Engineering Final Project supervised in an adaptive way with Moodle support

For the current Engineering degrees, it’s necessary to design a monitoring process in order to supervise the subject called “Final Degree Project”. This method must be able to manage and evaluate the process of completing the project and submitting the documentation. This paper describes the design of an adaptive method and how to put this mechanism into practice using the learning management system Moodle. Adaptivity provides the chance to study different scenarios that can be produced in cooperation with students and their tutors. The conclusions of this work show a high level of satisfaction with the adaptive method used in the subject

Adsorción de moléculas orgánicas en superficies

Este proyecto abarca estudios teóricos y experimentales de aspectos fundamentales de la dinámica de adsorción de una variedad de moléculas orgánicas en diferentes sustratos y su autoensamblado para formar capas ultra-delgadas organizadas. Desde el punto de vista experimental, las espectroscopias de iones se combinan con otras espectroscopías de electrones y microscopías de barrido (STM-AFM) para estudiar la cinética de adsorción, la estabilidad con la temperatura, el orden cristalográfico y el proceso de autoensamblado de moléculas de alcanotioles en superficies metálicas (Ag, Au, Cu) y semiconductoras (GaAs). Se realizan también estudios de adsorción de metales (Al, Au, Ag) en las capas autoensambladas de moléculas orgánicas y de R-PTDCI en superficies de Si(111) y Ag(111). En lo que respecta a los estudios teóricos se realizan cálculos aplicando la teoría de funcional densidad (DFT) que permiten obtener información sobre la estructura atómica y electrónica de superficies puras y con adsorbatos, para ello se utiliza el código VASP. La simulación de trayectorias de iones emitidos desde superficies metálicas y aislantes, se realiza empleando códigos tales como el Marlowe. Para lograr una buena comparasión entre las imágenes calculadas y las obtenidas en el STM se buscará introducir el efecto de la punta en las imágenes calculadas. Las funciones de onda de ambas superficies (elemento en estudio y punta) serán descriptas en forma precisa vía cálculos de DFT, y los procesos de transferencia electrónica en el marco de la teoría de perturbaciones (bSKAN Code).In this project we study experimentally and theoretically the fundamental aspects of the dynamics of the adsorption of a variety of organic molecules on different substrates and their self assembling to form ultra-thin organized layers. From the experimental point of view, the ion spectroscopy combined with other electron spectroscopies and scanning probe microscopies (STM-AFM) will be used to study the kinetic of adsorption, the temperature stability, the crystallographic order and the process of self assembling of alkanethiols molecules on metallic (Ag, Au, Cu) and semiconductor (GaAs) surfaces. Studies of the adsorption of metals (Al, Au, Ag) on the self assembled organic monolayers, as well as the adsorption of R-PTDCI molecules on Si(111) and Ag(111) surfaces will also be performed. With respect to the theoretical studies, the calculations will be done by applying the Density Functional Theory (DFT) to obtain information about the atomic and electronic structure of pure and covered surfaces. This last will be done by using the VASP code, while the simulation of ion trajectories by using the Marlowe code. In order to compare the calculated STM images with the experimental ones, we will try to introduce the effects of the tip on the calculated images. The wave functions of both surfaces (tip and sample) will be described within the DFT formulation, while the electron transfer process will be calculated within the perturbation theory (bSKAN code)

A Set of Prescribed Activities for Enhancing Requirements Engineering in the Development of Usable E-Government Applications

Over the last years, e-Government applications have become indispensable in every country as they help stakeholders carry out tasks with the administration. However, and despite their growing usage, most of these applications are created through a developercentered approach instead of a user-centered one, using traditional development processes that do not fit well with the diversity of stakeholders and existing legislation that involve e-Government applications today. Besides, usability is an important clue in the development of such solutions, so a user-centered approach, combined with a successful stakeholder and legislation analysis, should be considered overall. This paper is focused on addressing these concerns, and it provides a set of prescribed activities, tasks and products to be carried through a user-centered process in order to design usable web-based e-Government solutions. Specifically, our approach considers requirements engineering activities enhancing usability by analyzing the diversity and interests of the stakeholders involved, as well as the specific legislation as a source of organizational requirements. In addition, a validation is provided through a case study, showing the feasibility of the approach presentedThis work has been partially supported by the funding projects «Flexor» (grant number TIN2014-52129-R) granted by the Spanish Government and «eMadrid» (grant number S2013/ICE-2715) granted by the Madrid Research Council

Carbon and oxygen abundances from recombination lines in low-metallicity star-forming galaxies. Implications for chemical evolution

We present deep echelle spectrophotometry of the brightest emission-line knots of the star-forming galaxies He 2-10, Mkn 1271, NGC 3125, NGC 5408, POX 4, SDSS J1253-0312, Tol 1457-262, Tol 1924-416 and the HII region Hubble V in the Local Group dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 6822. The data have been taken with the Very Large Telescope Ultraviolet-Visual Echelle Spectrograph in the 3100-10420 {\AA} range. We determine electron densities and temperatures of the ionized gas from several emission-line intensity ratios for all the objects. We derive the ionic abundances of C$^{2+}$ and/or O$^{2+}$ from faint pure recombination lines (RLs) in several of the objects, permitting to derive their C/H and C/O ratios. We have explored the chemical evolution at low metallicities analysing the C/O vs. O/H, C/O vs. N/O and C/N vs. O/H relations for Galactic and extragalactic HII regions and comparing with results for halo stars and DLAs. We find that HII regions in star-forming dwarf galaxies occupy a different locus in the C/O vs. O/H diagram than those belonging to the inner discs of spiral galaxies, indicating their different chemical evolution histories, and that the bulk of C in the most metal-poor extragalactic HII regions should have the same origin than in halo stars. The comparison between the C/O ratios in HII regions and in stars of the Galactic thick and thin discs seems to give arguments to support the merging scenario for the origin of the Galactic thick disc. Finally, we find an apparent coupling between C and N enrichment at the usual metallicities determined for HII regions and that this coupling breaks in very low-metallicity objects.Comment: 27 pages, 12 figures, Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societ

