Media Competence of teachers and curricular integration of digital technologies

La integración curricular de cada nueva tecnología exige lógicamente unas competencias específicas del profesorado, que, aunque normalmente con retraso, pasan a formar parte de los contenidos propios de la formación inicial y permanente de los enseñantes y educadores. Las políticas educativas han priorizado tal vez excesivamente la capacitación técnica y los aspectos más instrumentales de la competencia digital docente. Menos atención se ha prestado en los planes de estudio y formación permanente a la educación mediática. Así se refleja en el trabajo que aquí presentamos como ejemplo: un estudio sobre el modelo de integración de las TIC en el aula en los centros educativos basado en las prácticas y percepciones del profesorado sobre educación mediática y competencia digital. El estudio presenta los principales resultados derivados de la aplicación de una serie de cuestionarios y entrevistas relacionadas con dicha integración curricular y expone las conclusiones más relevantes del mismo, en las que se pone de manifiesto la necesidad imperiosa de una mayor y mejor integraciones de las tecnologías digitales en el ámbito educativo.The curricular integration of every new technology requires the development of specific skills on the part of teachers. Although usually with some delay, these skills generally become part of the contents of the initial and in-service training of teachers and educators. In this regard, educational policies have prioritized, perhaps excessively, technical training and the most instrumental aspects of teachers’ digital competence. At the same time, less attention has been paid to media education both in teacher training programmes and continuing education courses. This is the main conclusion of the study presented here: a study on the curricular integration of ICT based on teachers’ practices and perceptions on media education and digital competence. It presents the main results derived from a series of questionnaires and interviews related to curricular integration. The most relevant conclusions of this study point to the imperative need for a greater and better integration of digital technologies in education

Abiotic Input of Fixed Nitrogen by Bolide Impacts to Gale Crater During the Hesperian: Insights From the Mars Science Laboratory

Molecular hydrogen (H2) from volcanic emissions is suggested to warm the Martian surface when carbon dioxide (CO2) levels dropped from the Noachian (4100 to 3700 Myr) to the Hesperian (3700 to 3000 Myr). Its presence is expected to shift the conversion of molecular nitrogen (N2) into different forms of fixed nitrogen (N). Here we present experimental data and theoretical calculations that investigate the efficiency of nitrogen fixation by bolide impacts in CO2‐N2 atmospheres with or without H2. Surprisingly, nitric oxide (NO) was produced more efficiently in 20% H2 in spite of being a reducing agent and not likely to increase the rate of nitrogen oxidation. Nevertheless, its presence led to a faster cooling of the shock wave raising the freeze‐out temperature of NO resulting in an enhanced yield. We estimate that the nitrogen fixation rate by bolide impacts varied from 7 × 10−4 to 2 × 10−3 g N·Myr−1·cm−2 and could imply fluvial concentration to explain the nitrogen (1.4 ± 0.7 g N·Myr−1·cm−2) detected as nitrite (NO2 −) and nitrate (NO3 −) by Curiosity at Yellowknife Bay. One possible explanation is that the nitrogen detected in the lacustrine sediments at Gale was deposited entirely on the crater's surface and was subsequently dissolved and transported by superficial and ground waters to the lake during favorable wet climatic conditions. The nitrogen content sharply decreases in younger sediments of the Murray formation suggesting a decline of H2 in the atmosphere and the rise of oxidizing conditions causing a shortage in the supply to putative microbial life.We acknowledge the NASA Mars Science Laboratory Program, Centre National d'Études Spatiales, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (PAPIIT IN109416, IN111619, and PAPIME PE103216), and the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología de México (CONACyT 220626) for their support

La presencia de la Teología Católica en la Universidad de Murcia dentro del proyecto integrador de Bolonia

