Shall we play together? Game-based learning for engagement and classroom climate in Spanish socially deprived communities

This research is part of the Educational Research Project entitled Instagamers (PIV-023/21), called under the Order of 14 January 2009 (BOJA No. 21, February 2, 2009).Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of a game-based learning (GBL) program on the classroom climate and engagement of high schools in socially deprived communities in Spain. Methods: The study included 277 students from two secondary schools located in Southern Spain, situated in Zones in Need of Social Transformation. Sampling was non-probabilistic and accidental, based on the accessibility of the school and the willingness of the management and teaching staff to participate in the GBL program. The study employed a control group and two experimental groups (cooperative games group only and cooperative and competitive games group) to compare pre-test and post-test data in both groups. The Brief Class Climate Scale and Engagement Inventory, validated in academic literature, were used as assessment instruments. Results: The study used a series of ANOVA tests to compare the experimental groups with the control group. The results indicated statistically significant changes in all study variables. In all cases, the experimental groups demonstrated greater benefits than the control group. Discussion and conclusion: The study findings reveal that games can provide significant benefits to students, regardless of whether they are cooperative or competitive. The study provides evidence of the benefits of GBL in high schools located in socially deprived communities in Spain.Educational Research Project entitled Instagamers (PIV-023/21

Actividades realizadas por los chicos y chicas fuera del centro escolar : una aplicación de ROSE

Se presenta un estudio sobre las diferencias de género ante las actividades que realizan los estudiantes fuera de las instituciones escolares, utilizando una de las escalas ROSE (Relevancia de la Educación Científica). Se observan diferencias significativas según el género. A la par, se extraen reflexiones sobre la importancia de tener en cuenta las experiencias previas de los estudiantes en relación al entorno para el desarrollo competencial en las clases de ciencias

Diagnostic imaging techniques of the respiratory tract of sheep

Diagnostic imaging techniques are very useful non-invasive methods to obtain medical images for the diagnosis of respiratory diseases in sheep. The use of ultrasound and thermographic cameras must be enhanced at farm level with the objective of assisting in the diagnosis of major respiratory diseases present in sheep farms. X-ray and, particularly, computed tomography are very interesting tools to facilitate the understanding of the main pathological processes in sheep, especially at the respiratory level. This article shows more than 40 images of thermograms, X-ray, ultrasonography and computed tomography of the most significant respiratory diseases in sheep

Optimising an outdoor membrane photobioreactor for tertiary sewage treatment

The operation of an outdoor membrane photobioreactor plant which treated the effluent of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor was optimised. Biomass retention times of 4.5, 6, and 9 days were tested. At a biomass retention time of 4.5 days, maximum nitrogen recovery rate:light irradiance ratios, photosynthetic efficiencies and carbon biofixations of 51.7 ± 14.3 mg N·mol−1, 4.4 ± 1.6% and 0.50 ± 0.05 kg CO2·m3influent, respectively, were attained. Minimum membrane fouling rates were achieved when operating at the shortest biomass retention time because of the lower solid concentration and the negligible amount of cyanobacteria and protozoa. Hydraulic retention times of 3.5, 2, and 1.5 days were tested at the optimum biomass retention times of 4.5 days under non-nutrient limited conditions, showing no significant differences in the nutrient recovery rates, photosynthetic efficiencies and membrane fouling rates. However, nitrogen recovery rate:light irradiance ratios and photosynthetic efficiency significantly decreased when hydraulic retention time was further shortened to 1 day, probably due to a rise in the substrate turbidity which reduced the light availability in the culture. Optimal carbon biofixations and theoretical energy recoveries from the biomass were obtained at hydraulic retention time of 3.5 days, which accounted for 0.55 ± 0.05 kg CO2·m−3influent and 0.443 ± 0.103 kWh·m−3influent, respectively

Transcriptional signatures of synaptic vesicle genes define myotonic dystrophy type I neurodegeneration

Aim: To delineate the neurogenetic profiles of brain degeneration patterns in myotonic dystrophy type I (DM1). Methods: In two cohorts of DM1 patients, brain maps of volume loss (VL) and neuropsychological deficits (NDs) were intersected to large-scale transcriptome maps provided by the Allen Human Brain Atlas (AHBA). For validation, neuropathological and RNA analyses were performed in a small series of DM1 brain samples. Results: Twofold: (1) From a list of preselected hypothesis-driven genes, confirmatory analyses found that three genes play a major role in brain degeneration: dystrophin (DMD), alpha-synuclein (SNCA) and the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT). Neuropathological analyses confirmed a highly heterogeneous Tau-pathology in DM1, different to the one in Alzheimer's disease. (2) Exploratory analyses revealed gene clusters enriched for key biological processes in the central nervous system, such as synaptic vesicle recycling, localization, endocytosis and exocytosis, and the serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitter pathways. RNA analyses confirmed synaptic vesicle dysfunction. Conclusions: The combination of large-scale transcriptome interactions with brain imaging and cognitive function sheds light on the neurobiological mechanisms of brain degeneration in DM1 that might help define future therapeutic strategies and research into this condition

