Percepción de los estudiantes de una experiencia de uso didáctico de blog docente en Educación Superior

En este trabajo se estudia la percepción de los estudiantes de una experiencia en el uso didáctico de un blog docente durante cuatro cursos académicos en una asignatura universitaria. Los datos se recogieron a través de las contestaciones de los estudiantes a un post del blog donde se les solicitaba que realizasen una valoración del mismo. A través de un análisis cualitativo se definieron cinco categorías: el blog como herramienta de innovación educativa, el blog como recurso de organización flexible e hipertextual, el blog como entorno de aprendizaje participativo, el blog como agente de cambio del rol docente y propuestas de mejora. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto una opinión favorable del alumnado en cuanto al uso del blog, ya que lo consideran un recurso motivador que les permite ampliar y profundizar en los contenidos de la asignatura gracias a sus múltiples utilidades y a las posibilidades de interacción y comunicación que ofrece. La disponibilidad permanente del blog permite acercar la asignatura a los estudiantes y sus posibilidades particulares de aprendizaje, permitiendo también la comunicación tanto entre el profesor y el alumnado como entre estos últimos. This study reports the results of a qualitative approach to student assessments of a teaching weblog experience during four academic years. A categorization and inductive codification process of the data (coming from the students' comments) was carried out. Five categories were identified: the blog as an innovative learning tool, the blog as a flexible and hypertextual organizational resource, the blog as a cooperative learning environment, the blog as a changing factor in the teaching role, and proposals for improvement. The results show that students have a favorable opinion in terms of using the blog in the subject, as it is considered as a motivational resource which allows learning in greater depth of the subject, due to a variety of links to additional external learning resources and the interaction and communication possibilities. The blog's permanent availability brings the subject close to the students and their specific learning needs, encouraging communication between teachers and students and among students also

A novel ensemble method for electric vehicle power consumption forecasting: Application to the Spanish system

The use of electric vehicle across the world has become one of the most challenging issues for environmental policies. The galloping climate change and the expected running out of fossil fuels turns the use of such non-polluting cars into a priority for most developed countries. However, such a use has led to major concerns to power companies, since they must adapt their generation to a new scenario, in which electric vehicles will dramatically modify the curve of generation. In this paper, a novel approach based on ensemble learning is proposed. In particular, ARIMA, GARCH and PSF algorithms' performances are used to forecast the electric vehicle power consumption in Spain. It is worth noting that the studied time series of consumption is non-stationary and adds difficulties to the forecasting process. Thus, an ensemble is proposed by dynamically weighting all algorithms over time. The proposal presented has been implemented for a real case, in particular, at the Spanish Control Centre for the Electric Vehicle. The performance of the approach is assessed by means of WAPE, showing robust and promising results for this research field.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad Proyectos ENE2016-77650-R, PCIN-2015-04 y TIN2017-88209-C2-R

Growth of Octopus vulgaris (Cuvier, 1797) in tanks in the Ebro Delta (NE Spain): effects of temperature, salinity and culture density

To assess the possibility of O. vulgaris ongrowing using tanks or cages in the bays of the Ebro Delta, we performed several growth trials of common octopus held in tanks. Effects of environmental factors (temperature and salinity) and zootechnical aspects (culture density) were studied. The thermal ranges that defined positive growth periods in the bays of the Ebro Delta were 19.5ºC to 23ºC (spring-summer) and 23.5ºC to 12.3ºC (autumn-winter), the latter being the most suitable period for ongrowing. Salinity did not affect survival (100%) or growth within the range tested (34-29 psu), though feeding rates (AFR, SFR) were directly related to salinity. On the other hand, after 60 days, final culture density increased three-fold (D1: 12.36 → 44.37 kg m–3; D2: 24.13 → 67.76 kg m–3), with optimal survival results (>90%) for the two densities tested. Growth and feeding rates showed a slight inverse relationship with density. Finally, growth and feeding rates showed a clear dependence on temperature in the two experiments (density and salinity). Our results conclude that industrial production of O. vulgaris in tanks is promising: this system offers an alternative to cages and allows for a more exhaustive control of culture.Con el fin de evaluar la posibilidad de engorde de O. vulgaris en tanques o jaulas en las bahías del Delta del Ebro, se llevaron a cabo varias experiencias de crecimiento de individuos mantenidos en tanques. Se estudiaron tanto aspectos medioambientales (temperatura y salinidad) como zootécnicos (densidad de cultivo). Los rangos térmicos que definieron periodos positivos de crecimiento en las bahías del Delta del Ebro fueron: 19.5ºC-23ºC (primavera-verano) y 23.5ºC-12.3ºC (otoño-invierno), siendo este último el periodo más favorable para el engorde. La salinidad no afectó a la supervivencia o al crecimiento dentro del rango testado (34-29 psu), a pesar de que las tasas de alimentación (AFR, SFR) mantuviesen relación directa con la salinidad. Por otro lado, y transcurridos 60 días, observamos que la densidad de cultivo se multiplicó por tres (D1: 12.36 → 44.37 kg m–3; D2: 24.13 → 67.76 kg m–3), con resultados óptimos de supervivencia (>90%) bajo las dos condiciones probadas. Las tasas de crecimiento y alimentación mostraron una relación indirecta con la densidad de cultivo. Finalmente, se observó que tanto las tasas de crecimiento como las de alimentación presentan una clara dependencia de la temperatura en ambas experiencias (salinidad y densidad de cultivo). Nuestros resultados concluyen que la producción industrial de O. vulgaris en tanques es prometedora: este sistema ofrece una alternativa a las cajas y permite un control más exhaustivo del cultivo