Nowadays the presence of Catholic theology in Spanish public universities, leaving aside Catholic theology and religious education courses taught in the Faculties of Education within the education degrees, is marked by two very significant presences. One of them directly relates to the creation of chairs of theology: the Chair of Theology at the University of Granada, the Chair of the Three Religions at the University of Valencia, and the Chair of Theology and Religious Studies "Ignacio Ellacuría" at the University Carlos III in Madrid. The main purpose of these chairs is to highlight the special way with which theology looks at the production of knowledge, on the assumption that the most significant elements of religious traditions make meaning and generate proposals that may come into an honest dialogue with other disciplines. The other presence is more significant and is implemented at the University of Murcia, which recognizes theology as a discipline itself, with its own contents. Consequently, this university issues official qualifications, a fact that is made possible because of the relationship established between the OFM Theological Institute of Murcia and the University of Murcia. This work intends to explore the new presence of Catholic theology within the academic framework of the University of Murcia in reference to the Bologna Process.En la actualidad la presencia de la teología católica en las universidades públicas españolas, - independientemente de la enseñanza de teología católica y pedagogía religiosa que se imparte en las facultades de educación dentro de los grados de maestros -, viene marcada por dos presencias muy significativa. Una de ella, viene a través de la creación de una cátedra de teología dentro del marco universitario (Cátedra de Teología en la Universidad de Granada; Cátedra de las Tres Religiones en la Universidad de Valencia; Cátedra de Teología y Ciencias de la Religión “Ignacio Ellacuría” en la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid), cuyo fin es buscar la ocasión de que la teología ofrezca su peculiar luz de conocimiento, partiendo del convencimiento de que los elementos más significativos de la tradición religiosa generan sentido y propuestas que pueden entrar en diálogo honesto con otras disciplinas.La otra presencia es más significativa y viene establecida por la Universidad de Murcia, pues en ella, se reconoce a la teología como una disciplina propia, con materia propia y como consecuencia otorgándose por la universidad a dicho reconocimiento académico una titulación oficial. Esto es como consecuencia de la relación establecida entre el Instituto Teológico de Murcia OFM y Universidad de Murcia.El presente trabajo tiene como objeto presentar la nueva presencia de la teología católica en el marco académico de la Universidad de Murcia como referencia del proyecto integrador de Bolonia

Differences in the risk of premature cancer mortality between natives and immigrants in Spain

Background The healthy immigrant paradox has found wide support in the literature. To evaluate this hypothesis that immigrants have better health outcomes than the native population, this study aimed to compare the premature cancer mortality between the native and immigrant populations in Spain. Methods We obtained the 2012–15 cause-specific mortality estimates from administrative records and participant characteristics data from the 2011 Spanish census. Using Cox proportional hazards regression models, we calculated the risks of mortality of the native and immigrant populations, and the latter populations’ risk based on their regions of origin, and determined the effects of covariates of interest on the calculated risk. Results Our results show that the risk of premature cancer mortality is lower among immigrants than among natives, and this gap is higher among men than among women. There is a lower mortality rate among Latin American immigrants (Latino men are 81% less likely to die prematurely from cancer than native-born men, and Latino women are 54% less). Moreover, despite social class disparities, immigrants’ advantage in cancer mortality remained constant and decreased with increasing length of residence in the host country. Conclusions This study provided novel evidence on the ‘healthy immigrant paradox’, associated with the fact that migrants are favorably selected at origin, cultural patterns of the societies of origin and, in the case of men, there is some convergence or an ‘unhealthy’ integration that explains the fact that this advantage over natives is lost with more years of residence in Spain.The study was supported by the following grants: RTI2018-098455-A-C22 by the national RþDþi program of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation

Assessment of the geothermal potential in the region of Ávila (Spain): An integrated and interactive thermal approach

Exploring and exploiting a geothermal resource has become one of the most prolific tasks for contributing to the global sustainable development. Despite this fact, several countries, such as Spain, are still far from achieving a generalized use of these renewable systems. The reason for this underuse often derives from the lack of information and characterization of the geothermal energy source. Considering this, the present research aims to provide relevant data about the geothermal potential of the Spanish region of Ávila. The geological context of this province lays the foundations for considering the region as a promising site for different geothermal uses. In order to estimate the geothermal energy potential of the region, the existing geological information has been complemented with thermal surveys carried out in the study area. The experimental measuring has consisted of the register of the underground temperature in piezometers of variable depth and natural springs distributed throughout the province. The processing of these records has allowed knowing the thermal evolution of the subsoil at the different levels evaluated in the research. Results show that there are two main potential areas in the province that could be successfully used for heating purposes (maybe as part of district heating systems) and for future deeper evaluations in the sense of Hot Dry Rock (HDR) techniques. Final conclusions have also been included in an interactive and open-source tool that allows visualizing the thermal findings with the aim of planning future geothermal uses in the region

