Development and Implementation of Electronic Applications based on Arduino Platform for a First Basic Course

This paper shows a learning guide about the use of Arduino platform and the different utilities that can be implemented based on this platform for a first basic course. The paper can be useful as a guide for someone who wants to start in the world of microcontroller programming, with examples to consolidate the knowledge learned. Some students of the School of Industrial Engineering of the University of Malaga (Degree in Industrial Design) approach the study of an engineering career with little knowledge of electronics. This degree contains basic skills on learning electronics and the use of the Arduino platform and its development possibilities can offer students an interesting view of electronics, making better use of classes. The work is based on both theoretical (to make the components known) and practical (using real assemblies) development to consolidate the knowledge learned. Therefore, once the basic components necessary to carry out various practices have been explained, the theoretical performance and the programming of Arduino is explained and the various practices that will be set up in the laboratory are presented, as an application of Arduino for different uses. The main idea of this work is to replace the traditional laboratory practices that require more advanced knowledge in electronics with a set of simple practices carried out in Arduino that allow students to have an approximate idea of basic electronics with little knowledge. After three years of carrying out this new methodology for this first basic electronic course, the surveys demonstrate a better adaptation of the students to the study of electronics. In addition, the marks obtained have improved considerably and the students have the sensation of learning electronics in a simple and fun way.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Flora y vegetación serpentinícola ibérica: Sierras de Alpujata y de la Robla (Málaga, España)

Se ha estudiado la flora y vegetación de dos de los afloramientos perido¬títicos del sur de la Península Ibérica, que incluyen la Sierra de Alpujata (71 Km2) y La Robla (7 Km2) en la provincia de Málaga. La flora serpentinícola muestra características diferentes del resto de la flora que vive sobre suelos zonales, debido a las limitaciones causadas por la composición de los suelos serpentínicos. Los resultados muestran una presencia elevada de serpentinófitos (18 de un total de 27) de los cuales 13 son ser¬pentinófitos estrictos aunque ninguno es exclusivo de las sierras estudiadas. En cuanto a la vegetación, casi todas las asociaciones y comunidades son endémicas de sustratos serpentínicos. Se describe una subasociación nueva y se reivindican, invierten y corrigen nombres de sintaxones. El paisaje vegetal está dominado por matorrales edafoxerófilos (Staehelino-Ulicion baetici), formaciones climácicas de pinos (Pinus pinaster) y coscojas (Quercus coccifera) (Pino-Juniperion phoeniceae), comunidades edafohigrófilas de sau¬cedas (Salicion pedicellatae) y juncales (Molinio-Holoschoenion). La Sierra de Alpujata es el tercer afloramiento del sur de la Península en cuanto a riqueza en vegetación ser¬pentinícola, por detrás solo de Sierra Bermeja y Sierra de las Nieves peridotítica (Sierra Parda). La presencia de especies endémicas y protegidas junto a sus hábitats incluidos en la Directiva 92/43CEE hacen de la Sierra de Alpujata una candidata a ser declarada como LIC (Lugar de Inetrés Comunitario). Este trabajo podría ser de gran valor para el seguimiento de la restauración y regeneración de la Sierra de Alpujata tras el incendio sufrido en el verano de 2012.Iberian serpentine flora and vegetation: Alpujata and La Robla mountains (Malaga, Spain). The flora and vegetation of two peridotite outcrops in the south of the Iberian Peninsula have been studied: Sierra de Alpujata (71 Km2) and La Robla (7 Km2) in the province of Malaga. Serpentine flora and vegetation show different characteris¬tics from the rest of the flora that lives on zonal soils, due to the limitations caused by the serpentine soil composition. The results show a high presence of serpentinophytes (18 out of 27) of which 13 are obligate serpentinophytes although none is exclusive from the studied outcrops. In terms of vegetation, almost all associations and com¬munities are endemic to serpentine substrates. A new subassociation is described and some syntaxa names are claimed, reversed or corrected. The landscape is dominated by xerophytic shrublands (Staehelino-Ulicion baetici), climax communities of pine (Pinus pinaster) and shrub oaks (Quercus coccifera) (Pino-Juniperion phoeniceae) and ripar¬ian forests (Salicion pedicellatae) mixed with higrophytic grasslands on wet soils and streams (Molinio-Holoschoenion). Sierra de Alpujata is the third outcrop of the south of the Iberian Peninsula regarding serpentine vegetation richness, after Sierra Bermeja and Sierra de las Nieves (peridotites of Sierra Parda). The presence of endemic and protected species together with their habitats included in the 92/43/EU Directive may drive Sierra de Alpujata to be a candidate to obtain the declaration of SCI (Site of Comunitarian Interest). This work could be of great value to monitor the restoration and regeneration of Sierra de Alpujata after the fire in the summer of 2012

