Formative Potential of the Development and Assessment of an Educational Escape Room Designed to Integrate Music-Mathematical Knowledge

In the particular case of Spain, student and teacher difficulties associated with the mathematical discipline have been evidenced in PISA and TEDS-M reports. As we consider that the teachers' difficulties are connected to the students' performance, we propose a multi-disciplinary approach to deliver specific didactic/mathematical knowledge to the trainee teachers. Such additional instruction shall be meaningfully connected to the real needs of the schools, so a service-learning approach is proposed here. In the present manuscript, the trainee teachers have co-designed educational escape rooms (in coordination with local schools) with the aim of mobilizing curricular knowledge. The goal of the educational escape rooms is to foster the mathematic-related competencies by establishing meaningful connections to other curricular disciplines (music-related knowledge, in the case of this study). This paper reports on the particular experience developed with a group of students (trainee teachers) while designing their educational escape rooms, focusing on the particular case of a specific student to evidence the formative potential of the procedure. The didactic suitability of the proposed escape room has been analyzed and professional development has also been discussed, showing the mobilization of relevant professional skills and fostering the related music and mathematical didactic competencies by shifting the teaching perspective from an algorithmic point of view to a more "reasoning and designing" strategy. This constitutes an evidence of the formative potential on the co-design of educational escape rooms, when designed in the frame of a service learning approach

La propagación de la violencia a través de las redes sociales. El ciberbullying en Instagram y Snapchat

Internet y las redes sociales han propiciado la llegada de una era digital presente en todas las facetas de la sociedad. Y, en ella, la violencia también tiene cabida, ya que ha encontrado en las herramientas virtuales una nueva forma para expandirse. El ciberbullying es una materialización de las nuevas manifestaciones de violencia a través de la red e Instagram y Snapchat son dos de las redes sociales más utilizadas por los jóvenes para hacer uso de este tipo de acoso, debido, entre otras cuestiones, a la capacidad con la que cuentan para generar contenidos audiovisuales y eliminarlos de forma automática transcurrido un período de tiempo determinado. Por tanto, el objetivo de este trabajo se centrará en conocer qué características presenta cada una de estas redes sociales y qué uso se puede hacer de ellas para propagar la violencia a través del ciberbullying. Para ello, se recurrirá a una metodología descriptiva para conocer los principales rasgos y herramientas con las que cuentan tanto Instagram como Snapchat y a una metodología comparativa para conocer las semejanzas y diferencias que hay entre estas dos redes sociales en cuanto a la difusión de contenidos violentos y a las formas de acosar a través de ellas, así como para conocer cuáles son las medidas de control con las que cuentan para denunciar y poner freno a este tipo de hostigamiento digital

A performance evaluation of MM5/MNEQA/CMAQ air quality modelling system to forecast ozone concentrations in Catalonia

We examine the ability of a modelling system to forecast the formation and transport of ozoneover Catalonia, at the NE of the Iberian Peninsula. To this end, the Community MultiscaleAir Quality (CMAQ) modelling system developed by the United States Environmental ProtectionAgency (US EPA) and the PSU/NCAR mesoscale modelling system MM5 are coupled to a newemission model, the Numerical Emission Model for Air Quality (MNEQA). The outputs of themodelling system for the period from May to October 2008 are compared with ozone measure-ments at selected air-monitoring stations belonging to the Catalan Government. Results indicatea good behaviour of the model in reproducing diurnal ozone concentrations, as statistical valuesfall within the EPA and EU regulatory frameworks

Aplicación de un sazonador obtenido del hollejo de uva tinta como sustituto de la sal para la elaboración de pechugas de pollo marinadas: estudio de sus propiedades físicas, químicas y sensoriales y su estabilidad microbiológica

