A framework of descriptors to characterize flexibility as a trait of mathematical giftedness

These results are part of the research projects EDU2017-84377-R (AEI / FEDER, EU) of the University of Valencia and 820-CO-081 of the University of Costa Rica

Solving Sudoku with Membrane Computing

Sudoku is a very popular puzzle which consists on placing several numbers in a squared grid according to some simple rules. In this paper we present an efficient family of P systems which solve sudokus of any order verifying a specific property. The solution is searched by using a simple human-style method. If the sudoku cannot be solved by using this strategy, the P system detects this drawback and then the computations stops and returns No. Otherwise, the P system encodes the solution and returns Yes in the last computation step.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TIN2008-04487-EMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación TIN2009–13192Junta de Andalucía P08-TIC-0420

Habilidades de visualización de estudiantes de primaria en actividades de geometría espacial

La forma de usar la visualización ayuda a caracterizar a los estudiantes con talento matemático (Ramírez, 2012). Los investigadores adoptan varios puntos de vista para analizar esta relación (Riu y otros, 2007). Entendiendo la visualización como “el tipo de razonamiento basado en el uso de elementos visuales o espaciales, tanto mentales como físicos” (Gutiérrez, 1996, p. 9), planteamos dos objetivos de investigación: i) analizar las habilidades de visualización (Del Grande, 1990) puestas en juego por un grupo natural de 21 estudiantes de 6º de Primaria, con diferentes grados de talento matemático, al resolver un bloque de actividades de manipulación de cubos y ii) relacionar el uso de esas habilidades con el talento matemático de los alumnos, evaluado mediante los tests PMA (Thurstone, 2005) y PEM (Benavides, 2008)

Resolución por Skype de una tarea de visualización cooperativa por una pareja de estudiantes de talento

En este trabajo analizamos la transmisión de información entre dos estudiantes de alta capacidad matemática mientras resuelven, a través de videoconferencia, una tarea cooperativa de visualización. Las categorías que más afloraron en el análisis del discurso fueron informar, demandar información, sugerir, parafrasear y confirmar. Los indicadores que más manifestaron fueron validación, ampliación y paráfrasis. Los estudiantes manifestaron características del talento matemático como un alto compromiso con la tarea, a pesar de su dificultad, y buena capacidad para organizar los datos y para desarrollar estrategias eficientes de resolución

La investigación ante la LOU

El trabajo analiza y valora de forma esquemática las siguientes cuestiones: la Investigación en la LOU, las vías de financiación y el sistema de indicadores de la actividad investigadora en la Universidad de La Laguna (ULL); destaca los puntos de mayor trascendencia, ofrece reflexiones sobre posibles problemas y señala algunos aspectos preocupantes.The paper reflects on the following issues using analysis and evaluation: Research under the LOU, sources of funding and the system of indicators used for research activity in the La Laguna University (ULL); it highlights the most important points, provides thoughts on possible issues and picks out some worrying aspects

Your Teammate Just Sent You a New Message! The Effects of Using Telegram on Individual Acquisition of Teamwork Competence

Students’ acquisition of teamwork competence has become a priority for educational institutions. The development of teamwork competence in education generally relies in project-based learning methodologies and challenges. The assessment of teamwork in project-based learning involves, among others, assessing students’ participation and the interactions between team members. Project-based learning can easily be handled in small-size courses, but course management and teamwork assessment become a burdensome task for instructors as the size of the class increases. Additionally, when project-based learning happens in a virtual space, such as online learning, interactions occur in a less natural way. This study explores the use of instant messaging apps (more precisely, the use of Telegram) as team communication space in project-based learning, using a learning analytics tool to extract and analyze student interactions. Further, the study compares student interactions (e.g., number of messages exchanged) and individual teamwork competence acquisition between traditional asynchronous (e.g., LMS message boards) and synchronous instant messaging communication environments. The results show a preference of students for IM tools and increased participation in the course. However, the analysis does not find significant improvement in the acquisition of individual teamwork competence

