Diamante hispano: propuesta y pilotaje de un escape room educativo para la revisión de contenidos de nivel A2

Treballs Finals del Màster de Formació de Professor d'Espanyol com a Llengua Estrangera, Facultat d'Educació, Universitat de Barcelona, Curs: 2019-2020, Tutor: Jaume BatlleLos juegos de escape son una forma de entretenimiento muy popular actualmente en España y no se limitan exclusivamente al componente lúdico, sino que se ha demostrado que ofrecen numerosos beneficios en diferentes campos, entre ellos, la enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras. A menudo, como docentes lidiamos con alumnos desmotivados y que muestran una actitud pasiva en el aula. Para paliar las posibles consecuencias de estas actitudes negativas y promover la comunicación, el trabajo en equipo, la cooperación y el desarrollo de un proceso de aprendizaje significativo para ellos acorde a sus necesidades e intereses, los juegos de escape y la gamificación pueden ser nuestros aliados. Así pues, en este trabajo se ha diseñado y pilotado un escape room educativo dentro del marco de ELE, cuyo objetivo no solo es revisar los contenidos lingüísticos del nivel A2 y de todas las destrezas, sino también incorporar diferentes elementos del juego y de la gamificación, así como herramientas TIC para el desarrollo de un aprendizaje significativo, motivador y útil para los alumnos. El análisis de ambos pilotajes muestra, desde ambas perspectivas (docente y estudiantes), que la evaluación de “diamante hispano” es positiva y, por lo tanto, se corrobora su utilidad y los beneficios de llevar una propuesta de esta naturaleza al aula.Nowadays, escape rooms have become a renowned form of entertainment in Spain. However, we do not only focus on the ludic side, as they have proven to offer multiple benefits in many fields, such as in teaching foreign languages. As teachers we often deal with students who are demotivated and passive in class. To relieve its negative consequences and to promote communication, team work, cooperation and to develop a meaningful learning process that suits our students’ needs and interests, escape rooms and gamification are our allies. Thus, in this paper we will present the design and testing of an educational escape room within the framework of teaching Spanish as a foreign language, which does not only aim to be an A2 linguistic revision, but it also includes several game and gamification elements, as well as ICT tools, in order to develop a meaningful, engaging and useful learning process in our students. The analysis of both testings show that, from both perspectives (teacher and students) “diamante hispano’s” results are positive and, therefore, corroborate the utility and benefits of such a didactic proposal in educational contexts

Chromatin factors: Ready to roll as biomarkers in metastatic colorectal cancer?

Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks as the third most prevalent cancer globally and stands as the fourth leading cause of cancer-related fatalities in 2020. Survival rates for metastatic disease have slightly improved in recent decades, with clinical trials showing median overall survival of approximately 24-30 months. This progress can be attributed to the integration of chemotherapeutic treatments alongside targeted therapies and immunotherapy. Despite these modest improvements, the primary obstacle to successful treatment for advanced CRC lies in the development of chemoresistance, whether inherent or acquired, which remains the major cause of treatment failure. Epigenetics has emerged as a hallmark of cancer, contributing to master transcription regulation and genome stability maintenance. As a result, epigenetic factors are starting to appear as potential clinical biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of treatment response in CRC.In recent years, numerous studies have investigated the influence of DNA methylation, histone modifications, and chromatin remodelers on responses to chemotherapeutic treatments. While there is accumulating evidence indicating their significant involvement in various types of cancers, the exact relationship between chromatin landscapes and treatment modulation in CRC remains elusive. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the most pertinent and extensively researched epigenetic-associated mechanisms described between 2015 and 2022 and their potential usefulness as predictive biomarkers in the metastatic disease

La gamificación en juego: percepción de los estudiantes sobre un escape room educativo en el aula de español como lengua extranjera