The aim of this work was to elaborate low-salt marinated chicken breasts by the addition of a seasoning obtained from red grape skins. The marinated chicken breasts were prepared by immersion in five different brines: only water (control), 0.5% and 2% of salt, 0.5% of salt and 2% of seasoning and 2% of salt and 2% of seasoning. The marinated breasts were stored under refrigeration and their shelf-life and physical-chemical composition were evaluated. The consumers’ acceptance of the product was also evaluated. The breast marinated with a brine of 0.5% of salt and 2% of seasoning had the same shelf-life than those marinated with 2% of salt. From a sensory point of view, the color of the chicken breasts marinated with the seasoning was the less accepted attribute. However, two groups of consumers were found, one more willing to try and accept new products and other more reluctant to try innovative foods.El presente trabajo tuvo como objetivo elaborar pechugas de pollo marinadas con bajo contenido de sal adicionando un sazonado obtenido de la Hollejo de uva tinta. Las pechugas de pollo marinadas se prepararon por inmersión en cinco salmueras diferentes: solo agua (control), 0,5% y 2% de sal, 0,5% de sal y 2% de sazonador y 2% de sal y 2% de sazonador. Una vez marinadas, las pechugas se almacenaron en refrigeración, y se evaluaron su vida útil y su composición fisicoquímica. Asimismo, se valoró la aceptación del producto por parte de los consumidores. La pechuga marinada con salmuera de 0,5% de sal y 2% de sazonador tuvo la misma vida útil que las marinadas con 2% de sal. Desde el punto de vista sensorial, el atributo que registró menor aceptación fue el color de las pechugas de pollo marinadas con el sazonador. Sin embargo, fue posible identificar dos grupos de consumidores, uno con mayor disposición a probar y aceptar nuevos productos y otro más reticente a probar alimentos innovadores.Autonomous Government of Castilla y León [BU282U13

Solution-based synthesis and processing of Sn- and Bi-doped Cu3SbSe4 nanocrystals, nanomaterials and ring-shaped thermoelectric generators

Copper-based chalcogenides that comprise abundant, low-cost, and environmental friendly elements are excellent materials for a number of energy conversion applications, including photovoltaics, photocatalysis, and thermoelectrics (TE). In such applications, the use of solution-processed nanocrystal (NC) to produce thin films or bulk nanomaterials has associated several potential advantages, such as high material yield and throughput, and composition control with unmatched spatial resolution and cost. Here we report on the production of Cu3SbSe4 (CASe) NCs with tuned amounts of Sn and Bi dopants. After proper ligand removal, as monitored by nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopies, these NCs were used to produce dense CASe bulk nanomaterials for solid state TE energy conversion. By adjusting the amount of extrinsic dopants, dimensionless TE figures of merit (ZT) up to 1.26 at 673 K were reached. Such high ZT values are related to an optimized carrier concentration by Sn doping, a minimized lattice thermal conductivity due to efficient phonon scattering at point defects and grain boundaries, and to an increase of the Seebeck coefficient obtained by a modification of the electronic band structure with the Bi doping. Nanomaterials were further employed to fabricate ring-shaped TE generators to be coupled to hot pipes and which provided 20 mV and 1 mW per TE element when exposed to a 160 °C temperature gradient. The simple design and good thermal contact associated with the ring geometry and the potential low cost of the material solution processing may allow the fabrication of TE generators with short payback times.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Toxin-induced pore formation is hindered by intermolecular hydrogen bonding in sphingomyelin bilayers

Sticholysin I and II (StnI and StnII) are pore-forming toxins that use sphingomyelin (SM) for membrane binding. We examined how hydrogen bonding among membrane SMs affected the StnI- and StnII-induced pore formation process, resulting in bilayer permeabilization. We compared toxin-induced permeabilization in bilayers containing either SM or dihydro-SM (lacking the trans 4 double bond of the long-chain base), since their hydrogen-bonding properties are known to differ greatly. We observed that whereas both StnI and StnII formed pores in unilamellar vesicles containing palmitoyl-SM or oleoyl-SM, the toxins failed to similarly form pores in vesicles prepared from dihydro-PSM or dihydro-OSM. In supported bilayers containing OSM, StnII bound efficiently, as determined by surface plasmon resonance. However, StnII binding to supported bilayers prepared from dihydro-OSM was very low under similar experimental conditions. The association of the positively charged StnII (at pH 7.0) with unilamellar vesicles prepared from OSM led to a concentration-dependent increase in vesicle charge, as determined from zeta-potential measurements. With dihydro-OSM vesicles, a similar response was not observed. Benzyl alcohol, which is a small hydrogen-bonding compound with affinity to lipid bilayer interfaces, strongly facilitated StnII-induced pore formation in dihydro-OSM bilayers, suggesting that hydrogen bonding in the interfacial region originally prevented StnII from membrane binding and pore formation. We conclude that interfacial hydrogen bonding was able to affect the membrane association of StnI- and StnII, and hence their pore forming capacity. Our results suggest that other types of protein interactions in bilayers may also be affected by hydrogen-bonding origination from SMs

