Aprendizaje basado en proyectos colaborativos. Una experiencia con estudiantes del Grado en Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio

El aprendizaje basado en proyectos colaborativos (ABPC) es una metodología educativa innovadora que facilita el aprendizaje significativo y que incrementa la relación entre teoría y práctica. En este trabajo se presenta una experiencia educativa desarrollada en la asignatura Técnicas Cualitativas del Grado en Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio. Se concluye que el ABPC se ha mostrado como una metodología que ha facilitado la obtención de las competencias de la materia y de un aprendizaje contextualizado, ha dado coherencia temática y estructura a una asignatura que por su naturaleza pudiera parecer desestructurada, ha incrementado la motivación y convertido al alumnado en el principal artífice de su proceso de aprendizaje; ha estimulado la vocación investigadora y generado sentimientos de participación y relevancia. La práctica desarrollada destaca la importancia de la tutorización, de la evaluación continua, de la coordinación docente y de la temporalización de tareas como elementos cruciales para el éxito

Pandemic Mobility/(Im)mobility in the Canary Islands: irregular migrants becoming hotel guests

In a border archipelago whose socio-economic structure is based on the specialization of tourism, mobility takes on its full significance with international tourists, labour migrants, migrants fleeing violence and poverty, lifestyle migrants, digital nomads, etc. The boundaries between these flows often become blurred, as the presence of tourists attracts labour migrants; labour and lifestyle migrants exchange roles; and irregular migrants become labour migrants. However, it has been the immobility caused by the pandemic that has turned the migration-tourism nexus on its head, transforming irregular migrants into guests of tourist establishments. Consequently, the purpose of this article is to reflect on the impact of the immobility caused by the pandemic in a territory whose raison d’être is mobility.Dans un archipel frontalier dont la structure socio-économique repose sur la spécialisation du tourisme, la mobilité prend tout son sens avec les touristes internationaux, les migrants de travail, les migrants fuyant la violence et la pauvreté, les migrants lifestyle, les nomades numériques, etc. Les frontières entre ces flux sont souvent estompées : la présence des touristes attire les travailleurs migrants ; les migrants de travail et de mode de vie échangent leurs rôles et les migrants en situation irrégulière deviennent des travailleurs migrants. Cependant, c’est l’immobilisme causé par la pandémie qui a bouleversé le lien migration-tourisme, transformant les migrants irréguliers en hôtes d’établissements touristiques. Par conséquent, l’objet de cet article est de réfléchir sur l’impact de l’immobilisme engendré par la pandémie sur un territoire dont la raison d’être est la mobilité

Nonequilibrium phase transition in a model for the propagation of innovations among economic agents

We characterize the different morphological phases that occur in a simple one-dimensional model of propagation of innovations among economic agents [X.\ Guardiola, {\it et. al.}, Phys. Rev E {\bf 66}, 026121 (2002)]. We show that the model can be regarded as a nonequilibrium surface growth model. This allows us to demonstrate the presence of a continuous roughening transition between a flat (system size independent fluctuations) and a rough phase (system size dependent fluctuations). Finite-size scaling studies at the transition strongly suggest that the dynamic critical transition does not belong to directed percolation and, in fact, critical exponents do not seem to fit in any of the known universality classes of nonequilibrium phase transitions. Finally, we present an explanation for the occurrence of the roughening transition and argue that avalanche driven dynamics is responsible for the novel critical behavior

Interplay of Postprandial Triglyceride-Rich Lipoprotein Composition and Adipokines in Obese Adolescents

In the context of the alarming rise of infant obesity and its health implications, the present research aims to uncover disruptions in postprandial lipid metabolism and the composition of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in obese adolescents. A double-blind, controlled clinical trial in the postprandial phase on 23 adolescents aged 12 to 16 years was carried out. Twelve participants were categorized as obese (BMI > 30 kg/m2 and percentile > 95) and 11 as normal-weight (BMI = 20–25 kg/m2, percentile 5–85). Blood samples were collected after a 12-h overnight fast and postprandially after consumption of a standardized breakfast containing olive oil, tomato, bread, orange juice, and skimmed milk. Obese adolescents exhibited elevated triglyceride concentrations in both fasting and postprandial states and higher TG/apo-B48 ratios, indicating larger postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (TRL) particle size, which suggests impaired clearance. Obese subjects also exhibited higher n-6 PUFA concentrations, potentially linked to increased TRL hydrolysis and the release of pro-inflammatory adipokines. In contrast, TRL from normal-weight individuals showed higher concentrations of oleic acid and DHA (n-3 PUFA), with possible anti-inflammatory effects. The results indicate an interplay involving postprandial TRL metabolism and adipokines within the context of adolescent obesity, pointing to potential cardiovascular implications in the future.Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Grant number AGL2011-23810)”“Next Generation EU” fundsEuropean Union Recovery, Transformation and Resilience PlanMinistry of Universities, in the framework of the Margarita Salas, Maria Zambrano grants for the Requalification of the Spanish University System 2021–2023, organized by the Pablo de Olavide University, Sevill

Reducción de perturbaciones mediante molificación discreta y umbralización por wavelets

Se comparan dos técnicas para el filtrado de bioseñales: Umbralización por wavelets y Molificación Discreta. Ambas se han usado en la solución de problemas con alta sensibilidad a la presencia de ruido, especialmente en la regularización de problemas mal condicionados. El objeto es determinar qué método presenta más ventajas en bioseñales contaminadas con ruido no blanco. Se implementaron varias técnicas de umbralización: rígida y flexible (globalmente y por nivel) y estimación adaptativa (Estimador de Riesgo imparcial de Stein SURE). Las señales empleadas fueron señales electrocardiográficas (ECG) y señales de voz, con perturbaciones no blancas características de cada tipo de señal

