Preparing for generation Z:how can technology enhanced learning be firmly embedded in our students' learning experience? A case study from Abertay University

Abertay is a relatively small, modern university (undergraduate population of around 4000) with a wide portfolio and a diverse student population. Around 35% of our students are direct entry from local partner colleges to years 2 and 3 of our programmes and a significant number are first generation higher education within their families. As such, partnership working with colleges and support to aid student transitions are key aspects of Abertay’s provision. Since 2013/14, the university has developed and implemented a new Teaching and Learning Enhancement strategy that has catalysed wholescale transformation across the institution. This paper provides an overview of technology enhanced learning at the university with the drivers for change being to the quality of our students' learning experience, improve student retention and progression and enhance learners’ engagement

Development of an adequate model for verification of design safety-margins of the HTTR nuclear test facility

This work is based on the prototype High Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) of the Japan Agency of Energy Atomic (JAEA). Its objective is to describe an adequate deterministic model to be used in the assessment of its design safety margins via damage domains. The concept of damage domain is defined and it is shown its relevance in the ongoing effort to apply dynamic risk assessment methods and tools based on the Theory of Stimulated Dynamics (TSD). To illustrate, we present results of an abnormal control rod (CR) withdrawal during subcritical condition and its comparison with results obtained by JAEA. No attempt is made yet to actually assess the detailed scenarios, rather to show how the approach may handle events of its kin

Reflexiones sobre la gestión de recursos hídricos en regiones semiáridas. El Sudeste español

Las regiones semiáridas del mundo suelen tener como principal factor limitante del desarrollo económico la escasez de agua. Precipitaciones reducidas y variaciones espacio-temporales bruscas dificultan considerablemente la planificación del uso, la gestión del recurso y el mantenimiento de un desarrollo sostenible. La región más árida de Europa es posiblemente el sudeste español. Sus acuíferos han soportado la mayor parte de las extracciones de agua para abastecimiento de una agricultura floreciente y un turismo cada vez más numeroso. El ahorro, la reutilización y la concienciación por parte de los usuarios son elementos imprescindibles en una política hidráulica sostenible. La posibilidad de llevar a cabo obras blandas (diques y zanjas, recarga en graveras) se plantea como una posible solución de bajo impacto ambiental. Las plantas desaladoras constituyen soluciones técnicas teóricas, aunque de elevado coste. Por otro lado, las Directivas Europeas obligan a un notable cambio de las políticas hidráulicas. Una acertada planificación ordenada en el tiempo, con reglas claras y actualizables, con sólida aceptación social, enraizada en el conocimiento, en la información y en la participación ciudadana permitiría avanzar de manera segura hacia el futuro. La definición participativa de los objetivos de esa planificación dinámica deberá ser la base de una gestión sostenible del agua.El presente trabajo sintetiza parte de los datos obtenidos en el proyecto de excelencia P06-RNM-01696, financiado por la Junta de Andalucía, y en los proyectos CGL2007-63450/HID y CGL2008-03649, financiados por el MICINN

Aproximación a las fuentes para la reconstrucción del paisaje de Zacatena en el Antiguo Régimen (siglos XV-XVIII)

[EN] In the centre of Spain, Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park has been a protected natural area since 1973. During the pre-industrial era this reserve was known as the Real Dehesa de Zacatena and was enclosed by the Order of Calatrava and later managed by the Crown. Hispanic Monarchy. Due to its economic potential, the conservation of the Dehesa was one of the main concerns of its owners. Thanks to this, the historical documentation inform us about the protection measures in Zacatena since the XVIth century. The joint study of all these sources allows us to reconstruct in a very reliable way the natural landscape of the Dehesa, its extension and evolution. Visits, ordinances, descriptions complaints, and lawsuits allow us to understand one of the main pillars of the enclave: its natural patrimony, which in turn is the basis of the rich cultural and architectural heritage also preserved in the area.[ES] Situado en medio de la llanura manchega, el Parque Nacional de Las Tablas de Daimiel es uno de los pocos ámbitos de Europa en los que se desarrolla el ecosistema de tablas fluviales. Durante la época preindustrial este enclave fue conocido como la Real Dehesa de Zacatena, acotada por la Orden de Calatrava y posteriormente administrada por la Corona. Dada su potencialidad económica, la conservación del entorno fue una de las principales preocupaciones de sus gestores. Gracias a ello, se custodian en los archivos numerosos testimonios que nos informan acerca del nivel de protección que, desde siglos atrás, se dio a Zacatena. El estudio conjunto de todas esas fuentes permite reconstruir de una manera muy fidedigna el paisaje natural de la dehesa, su extensión y evolución a lo largo del tiempo. Las visitas, ordenanzas, descripciones, denuncia y, pleitos permiten conocer uno de los principales pilares del enclave: su patrimonio natural, base a su vez de la rica herencia cultural y arquitectónica preservada en la zona.Moreno Díaz Del Campo, F.; Fernández Izquierdo, F.; Gómez Vozmediano, M.; Mejías Moreno, M. (2021). Aproximación a las fuentes para la reconstrucción del paisaje de Zacatena en el Antiguo Régimen (siglos XV-XVIII). En I Simposio anual de Patrimonio Natural y Cultural ICOMOS España. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 27-34. https://doi.org/10.4995/icomos2019.2019.11319OCS273

