A new way of teaching different subjects in a foreign language in the Building Engineering Degree at the Universidad Politécnica.

The European Union has been promoting linguistic diversity for many years as one of its main educational goals. This is an element that facilitates student mobility and student exchanges between different universities and countries and enriches the education of young undergraduates. In particular, a higher degree of competence in the English language is becoming essential for engineers, architects and researchers in general, as English has become the lingua franca that opens up horizons to internationalisation and the transfer of knowledge in today’s world. Many experts point to the Integrated Approach to Contents and Foreign Languages System as being an option that has certain benefits over the traditional method of teaching a second language that is exclusively based on specific subjects. This system advocates teaching the different subjects in the syllabus in a language other than one’s mother tongue, without prioritising knowledge of the language over the subject. This was the idea that in the 2009/10 academic year gave rise to the Second Language Integration Programme (SLI Programme) at the Escuela Arquitectura Técnica in the Universidad Politécnica Madrid (EUATM-UPM), just at the beginning of the tuition of the new Building Engineering Degree, which had been adapted to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) model. This programme is an interdisciplinary initiative for the set of subjects taught during the semester and is coordinated through the Assistant Director Office for Educational Innovation. The SLI Programme has a dual goal; to familiarise students with the specific English terminology of the subject being taught, and at the same time improve their communication skills in English. A total of thirty lecturers are taking part in the teaching of eleven first year subjects and twelve in the second year, with around 120 students who have voluntarily enrolled in a special group in each semester. During the 2010/2011 academic year the degree of acceptance and the results of the SLI Programme have been monitored. Tools have been designed to aid interdisciplinary coordination and to analyse satisfaction, such as coordination records and surveys. The results currently available refer to the first and second year and are divided into specific aspects of the different subjects involved and into general aspects of the ongoing experience

Integrated approach to foreign language in the building engineering degree at the Universidad Politécnica Madrid

The European Union has been promoting linguistic diversity for many years as one of its main educational goals. This is an element that facilitates student mobility and student exchanges between different universities and countries and enriches the education of young undergraduates. In particular,a higher degree of competence in the English language is becoming essential for engineers, architects and researchers in general, as English has become the lingua franca that opens up horizons to internationalisation and the transfer of knowledge in today’s world. Many experts point to the Integrated Approach to Contents and Foreign Languages System as being an option that has certain benefits over the traditional method of teaching a second language that is exclusively based on specific subjects. This system advocates teaching the different subjects in the syllabus in a language other than one’s mother tongue, without prioritising knowledge of the language over the subject. This was the idea that in the 2009/10 academic year gave rise to the Second Language Integration Programme (SLI Programme) at the Escuela Arquitectura Tecnica in the Universidad Politecnica Madrid (EUATM-UPM), just at the beginning of the tuition of the new Building Engineering Degree, which had been adapted to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) model. This programme is an interdisciplinary initiative for the set of subjects taught during the semester and is coordinated through the Assistant Director Office for Educational Innovation. The SLI Programme has a dual goal; to familiarise students with the specific English terminology of the subject being taught, and at the same time improve their communication skills in English. A total of thirty lecturers are taking part in the teaching of eleven first year subjects and twelve in the second year, with around 120 students who have voluntarily enrolled in a special group in each semester. During the 2010/2011 academic year the degree of acceptance and the results of the SLI Programme are being monitored. Tools have been designed to aid interdisciplinary coordination and to analyse satisfaction, such as coordination records and surveys. The results currently available refer to the first semester of the year and are divided into specific aspects of the different subjects involved and into general aspects of the ongoing experience

Stakeholder engagement, Csr development and Sdgs compliance: A systematic review from 2015 to 2021

