A Model for developing an academic activity index for higher education instructors based on composite indicators

The assessment of the teacher performance is a subject of criticism due to the lack of a well-establish methodology. This study develops an overall score to measure the dimensions that encompass the academic activities. To that end, a Benefit-of-the-doubt model is proposed. The advantage of this technique is the flexibility in the weights, so that the model selects for each teacher the most favourable set of weights. Furthermore, the paper proposes the barycentric coordinate system as a method to classify the teachers in clusters depending on their contribution to the dimensions. A specific pie chart has been proposed as an efficient way to report the contribution of the teachers to the dimensions and the overall teacher performance

Self-perception about emerging digital skills in higher education students

The current labor market demands new qualities and knowledge from recent university graduates, including digital skills, and there is not enough research on the self-perception of students in this regard. The objective of this study was to measure student self-perception about their own 21st century digital skills related to the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in Higher Education. A questionnaire was generated and applied to 356 students with the stratified random sampling technique. A principal component analysis was carried out, supported by adequate values of the Kaiser- Meyer-Olkin coefficient and the Bartlett sphericity test. The data indicate that students primarily use digital technology in academic projects and are quite skillful when using ICT for information management, to develop critical thinking and to solve problems, as well as to manage mobile devices. However, their self-perception in the use of ICT in teaching classes is low. The results suggest that the students do not believe that the use of ICT in the classroom is useful for developing this type of emerging digital skills. On the other hand, they think that carrying out academic projects does strengthen the acquisition and development of such skills in relation to the use of ICT

Improvement of manufacturing process quality according to final inspection results

Final inspection represents the last inspection operation of production line before the product reaches a customer. If nonconformities are not detected within the production process, final inspection has to ensure their detection. This contribution focuses on the final inspection results of the manufacturing process of automobile’s front seats. The outputs of final inspection are prepared by means of quality management tools (Pareto analysis). Inspection items, their changes, remedies and precautions leading to seat quality improvement are defined. The evaluation of final inspection for the following period confirms the improvement of the manufacturing process or control quality for selected inspection items.Andrassyova, Z.; Hrubec, J.; Bas Cerdá, MDC. (2013). Improvement of manufacturing process quality according to final inspection results. Acta Technologica Agriculturae. (2):47-50. doi:10.2478/ata-2013-0012S4750

Integrated control of wood destroying basidiomycetes combining Cu-based wood preservatives and Trichoderma spp

[EN] The production of new generation of wood preservatives (without addition of a co-biocide) in combination with an exchange of wood poles on identical sites with high fungal inoculum, has resulted in an increase of premature failures of wood utility poles in the last decades. Wood destroying basidiomycetes inhabiting sites where poles have been installed, have developed resistance against wood preservatives. The objective of the in vitro studies was to identify a Trichoderma spp. with a highly antagonistic potential against wood destroying basidiomycetes that is capable of colonizing Cu-rich environments. For this purpose, the activity of five Trichoderma spp. on Cu-rich medium was evaluated according to its growth and sporulation rates. The influence of the selected Trichoderma spp. on wood colonization and degradation by five wood destroying basidiomycetes was quantitatively analyzed by means of dry weight loss of wood specimens. Furthermore, the preventative effect of the selected Trichoderma spp. in combination with four Cu-based preservatives was also examined by mass loss and histological changes in the wood specimens. Trichoderma harzianum (T-720) was considered the biocontrol agent with higher antagonistic potential to colonize Cu-rich environments (up to 0.1% CuSO4 amended medium). T. harzianum demonstrated significant preventative effect on wood specimens against four wood destroying basidiomycetes. The combined effect of T. harzianum and Cu-based wood preservatives demonstrated that after 9 months incubation with two wood destroying basidiomycetes, wood specimens treated with 3.8 kg m-3 copper-chromium had weight losses between 55±65%, whereas containers previously treated with T. harzianum had significantly lower weight losses (0±25%). Histological studies on one of the wood destroying basidiomycetes revealed typical decomposition of wood cells by brown-rot fungi in Cu-impregnated samples, that were notably absent in wood specimens previously exposed to T. harzianum. It is concluded that carefully selected Trichoderma isolates can be used for integrated wood protection against a range of wood destroying basidiomycetes and may have potential for integrated wood protection in the field.The authors are pleased to acknowledge the financial support by the Swiss CTI (Project No. 17001.1 PFLS-LS).Ribera, J.; Fink, S.; Bas Cerdá, MDC.; Schwarze, FWMR. (2017). Integrated control of wood destroying basidiomycetes combining Cu-based wood preservatives and Trichoderma spp. PLoS ONE. 12(4). https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.4743061S12

