiological signals. Preliminary results support the feasibility of measuring/quantifying the stress level. Although the results are limited to the population and stimulus type, the procedure and methodological analysis used for the assessment of acute stress in young people can be extrapolated to other populations and types of stress

Aparato para el diagnóstico y monitorización de la esteatosis hepática basado en la medición de la impedancia eléctrica

Aparato para el diagnóstico y monitorización de la esteatosis hepática basado en la medición de la impedancia eléctrica. La presente invención hace referencia a un sistema para determinar de forma rápida el grado de esteatosis hepática (grasa en el hígado) a través de una medida directa de la impedancia eléctrica hepática a una o más frecuencias. La medida se realiza mediante sensores de superficie o mínimamente invasivos, pudiéndose acoplar estos a otros dispositivos de uso médico (e.g. sondas laparoscópicas). Mediante un algoritmo de interpolación basado en correlaciones entre la impedancia y el porcentaje de grasa hepática en biopsias de referencia, el sistema es capaz de determinar el grado de esteatosis hepática en el órgano medido de forma inmediata y sin necesidad de otro tipo de intervención. Esto permite su aplicación a procedimientos como el trasplante hepático, posibilitando un diagnóstico rápido de viabilidad, así como otros procedimientos quirúrgicos y sobre órganos explantados.Peer reviewedConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España)B1 Patente con informe sobre el estado de la ténic

Microsistema multisensor basado en silicio.

Fecha de solicitud:22.08.2000.- Titulares: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientícias (CSIC).- University of Amsterdam.- D+T Microelectrónica, A.I.E.- Hospital Universitari Vall D´Hebron.- Northern Ireland bio engineering genter.- Scuola superiore Santa Ana.[EN]The invention relates to a compact, millimeter-size silicon-based multisensor microsystem having the shape of a needle and comprising a series of sensors (to measure pH, analytes such K, sensors to measure impedance, temperature, etc.). Said microsystem also comprises pre-processing and signal amplification circuitry and telemetric circuitry of more than 3 megabits for short-distance data transmission. Said system is designed and optimized for applications in the field of medicine, more particularly, it can be used in tissue characterization and monitoring by inserting the system into a tissue, organ or body fluid.[ES]La invención se refiere a un microsistema compacto, multisensor milímetro de tamaño basado en el silicio que tiene la forma de una aguja, constituido por una serie de sensores (para medir el pH, los analitos, tales K , sensores para medir la impedancia, temperatura, etc.) microsistema Dijo también incluye pre-procesamiento y circuitos de amplificación de la señal y el circuito de telemetría de más de 3 megabits de transmisión de datos a corta distancia. Dicho sistema está diseñado y optimizado para aplicaciones en el campo de la medicina, en particular, puede ser utilizado en la caracterización de los tejidos y el control mediante la inserción del sistema en un tejido, órgano o líquidos corporales.Peer reviewe