The conceptualization of the stakeholders of the companies for the fulfillment of the objectives of sustainable development is controversial, even more so, if it is approached from the perspective of corporate social responsibility and the psychology of the employees and their behavior. The existing literature and knowledge on the relationship among the stakeholder approach, corporate social responsibility and the achievement of the SDGs remain unstructured and fragmented. The objective of the manuscript is to identify and systematize scientific research on the stakeholder approach with respect to corporate social responsibility, in order to achieve business sustainability, in response to sustainable development goals and from the perspective of the well-being of workers. Our main contribution to the literature review is to focus on all these issues together, and not in isolation. A systematic literature search is conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA). The approaches, issues and methodologies that predominate in the academic field in the last 5 years (2015–2021) were analyzed. Based on this review, we define a research agenda that synthesizes key trends and promising lines of research for further advancement of theoretical and empirical knowledge on the relationship among stakeholders, corporate social responsibility, and human resource management

Optimal Phase Swapping in Low Voltage Distribution Networks Based on Smart Meter Data and Optimization Heuristics

In this paper a modified version of the Harmony Search algorithm is proposed as a novel tool for phase swapping in Low Voltage Distribution Networks where the objective is to determine to which phase each load should be connected in order to reduce the unbalance when all phases are added into the neutral conductor. Unbalanced loads deteriorate power quality and increase costs of investment and operation. A correct assignment is a direct, effective alternative to prevent voltage peaks and network outages. The main contribution of this paper is the proposal of an optimization model for allocating phases consumers according to their individual consumption in the network of low-voltage distribution considering mono and bi-phase connections using real hourly load patterns, which implies that the computational complexity of the defined combinatorial optimization problem is heavily increased. For this purpose a novel metric function is defined in the proposed scheme. The performance of the HS algorithm has been compared with classical Genetic Algorithm. Presented results show that HS outperforms GA not only on terms of quality but on the convergence rate, reducing the computational complexity of the proposed scheme while provide mono and bi phase connections.This paper includes partial results of the UPGRID project. This project has re- ceived funding from the European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 646.531), for further information check the website: http://upgrid.eu. As well as by the Basque Government through the ELKARTEK programme (BID3A and BID3ABI projects)

Analysis of the capacity for school innovation from the perspective of secondary education teachers: The school as a learning organization

Se ha señalado que la capacidad de innovación de una organización está relacionada con su cultura y con el clima de aprendizaje. Las organizaciones que aprenden gozan de un tipo de acción abierta al cambio y a la innovación. Por ello se ha indicado que estas se constituyen en modelos adecuados para los centros de enseñanza. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar el impacto de la cultura y la estructura de aprendizaje —dos características clave de las organizaciones docentes— en la capacidad de innovación de los centros educativos. Se lleva a cabo un estudio cuantitativo. Se confecciona un cuestionario ad hoc a través del cual se recoge información sobre las características relacionadas con los procesos de innovación en una muestra de 221 profesores de educación secundaria y bachillerato de 17 centros educativos de la provincia de Valencia. Los resultados confirman las hipótesis de que la cultura y la estructura de aprendizaje inciden en la capacidad de innovación de los centros de enseñanza. Para el desarrollo de la capacidad de innovación se proponen organizaciones escolares con estructuras flexibles que permitan afrontar un currículo abierto y comprometido con el cambio.S’ha assenyalat que la capacitat d’innovació d’una organització està relacionada amb la seva cultura i amb el clima d’aprenentatge. Les organitzacions que aprenen gaudeixen d’un tipus d’acció oberta al canvi i a la innovació. Per això s’ha indicat que aquestes es constitueixen en models adequats per als centres d’ensenyament. Aquest treball té com a objectiu analitzar l’impacte de la cultura i l’estructura d’aprenentatge —dues característiques clau de les organitzacions docents— en la capacitat d’innovació dels centres educatius. S’hi porta a terme un estudi quantitatiu i s’hi mostra un qüestionari ad hoc a través del qual es recull informació sobre les característiques relacionades amb els processos d’innovació en una mostra de 221 professors d’educació secundària i batxillerat de 17 centres educatius de la província de València. Els resultats confirmen les hipòtesis, és a dir: la cultura i l’estructura d’aprenentatge incideixen en la capacitat d’innovació dels centres d’ensenyament. Per desenvolupar la capacitat d’innovació es proposen organitzacions escolars amb estructures flexibles que permetin afrontar un currículum obert i compromès amb el canvi.It has been noted that an organization’s capacity for innovation is related to its culture and learning climate. Learning organizations are organizations with a type of culture open to change and innovation. For this reason, learning organizations constitute suitable models for schools. This work aims to analyze the impact of culture and the learning structure; two key characteristics of learning organizations that are key to the innovation capacity of schools. A quantitative study using an ad hoc questionnaire was conducted to gather information about the characteristics related to innovation processes in a sample of 221 secondary school teachers at 17 schools in Valencia. The results confirm the hypotheses that culture and learning structure affect the innovation capacity of schools. To enhance schools’ capacity for innovation, it is proposed that schools be organized around flexible structures with an open curriculum committed to change

