Concepciones de los estudiantes sobre una magnitud "olvidada" en la enseñanza de la química : la cantidad de sustancia

The main objective of this paper is the identification of the students' representations about the idea of substance quantity and to see to what extent the establised Chemistry teaching in Secondary schools contributes to giving them a more atomist view of matter. The results obtained in this work confirm that students, upon completing their studies, have practically not changed their 'globalist' conception of substance quantity, and only half of those that studied chemistry master the necessary activity to be able to understand the mole concept

P28 85. Análisis de la supervivencia a corto y medio plazo de la cirugía de aorta ascendente

ObjetivosEvaluar la mortalidad hospitalaria y la supervivencia a medio plazo de los pacientes sometidos a una cirugía de aorta ascendente y determinar cuáles son sus factores de riesgo.Material y métodosSe analizó de forma retrospectiva toda la población de pacientes sometidos a un procedimiento quirúrgico de aorta ascendente (sustitución con o sin cirugía valvular o de raíz asociada) entre enero de 2003 y diciembre de 2008. Se evaluó la mortalidad hospitalaria y la supervivencia absoluta en el seguimiento, y mediante análisis uni y multivariante se determinaron las correspondientes variables predictoras.ResultadosTrescientos sesenta y cinco pacientes fueron sometidos de forma consecutiva a algún procedimiento quirúrgico de la aorta ascendente. Edad media: 63,1 años (desviación estándar [DE] 13); n = 99 (27,1%) fueron mujeres; n = 58 (15,9%) habían sido sometidos a una cirugía previa. En 32 pacientes se sustituyó total o parcialmente el arco aórtico. EuroSCORE mediano de 11,72% (interquartile range [IQR]: 6,78-20,43). La mortalidad hospitalaria fue 7,7% (n = 28). Los predictores de mortalidad en análisis multivariante fueron: cirugía cardíaca previa (odds ratio [OR]: 3,18; p = 0,045), tabaquismo activo (OR: 5,7; p = 0,021), insuficiencia renal (OR: 3,03; p = 0,043), estado crítico preoperatorio (OR: 5,63; p = 0,005), edad (OR: 1,06; p = 0,018) y cirugía coronaria asociada (OR: 3,17; p = 0,35). La supervivencia a 1, 3 y 5 años fue 96, 94 y 92%. Sólo edad (hazard ratio [HR]: 1,08; p = 0,022) e hipertensión pulmonar grave (HR: 3,5; p = 0,026) fueron predictores independientes de mortalidad en el seguimiento.ConclusionesEn nuestra experiencia, la sustitución de la aorta ascendente demuestra una baja mortalidad hospitalaria y una adecuada supervivencia a medio plazo

Diseño de estrategias centradas en el aprendizaje para las visitas escolares a los museos de ciencias

Las visitas a los Museos de Ciencias pueden constituir un complemento al aprendizaje de las ciencias realizado en la Escuela. Sin embargo, los Museos de Ciencias son entornos de aprendizaje no formal donde los profesores solemos tener poco control sobre las ideas implicadas o las experiencias que los estudiantes realizan. En el caso de visitas escolares, para que el Museo constituya un auténtico instrumento de aprendizaje son necesarios enfoques y estrategias centrados en el aprendizaje de los estudiantes más que en tareas de manipulación de módulos. Será necesario, diseñar materiales para la visita al Museo que integren el aprendizaje en la Escuela y en el Museo, que estimulen el interés y curiosidad de los estudiantes promoviendo un aprendizaje autónomo mediante trabajo en grupo orientado por el profesor. En este trabajo se explica cómo hemos elaborado estos materiales y sus principales características

Diseño de estrategias centradas en el aprendizaje para las visitas escolares a los museos de ciencias

Las visitas a los Museos de Ciencias pueden constituir un complemento al aprendizaje de las ciencias realizado en la Escuela. Sin embargo, los Museos de Ciencias son entornos de aprendizaje no formal donde los profesores solemos tener poco control sobre las ideas implicadas o las experiencias que los estudiantes realizan. En el caso de visitas escolares, para que el Museo constituya un auténtico instrumento de aprendizaje son necesarios enfoques y estrategias centrados en el aprendizaje de los estudiantes más que en tareas de manipulación de módulos. Será necesario, diseñar materiales para la visita al Museo que integren el aprendizaje en la Escuela y en el Museo, que estimulen el interés y curiosidad de los estudiantes promoviendo un aprendizaje autónomo mediante trabajo en grupo orientado por el profesor. En este trabajo se explica cómo hemos elaborado estos materiales y sus principales características.Palabras clave: aprendizaje no formal, estrategias centradas en el aprendizaje, manipulación de módulos, museos de Ciencia, visitas escolares.Design of strategies focused on learning for school visits to science museumsVisits to the Science Museums can be a complement to Science learning at the School. However, Science Museums are non-formal learning environments where teachers tend to have little control over the ideas involved or the experiences that the students make. In the case of school visits, in order for the Museum to constitute a true learning instrument, it is necessary to focus on strategies and strategies focused on student learning rather than on module manipulation tasks. It will be necessary to design materials for the visit to the Museum that integrate the learning in the School and in the Museum, that stimulate the interest and curiosity of the students promoting an autonomous learning through work in group guided by the teacher. This paper explains how we have developed these materials and their main characteristics.Key words: non-formal learning, strategies focused on learning, manipulation of modules, science museums, school visits