Instrumentos para medir la habilidad de comunicación: una revisión sistemática

Existe un amplio consenso respecto al hecho de que hay una brecha entre las habilidades propias del siglo XXI que el mercado laboral demanda a los nuevos profesionales y las habilidades que estos adquieren en el ámbito de la educación superior. Diversos estudios demuestran que la habilidad de comunicación es de las más demandas por los empleadores, a la vez que una de las más precarias entre los recién egresados. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue establecer el estado actual de la investigación respecto a instrumentos de medición de la habilidad de comunicación en estudiantes de educación superior. Se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura especializada en instrumentos para medir la habilidad de comunicación en estudiantes con base en el método Prisma. Fueron revisados textos publicados desde 2014 a la fecha en las bases de datos Scopus y Web of Science. Se hizo énfasis en el análisis del riesgo de sesgo, realizado con la herramienta de la colaboración Cochrane. Así, se obtuvieron 243 artículos y se analizó el texto completo de aquellos que cumplieron los primeros criterios de selección, a saber, 130 artículos, de los cuales se eligieron 12 por cumplir con todos los criterios establecidos. A partir de ello, se obtuvo, entre otros, datos de población y muestra, número de ítems, proceso de validez y riesgo de sesgo. Un hallazgo relevante es que en el área médica se han diseñado más instrumentos para medir la habilidad de comunicación, además, se basan en dimensiones comunes y cuentan con procesos de validez de contenido bien descritos; sin embargo, la validez de constructo se realizó con más detalle en un instrumento del área de ingeniería. Otro hallazgo importante es que parece que el éxito del proceso comunicativo depende, en gran medida, de la preparación del mismo por parte de los participantes. La combinación de las dimensiones del área médica y los procesos de validez de constructo de otras áreas podría generar instrumentos más precisos para medir tanto las habilidades de comunicación como las habilidades digitales de comunicación, hoy en día necesarias en una economía del conocimiento

Evaluation of a multiple linear regression model and SARIMA model in forecasting 7Be air concentrations

[EN] Forecasting the 7Be air concentration is a target value in analyzing fluctuations that could reveal important information on the motions of atmospheric air masses. In this study we first propose a Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) model with a historical data time window of eight years (2007-2014) to forecast 7Be activity. The other proposal is a Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) model for the same time period, in which the atmospheric and meteorological variables are used to forecast 7Be air concentrations. The forecasting performance of both models is evaluated by comparison with real 7Be air concentrations by out-of-sample tests for the 12 months of the year 2015. Considering the high explicative power and the consistently low accuracy of the measurements in the out-of-sample year, the proposed SARIMA model provides good forecasts of 7Be air concentrations. In contrast, the MLR model provides information on the significant meteorological variables that affect 7Be concentrations and could be useful to identify meteorological or atmospheric changes that could cause deviations in these concentrations.This study has been partially supported by the REM program of the Nuclear Safety Council of Spain (SRA/2071/2015/227.06). We are also grateful to the UPV's weather station for providing the atmospheric information used in this study.Bas Cerdá, MDC.; Ortiz Moragón, J.; Ballesteros Pascual, L.; Martorell Alsina, SS. (2017). Evaluation of a multiple linear regression model and SARIMA model in forecasting 7Be air concentrations. Chemosphere. 177:326-333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.03.029S32633317

Analysis of the evolution of gross alpha and gross beta activities in airborne samples in Valencia (Spain)

