Education on Sustainable Development Goals: Geographical Perspectives for Gender Equality in Sustainable Cities and Communities

Because of its interdisciplinary approach as a social science directly related to the natural sciences, geography is the academic discipline and school subject that equips students well with knowledge, skills, and values related to education on sustainable development goals. This study is part of the results of MyGEO, a project funded by the European Commission, and it is based on a collaborative mapping of streets named after women in a medium-sized city (Zaragoza, Spain), in connection with the international initiative GeoChicas (GeoGirls) on OpenStreetMap. Its main objective is to obtain evidence to emphasize, through public and digital space, gender equality and the empowerment of women in teacher education by means of their achievements. The learning methodology consists of (i) standardization and correction of alphanumeric information referring to street names contained in the OpenStreetMap spatial database that identify gender and (ii) linking and creating thematic information through Wikipedia editing. The results show that Zaragoza is at the top of the ranking of Spanish and Latin American cities mapped to date in the “Women’s Streets” viewer, with 18% of the streets named after women, compared to the average 15% in the rest of the 30 cities involved in GeoChicas. The direct participation of trainee primary and secondary schoolteachers in this project makes it possible to consolidate a narrative as well as a specific instructional design on education for sustainable development, particularly on SDG number 5 (gender balance) and SDG number 11 (sustainable cities and communities). © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Mobile learning for sustainable development and environmental teacher education

Outdoor learning has, for a long time, been an important instructional resource in school education, usually embedded in the natural sciences and social sciences curricula. Teaching geography, geology, or biology beyond the traditional classroom allows students to interact with physical and social environments for meaningful learning. Mobile devices that are based on geospatial technologies have provided more accurate data, but also a combined instructional design with other WebGIS, map viewers, or geographic information system (GIS) layers, which are useful to foster education for sustainable development. This paper analyzes the applications of mobile learning based on citizen science and volunteer geographic information, but also on the growing awareness that citizens and educators need a set of digital competencies to enhance and innovate lifelong learning and active citizenship. The empirical research aims to measure teacher–training experience, highlighting the potential of mobile devices and their applications in environmental education. Data collected from the research and results prove the positive impact of mobile learning in environmental education. Finally, a discussion about mobile learning and education for sustainable development is provided

MODIS reflective and active fire data for burn mapping at regional level

This paper presents an analysis on the forest fires occurred in Galicia (northwest Spain) in August 2006, when nearly 930km2 were almost entirely burned over the course of eight days. This study presents an algorithm for burn mapping that synergistically combines remotely-sensed reflectance and active fire data as measured by the MODIS (MODerate resolution Imaging Spectrometer) sensor on board Terra NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) satellite. Burned area data collected from this work was compared to official fires statistics from the Spanish Ministry of Environment and to perimeters that were derived using a high spatial resolution satellite image

Un artesonado poliédrico manierista en Castroverde de Campos (Zamora, España)

This paper analyses an outstanding case in the field of historic Spanish carpentry. Built in the sixteenth century, the fivepanel wood coffered ceiling in the church of Santa María del Río in Castroverde de Campos (Zamora, Spain) shows a Renaissance layout with polygonal coffers. It combines Hispano–Islamic technological heritage with some innovative features, including singular disposition of timber, duplicity of structures and unorthodox carpentry joints. Furthermore, convex coffers are introduced among traditional concave ones giving it a marked Mannerist appearance. The likely double role of the author as designer and contractor explains the relevance of prefabricated elements in the construction process of the ceiling, since this effort for modulation and systematization rationalizes procedures and reduces labour costs.Este artículo analiza un caso excepcional en la carpintería de armar en España. Se trata del artesonado de cinco paños de la iglesia de Santa María del Río, en Castroverde de Campos (Zamora). Construido en el s. XVI, con una trama de artesones poligonales en su intradós, combina el diseño renacentista con la tradición técnica hispano-musulmana de estructuras de madera, y presenta aportaciones novedosas como la inusual disposición de escuadrías, la duplicidad de estructuras y las poco ortodoxas uniones carpinteras utilizadas. Además, la introducción de artesones convexos junto a los convencionales artesones cóncavos le confiere un marcado aspecto manierista y resuelve ingeniosamente el encuentro entre paños. La muy posible coincidencia de diseñador y constructor en la misma persona explicaría un proceso de construcción con módulos prefabricados, con el consiguiente ahorro de costes y riesgos laborales

Estimación de la superficie quemada en los incendios forestales de Canarias en 2007 utilizando sinérgicamente imágenes MODIS y anomalías térmicas

El presente trabajo plantea una metodología rápida, precisa y económica para la estimación del área quemada en los incendios forestales utilizando técnicas de teledetección. El algoritmo utilizado se basa en la determinación o establecimiento de umbrales a partir de la banda del infrarrojo cercano. Se han utilizados los productos de reflectancia MODIS y las series temporales de anomalías térmicas proporcionadas por la NASA. Dicho umbral que separa área quemada de noquemada se ha basado en la búsqueda de la máxima coincidencia entre área quemada definida por la banda del infrarrojo cercano y zona de influencia de las anomalías térmicas. Los resultados muestran la utilidad de la metodología propuesta para la estimación de áreas quemadas y su importancia a la hora de localizar de una forma rápida las zonas de intervención prioritaria, así como para la planificación de futuros trabajos de restauración de la zona afectada