Vacunación antigripal en estudiantes de medicina y enfermería en la era covid-19: ¿cómo mejorarla?

Background: Influenza vaccination coverages among health care students are low. The aim of this study was to find out which measures, according to medical and nursing students, could contribute to improve these vaccination rates. Methods: A cross-sectional study that included medical and nursing students of the University of Zaragoza who were doing internships in health centers during the 2020-2021 school year. The information was obtained in December 2020 by a self-administered online questionnaire, in which they were asked to describe the measures that, in their opinion, are necessary to increase their influenza vaccination coverage. A qualitative analysis of the content of the answers was carried out, extracting themes, sub-themes and selecting the most representative verbatims. Results: The questionnaire was answered by 83 students (response rate: 5.9%); 64 (77.1%) were women, and 74.7% of them were studying medicine. The main measures proposed were improving the accessibility of the vaccine, improving the training on influenza vaccine, promoting vaccination by the teaching staff, and increasing the diffusion of information about the vaccination campaign. Conclusions: This study has found measures to be applied specifically to medical and nursing students to potentially improve their influenza vaccination coverage. For its implementation, collaboration between universities and health services is necessary. Fundamentos: Las coberturas de vacunación antigripal en estudiantes sanitarios son bajas. El objetivo de este estudio fue conocer las medidas que, según los estudiantes de medicina y enfermería, podrían contribuir a mejorar dichas tasas de vacunación. Métodos: Estudio transversal que incluyó a los alumnos de medicina y enfermería de la Universidad de Zaragoza que realizaban prácticas en centros sanitarios durante el curso académico 2020-2021. La información se obtuvo en diciembre 2020 utilizando un cuestionario on line auto-cumplimentado, en el que se solicitaba que describieran las medidas que, en su opinión, son necesarias para incrementar sus coberturas de vacunación antigripal. Se realizó un análisis cualitativo del contenido de las respuestas, extrayendo temas, subtemas y seleccionando los verbatims más representativos. Resultados: 83 estudiantes respondieron el cuestionario (tasa de respuesta: 5,9%); 64 (77,1%) eran mujeres, cursando medicina el 74,7%. Las principales medidas propuestas estaban relacionadas con mejorar la accesibilidad de la vacuna, mejorar la formación sobre la vacuna antigripal, promover la vacunación por parte del personal docente y aumentar la difusión de la información sobre la campaña devacunación. Conclusiones: Este estudio ha identificado medidas a aplicar específicamente en los estudiantes de medicina y enfermería con las que potencialmente mejorar sus coberturas de vacunación antigripal. Para su implementación, es necesaria la colaboración entre las universidades y los servicios de salud. Palabras clave: Estudiantes de medicina, Estudiantes de enfermería, Vacuna antigripal, Cobertura de vacunación, COVID-19, Españ

A comprehensive review of the “tigroid” background cytological concept: what, when, where and why?

The concept of “tigroid” background is used in cytology to describe a peculiar smear background characterized by the presence of a relatively granular, reticulated material that was described as “foamy, lazy, tiger-striped or astrakhan”. It was used to describe the background seen in smears obtained from seminoma. In addition to seminoma, we now know that it can be present in different tumours, mostly carcinomas and round cell sarcomas. These share with seminoma a cytoplasm with high glycogen content and many times clear cell morphology. The “tigroid” background is seen when smears are air-dried and Romanowsky-based stains are used (May-Grunwald-Giemsa and Diff-Quik stains). It is only seen in fine needle aspiration or intraoperative squashing or scrapping samples, but not in specimens obtained from effusions or liquid-based cytology. Wet-fixed cytologic samples with alcohol or with formaldehyde tend to dissolve the background so it is not usually present in Papanicolaou stained smears. In this review, we discuss tumours in which the “tigroid” background is observed and its potential diagnostic utility and aetiology. It is interesting to remark that except for parathyroid adenoma and adenomatoid tumour all the neoplasms in which this background has been observed are malignan