Molecular-genetic analysis of the structural determinants and primary functions of eukaryotic ribosomal proteins L16 y L19 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Resumen del póster presentado al "XXXV Congreso de la SEB-BM/37th FEBS/22nd IUBMB" celebrados en Sevilla del 4 al 9 de septiembre de 2012.Peer Reviewe

Intervención en habilidades sociales para Educación Primaria

Las habilidades sociales hacen referencia a la interacción positiva con los demás centradas en las relaciones interpersonales como clave para el funcionamiento adecuado. Existe una amplia experiencia en la utilización de programas para el desarrollo de las habilidades sociales en la etapa escolar. También se ha puesto de manifiesto su importancia para el desarrollo integral de la infancia y adolescencia. El objetivo fue estudiar el aprendizaje de las habilidades sociales en Educación Primaria teniendo en cuenta la edad y el género. Los participantes fueron 137 alumnos/as (48.9% chicas) de dos colegios de la población de Alcàsser (Valencia), con edades comprendidas entre los 6 y los 12 años (M=9.0; DT=2.07). La distribución fue homogénea en los distintos cursos: 1º de primaria (n=40), 4º de primaria (n=47) y 6º de primaria(n=50). La evaluación se realizó en horario escolar, mediante el instrumento Cuestionario de Habilidades de Interacción Social (CHIS). Tras la administración del cuestionario se informó a los padres sobre el desarrollo del programa y se solicitó su colaboración en casa, reforzando las conductas practicadas en clase. Posteriormente, se aplicó el programa de intervención. Cada curso se entrena en dos áreas de habilidades sociales, con un total de diez habilidades por curso. Los resultados señalan que los alumnos de 4º de primaria poseen más habilidades sociales que los demás cursos, antes de aplicar el programa. La aplicación del programa de intervención ha sido efectiva en los cursos 1º y 4º de primaria. Pero, no se han observado diferencias significativas en 6º de primaria. Como conclusión, la intervención ha mejorado las habilidades sociales de los alumnos/as sólo en algunos cursos, por lo que son necesarios nuevos estudios sobre la eficacia de la intervención. Además, la presencia del profesor durante la intervención se muestra como una variable decisiva para el aprendizaje de dichas habilidades en estos cursos.Social skills refer to the positive interaction with others, focusing on interpersonal relationships as the key to proper functioning. There is extensive experience in the use of programs to develop social skills at school age. They have also been shown to play an important role in the overall development of children and adolescents. The aim is to study the learning of social skills at primary school taking into account age and gender. The participants were 137 randomly selected Spanish children between 6-12 years old (M= 9.0; DT = 2.07) of both sexes (48.9% girls). The distribution was homogeneous in the different years: 1ert year (n=40), 4th year (n=47), and 6th year of primary (n = 50). The evaluation of social skills was conducted during school hours with the Interaction Skills Questionnaire (CHIS). After the administration of the questionnaire, parents were informed about the program and were asked to collaborate at home. After that, we applied the intervention program. Each year was trained in two areas of social skills, with a total of ten skills. The results show that it is the 4th year primary school students who have the most social skills. The implementation of the intervention program has been effective in courses 1st and 4th years of primary education, whereas no significant differences were observed in the 6th year of primary education. Furthermore, the presence of the teacher during the social skills intervention is a critical variable in learning.peerReviewe

Subinhibitory Concentrations of Clinically-Relevant Antimicrobials Affect Resistance-Nodulation-Division Family Promoter Activity in Acinetobacter baumannii