Analysis of health claims regarding creatine monohydrate present in commercial communications for a sample of European sports foods supplements

Objective: To analyse the information on health claims present in the labelling of creatine monohydrate (CM) products. Design: A descriptive study of a selection of products marketed as CM, with health claims, and that met the inclusion/exclusion criteria, was conducted using the Amazon and Google Shopping websites. The adequacy and compliance of the health claims were evaluated with the European legislative requirements (European Food Safety Authority and European Commission). The results were discussed with scientific evidence criteria from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, International Olympic Committee, and International Society of Sports Nutrition, as well as the systematic review carried out by Mielgo-Ayuso in 2019. Setting: Health claims in the commercial communications of a sample of CM supplements, in relation to current legislation and scientific knowledge. Participant: A total of 554 CM products were obtained. Results: Of the total sample, only 167 met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Of these, 30·5 % recommended a CM dose of 5·0–5·9 g/d, while 29·9 % recommended 3·0 to 3·9 g/d. As for the health claims, ‘Enhances physical performance’ appeared in 73·1 % of the supplements, in most cases referring to a dosage of 3·0 to 3·9 g/d for these products. The rest of the declarations were not adequate or needed to be modified. Conclusion: Only 25 % of the health claims complied with the criteria established by the scientific reference documents. Most of the declarations must be modified or eliminated, as they could be considered fraudulent and/or misleading for the consumer

Notas sobre los molinos de harina de la dehesa de Zacatena en la Edad Moderna

[EN] During the Early Modern Times, Zacatena Medow (nowadays Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park) provided a lot of income to the Hispanic Monarchy, its owner since the early 16th century. The area had a very rich flora and fauna used by locals to collect firewood or to hunt and fish. In fact, Zacatena existed for centuries thanks to its pastures, but the Medow had another peculiarity: water. Due to this, in its area of influence, architectural infrastructures were built and located that were used to take advantage of the water resources of the Guadiana and Cigüela rivers. Among those constructions (many of which date back to the Muslim era) water mills were especially important. Historical documentation allows us to follow the evolution of these buildings. The authors intend to show the relevance of the written sources as a complement to the field work in order to reconstruct and know the architectural heritage of the place.[ES] En la Edad Moderna, la dehesa de Zacatena (cuyo espacio, en la actualidad, ocupa en parte el Parque Nacional de Las Tablas de Daimiel) constituía una rica fuente de ingresos para la Corona, que, desde principios del siglo XVI, había asumido su gestión una vez que fueron incorporados los maestrazgos de las órdenes militares. La dehesa acogía una flora y fauna de extremada riqueza y fue utilizada por los vecinos para hacer acopio de leña o para cazar y pescar. Gran parte de su razón de ser se debía a la enorme riqueza de sus pastos, pero Zacatena presentaba una peculiaridad: el elemento agua. Debido a ello, en su área de influencia se construyeron y emplazaron infraestructuras arquitectónicas empleadas para aprovechar los recursos hídricos de los ríos Guadiana y Cigüela, en especial molinos hidráulicos, muchos de los cuales datan de época musulmana. La documentación histórica permite seguir la evolución de tales construcciones. A través de la misma, los autores persiguen mostrar la relevancia de la fuente escrita como complemento al trabajo de campo a la hora de reconstruir y conocer el patrimonio arquitectónico/arqueológico del enclave.Moreno Díaz Del Campo, F.; Fernández Izquierdo, F.; Gómez Vozmediano, M. (2021). Notas sobre los molinos de harina de la dehesa de Zacatena en la Edad Moderna. En I Simposio anual de Patrimonio Natural y Cultural ICOMOS España. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 19-26. https://doi.org/10.4995/icomos2019.2019.11318OCS192

Hospitalisation by tick-borne diseases in the last 10 years in two hospitals in South Spain: analysis of tick exposure data collected in the Emergency Department

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) can sometimes cause severe symptoms and lead to hospitalisation, but they often go unnoticed in the Emergency Department (ED). The aim of this study was twofold: (i) to describe the profile of patients hospitalised by TBDs; and (ii) to evaluate the data collected in the medical records from the ED in order to analyse their potential clinical consequences. A total of 84 cases that included all TBD diagnoses registered in the ED records were identified and analysed. These corresponded to all the hospitalisations by TBDs in the last 10 years (2009–2019) in two tertiary hospitals in Granada, Spain. Statistical analyses were made using RStudio. Coinciding with the absence of patient’s report of exposure to ticks, 64.3% of TBDs were not suspected in the ED. Intensive care unit admission was required in 8.3% of cases, and the mortality rate was 2.4%. Non-suspected cases showed longer hospital stay (P < 0.001), treatment duration (P = 0.02) and delay in the initiation of antibiotic treatment (P < 0.001). Our findings indicate that symptoms associated with TBDs are highly non-specific. In the absence of explicit information related to potential tick exposure, TBDs are not initially suspected. As a consequence, elective treatment administration is delayed and hospitalisation time is prolonged. In conclusion, our results highlight the importance of addressing potential exposure to ticks during the ED contact with patients presenting with febrile syndrome