Buscador de fitosanitarios sobre IOS y FiWare

Este trabajo aborda el desarrollo íntegro de la primera versión viable de una aplicación, sobre el Sistema Operativo iOS, destinada a la búsqueda y consulta de diversos fitosanitarios que se puedan utilizar en los diferentes países de la Unión Europea

La inoculación de Azospirillum brasilense mejora la calidad de las plántulas de un mezquite (Prosopis juliflora)

Inoculation of mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobacteria in plants can improve their growth and physiological status, which could be particularly important for agricultural and forestry plants used for the revegetation of arid areas. Prosopis juliflora is a forest pioneer species that is drought resistant and has multiple uses (fodder, shade and shelter for livestock; timber and firewood, live fences and windbreaks in agroforestry systems). Azospirillum brasilense is a rhizobacterium that improves the growth of many agricultural crops. The hypothesis of this study was that P. juliflora seedlings produced in the nursery can respond positively to inoculation with A. brasilense CECT 590. Five months after inoculation, we examined the growth, water relations (osmotic potential at full turgor, osmotic potential at zero turgor, and the modulus of elasticity at full turgor), and concentration and content of macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) in the seedlings. Subsequently, a trial was conducted to analyse root growth potential. A. brasilense CECT 590 inoculation caused an osmotic adjustment in P. juliflora seedlings but decreased the elasticity of the cell walls. Inoculation with A. brasilense CECT 590 significantly improved plant growth due in part to an increase of N concentration in the seedlings. A. brasilense CECT 590 inoculation also caused an increase in the root growth potential. The increased growth of P. juliflora seedlings inoculated with A. brasilense was probably caused by more than one mechanism. Inoculation with A. brasilense at the nursery may be a suitable technique for producing improved seedling material for restoration purposes.La inoculación de hongos de micorrizacion y rizobacterias en las plantas puede mejorar su crecimiento y calidad fisiológica, especialmente en plantas agrícolas y forestales empleadas para la regeneración de zonas áridas. Prosopis juliflora es una especie forestal pionera, resistente a la sequía, y de usos múltiples (forraje, sombra y cobijo para el ganado, madera y leña, cercas vivas y cortinas cortavientos en sistemas agroforestales). Azospirillum brasilense es una rizobacteria que mejora el crecimiento de muchos cultivos agrícolas. La hipótesis de este estudio fue que las plántulas de P. juliflora producidas en vivero pueden responder positivamente a la inoculación con A. brasilense CECT 590. Cinco meses después desde la inoculación, se analizó el crecimiento, relaciones hídricas (potencial osmótico en saturación, potencial osmótico en el punto de pérdida de turgencia, y módulo de elasticidad a total turgor), concentración y contenido de macronutrientes (N, P, K, Ca y Mg) en las plántulas. Posteriormente se realizó un ensayo para analizar el Potencial de Crecimiento Radical. La inoculación de A. brasilense CECT 590 causó un ajuste osmótico de las plántulas de P. juliflora, pero disminuyó la elasticidad de las paredes celulares. A. brasilense CECT 590 mejoró significativamente el crecimiento de la planta, debido en parte al incremento de la concentración de N en las plántulas. La inoculación con A. brasilense CECT 590 también causó un incremento del potencial de crecimiento radical. El incremento del crecimiento en las plántulas de P. juliflora inoculadas con A. brasilense fue probablemente debido a más de un mecanismo. La inoculación con A. brasilense en vivero puede ser una técnica adecuada para la producción de material de plántulas mejorado con fines de restauración

A nanoporous surface is essential for glomerular podocyte differentiation in three-dimensional culture.