INTRODUCCIÓN. Los escape rooms son actualmente un entretenimiento muy popular y se ha demostrado, además, que ofrecen numerosos beneficios en otros campos como la enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras. Dentro del ámbito de la gamificación, los juegos de escape se comprenden como adecuados para paliar actitudes negativas y promover la comunicación, el trabajo en equipo, la cooperación y el desarrollo de un aprendizaje significativo acorde a las necesidades e intereses del alumnado. MÉTODO y OBJETIVOS. Este estudio, de carácter exploratorio, tiene como objetivos conocer qué valoración hacen los alumnos sobre un escape room educativo tras participar en él y qué elementos les han suscitado más aprendizaje en el marco de la enseñanza de español como lengua extranjera (ELE), y además pretende poner de manifiesto el valor de los escape rooms como estrategia metodológica adecuada para la enseñanza-aprendizaje de ELE. RESULTADOS. El análisis de los cuestionarios de percepción demuestra que los alumnos valoran positivamente el escape room educativo como herramienta y como propuesta didáctica para la enseñanza-aprendizaje de ELE. CONCLUSIÓN. Los alumnos valoran positivamente la participación en la experiencia didáctica y consideran que han aprendido significativamente, sobre todo en relación con el desarrollo de la comprensión y los contenidos tratados sobre la cultura hispanoamericana

Neighborhood built environment and socioeconomic status are associated with active commuting and sedentary behavior, but not with leisure-time physical activity, in university students

The role of neighborhood characteristics in promoting physical activity and sedentary behaviors (SB) has not been extensively studied in university students. The study purpose was to analyze the associations of neighborhood built environment and neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) with active commuting, leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), and SB among university students. This is a cross- ectional study of 308 undergraduate students from two urban universities in Valencia, Spain. Participants' residential neighborhoods were classified according to walkability and SES levels. Walkability was defined as an index of three built environment attributes (i.e., residential density, land-use mix, and street connectivity) based on geographical information system data. Active commuting to and from university (ACU), active commuting in the neighborhood, LTPA, and SB were evaluated through a questionnaire. Mixed model regression analyses were performed. There were no significant SES-walkability interactions for any of the outcomes analyzed. However, university students living in more walkable areas reported two more ACU trips per week compared to those living in less walkable neighborhoods (p < 0.01). University students living in lower-SES neighborhoods reported more ACU trips per week than those living in higher-SES neighborhoods (p < 0.05). Regarding LTPA, there were no significant SES or walkability main effects. Neighborhood SES was negatively related to active commuting in the neighborhood and to time spent in SB (all p < 0.05). Participants living in lower-SES neighborhoods reported more active commuting per week and had the highest average minutes spent in SB. This study highlights the relevance of assessing university's residential environment when active transportation and SB are analyzed

Predicting the effects of in-vitro digestion in the bioactivity and bioaccessibility of antioxidant compounds extracted from chestnut shells by supercritical fluid extraction - A metabolomic approach

Chestnut (Castanea sativa) shells (CS) are an undervalued antioxidant-rich by-product. This study explores the impact of in-vitro digestion on the bioaccessibility, bioactivity, and metabolic profile of CS extract prepared by Supercritical Fluid Extraction, aiming its valorization for nutraceutical applications. The results demonstrated significantly (p <0.05) lower phenolic concentrations retained after digestion (38.57 µg gallic acid equivalents/ mg dry weight (DW)), reaching 30% of bioaccessibility. The CS extract showed antioxidant/antiradical, hypoglycemic, and neuroprotective properties after in-vitro digestion, along with upmodulating effects on antioxidant enzymes activities and protection against lipid peroxidation. The metabolic profile screened by LC-ESI-LTQ- Orbitrap-MS proved the biotransformation of complex phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins present in the undigested extract (45.78 µg/mg DW of total phenolic concentration) into hydroxybenzoic, phenylpropanoic, and phenylacetic acids upon digestion (35.54 µg/mg DW). These findings sustain the valorization of CS extract as a promising nutraceutical ingredient, delivering polyphenols with proven bioactivity even after in-vitro digestion.</p