Point cloud simulator for space in-orbit close range autonomous operations

In recent years, many different in-orbit close-range autonomous operations have been developed for multiple purposes, such as rendezvous and docking operations or ADR operations. In both cases, the systems have to calculate the relative position between the spacecraft and the target in order to control the orbital manoeuvres and the physic interaction between both systems. One of the sensors used for the pose calculation for these operations are LiDAR sensors, developing pose calculation algorithms that process the point cloud acquired by these sensors. One of the main problems for the development and testing of these algorithms is the lack of real data acquired in orbit and the difficulty of acquiring this data. This makes it fundamental to develop a simulator to generate realistic point clouds that can be used to develop and test pose calculation algorithms. This work presents a simulator developed for this purpose, that is the generation of realistic point clouds for algorithm development for pose calculation using LiDAR sensors for space in-orbit close range autonomous operations. The simulator uses the LiDAR sensor specifications, in order to introduces measurement errors and the scanning pattern, and 3D model of the satellite or object that is scanned.Universidade de Vigo | Ref. 58550

Analysis and visualization of the dynamics of research groups in terms of projects and co-authored publications : A case study of library and information science in Argentina

Objective: The present study offers a novel methodological contribution to the study of the configuration and dynamics of research groups, through a comparative perspective of the projects funded (inputs) and publication co-authorships (output). Method: A combination of bibliometric techniques and social network analysis was applied to a case study: the Departmento de Bibliotecología (DHUBI), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina, for the period 2000-2009. The results were interpreted statistically and staff members of the department, were interviewed. Results: The method makes it possible to distinguish groups, identify their members and reflect group make-up through an analytical strategy that involves the categorization of actors and the interdisciplinary and national or international projection of the networks that they configure. The integration of these two aspects (input and output) at different points in time over the analyzed period leads to inferences about group profiles and the roles of actors. Conclusions: The methodology presented is conducive to micro-level interpretations in a given area of study, regarding individual researchers or research groups. Because the comparative input-output analysis broadens the base of information and makes it possible to follow up, over time, individual and group trends, it may prove very useful for the management, promotion and evaluation of scienceFacultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Analysis and visualization of the dynamics of research groups in terms of projects and co-authored publications : A case study of library and information science in Argentina

Objective: The present study offers a novel methodological contribution to the study of the configuration and dynamics of research groups, through a comparative perspective of the projects funded (inputs) and publication co-authorships (output). Method: A combination of bibliometric techniques and social network analysis was applied to a case study: the Departmento de Bibliotecología (DHUBI), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina, for the period 2000-2009. The results were interpreted statistically and staff members of the department, were interviewed. Results: The method makes it possible to distinguish groups, identify their members and reflect group make-up through an analytical strategy that involves the categorization of actors and the interdisciplinary and national or international projection of the networks that they configure. The integration of these two aspects (input and output) at different points in time over the analyzed period leads to inferences about group profiles and the roles of actors. Conclusions: The methodology presented is conducive to micro-level interpretations in a given area of study, regarding individual researchers or research groups. Because the comparative input-output analysis broadens the base of information and makes it possible to follow up, over time, individual and group trends, it may prove very useful for the management, promotion and evaluation of scienceFacultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Structural and magnetic characterization of oleic acid and oleylamine-capped gold nanoparticles

In this work the study of oleic acid and oleylamine-capped gold nanoparticles is presented. The structural characterization of the sample shows 6.7 nm gold nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution. The experimental optical absorption spectrum has a maximum at 2.35 eV. The calculated optical absorption spectrum is shifted and narrower than the experimental one, indicating that the oleic acid and oleylamine do not merely passivate the metallic nanoparticles but modify its electronic structure. These gold nanoparticles show in addition a kind of magnetic order similar to other organic passivated gold nanoparticles as thiol-capped gold nanoparticles. Although the magnetic interactions seem to be weaker than in thiol-capped ones, the magnetic behavior looks similar to that, i.e., an invariant temperature dependence of the magnetization from 5 to 300 K and a noticeable coercive field. We analyze the influence of the organic layer bonding the nanoparticles on the magnetic behavior. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.Financial support from the Spanish MCyT under Project No. MAT2002–04246-c05–05 and CAM under Project No. S-0505/MAT/0194 are acknowledged.Peer Reviewe

Diminishing benefits of urban living for children and adolescents’ growth and development

Optimal growth and development in childhood and adolescence is crucial for lifelong health and well-being1–6. Here we used data from 2,325 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight from 71 million participants, to report the height and body-mass index (BMI) of children and adolescents aged 5–19 years on the basis of rural and urban place of residence in 200 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020. In 1990, children and adolescents residing in cities were taller than their rural counterparts in all but a few high-income countries. By 2020, the urban height advantage became smaller in most countries, and in many high-income western countries it reversed into a small urban-based disadvantage. The exception was for boys in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in some countries in Oceania, south Asia and the region of central Asia, Middle East and north Africa. In these countries, successive cohorts of boys from rural places either did not gain height or possibly became shorter, and hence fell further behind their urban peers. The difference between the age-standardized mean BMI of children in urban and rural areas was <1.1 kg m–2 in the vast majority of countries. Within this small range, BMI increased slightly more in cities than in rural areas, except in south Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and some countries in central and eastern Europe. Our results show that in much of the world, the growth and developmental advantages of living in cities have diminished in the twenty-first century, whereas in much of sub-Saharan Africa they have amplified