Intervención colectiva en Trabajo Social. Sistematización de las Prácticas de Cooperación al Desarrollo en Latinoamérica

En el presente trabajo de fin de grado titulado “Intervención Colectiva en Trabajo Social. Sistematización de las Prácticas de Cooperación al Desarrollo en Latinoamérica”, hemos realizado un estudio sobre la intervención colectiva en trabajo social, respecto a menores, familias, pobreza y exclusión. Realizamos nuestro prácticum de intervención en Lima (Perú) y en León (Nicaragua) con la beca del Programa de Prácticas de Cooperación Internacional en Latinoamérica. Si hablamos de Lima debemos aclarar que estuvimos realizando visitas domiciliarias a familias de extrema pobreza, en los barrios periféricos del norte de la ciudad; realizando informes sociales, diagnosticando qué familias eran las más vulnerables, y buscando diferentes recursos para solventar sus necesidades, llevando a cabo así Trabajo Social Comunitario y con menores. Por otro lado, en León, Nicaragua llevamos a cabo Trabajo Social en Grupo y Comunitario. En concreto se trabajó con niños que se dedicaban a la venta ambulante. Principalmente el objetivo era ayudar a que estos niños conocieran sus derechos, mejoraran sus relaciones familiares, permanecieran escolarizados y fortalecieran su autoestima. También se trabajó con la comunidad del entorno de estos niños, con el fin de propiciar una red de apoyo dentro de esta comunidad. Aprovechando estas experiencias en estos países, nos gustaría ampliar los conocimientos que ya hemos adquirido, y seguir trabajando sobre el tema. Por todo lo anterior, tratamos de realizar una comparación entre el trabajo social latinoamericano y español, las vivencias en las diferentes instituciones, otros puntos de vista de cómo aplicar el trabajo social. El análisis de otras realidades sociales puede ser de gran interés y de un carácter enriquecedor, así como conocer más a fondo el tema de cooperación al desarrollo, desde otro punto de vista más crítico, puede ser constructivo. El contenido del trabajo consiste en una sistematización de experiencias de intervención profesional de Trabajo Social en Lima con la Institución de Aldeas Infantiles SOS Perú y en León, Nicaragua, con la Asociación Mary Barrer

Intervención Colectiva en Trabajo Social: Sistematización de las Prácticas de Cooperación al Desarrollo en Latinoamérica

En el presente trabajo de fin de grado titulado “Intervención Colectiva en Trabajo Social. Sistematización de las Prácticas de Cooperación al Desarrollo en Latinoamérica”, hemos realizado un estudio sobre la intervención colectiva en trabajo social, respecto a menores, familias, pobreza y exclusión. Realizamos nuestro prácticum de intervención en Lima (Perú) y en León (Nicaragua) con la beca del Programa de Prácticas de Cooperación Internacional en Latinoamérica. Si hablamos de Lima debemos aclarar que estuvimos realizando visitas domiciliarias a familias de extrema pobreza, en los barrios periféricos del norte de la ciudad; realizando informes sociales, diagnosticando qué familias eran las más vulnerables, y buscando diferentes recursos para solventar sus necesidades, llevando a cabo así Trabajo Social Comunitario y con menores. Por otro lado, en León, Nicaragua llevamos a cabo Trabajo Social en Grupo y Comunitario. En concreto se trabajó con niños que se dedicaban a la venta ambulante. Principalmente el objetivo era ayudar a que estos niños conocieran sus derechos, mejoraran sus relaciones familiares, permanecieran escolarizados y fortalecieran su autoestima. También se trabajó con la comunidad del entorno de estos niños, con el fin de propiciar una red de apoyo dentro de esta comunidad. Aprovechando estas experiencias en estos países, nos gustaría ampliar los conocimientos que ya hemos adquirido, y seguir trabajando sobre el tema. Por todo lo anterior, tratamos de realizar una comparación entre el trabajo social latinoamericano y español, las vivencias en las diferentes instituciones, otros puntos de vista de cómo aplicar el trabajo social. El análisis de otras realidades sociales puede ser de gran interés y de un carácter enriquecedor, así como conocer más a fondo el tema de cooperación al desarrollo, desde otro punto de vista más crítico, puede ser constructivo. El contenido del trabajo consiste en una sistematización de experiencias de intervención profesional de Trabajo Social en Lima con la Institución de Aldeas Infantiles SOS Perú y en León, Nicaragua, con la Asociación Mary Barrer

