Assessment of Virgin Olive Oil Adulteration by a Rapid Luminescent Method

The adulteration of virgin olive oil with hazelnut oil is a common fraud in the food industry, which makes mandatory the development of accurate methods to guarantee the authenticity and traceability of virgin olive oil. In this work, we demonstrate the potential of a rapid luminescent method to characterize edible oils and to detect adulterations among them. A regression model based on five luminescent frequencies related to minor oil components was designed and validated, providing excellent performance for the detection of virgin olive oil adulteration

Constructivismo y metodología colaborativa mediada por TIC en educación superior usando webquest

The present article presents an experience of educational innovation framed in the constructivist approach and the collaborative methodology conducted with students of the Degree in Primary Education, in the module “ICT Applied to Education”. The experience consisted of making the students competent in the design, creation and evaluation of WebQuests and Scavenger Hunts. To this end, globalising and competence-based strategies were used, with which the students learn, through a work project, to perform specific tasks designed by the teacher and carried out in collaborative groups based on constructivist models from an active learning. In this case, the students are taught what a WebQuest is by using a WebQuest designed by the teacher, who then gives them the task of creating a WebQuest or Scavenger Hunt designed for students in primary education. This experience is structured in three learning phases, as well as an initial evaluation (pretest) and a final evaluation (post-test) to verify the extent of learning of the students. During the process, instruments of self-evaluation, heteroevaluation and coevaluation were used to enhance learning. The results show that the learning of these students increased, both in their didactic competence and in the use of ICT, using an alternative methodology to the traditional one.En este artículo queremos dar a conocer una experiencia de innovación docente enmarcada en el enfoque constructivista y la metodología colaborativa, realizada con alumnos del Grado de Maestro de Educación Primaria en la Asignatura de Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación aplicadas a la Educación. Se trata de hacer a los alumnos competentes en el diseño, elaboración y evaluación de Webquest y “caza del tesoro”. Para ello utilizamos, estrategias de aprendizaje globalizador y de tipo competencial, donde los alumnos aprenden, a través de un proyecto de trabajo, a realizar unas determinadas tareas diseñadas por el profesor y llevadas a cabo en grupos colaborativos basado en modelos constructivistas desde un aprendizaje activo. En el caso que nos ocupa se enseña a los estudiantes qué es una Webquest utilizando una Webquest diseñada por la profesora, y que exige en la tarea la realización de una Webquest o “caza del tesoro” dirigida a alumnos de Educación Primaria. Esta experiencia se estructura en 3 fases de aprendizaje, además de una evaluación inicial (pre-test) y otra final (post-test) para verificar el grado de aprendizaje de los alumnos. Durante el proceso también se utilizan instrumentos de autoevaluación, heteroevaluación y coevaluación que favorecen el aprendizaje. Los resultados demuestran el incremento superior del aprendizaje de los estudiantes tanto en su competencia didáctica, como en el uso de las TIC, utilizando una metodología alternativa a la tradicional

El sesgo condicionado en el análisis de influencia: una revisión

El sesgo condicionado se ha propuesto como diagnóstico de influencia en distintos modelos y tecnicas estadísticas. Tratando de recoger una visión global de la utilidad del concepto, en este trabajo se hace una revisión general del mismo relacionandolo con la curva de sensibilidad y la curva de influencia muestral. Además, se señalan posibles líneas de trabajo que permitiran abordar el análisis de la influencia a través de este enfoque en una gran variedad de tecnicas estadísticas

Cooperativas, sociedades laborales y mutualidades de previsión social: 25 años de progreso de la economía social de mercado bajo la constitución de 1978

This paper analyses the evolution of the leading market social economy organisations in Spain since the Constitution of 1978. The first part concerns a study of co-operatives and workers societies; the second refers to mutual societies. An analysis of the institutional framework, this sector's quantitative evolution, the responses to changes in the business background and the social impact of their activities enable us to conclude that over the period studied these companies have very significantly reinforced their position in the market. At the same time, they have consolidated their institutional recognition and their social image. Nevertheless, this very positive result should not obscure certain structural problems limiting their potential for development. The fragmentation of the three sub-sectors examined and the differences in legal treatment in financial and tax matters affecting mutual societies are questions that have to be resolved over coming years, with the aim of improving the competitive position of these organisations.co-operatives, worker associations, mutual societies, market social economy.