The influence of gravimetric moisture content on studded shoe–surface interactions in soccer

It is desirable for the studs of a soccer shoe to penetrate the sport surface and provide the player with sufficient traction when accelerating. Mechanical tests are often used to measure the traction of shoe–surface combinations. Mechanical testing offers a repeatable measure of shoe–surface traction, eliminating the inherent uncertainties that exist when human participant testing is employed, and are hence used to directly compare the performance of shoe–surface combinations. However, the influence specific surface characteristics has on traction is often overlooked. Examining the influence of surface characteristics on mechanical test results improves the understanding of the traction mechanisms at the shoe–surface interface. This allows footwear developers to make informed decisions on the design of studded outsoles. The aim of this paper is to understand the effect gravimetric moisture content has on the tribological mechanisms at play during stud–surface interaction. This study investigates the relationships between: the gravimetric moisture content of a natural sand-based soccer surface; surface stiffness measured via a bespoke impact test device; and surface traction measured via a bespoke mechanical test device. Regression analysis revealed that surface stiffness decreases linearly with increased gravimetric moisture content (p = 0.04). Traction was found to initially increase and then decrease with gravimetric moisture content. It was observed that: a surface of low moisture content provides low stud penetration and therefore reduced traction; a surface of high moisture content provides high stud penetration but also reduced traction due to a lubricating effect; and surfaces with moisture content in between the two extremes provide increased traction. In this study a standard commercially available stud was used and other studs may provide slightly different results. The results provide insight into the traction mechanisms at the stud–surface interface which are described in the paper. The variation between traction measurements shows the influence gravimetric moisture content will have on player performance. This highlights the requirement to understand surface conditions prior to making comparative shoe–surface traction studies and the importance of using a studded outsole that is appropriate to the surface condition during play

Teaching energy conservation as a unifying principle in physics

In this work we present the design and assessment of a teaching sequence aimed at introducing the principle of energy conservation at post-compulsory secondary school level (16-18 year olds). The proposal is based on the result of research into teaching-learning difficulties and on the analysis of the physics framework. Evidence is shown that this teaching sequence, together with the methodology used in the classroom, may result in students having a better grasp of the principle of energy conservation. Keywords Physics education · Energy conceptions · Teaching activitie

Comparing subjective and objective evaluation of show jumping competition and warm-up arena surfaces

The development of safety and quality standards for equestrian surfaces needs to be based on objective, repeatable measurements which allow comparisons between surfaces. These measurements should incorporate the assessment of surface performance by riders. This study provides data from objective and subjective assessment of functional properties of high-level show jumping competition and warm-up arenas. Twenty-five arenas in nine international show jumping events were evaluated by mechanical insitu testing with a surface tester, rider assessments using visual analogue scales (198 riders provided 749 arena evaluations), descriptions of arena constructions and by laboratory tests of surface material. Mixed models were used to present subjective evaluation of rider perception of the functional properties for each arena while controlling for rider and event. The association between objective and subjective assessments were also explored creating mixed models, controlling for rider and event. Mechanical measurements of impact firmness, and to a lesser extent cushioning and grip, had a significant positive association with the riders’ perception. Responsiveness as assessed by the Orono biomechanical surface tester (OBST) was negatively associated with the riders’ perceptions, which suggests riders and the OBST had different concepts of this functional property and that further developments of the OBST might be necessary. Objectively measured uniformity showed no useful association with riders’ perception. Even though arena assessments were made by top level riders, a substantial inter-rider variation was demonstrated

Kinetic and stoichiometric characterization of anoxic sulfideoxidation by SO-NR mixed cultures from anoxic biotrickling filters.

Monitoring the biological activity in biotrickling filters is difficult since it implies estimating biomass concentration and its growth yield, which can hardly be measured in immobilized biomass systems. In this study, the characterization of a sulfide-oxidizing nitrate-reducing biomass obtained from an anoxic biotrickling filter was performed through the application of respirometric and titrimetric techniques. Previously, the biomass was maintained in a continuous stirred tank reactor under steady-state conditions resulting in a growth yield of 0.328±0.045 g VSS/g S. To properly assess biological activity in respirometric tests, abiotic assays were conducted to characterize the stripping of CO2 and sulfide. The global mass transfer coefficient for both processes was estimated. Subsequently, different respirometric tests were performed: (1) to solve the stoichiometry related to the autotrophic denitrification of sulfide using either nitrate or nitrite as electron acceptors, (2) to evaluate the inhibition caused by nitrite and sulfide on sulfide oxidation, and (3) to propose, calibrate, and validate a kinetic model considering both electron acceptors in the overall anoxic biodesulfurization process. The kinetic model considered a Haldane-type equation to describe sulfide and nitrite inhibitions, a non-competitive inhibition to reflect the effect of sulfide on the elemental sulfur oxidation besides single-step denitrification since no nitrite was produced during the biological assays