Thin silicon films ranging from amorphous to nanocrystalline obtained by Hot-Wire CVD

In this paper, we have presented results on silicon thin films deposited by hot-wire CVD at low substrate temperatures (200 °C). Films ranging from amorphous to nanocrystalline were obtained by varying the filament temperature from 1500 to 1800 °C. A crystalline fraction of 50% was obtained for the sample deposited at 1700 °C. The results obtained seemed to indicate that atomic hydrogen plays a leading role in the obtaining of nanocrystalline silicon. The optoelectronic properties of the amorphous material obtained in these conditions are slightly poorer than the ones observed in device-grade films grown by plasma-enhanced CVD due to a higher hydrogen incorporation (13%)

Aligning citizen science and remote sensing phenology observations to characterize climate change impact on vegetation

Phenology observations are essential indicators to characterize the local effects of climate change. Citizen participation in the collection of phenological observations is a potential approach to provide data at both high temporal scale and fine grain resolution. Traditional observation practices of citizen science (CS), although precise at the species scale, are limited to few observations often closely located to an observer's residence. These limitations hinder coverage of the great variability of vegetation phenology across biomes and improvement of the knowledge of vegetation changes due to climate change impacts. This study presents a new approach to overcome these limitations by improving CS guidance and feedback as well as expanding phenology report sites and observations across different habitats and periods to contribute to monitoring climate change. This approach includes: (a) a new methodology focused on harmonizing remote sensing phenology products with traditional CS phenology observations to direct volunteers to active phenology regions and, (b) a new protocol for citizen scientists providing tools to guide them to specific regions to identify, collect and share species phenological observations and their phenophases. This approach was successfully tested, implemented and evaluated in Catalonia with more than 5000 new phenologically interesting regions identified and more than 200 observations collected and Sentinel-2 derived phenometrics were demonstrated as of good quality.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Fieldtrip manual for Plant Biodiversity

Plant Biodiversity is a subject taught during the second year of the Undergraduate Degree in Biology at the University of Alicante. The main principles about the diversity and morphology of the plants are mostly given during the theoretical classes. This fieldtrip practical manual, together with the laboratory sessions, gives the students an opportunity to see our most common wild plant species. Their direct observations allow them to identify properly the main botanical families, genera and species of our wild flora. This Fieldtrip manual for Plant Biodiversity has been written to enhance the understanding of plant diversity and to identify the different ecological conditions for plant species. Students have to understand that “plants do not grow everywhere”. Most of our natural flora, and specially the endemic one, requires specific environmental conditions to grow. So, the objectives of these fieldtrips are to identify wild flora and to recognise the ecological habitats where many of the identified plant species live

Efficiency of a pilot scheme for the separate collection of the biowaste from municipal solid waste in Spain