Effects of mitochondrial poisons on glutathione redox potential and carotid body chemoreceptor activity

Producción CientíficaLowoxygen sensing in chemoreceptor cells involves the inhibition of specific plasma membrane K+ channels, suggesting that mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) link hypoxia to K+ channel inhibition, subsequent cell depolarization and activation of neurotransmitter release.We have used several mitochondrial poisons, alone and in combination with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC), and quantify their capacity to alter GSH/GSSG levels and glutathione redox potential (EGSH) in rat diaphragm. Selected concentrations of mitochondrial poisons with or without NAC were tested for their capacity to activate neurotransmitter release in chemoreceptor cells and to alter ATP levels in intact rat carotid body (CB).We found that rotenone (1 M), antimycin A (0.2 g/ml) and sodium azide (5mM) decreased EGSH; NAC restored EGSH to control values. At those concentrations mitochondrial poisons activated neurotransmitter release from CB chemoreceptor cells and decreased CB ATP levels, NAC being ineffective to modify these responses. Additional experiments with 3-nitroprionate (5 mM), lower concentrations of rotenone and dinitrophenol revealed variable relationships between EGSH and chemoreceptor cell neurotransmitter release responses and ATP levels. These findings indicate a lack of correlation between mitochondrialgenerated modifications of EGSH and chemoreceptor cells activity. This lack of correlation renders unlikely that alteration of mitochondrial production of ROS is the physiological pathway chemoreceptor cells use to signal hypoxia

Endometrial study in patients with postmenopausal metrorrhagia

Introduction: The aim of the study was to devise a strategy to diagnose malign endometrial pathologies (adenocarcinoma or atypical hyperplasia) that minimizes the number of invasive tests done (hysteroscopy, aspiration biopsy or curettage) with no loss of its detection efficiency. Material and methods: We retrospectively studied the clinical histories of 779 postmenopausal women at the University Hospital Complex of Albacete, for whom an endometrial study had been done (hysteroscopy, aspiration biopsy or curettage) with a 1-year follow-up between 1 March 2006 and 31 March 2008. Results: There were 77 cases of a malignant pathology (66 adenocarcinomas and 11 hyperplasias with atypia); 96.1% had metrorrhagia, and there were only 3 cases of asymptomatic patients (all 3 presented endometrial thickness of > 5 mm: 10, 12 and 15 mm). The sensitivity and specificity of the transvaginal ultrasound, with a 5 mm cut-off point to diagnose a malignant pathology, were 98.4% and 30.1%, respectively; 89.1% and 99.6%, respectively, for aspiration biopsy; 83.9% and 99.1%, respectively, for hysteroscopy without biopsy; and both were 100% for biopsy. Statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05 and confidence intervals were calculated at 95%. Conclusions: In postmenopausal women with metrorrhagia, the first action to take is to do a transvaginal ultrasound, followed by en endometrial study, but only if the endometrium is irregular or endometrial thickness is > 5 mm; in asymptomatic women, the cut-off point should be set at 10 mm. The immediate method of choice is an ambulatory biopsy

Decreased Water Use in a Super-Intensive Olive Orchard Mediates Arthropod Populations and Pest Damage

In Spain, water use in agriculture is expected to become limited by resources in the future. It is pertinent to study the effect of decreased irrigation on the presence of pests, plant damage, and arthropod communities in a super-intensive olive orchard examined from 2017 to 2019. Arthropods were studied with visual and vacuum sampling methods in two irrigation treatments (T1—control and T2—Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI)). Univariate analyses showed that the total arthropod abundance was significantly greater in T1 than in T2 in 2018 and 2019, mostly due to Diptera Nematocera. Visual sampling revealed that the feeding damage produced by Eriophyidae (Trombidiformes) was significantly lower in T2 in 2018 and 2019: 10–40% of shoots were affected in the late season compared with 50–60% affected for T1. The feeding symptoms caused by Palpita unionalis Hübner (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and Zelleria oleastrella (Milliere) (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) were significantly less for T2 than for T1. Multivariate principal response curves showed significant differences between irrigation strategies in the 2018 and 2019 data for both sampling methods. In conclusion, irrigation schemes with restricted water use (T2—RDI) help to reduce the abundance of several types of pests in olive crops, especially of those that feed on the plants’ new sprouts

University teaching coordination: Evolution and assessment of the REDES Program at the University of Alicante