Complement Binding Anti-HLA Antibodies and the Survival of Kidney Transplantation

Background: Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is one of the most important challenges in the context of renal transplantation, because the binding of de novo donor-specific antibodies (dnDSA) to the kidney graft triggers the activation of the complement, which in turn leads to loss of transplant. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the association between complement-fixing dnDSA antibodies and graft loss as well as the possible association between non-complement-fixing antibodies and transplanted organ survival in kidney transplant recipients. Methods: Our study included a cohort of 245 transplant patients over a 5-year period at Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital (HUVN) in Granada, Spain. Results: dnDSA was observed in 26 patients. Of these patients, 17 had non-complement-fixing dnDSA and 9 had complement-fixing dnDSA. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated a significant association between the frequency of rejection and renal graft loss and the presence of C1q-binding dnDSA. Our results show the importance of the individualization of dnDSA, classifying them according to their ability to activate the complement, and suggest that the detection of complement-binding capacity by dnDSA could be used as a prognostic marker to predict AMR outcome and graft survival in kidney transplant patients who develop dnDSA

Sam Harris y los argumentos del Nuevo Ateísmo

Para Sam Harris cualquier manifestación religiosa es sinónimo de fanatismo y por lo tanto peligrosa y contraria al bienestar. Según este autor tampoco existe la libertad y el espíritu. Aquel que afirma la existencia del alma es un dualista, ya que solo tenemos el momento presente y la mejor manera de alcanzarlo es mediante la meditación budista y en algunas ocasiones incluso mediante el uso de drogas naturales o sintéticas que permitan prescindir del yo. Harris minusvalora cualquier conocimiento que no proceda directamente del método científico, como son, por ejemplo, las humanidades. A pesar de eso, es frecuente encontrar incluso argumentaciones que nada tienen que ver con la ciencia. El empleo indiscriminado del calificativo ‘científico’ no hace que un hecho sea más o menos verdadero. Esto evidentemente es un reduccionismo.Sam Harris attempts to put the fundamentals of morality on the concept of well-being, far from any religious concept. For him, any manifestation of religiosity would be synonymous to fanaticism and therefore dangerous and would be against any kind of well-being. According to him, the concepts of free will and the spirit do not exist. Furthermore, those who support the existence of the human soul are dualists, since the only thing we have is the present moment and the best way to reach it is through buddhist meditation and at times even by the use of synthetic and natural drugs that allow us to leave out the self. Harris undervalues any kind of knowledge that does not come directly through the scientific method, like the humanities. Nevertheless, it is common to find in Harris’ texts argumentations that have nothing to do with science. The indiscriminate use of the word ‘scientific’ would not make a claim truer. This is obviously a reductionism

Author Correction: Infuence of the surface viscous stress on the pinch‑of of free surfaces loaded with nearly‑inviscid surfactants [Corrección]

Correction to: Scientifc Reports https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-73007-1, published online 30 September 2020. The original version of this Article contained errors

Global stability analysis of axisymmetric liquid-liquid flow focusing

Article number A10We analyse both numerically and experimentally the stability of the steady jetting tip streaming produced by focusing a liquid stream with another liquid current when they coflow through the orifice of an axisymmetric nozzle. We calculate the global eigenmodes characterizing the response of this configuration to small-amplitude perturbations. In this way, the critical conditions leading to the instability of the steady jetting tip streaming are determined. The unstable perturbations are classified according to their oscillatory character and to the region where they originate (convective and absolute instability). We derive and explain in terms of the velocity field a simple scaling law to predict the diameter of the emitted jet. The numerical stability limits are compared with experimental results, finding reasonable agreement. The experiments confirm the existence of the two instability mechanisms predicted by the global stability analysisMinisterio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (España) DPI2016-78887Junta de Extremadura GR18175Junta de Andalucía P18-FR-362