Efflux pumps contribute to multidrug resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii due to their ability to expel a wide variety of structurally unrelated compounds. This study aimed to characterize the effect of subinhibitory concentrations of clinically-relevant antibiotics and disinfectants on the promoter activity of members of the Resistance-Nodulation-Division (RND) family in A. baumannii. The promoter regions from three RND efflux pumps (AdeABC, AdeFGH and AdeIJK) and the AdeRS regulatory system from three different A. baumannii strains (ATCC 17961, ATCC 17978, and ATCC 19606) were cloned into a luciferase reporter system (pLPV1Z). Promoter activity was quantitatively assessed in both exponential and stationary phase cultures after exposure to subinhibitory concentrations of four antibiotics from different classes (rifampicin, meropenem, tigecycline and colistin) and two disinfectants (ethanol and chlorhexidine). Subinhibitory concentrations of the compounds tested had variable effects on promoter activity that were highly dependent on the A. baumannii strain, the compound tested and the growth phase. Fold changes in AdeABC promoter activity ranged from 1.97 to 113.7, in AdeFGH from -5.6 to 1.13, in AdeIJK from -2.5 to 2, and in AdeRS from -36.2 to -1.32. Taken together, these results indicate that subinhibitory concentrations of clinically-relevant antibiotics and disinfectants affect the promoter activity of RND family members in A. baumannii in a strain and growth phase dependent manner. These results may have important implications for the treatment of infections caused by A. baumannii.AT is supported by the Garantía Juvenil Program of the Comunidad Autonoma de Madrid and ML-S is supported by the Sara Borrell Program of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. MJM is supported by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (MP 516/19 and MPY 380/18).S

Stem girdling evidences a trade-off between cambial activity and sprouting and dramatically reduces plant transpiration due to feedback inhibition of photosynthesis and hormone signaling

The photosynthesis source-sink relationship in young Pinus canariensis seedlings was modified by stem girdling to investigate sprouting and cambial activity, feedback inhibition of photosynthesis, and stem and root hydraulic capacity. Removal of bark tissue showed a trade-off between sprouting and diameter growth. Above the girdle, growth was accelerated but the number of sprouts was almost negligible, whereas below the girdle the response was reversed. Girdling resulted in a sharp decrease in whole plant transpiration and root hydraulic conductance. The reduction of leaf area after girdling was strengthened by the high levels of abscisic acid found in buds which pointed to stronger bud dormancy, preventing a new needle flush. Accumulation of sugars in leaves led to a coordinated reduction in net photosynthesis (AN) and stomatal conductance (gS) in the short term, but later (gS below 0.07 mol m(-2) s(-1)) AN decreased faster. The decrease in maximal efficiency of photosystem II (FV/FM) and the operating quantum efficiency of photosystem II (?PSII) in girdled plants could suggest photoprotection of leaves, as shown by the vigorous recovery of AN and ?PSII after reconnection of the phloem. Stem girdling did not affect xylem embolism but increased stem hydraulic conductance above the girdle. This study shows that stem girdling affects not only the carbon balance, but also the water status of the plant

Optimization of fourteen microsatellite loci in a Mediterranean demosponge subjected to population decimation, Ircinia fasciculata

The recovery potential of decimated populations of sponges will largely hinge on their populations' size retrieval and their connectivity with conspecifics in unaffected locations. Here, we report on the development of microsatellite markers for estimation of the population connectivity and bottleneck and inbreeding signals in a Mediterranean sponge suffering from disease outbreaks, Ircinia fasciculata. From the 220,876 sequences obtained by genomic pyrosequencing, we isolated 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci and assessed the allelic variation of loci in 24 individuals from 2 populations in the Northwestern Mediterranean. The allele number per locus ranged from 3 to 11, observed heterozygosity from 0.68 to 0.73, and expected heterozygosity from 0.667 to 0.68. No significant linkage disequilibrium between pairs of loci was detected. The 14 markers developed here will be valuable tools for conservation strategies across the distributional range of this species allowing the detection of populations with large genetic diversity loss and high levels of inbreeding