Sticholysin, Sphingomyelin, and Cholesterol: A Closer Look at a Tripartite Interaction

Actinoporins are a group of soluble toxic proteins that bind to membranes containing sphingomyelin (SM) and oligomerize to form pores. Sticholysin II (StnII) is a member of the actinoporin family, produced by Stichodactyla helianthus. Cholesterol (Chol) is known to enhance the activity of StnII. However, the molecular mechanisms behind this activation have remained obscure, although the activation is not Chol specific but rather sterol specific. To further explore how bilayer lipids affect or are affected by StnII, we have used a multiprobe approach (fluorescent analogs of both Chol and SM) in combination with a series of StnII tryptophan (Trp)-mutants, to study StnII/bilayer interactions. First we compared StnII bilayer permeabilization in the presence of Chol or oleoyl-ceramide (OCer). The comparison was done since both Chol and OCer have a 1-hydroxyl which help to orient the molecule in the bilayer (although OCer have additional polar functional groups). Both Chol and OCer also have increased affinity for SM, which StnII may recognize. However, our results show that only Chol was able to activate StnII-induced bilayer permeabilization – OCer failed to active. To further examine possible Chol/StnII interactions, we measured Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between Trp in StnII and cholestatrienol (CTL), a fluorescent analog of Chol. We could show higher FRET efficiency between CTL and Trp:s in position 100 and 114 of StnII, when compared to three other Trp positions further away from the bilayer binding region of StnII. Taken together, our results suggest that StnII was able to attract Chol to its vicinity, maybe by showing affinity for Chol. SM interactions are known to be important for StnII binding to bilayers, and Chol is known to facilitate subsequent permeabilization of the bilayers by StnII. Our results help to better understand the role of these important membrane lipids for the bilayer properties of StnII

Rhizosphere-enhanced biosurfactant action on slowly desorbing PAHs incontaminated soil

We studied how sunflower plants affect rhamnolipid biosurfactant mobilization of slowly desorbing fractions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil froma creosote-contaminated site. Desorption kinetics of 13 individual PAHs revealed that the soil contained initially up to 50% slowly desorbing fractions. A rhamnolipid biosurfactantwas applied to the soil at the completion of the sunflower cycle (75 days in greenhouse conditions). After this period, the PAHs that remained in the soil were mainly present in a slowly desorbing form as a result of the efficient biodegradation of fast-desorbing PAHs by native microbial populations. The rhamnolipid enhanced the bioavailable fraction of the remaining PAHs by up to 30%, as evidenced by a standardized desorption extraction with Tenax, but the enhancement occurredwith only planted soils. The enhanced bioavailability did not decrease residual PAH concentrations under greenhouse conditions, possibly due to ecophysiological limitations in the biodegradation process thatwere independent of the bioavailability. However, biodegradationwas enhanced during slurry treatment of greenhouse planted soils that received the biosurfactant. The addition of rhamnolipids caused a dramatic shift in the soil bacterial community structure, which was magnified in the presence of sunflower plants. The stimulated groups were identified as fast-growing and catabolically versatile bacteria. This new rhizosphere microbial biomass possibly interacted with the biosurfactant to facilitate intra-aggregate diffusion of PAHs, thus enhancing the kinetics of slow desorption. Our results show that the usually limited biosurfactant efficiency with contaminated field soils can be significantly enhanced by integrating the sunflower ontogenetic cycle into the bioremediation design