Although it is well recognized that cell-matrix interactions are based on both molecular and geometrical characteristics, the relationship between specific cell types and the three-dimensional morphology of the surface to which they are attached is poorly understood. This is particularly true for glomerular podocytes - the gatekeepers of glomerular filtration - which completely enwrap the glomerular basement membrane with their primary and secondary ramifications. Nanotechnologies produce biocompatible materials which offer the possibility to build substrates which differ only by topology in order to mimic the spatial organization of diverse basement membranes. With this in mind, we produced and utilized rough and porous surfaces obtained from silicon to analyze the behavior of two diverse ramified cells: glomerular podocytes and a neuronal cell line used as a control. Proper differentiation and development of ramifications of both cell types was largely influenced by topographical characteristics. Confirming previous data, the neuronal cell line acquired features of maturation on rough nanosurfaces. In contrast, podocytes developed and matured preferentially on nanoporous surfaces provided with grooves, as shown by the organization of the actin cytoskeleton stress fibers and the proper development of vinculin-positive focal adhesions. On the basis of these findings, we suggest that in vitro studies regarding podocyte attachment to the glomerular basement membrane should take into account the geometrical properties of the surface on which the tests are conducted because physiological cellular activity depends on the three-dimensional microenvironment

Blast wave dynamics: The influence of the shape of the explosive

A numerical model is developed to analyse the influence of the shape of a high-explosive on the dynamics of the generated pressure wave. A Multi-Material Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (MM-ALE) technique is used as the CONWEP approach is not adequate to model such situations. Validation and verification of the proposed numerical model is achieved based on experimental data obtained from the bibliography. The numerical model provides relevant information that cannot be obtained from the experimental results. The influence of the mass and shape of the high-explosive is studied and correlated to the dynamics of the generated blast wave through the analysis of peak pressures, time of arrival and impulse. Tests are done with constant mass hemispherical, cylindrical and flat-shaped Formex F4HV samples. A detailed analysis of the generated blast wave is done, along with a thorough comparison between incident and reflected waves. It is concluded that the dynamic effects of the reflected pressure pulses should always be considered in structural design, most relevantly when analysing closed structures where the number of reflections can be significant. The model is proved reliable, concluding that the frontal area of the high-explosive is a determinant driving parameter for the impulse generated by the blast. (C)2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.This research was done with the financial support of the mobility internship for researchers of Carlos III University of Madrid (Spain) (“Programa propio de investigación - Convocatoria 2014 movilidad”)

Experience of parents who have suffered a perinatal death in two Spanish hospitals: a qualitative study

Background: Perinatal grief is a process that affects families in biological, psychological, social and spiritual terms. It is estimated that every year there are 2.7 million perinatal deaths worldwide and 4.43 deaths for every 1000 births in Spain. The aim of this study is to describe and understand the experiences and perceptions of parents who have suffered a perinatal death. Methods: A qualitative study based on Gadamer’s hermeneutic phenomenology. The study was conducted in two hospitals in the South of Spain. Thirteen mothers and eight fathers who had suffered a perinatal death in the 5 years prior to the study participated in this study. In-depth interviews were carried out for data collection. Inductive analysis was used to find themes based on the data. Results: Eight sub-themes emerged, and they were grouped into three main themes: ‘Perceiving the threat and anticipating the baby’s death: “Something is going wrong in my pregnancy”’; ‘Emotional outpouring: the shock of losing a baby and the pain of giving birth to a stillborn baby’; “We have had a baby”: The need to give an identity to the baby and legitimise grief’. Conclusion: The grief suffered after a perinatal death begins with the anticipation of the death, which relates to the mother’s medical history, symptoms and premonitions. The confirmation of the death leads to emotional shock, characterised by pain and suffering. The chance to take part in mourning rituals and give the baby the identity of a deceased baby may help in the grieving and bereavement process. Having empathy for the parents and notifying them of the death straightaway can help ease the pain. Midwives can help in the grieving process by facilitating the farewell rituals, accompanying the family, helping in honouring the memory of the baby, and supporting parents in giving the deceased infant an identity that makes them a family member

Toward platinum group metal-free catalysts for hydrogen/airproton-exchange membrane fuel cells

The status, concepts and challenges toward catalysts free of platinum group metal (pgm) elements for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are reviewed. Due to the limited reserves of noble metals in the Earth’s crust, a major challenge for the worldwide development of PEMFC technology is to replace Pt with pgm-free catalysts with sufficient activity and stability. The priority target is the substitution of cathode catalysts (oxygen reduction) that account for more than 80% of pgms in current PEMFCs. Regarding hydrogen oxidation at the anode, ultralow Pt content electrodes have demonstrated good performance, but alternative non-pgm anode catalysts are desirable to increase fuel cell robustness, decrease the H2 purity requirements and ease the transition from H2 derived from natural gas to H2 produced from water and renewable energy sources