Reducción de perturbaciones mediante molificación discreta y umbralización por wavelets

Se comparan dos técnicas para el filtrado de bioseñales: Umbralización por wavelets y Molificación Discreta. Ambas se han usado en la solución de problemas con alta sensibilidad a la presencia de ruido, especialmente en la regularización de problemas mal condicionados. El objeto es determinar qué método presenta más ventajas en bioseñales contaminadas con ruido no blanco. Se implementaron varias técnicas de umbralización: rígida y flexible (globalmente y por nivel) y estimación adaptativa (Estimador de Riesgo imparcial de Stein SURE). Las señales empleadas fueron señales electrocardiográficas (ECG) y señales de voz, con perturbaciones no blancas características de cada tipo de señal

El impacto de la pandemia en la movilidad residencial de Canarias: las peculiaridades de los espacios insulares

La expansión del SARS-CoV-2 originó una gran transformación en la movilidad a escala global y local, pues a la inmovilidad forzada se sumó la modificación de las pautas de desplazamiento cotidiano y de variación residencial. La estructura territorial tuvo un papel decisivo en ella, siendo fundamental la conformación insular en el caso de Canarias. Así, el objetivo general de esta investigación es la identificación del impacto diferenciado de la movilidad residencial durante la pandemia, para lo cual se utiliza la Estadística de variaciones residenciales (2019-2021) y una encuesta realizada entre el 26 de abril y el 21 de junio de 2022 con cuestiones relativas a los procesos migratorios, al cambio de vivienda y a la segunda vivienda. Los resultados obtenidos matizan las tendencias de movilidad que se apreciaron en otras áreas de la geografía española a consecuencia del propio carácter insular

Role of neurokinin B in the control of female puberty and Its modulation by metabolic status

[Abstract] Human genetic studies have revealed that neurokinin B (NKB) and its receptor, neurokinin-3 receptor (NK3R), are essential elements for normal reproduction; however, the precise role of NKB–NK3R signaling in the initiation of puberty remains unknown. We investigated here the regulation of Tac2 and Tacr3 mRNAs (encoding NKB and NK3R, respectively) in female rats and demonstrated that their hypothalamic expression is increased along postnatal maturation. At puberty, both genes were widely expressed throughout the brain, including the lateral hypothalamic area and the arcuate nucleus (ARC)/medial basal hypothalamus, where the expression of Tacr3 increased across pubertal transition. We showed that central administration of senktide (NK3R agonist) induced luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in prepubertal and peripubertal females. Conversely, chronic infusion of an NK3R antagonist during puberty moderately delayed the timing of vaginal opening (VO) and tended to decrease LH levels. The expression of NKB and its receptor was sensitive to changes in metabolic status during puberty, as reflected by a reduction in Tacr3 (and, to a lesser extent, Tac2) expression in the ARC after a 48 h fast. Yet, acute LH responses to senktide in pubertal females were preserved, if not augmented, under fasting conditions, suggesting sensitization of the NKB–NK3R–gonadotropin-releasing hormone signaling pathway under metabolic distress. Moreover, repeated administration of senktide to female rats with pubertal arrest due to chronic undernutrition rescued VO (in ∼50% of animals) and potently elicited LH release. Altogether, our observations suggest that NKB–NK3R signaling plays a role in pubertal maturation and that its alterations may contribute to pubertal disorders linked to metabolic stress and negative energy balance.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación; BFU 2008-00984Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación; BFU 2011-25021Andalucía. Junta, P08-CVI-0060

Depopulation impacts on ecosystem services in Mediterranean rural areas

Despite the exponential increase in human population at global scale, some rural areas have experienced a progressive abandonment over the last decades. Under particular socioecological and policy contexts, changes in demography may promote land-use changes and, consequently, alter ecosystem services (ES) supply. However, most studies on this topic have targeted urban population increase, whereas depopulation has been rarely addressed. Here, we examined how shifts in demographic variables (human population, population density, and number of villages) affect provisioning (water supply, food and biomass production) and regulating (soil retention, water and nutrient regulation) ES in Mediterranean rural areas with contrasting environmental, so-cioeconomic and land-use contexts. When depopulation results in underuse of socio-ecological systems, we ex-pected a decrease of provisioning and an increase of regulating ES, whereas we expected the opposite pattern when it results in land-use intensification. To test this hypothesis, we compared demographic data and ES estimated with Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) linked to land-use changes between the 1950s and 2000s in three rural areas of Arag ́on (NE Spain). Generalized Additive Mixed Models and Linear Mixed-Effect Models were used to analyze demographic trends, ES changes and the relationship between them. We found severe depopulation (− 42% inhabitants) and associated land-use changes in the three areas, which was particularly evident in isolated mountainous zones (− 63% inhabitants). Depopulation trends significantly affected land use and, consequently, all of the ES evaluated. In mountainous depopulated areas, land abandonment and rewilding resulted in the increase in water regulation (>1000%) and soil retention (>400%). In contrast, agriculture was intensified in more fertile and easy-to-access lowland areas, boosting the food production service (>600%). Accordingly, the interactions among depopulation, crop production and regulating ES should be considered in the management schemes and policies targeting rural areas for a balanced and sustainable supply of ES in the long term