Expert System to Real Time Control of Machining Processes

Industrial machining processes use automated milling machines. These machines are connected to a control device that provides the basic instructions used to obtain a piece. However, these processes depend on the human decision to diagnose and correct in real time the inaccuracies that can occur. In this work we present an expert system to real time control of machining processes using the information provided by sensors located on the machine. This system has been implemented as a prototype in a Kondia 600 milling machine with a FAGOR 8025-MG control device

Evaluation of different methodologies for calculating the energy demand and their influence on the design of a low enthalpy geothermal system

The increasing importance of shallow geothermal resources in the decarbonization of heating and cooling systems requires the correct management of all the project stages. One of the fundamental steps in this process is determining the space energy demand, which plays a significant role in the subsequent geothermal design. In the context of Spain, different tools are available for the estimation of the mentioned parameter. For evaluating these procedures, this research applies the principal energy demand calculation tools and uses the outcomes for the later design of the shallow geothermal system. Results show how the Spanish official tools (HULC and CE3X) provide lower energy demand values adjusted to the construction conditions of the building that allow the optimization of the geothermal well field. On the contrary, simpler, and more intuitive applications (regular spreadsheets and GES-CAL) assume higher heating energy demands, which in turn implies an oversizing of the geothermal scheme. Even though all the procedures ensure to cover the energy requirements of the building, the most precise tools manage to reduce the initial investment of the system and its operating costs, in addition to reducing the global CO2 emissions because of the lower power of the associated geothermal heat pump

Characterizing Geological Heterogeneities for Geothermal Purposes through Combined Geophysical Prospecting Methods

Geothermal energy is becoming essential to deal with the catastrophic effect of climate change. Although the totality of the Earth’s crust allows the exploitation of shallow geothermal resources, it is important to identify those areas with higher thermal possibilities. In this sense, geophysical prospecting plays a vital role in the recognition and estimation of potential geothermal resources. This research evaluates the geothermal conditions of a certain area located in the center of Spain. The evaluation is mainly based on geological and geophysical studies and, in particular, the Time Domain Electromagnetic Method and the Electrical Resistivity Tomography. Once we analyzed the geology and the historical thermal evidence near the study area, our geophysical results were used to define the geothermal possibilities from a double perspective. In relation to anomalous heat gradient, the identification of a fault and the contact with impermeable granitic materials at the depth of 180 m denotes a potential location for the extraction of groundwater. Regarding the common ground-source heat-pump uses, the analysis has allowed the determination of the most appropriate area for the location of the geothermal well field. Finally, the importance of accurately defining the position of the drillings was confirmed by using software GES-CAL

Investigating the potential of the slurry technology for sustainable pig farm heating

Sustainable energy development in the farming sector is an essential strategy to respond the combined challenge of achieving a reliable and affordable solution but including mitigation and adaptation to climate change. Intensive breeding farms require maintaining an adequate indoor thermal environment that results in high energy demands, usually covered by fossil fuels and electricity. This paper addresses the application of the combined slurry technology for a particular pig farm that currently uses a diesel boiler to supply the piglet heating energy needs. The study also considers different options based on closed ground source heat pump systems. After the design of the slurry alternative and the geothermal ones, notable advantages are detected compared to the existing diesel system. Results show that the implementation of the slurry technology implies an important reduction of the operational costs, which, in turn, involves short amortization periods for this system in relation to the diesel one. Greenhouse gases emissions are also highly reduced in the slurry alternative based on the low electricity use of the heat pump. The environmental side is reinforced by the reduction of polluting substances such as methane of ammonia derived from the descent of temperature of the slurry