[EN] Gross alpha () and gross beta activities () were measured weekly in the airborne of the Universitat Politècnica de Valencia campus (in the east of Spain) during the period 2009¿2015 (7 years). The geometric mean values of weekly and were 0.53·10¿4 Bq m¿3 and 5.77·10¿4 Bq m¿3, respectively; with an average ratio of 0.097. This study highlights the heterogeneity of gross alpha and gross beta activities depending on the different periods of the year. Data show seasonal variations with the highest activity in summer months and the lowest one in winter months. Several atmospheric factors were considered in order to explain this intra-annual variation (wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, precipitations, dust content and prevailing wind directions). Multiple Linear Regression Analysis were performed in order to obtain information on significant atmospheric factors that affect gross ¿ and gross ß variability, which could be useful in identifying meteorological or atmospheric changes that could cause deviations in gross ¿ and gross ß activity depending on the seasons considered. Models obtained explain more than 60% of variability for global data, and also for winter and spring-autumn months. However, more research is needed to explain gross ¿ and gross ß variability in summer months, because the atmospheric factors considered in the MLR explain less than 35% of variability.This study has been partially supported by the REM program of the Nuclear Safety Council of Spain (SRA/2071/2015/227.06). We also thank the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia for financial support under "Programa propio para la Formacide de Personal Investigador (FPI) de la Universitat Politecnica de Valencia Subprograma 1". We are also grateful to the UPV's weather station for providing the atmospheric information used in this study.Sáez-Muñoz, M.; Bas Cerdá, MDC.; Ortiz Moragón, J.; Martorell Alsina, SS. (2018). Analysis of the evolution of gross alpha and gross beta activities in airborne samples in Valencia (Spain). Journal of Environmental Radioactivity. 183:94-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.12.019S9410118

Forecasting 7BE concentrations in surface air using time series analysis

[EN] 7Be is a cosmogenic radionuclide widely used as an atmospheric tracer, whose evaluation and forecasting can provide valuable information on changes in the atmospheric behavior. In this study, measurements of 7Be concentrations were made each month during the period 2007-2015 from samples of atmospheric aerosols filtered from the air. The aim was to propose a Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) model to develop an explanatory and predictive model of 7Be air concentrations. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and the Adapted Mean Absolute Percentage Error (AMAPE) were selected to measure forecasting accuracy in identifying the best historical data time window to explain 7Be concentrations. A measure based on the variance of forecast errors was calculated to determine the impact of the model uncertainty on forecasts. We concluded that the SARIMA method is a powerful explanatory and predictive technique for explaining 7 Be air concentrations in a longterm series of at least eight years of historical data to forecast 7 Be concentration trends up to one year in advance.This study has been supported partially by the REM program of the Nuclear Safety Council of Spain (SRA/2071/2015/227.06).Bas Cerdá, MDC.; Ortiz Moragón, J.; Ballesteros Pascual, L.; Martorell Alsina, SS. (2017). Forecasting 7BE concentrations in surface air using time series analysis. Atmospheric Environment. 155:154-161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2017.02.021S15416115

An Evaluation of the environmental factors for supply chain strategy decisions using grey systems and composite indicators

The purpose of this work is to assess the importance of environmental factors in a supply chain with four partners as a preliminary step to select the competitive strategies and objectives. To achieve this purpose, a real case study was carried out in a footwear supply chain, in which two approaches were used: the grey system theory and uncertainty analysis tools for composite indicators. In order to validate both approaches, a seven-phase research methodology was developed and applied to our case study. In addition, the priorization of environmental factors was calculated individually for each partner. The results allow managers to establish the competitive strategy that best suits the prioritization of the most relevant factors and to define the most appropriate objectives where the supply chain should invest its efforts and resources

Presence of palm oil in foodstuffs: consumers' perception

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to determine the presence of palm oil in food products on sale, and to study and compare consumers' opinions about this oil type in Spain (importing country) and Peru (producing country). Design/methodology/approach - Recent news published in both countries, which could influence consumer perceptions, were analysed. A study on the labelling of foodstuffs in Spain was carried out, as was a survey with Spanish and Peruvian consumers. Findings - Palm oil was found in a large number of products and in a wide range of foods, especially those from the bakery sector. The percentages of saturated fats varied substantially within the same product type. Spanish consumers showed much more interest in the labelling and information on nutritional properties, especially energy values, saturated fats and sugars, while Peruvians focused more on energy values, and protein, vitamin and mineral contents. In Spain, palm oil was considered the worst quality fat/oil and had a clearly negative effect on both health and the environment. In Peru, palm oil was neither perceived by the majority of respondents as low quality oil nor associated with negative health effects. However, they were aware of the environmental problems that could result from its production. Originality/value - These results confirm that the food industry should make efforts to reduce or replace palm oil in foods, mainly in Spain, as most consumers believe that palm oil negatively affects their health and the environmen