Two rare species recently described in the genus Comatricha

Dos raras especies de Comatricha de reciente descripción. Se estudian dos especies de Comatricha recientemente descritas como nuevas para la ciencia: C. Meandrispora y C. pellucida . Se aportan datos sobre su variabilidad morfológica, preferencias en su fructificación y se amplía su área de distribución penínsular. Se incluyen microfotografias de sus esporocarpos y al MEB de sus caracteres diferenciales mas importantes.Two rare recently described species of the genus Comatricha. Two species of the genus Comatricha recently described as new for the science are studied: C. Meandrispora and C. pellucida. Dates about its morphologic variability and preference regarding its fructification are given. Moreover, the area of its distribution is enlarged. Microphotographs both of sporocarps and more important differential characters under SEM are included

Sub-toxic Ethanol Exposure Modulates Gene Expression and Enzyme Activity of Antioxidant Systems to Provide Neuroprotection in Hippocampal HT22 Cells

Ethanol is known to cause severe systemic damage often explained as secondary to oxidative stress. Brain is particularly vulnerable to ethanol-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) because the high amounts of lipids, and because nerve cell membranes contain high amounts of peroxidable fatty acids. Usually these effects of ethanol are associated to high and/or chronic exposure to ethanol. However, as we show in this manuscript, a low and acute dose of ethanol trigger a completely different response in hippocampal cells. Thus, we have observed that 0.1% ethanol exposure to HT22 cells, a murine hippocampal-derived cell line, increases the transcriptional expression of different genes belonging to the classical, glutathione/glutaredoxin and thioredoxin/peroxiredoxin antioxidant systems, these including Sod1, Sod2, Gpx1, Gclc, and Txnrd1. Paralleling these changes, enzyme activities of total superoxide dismutase (tSOD), catalase, total glutathione peroxidase (tGPx), glutathione-S-reductase (GSR), and total thioredoxin reductase (tTXNRD), were all increased, while the generation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), as indicators of lipid peroxidation, and glutathione levels remained unaltered. Ethanol exposure did not affect cell viability or cell growing as assessed by real-time cell culture monitoring, indicating that low ethanol doses are not deleterious for hippocampal cells, but rather prevented glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. In summary, we conclude that sub-toxic exposure to ethanol may well be neuroprotective against oxidative insults in hippocampal cells.Supported by grants SAF2010-22114-C02-01 and SAF2014-52582-R from Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spain). VC and DQ held fellowships from Gobierno de Canarias and Fundación Cajacanarias, respectively.Peer reviewedPeer Reviewe

Two rare species recently described in the genus Comatricha

Dos raras especies de Comatricha de reciente descripción. Se estudian dos especies de Comatricha recientemente descritas como nuevas para la ciencia: C. Meandrispora y C. pellucida . Se aportan datos sobre su variabilidad morfológica, preferencias en su fructificación y se amplía su área de distribución penínsular. Se incluyen microfotografias de sus esporocarpos y al MEB de sus caracteres diferenciales mas importantes.Two rare recently described species of the genus Comatricha. Two species of the genus Comatricha recently described as new for the science are studied: C. Meandrispora and C. pellucida. Dates about its morphologic variability and preference regarding its fructification are given. Moreover, the area of its distribution is enlarged. Microphotographs both of sporocarps and more important differential characters under SEM are included

La transformación de cooperativas. Especial referencia al caso andaluz

Regulating the transformation of co-operative societies into other social forms poses the problems of assessing the amount of funds that will not be part of the resources of the resulting society because they are allocated to be put to the use stipulated in the society by-laws or the legislation. The amount of allocated funds is regulated by the Co-operative Society Law 27/1999 and, with varying degrees of success, by different autonomous regional laws, as is the case of the Andalusian Co-operative Society Law (CAL). The present paper interprets the confusing phrasing in this respect in the CAL and applies the interpretation to a real case where a co-operative society becomes an agrarian processing society (SAT).Co-operative societies, transforming co-operative societies, non-distributional funds, Andalusian co-operative societies.

Eliminating Error in the Chemical Abundance Scale for Extragalactic HII Regions

In an attempt to remove the systematic errors which have plagued the calibration of the HII region abundance sequence, we have theoretically modeled the extragalactic HII region sequence. We then used the theoretical spectra so generated in a double blind experiment to recover the chemical abundances using both the classical electron temperature + ionization correction factor technique, and the technique which depends on the use of strong emission lines (SELs) in the nebular spectrum to estimate the abundance of oxygen. We find a number of systematic trends, and we provide correction formulae which should remove systematic errors in the electron temperature + ionization correction factor technique. We also provide a critical evaluation of the various semi-empirical SEL techniques. Finally, we offer a scheme which should help to eliminate systematic errors in the SEL-derived chemical abundance scale for extragalactic HII regions.Comment: 24 pages, 9 Tables, 13 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS. Updated considering minor changes during the final edition process and some few missing reference

A Soft Sensor for Biomass in a Batch Process with Delayed Measurements

This paper presents a soft sensor to estimate the biomass concentration in a batch bioprocess used in production of δ-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis, subject to delayed measurements. The soft sensor proposed is based on a cascade observer-predictor algorithm. The observer stage is based on a class of second order sliding mode algorithms, allowing a fixed time estimation of the biomass. Additionally, the prediction stage offsets the effect of the delay in measurements. Simulations show the feasibility of the proposed observer.Universidad Nacional de ColombiaCINVESTAV-IPNITESO, A.C