The Category of Node-and-Choice Forms, with Subcategories for Choice-Sequence Forms and Choice-Set Forms

The literature specifies extensive-form games in many styles, and eventually I hope to formally translate games across those styles. Toward that end, this paper defines $\mathbf{NCF}$, the category of node-and-choice forms. The category's objects are extensive forms in essentially any style, and the category's isomorphisms are made to accord with the literature's small handful of ad hoc style equivalences. Further, this paper develops two full subcategories: $\mathbf{CsqF}$ for forms whose nodes are choice-sequences, and $\mathbf{CsetF}$ for forms whose nodes are choice-sets. I show that $\mathbf{NCF}$ is "isomorphically enclosed" in $\mathbf{CsqF}$ in the sense that each $\mathbf{NCF}$ form is isomorphic to a $\mathbf{CsqF}$ form. Similarly, I show that $\mathbf{CsqF_{\tilde a}}$ is isomorphically enclosed in $\mathbf{CsetF}$ in the sense that each $\mathbf{CsqF}$ form with no-absentmindedness is isomorphic to a $\mathbf{CsetF}$ form. The converses are found to be almost immediate, and the resulting equivalences unify and simplify two ad hoc style equivalences in Kline and Luckraz 2016 and Streufert 2019. Aside from the larger agenda, this paper already makes three practical contributions. Style equivalences are made easier to derive by [1] a natural concept of isomorphic invariance and [2] the composability of isomorphic enclosures. In addition, [3] some new consequences of equivalence are systematically deduced.Comment: 43 pages, 9 figure

Ultrathin Transparent B-C-N Layers Grown on Titanium Substrates with Excellent Electrocatalytic Activity for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Applied Energy Materials, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsaem.9b02339Ultrathin B-C-N layers grown on Ti substrates are investigated as efficient anodes for electrochemical water splitting. A fast and direct synthetic route has been used based on plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition with methylamine borane as a single-source molecular precursor. The effect of growth time on the morphological and structural properties and on the chemical composition of the layers has been investigated by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy coupled with electron energy loss spectroscopy. Flat B-C-N layers on top of an amorphous titanium oxide layer present at the Ti surface have been obtained by using short growth times, while longer growth times give rise to core/shell structures formed by vertical wall B-C-N layers and titanium carbonitride phases. The obtained layers present enhanced electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline aqueous solutions. Moreover, because of their ultrathin nature, the B-C-N layers preserve the photocurrents of the underlying titanium oxide layer, acting as transparent electrodes with high conductivity for the photogenerated charge carriers and improved electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of water to oxygen gasThis work has been funded under RTI2018-099794-B-I00 grant of Spanish MICINN and by PRIN Grant FERMAT (2017KFY7XF) of Italian MIU

Deterioro de aleaciones de cobre por acción humana

7 pages, 8 figures. --Technical note.[EN] Results are presented from several samples taken from leaves of the Pardon Portico of Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, where an alteration on their surface was detected. Metal samples analyzed using X-ray microanalysis and powder xray diffraction were predominantly constituted by copper with some amounts of zinc attributed to brass, whereas other samples were also constituted by copper, tin and lead attributed to bronze. Surface samples were analyzed using the same techniques. In addition Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was also used.The main compound identified in all the surface of the leaves is copper chloride hydroxide (atacamite). Lead chlorides have also been found. These data show that the sudden alteration that appears may be attributed to the use of some cleaning product containing chloride. Other compounds detected in the surface were gypsum, quartz and oxalates coming from environmental contamination.[ES] Se exponen los resultados de algunas muestras alteradas procedentes de la Puerta del Perdón, pertenecientes a la Mezquita de Córdoba. Algunas de las muestras de metal analizadas mediante difracción de rayos X y microanálisis por energía dispersiva de rayos X estaban constituidas por latón (cobre con pequeñas cantidades de zinc), mientras que otras estaban constituidas por bronce (cobre, estaño y plomo). La superficie de las muestras se analizó empleando las mismas técnicas. Asimismo, se usó espectroscopia de infrarrojos. El componente principal identificado en la superficie de la puerta es cloruro básico de cobre (atacamita). Además se han encontrado cloruros de plomo. Estos datos demuestran que la repentina alteración de la superficie se puede atribuir al uso de productos de limpieza con alto contenido en cloro. Otros compuestos procedentes de la contaminación externa, como yeso, cuarzo y oxalatos también se detectaron en la superficie.Peer reviewe