Metabolomic insights into phenolics-rich chestnut shells extract as a nutraceutical ingredient – A comprehensive evaluation of its impacts on oxidative stress biomarkers by an in-vivo study

The present study attempted for the first time to explore the effects of the daily oral intake of a phenolics-rich extract from chestnut shells (CS) on the metabolomic profiling of rat tissues by liquid chromatography coupled to Orbitrap-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS) targeted to polyphenolics and their metabolites and screen potential oxidative stress biomarkers, validating its use as a promising nutraceutical ingredient with outstanding antioxidant properties for the prevention and co-therapy of lifestyle-related diseases triggered by oxidative stress. The results demonstrated new insights into the metabolomic fingerprinting of polyphenols from CS, confirming their absorption and biotransformation by phase I (hydrogenation) and II (glucuronidation, methylation, and sulfation) enzymes. Phenolic acids were the main polyphenolic class, followed by hydrolyzable tannins, flavanols, and lignans. In contrast to the liver, sulfated conjugates were the principal metabolites reaching the kidneys. The multivariate data analysis predicted an exceptional contribution of polyphenols and their microbial and phase II metabolites to the in-vivo antioxidant response of the CS extract in rats, recommending its use as an appealing source of anti-aging molecules for nutraceuticals. This is the first study that explored the relation between metabolomic profiling of rat tissues and in-vivo antioxidant effects after oral treatment with a phenolics-rich CS extract. © 2023 The Author(s)</p

Development and Characterization of Functional Cookies Enriched with Chestnut Shells Extract as Source of Bioactive Phenolic Compounds

Chestnut (Castanea sativa) shells (CSs), an undervalued agro-industrial biowaste, have arisen as a source of bioactive compounds with promising health-promoting effects. This study attempted, for the first time, to develop a functional food, namely cookies, using a CS extract obtained by an eco-friendly technology (subcritical water extraction). The cookies were characterized regarding their nutritional composition, total phenolic and flavonoid contents (TPC and TFC, respectively), antioxidant/antiradical activities, phenolic profile, and sensory evaluation. The results demonstrated that the CS-extract-enriched cookies were mainly composed of carbohydrates (53.92% on dry weight (dw)), fat (32.62% dw), and fiber (5.15% dw). The phenolic profile outlined by HPLC-PDA revealed the presence of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and hydrolysable tannins, attesting to the high TPC and TFC. The in vitro antioxidant/antiradical effects proved the bioactivity of the functional cookies, while the sensory evaluation unveiled excellent scores on all attributes (≥6.25). The heatmap diagram corroborated strong correlations between the TPC and antioxidant/antiradical properties, predicting that the appreciated sensory attributes were closely correlated with high carbohydrates and phenolic compounds. This study encourages the sustainable recovery of antioxidants from CSs and their further employment as an active nutraceutical ingredient in functional cookies.This work received financial support from national funds (UIDB/50006/2020), project PTDC/ASP-AGR/29277/2017-Castanea sativa shells as a new source of active ingredients for Functional Food and Cosmetic applications: a sustainable approach, and project 5537 DRI, Sérvia 2020/21 from the Portuguese-Serbia Bilateral Cooperation-Development of functional foods, incorporating a chestnut shell extract obtained by subcritical water, supported by national funds by FCT/MCTES and co-supported by Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) throughout COMPETE 2020-Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029277). Authors also thanks the project SYSTEMIC “an integrated approach to the challenge of sustainable food systems: adaptive and mitigatory strategies to address climate change and malnutrition“. The Knowledge hub on Nutrition and Food Security, has received funding from national research funding parties in Belgium (FWO), France (INRA), Germany (BLE), Italy (MIPAAF), Latvia (IZM), Norway (RCN), Portugal (FCT), and Spain (AEI) in a joint action of JPI HDHL, JPI-OCEANS and FACCE-JPI launched in 2019 under the ERA-NET ERA- HDHL (n◦ 696295). Jaroslava Švarc-Gajić and Tanja Brezo-Borjan are grateful to the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia (Grant No. 7747845, In situ pollutants removal from waters by sustainable green nanotechnologies—CleanNanoCatalyze), and to the Ministry of education, science and technological development of the Republic of Serbia (Grant No 451-03-68/2020–14/200134).The authors kindly thank Sortegel (Sortes, Portugal) for the samples. Diana Pinto (SFRH/BD/144534/2019) is thankful for her Ph.D. grant financed by FCT/MCTES and POPH-QREN and supported by funds from European Union (EU) and Fundo Social Europeu (FSE) through Programa Operacional Regional Norte. Francisca Rodrigues (CEECIND/01886/2020), Elsa F. Vieira (CEECIND/03988/2018), and Manuela M. Moreira (CEECIND/02702/2017) are thankful for their contracts financed by FCT/MCTES—CEEC Individual 2020 Program Contract. Anna Vallverdú-Queralt thanks the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades for the Ramon y Cajal contract (RYC-2016-19355). The authors kindly thank Sortegel (Sortes, Portugal) for the samples. Diana Pinto (SFRH/BD/144534/2019) is thankful for her Ph.D. grant financed by FCT/MCTES and POPHQREN and supported by funds from European Union (EU) and Fundo Social Europeu (FSE) through Programa Operacional Regional Norte. Francisca Rodrigues (CEECIND/01886/2020), Elsa F. Vieira (CEECIND/03988/2018), and Manuela M. Moreira (CEECIND/02702/2017) are thankful for their contracts financed by FCT/MCTES—CEEC Individual 2020 Program Contract. Anna VallverdúQueralt thanks the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades for the Ramon y Cajal contract (RYC-2016-19355).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Exploring the Impact of In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion in the Bioaccessibility of Phenolic-Rich Chestnut Shells: A Preliminary Study