La investigación e innovación en docencia universitaria de forma colaborativa es uno de los elementos de cambio que la Educación Superior preconiza. El trabajo que presentamos demuestra esta afirmación, moviéndonos en el ámbito de una estructura de trabajo en Red. Utilizando una metodología mixta, en la primera parte, teórica, realizamos la delimitación conceptual de lo que consideramos trabajo en equipo, y describimos una estructura institucional creada para ello: el Programa Redes de Investigación en Docencia Universitaria de la Universidad de Alicante. En la segunda parte, con un diseño de investigación empírica no experimental y descriptiva, recogemos y analizamos el grado de satisfacción de los participantes en el Programa, con los resultados obtenidos de la encuesta de evaluación de sus últimas ediciones. La información analizada demuestra que existe un interés generalizado y creciente por el trabajo colaborativo en red y un grado de satisfacción elevado entre quienes participan en el Programa.Research and university teaching innovation in a collaborative way is one of the changing elements that the Higher Education advocates. The work presented demonstrates this affirmation, moving into the field of networking structure. By using a mixed methodology in the first theoretical part, we accomplish the conceptual delimiting of what we consider to be teamwork and describe the institutional structure created: the Program ‘University Teaching Investigation Networks’ at the University of Alicante. In the second part of this work, by means of empirical not experimental and descriptive research, we gather and analyse the satisfaction degree of the participants in the Program in comparison with the results obtained in the last assessment surveys. The information analyzed shows that there exists a widespread and increasing interest in collaborative networking. Additionally, the degree of satisfaction of those who took part in the Program increased

La Actividad Científica del CSIC a través del Web of Science. Estudio Bibliométrico del período 2001-2005

Este trabajo tiene como objetivo el estudio de la producción científica del CSIC durante el período 2001-2005. Antecedentes de este informe son los estudios de actividad científica del CSIC publicados en años anteriores. El presente informe introduce como novedad el uso de la base de datos Web of Science como fuente de información, mientras que los estudios previos se basaban en las bases de datos Science Citation Index (SCI), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) y Arts & Humanities Citation Index (AHCI) en su versión en CD-ROM. La base de datos internacional Web of Science (WoS), elaborada por Thomson Scientific (antes Thomson ISI) de EEUU, tiene una cobertura más amplia que el mencionado CD-ROM. Recoge una selección de las principales revistas científicas en el ámbito internacional, y aunque presentan un claro sesgo a favor de revistas en lengua inglesa y de los países del "centro" científico, su uso permite obtener una visión de la producción científica de un país en su vertiente más internacional. Por otro lado, el uso de la base de datos WoS ha permitido introducir por primera vez indicadores de impacto basados en las citas recibidas por los documentos.Peer reviewe

Sinorhizobium fredii HH103 RirA is required for oxidative stress resistance and efficient symbiosis with Soybean

Members of Rhizobiaceae contain a homologue of the iron-responsive regulatory protein RirA. In different bacteria, RirA acts as a repressor of iron uptake systems under iron-replete conditions and contributes to ameliorate cell damage during oxidative stress. In Rhizobium leguminosarum and Sinorhizobium meliloti, mutations in rirA do not impair symbiotic nitrogen fixation. In this study, a rirA mutant of broad host range S. fredii HH103 has been constructed (SVQ780) and its free-living and symbiotic phenotypes evaluated. No production of siderophores could be detected in either the wild-type or SVQ780. The rirA mutant exhibited a growth advantage under iron-deficient conditions and hypersensitivity to hydrogen peroxide in iron-rich medium. Transcription of rirA in HH103 is subject to autoregulation and inactivation of the gene upregulates fbpA, a gene putatively involved in iron transport. The S. fredii rirA mutant was able to nodulate soybean plants, but symbiotic nitrogen fixation was impaired. Nodules induced by the mutant were poorly infected compared to those induced by the wild-type. Genetic complementation reversed the mutant’s hypersensitivity to H2O2, expression of fbpA, and symbiotic deficiency in soybean plants. This is the first report that demonstrates a role for RirA in the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis.Andalucian Government Grant No. P11-CVI-7500Spanish Government Grant Nos. BIO2013-42801-P and BIO2016-78409-REuropean Regional Development Funds (ERDF)VPPI (V Plan Propio de Investigación) of University of Seville