According to EU regulations, member states shall take measures to encourage the recycling of biowaste in a way that fulfils a high level of environmental protection. In Spain, the separate collection of biowaste is only implemented in some regions. For this reason, a pilot scheme based on an information campaign and the location of a specific brown container for biowaste in specific zones of the city was carried out in Castelló de la Plana (Spain) over a period of six months. In this period, the collection and composition of the biowaste was monitored in depth with the goal of determining the evolution of the efficiency of the new collection system over time. In the zones, the quality rate in the biowaste container increased as the pilot study progressed, finally reaching 90%. The rate of biowaste separation also increased in the three zones over time, although in different ways, which means that there is greater collaboration on the part of citizens. On the other hand, an analysis of the rate of net biowaste daily collection from zones 2 and 3 has shown that their value increases as the rate of containerization of biowaste decreases. Therefore, to obtain better results it will be necessary to increase the containerization of biowaste, that is, to reduce the distance from the citizen to the container. It can thus be said that there is a positive evolution of the experience, which boosts confidence when it comes to implementing the system throughout the city

A Cloud robotics architecture to foster individual child partnership in medical facilities

Robots and automation systems have become a valuable partner in several facets of human life: from learning and teaching, to daily working, including health monitoring and assistance. So far, these appealing robot-based applications are restricted to conduct repetitive, yet useful, tasks due to the reduced individual robots’ capabilities in terms of processing and computation. This concern prevents current robots from facing more complex applications related to understanding hu- man beings and perceiving their subtle feelings. Such hardware limitations have been already found in the computer science field. In this domain, they are currently being addressed using a new resource exploitation model coined as cloud computing, which is targeted at enabling massive storage and computation using smartly connected and inexpensive commodity hardware. The purpose of this paper is to propose a cloud-based robotics architecture to effectively develop complex tasks related to hospitalized children assistance. More specifically, this paper presents a multi-agent learning system that combines machine learning and cloud computing using low-cost robots to (1) collect and perceive children status, (2) build a human-readable set of rules related to the child-robot relationship, and (3) improve the children experience during their stay in the hos- pital. Conducted preliminary experiments proof the feasibility of this proposal and encourage practitioners to work towards this direction.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Synovial fluid but not plasma interleukin-8 is associated with clinical severity and inflammatory markers in knee osteoarthritis women with joint effusion

Altres ajuts: 2017 Grant of Sociedad Española de Reumatología (SER)Several cytokines and adipokines are related to clinical severity and progression in knee osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of IL-8 with clinical severity and with local and systemic adipokines and cytokines. This is a Cross-sectional study including 115 women with symptomatic primary knee osteoarthritis with ultrasound-confirmed joint effusion. Age, symptoms duration and body mass index were collected. Radiographic severity was evaluated according to Kellgren-Lawrence. Pain and disability were assessed by Lequesne and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score pain, symptoms and function scales. Three inflammatory markers and five adipokines were measured by ELISA in serum and synovial fluid. Partial correlation coefficient (PCC) and corresponding 95% confidence interval were used to evaluate association. Synovial fluid IL-8 was significantly associated with clinical severity scales. After controlling for potential confounders, associations measured by a Partial Correlation Coefficient (PCC) remained essentially unaltered for Lequesne (PCC = 0.237), KOOS pain (PCC = − 0.201) and KOOS symptoms (PCC = − 0.209), KOOS function (PCC = − 0.185), although the later did not reach statistical significance. Also in synovial fluid samples, associations were found between IL-8 and TNF (PCC = 0.334), IL6 (PCC = 0.461), osteopontin (PCC = 0.575), visfatin (PCC = 0.194) and resistin (PCC = 0.182), although significance was not achieved for the later after statistical control for confounders. None of these associations were detected in serum. In conclusion, IL-8 was associated with clinical severity, inflammatory markers and adipokines in synovial fluid, but not in blood. Although the reported associations are weak to moderate in magnitude, these findings reinforce the notion that local and not systemic inflammation is more relevant to clinical severity in knee OA women with joint effusion

Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimer as an Interfacial Dipole Modification in Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers are used to modify the interface of metal-semiconductor junctions. The large number of protonated amines contributes to the formation of a dipole layer, which finally serves to form electron selective contacts in silicon heterojunction solar cells. By modifying the work function of the contacts, the addition of the PAMAM dendrimer interlayer quenches Fermi level pinning, thus creating an ohmic contact between the metal and the semiconductor. This is supported by the observation of a low contact resistivity of 4.5 mΩ cm2, the shift in work function, and the n-type behavior of PAMAM dendrimer films on the surface of crystalline silicon. A silicon heterojunction solar cell containing the PAMAM dendrimer interlayer is presented, which achieved a power conversion efficiency of 14.5%, an increase of 8.3% over the reference device without the dipole interlayer