Chestnut shells (CS), the principal by-product of the chestnut processing industry, contain high concentrations of flavonoids and other polyphenols with huge interest for the nutraceuticals field. Nonetheless, the bioaccessibility and bioactivity of phytochemicals can be influenced by their digestibility, making it imperative to evaluate these activities prior to application of CS as a nutraceutical ingredient. This work aims to appraise the effects of in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion on the bioaccessibility, bioactivity, and metabolic profiling of CS. An increase in the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant/antiradical properties, radical scavenging capacity, and inhibition on acetylcholinesterase activity was evidenced during in vitro simulated digestion. Metabolomic profiling by LC-ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS revealed changes during the simulated digestion, particularly in phenolic compounds (46% of total compounds annotated), lipids (22%), phenylpropanoids (9%), organic acids (7%), carbohydrates (5%), nucleosides (5%), amino acids (4%), and alcohols (1%). Phenolic acids (gallic acid, syringic acid, and hydroxyphenylacetic acid) and flavonoids (epicatechin) were the major polyphenolic classes identified. The heatmap-positive correlations highlighted that the bioactivity of CS is closely related to the phenolic compounds and their bioaccessibility. These findings suggest the reuse of CS as a potential nutraceutical ingredient with antioxidant and neuroprotective effects, encouraging the use of appropriate extraction and/or encapsulation techniques to enhance the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds. © 2023 by the authors.</p

Facilitating the definition of general constraints in UML (extended version)

One important aspect in the specification of conceptual schemas is the definition of general constraints that cannot be expressed by the predefined constructs provided by conceptual modeling languages. In general this is done by means of general-purpose languages, like OCL. In this paper we propose a new approach to facilitate the definition of such general constraints in UML. More precisely, we define a profile that extends the set of UML predefined constraints with some types of constraints that are used very frequently in conceptual schemas. We also study the application of our ideas to the specification of two real-life applications and we show how results in constraint-related problems may be easily incorporated to our proposal.Postprint (published version