Caffeine Health Claims on Sports Supplement Labeling. Analytical Assessment According to EFSA Scientific Opinion and International Evidence and Criteria

Caffeine is a food supplement widely consumed by athletes, but it has not been established. So far, the veracity of their labeling in terms of the dosage and cause/effect relationship aimed at the consumer. The aim is to analyze the health claims and the dosage presented on the labeling of caffeine supplements and to evaluate if they follow the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and international criteria. A descriptive cross-sectional study of a sample of caffeine supplements was carried out. The search was done through the Amazon and Google Shopping web portals. In order to assess the adequacy of the health claims, the guidelines of reference established by European Food Safety Authority were compared to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, International Olympic Committee, and Australian Institute of Sport guidelines; in addition, recent systematic reviews were addressed. A review of labels of 42 caffeine supplements showed that, in less than 3% of the products were the health claims supported by the recommendations and by the labeled quantity of caffeine. The claims that fully complied the recommendations were, “improves or increases endurance performance”, “improves strength performance”, or “improves short-term performance”. In most cases, the recommended dosage was 200 mg/day for these products, which is the minimum for the caffeine effects to be declared. The rest of the health claims were not adequate or need to be modified. Most of the health claims identified indicated an unproven cause and effect, which constitutes consumer fraud, and so must be modified or eliminated

Characteristics and prognosis of COVID-19 in patients with COPD

Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) have a higher prevalence of coronary ischemia and other factors that put them at risk for COVID-19-related complications. We aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 in a large population-based sample of patients with COPD in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. We analyzed clinical data in electronic health records from 1 January to 10 May 2020 by using Natural Language Processing through the SAVANA Manager® clinical platform. Out of 31,633 COPD patients, 793 had a diagnosis of COVID-19. The proportion of patients with COVID-19 in the COPD population (2.51%; 95% CI 2.33–2.68) was significantly higher than in the general population aged >40 years (1.16%; 95% CI 1.14–1.18); p < 0.001. Compared with COPD-free individuals, COPD patients with COVID-19 showed significantly poorer disease prognosis, as evaluated by hospitalizations (31.1% vs. 39.8%: OR 1.57; 95% CI 1.14–1.18) and mortality (3.4% vs. 9.3%: OR 2.93; 95% CI 2.27–3.79). Patients with COPD and COVID-19 were significantly older (75 vs. 66 years), predominantly male (83% vs. 17%), smoked more frequently, and had more comorbidities than their non-COPD counterparts. Pneumonia was the most common diagnosis among COPD patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 (59%); 19% of patients showed pulmonary infiltrates suggestive of pneumonia and heart failure. Mortality in COPD patients with COVID-19 was associated with older age and prevalence of heart failure (p < 0.05). COPD patients with COVID-19 showed higher rates of hospitalization and mortality, mainly associated with pneumonia. This clinical profile is different from exacerbations caused by other respiratory viruses in the winter seasonGrant COVID-19 UAH 2019/00003/016/001/005 from Alcalá Universit

Konsumsi Minyak Goreng dan Vitamin A pada Beberapa Kelompok Umur di Dua Kabupaten

Indonesia plans to implement mandatory vitamin A fortification of cooking oil. A pilot study of voluntary vitamin A fortification in unbranded cooking oil showed that vitamin A status improved significantly a year afterfortification for five age groups except for children 12-23 months of age. The objective of the study was to measure cooking oil consumption and dietary consumption of vitamin A in children, women of reproductive age(WRA), and lactating mothers. The study was a cross-sectional study in Tasikmalaya and Ciamis, Indonesia, covering 1.594 samples randomly selected of poor households. Cooking oil was collected at household byrecall of usual cooking oil purchase and individual sample by 2x24h recall of food consumption. The results showed that households prefer bought unbranded cooking oil sold in plastic pouch at foodstall (warung) nearbyhome (96.2%), purchased oil every 1-3 days (60.6%), each purchace contained &lt; 250 mL oil (73.9%). The average (mean+SE) cooking oil consumption at household was 27.5+1.0 mL/capita/day. Cooking oilconsumption at individual level on the average was 22.3+0.5 mL/capita/day lower compared to household consumption of oil, varied significantly of 2.4+0.4, 13.3+0.8, 23.0+1.0, 30.5+1.3, 33.5+1.2, 33.1+1.3 mL/day in 6-11, 12-23, 24-59 month old, 6-9 year old, WRA, and lactating mothers respectively. Cooking oil consumptionwas lower in children 6-11 and 12-23 months old which contributed to non-significant improvement of serum vitamin A level particularly in children 12-23 months old but not other groups since they consumed higher intake of cooking oil or still brestfed for children 6-11 month old