Potential control of forest diseases by solutions of chitosan oligomers, propolis and nanosilver

Producción CientíficaThere is a growing necessity to replace chemical agents with ecofriendly materials, arising from the impact on the environment and/or human health, which calls for the design of new broad-spectrum fungicides. In this work, chitosan oligomers (COs), propolis (Ps) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) mixtures in solution were assessed to control the growth of different phytopathogenic fungi and oomycetes in vitro. Binary solutions of COs-Ps and COs-AgNPs evinced the highest antifungal effect against Fusarium circinatum and Diplodia pinea fungi, respectively, with a ca. 80% reduction in their mycelial growth. The COs solution by itself also proved to be greatly effective against Gremmeniella abietina, Cryphonectria parasitica and Heterobasidion annosum fungi, causing a reduction of 78%, 86% and 93% in their growth rate, respectively. Likewise, COs also attained a 100% growth inhibition on the oomycete Phytophthora cambivora. On the other hand, Ps inhibited totally the growth of Phytophthora ×alni and Phytophthora plurivora. The application of AgNPs reduced the mycelial growth of F. circinatum and D. pinea. However, the AgNPs in some binary and ternary mixtures had a counter-productive effect on the anti-fungal/oomycete activity. In spite of the fact that the anti-fungal/oomycete activity of the different treatments showed a dependence on the particular type of microorganism, these solutions based on natural compounds can be deemed as a promising tool for control of tree diseases.European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST Action FP1406 PINESTRENGTH)Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad - Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (project AGL2015-69370-R

Measuring the influence of Cooperative Learning and Project Based Learning on problem solvin skill.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects obtained after applying two active learning methodologies (cooperative learning and project based learning) to the achievement of the competence problem solving. This study was carried out at the Technical University of Madrid, where these methodologies were applied to two Operating Systems courses. The first hypothesis tested was whether the implementation of active learning methodologies favours the achievement of ?problem solving?. The second hypothesis was focused on testing if students with higher rates in problem solving competence obtain better results in their academic performance. The results indicated that active learning methodologies do not produce any significant change in the generic competence ?problem solving? during the period analysed. Concerning this, we consider that students should work with these methodologies for a longer period, besides having a specific training. Nevertheless, a close correlation between problem solving self appraisal and academic performance has been detected

Method to guide the design of project based learning activities based on educational theories

Project Based Learning (PjBL) has shown to be effective in engineering to acquire both professional and lifelong learning skills. Nevertheless, some authors assert it is not an easy instructional method to implement. It requires teaching skills and entails some difficulties for both students and teachers, specially related to the time and effort needed to put it into practice. In some countries, the implementation of PjBL has a limited scope, restricted to single courses that do not have a great repercussion in the curriculum. Moreover, some teachers tend to implement PjBL intuitively, based on their teaching experience instead of following important PjBL principies or instructional practices. To facilítate the proliferation and better establishment of PjBL in these countries, it is necessary to engage more teachers in best practices of this methodology, applying its main instructional principies and adequate educational theories. In this way, they could overeóme the difficulties mentioned above and obtain better results in their experiences. This study is aimed at defining a method to design activities based on PjBL. This method guides teachers in the use of PjBL principies and several instructional design models. In particular, the method deals with the definition and articulation of an appropriate problem. In addition, it faces three fundamental issues in active learning and especially in PjBL: Students' Motivation, Supporting Students' Work and Autonomous Working. This proposal is specially focused on those academic contexts in which instructors are starting to use this methodology and students are not used to dealing with ill-structured projeets, and consequently they could find important difficulties in its implementation. The method has been put into practice in three courses, where first results seem to be satisfactory according to a survey conducted by the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. Results spanning the last six years of this survey have been analyzed. Currently, it is being used to implement a multidisciplinary project which covers four courses in a Master's degree. Finally, a collaborative online tool and teacher workshop further supports this method

Integration of three instructional design models within the organization of PBL activities

This work is aimed at defining a method to design courses based on Project Based Learning methodology. This proposal is specially focused on those academic contexts in which instructors are starting to use this methodology and students are not used to dealing with illstructured projects, and consequently they could find important difficulties in its implementation. To reach this goal, this method is based on several instructional design models, learning theories and PBL principles. In particular, the method faces three fundamental issues in active learning and especially in PBL: Students’ Motivation, Supporting Students’ Work and Autonomous Working. Engaging instructors to follow these models when they are designing the course facilitates the subsequent success during the course implementation. The method has been put into practice in three courses, where first results seem to be satisfactory according to a survey conducted by the University. Results of this survey over for the last six years have been analysed. Besides the description of the method, we present a collaborative online tool that supports i

Towards to personal profiles of online video game players: application of POS-PLS on UTAUT model

There are diverse segmentations of online players in the literature. Most of them are proposed a priori, and there are no segmentations based on the acceptance of technology and the personal values of the players. The foremost purpose of this study is to obtain a clustering of online video games players, founded on UTAUT model, and to describe the subsequent segments consistent with the personal values of Schwartz. The measurement model and the structural model was analyzed with partial least squares (PLS). Subsequently, the POS-PLS technique has been devoted to inspect unobserved heterogeneity and to find players’ segments. Four segments are obtained from the statistical tools

Cuerdas cósmicas de materia oscura axiónica

El axión como resultado de una ruptura espontánea de la simetría PQ tiene profundas implicaciones cosmológicas. Una de ellas son la aparición de defectos topológicos, como redes de cuerdas y paredes de dominio, asociados a este tipo de transiciones de fase que tienen lugar en el Universo temprano. Aunque pueden servir para explicar la abundancia de materia oscura y la formación de estructuras por inhomogeneidades, pueden suponer un desastre cosmológico, en especial las paredes de dominio. La evolución de estas redes de defectos topológicos se pueden simular y está caracterizada por tiempos característicos que se pueden estimar analíticamente. La evolución de la red de cuerdas y paredes de domino, así como su destino y desaparición depende del número de mínimos degenerados, que tenga el potencial QCD. Si este número es mayor que uno, se puede introducir un término de bias que favorezca que el campo tienda a uno de los mínimos al cabo de un tiempo característico, suponiendo una solución al problema de las paredes de dominio.<br /

Supporting the design and development of Project Based Learning courses.

The use of Project Based Learning has spread widely over the last decades, not only throughout countries but also among disciplines. One of the most significant characteristics of this methodology is the use of ill-structured problems as central activity during the course, which represents an important difficulty for both teachers and students. This work presents a model, supported by a tool, focused on helping teachers and students in Project Based Learning, overcoming these difficulties. Firstly, teachers are guided in designing the project following the main principles of this methodology. Once the project has been specified at the desired level of depth, the same tool helps students to finish the project specification and organize the implementation. Collaborative work among different users is allowed in both phases. This tool has been satisfactorily tested designing two real projects used in Computer Engineering and Software Engineering degrees

Priorización Ejidal De Criterios Sobre Bienes Públicos: El Caso De Caminos Rurales

En este artículo se fijó como objetivo definir las preferencias de la población sobre el mantenimiento de los caminos rurales como vías de flujo de bienes y servicios que usan cotidianamente, para ello se presenta un modelo de participación de la sociedad rural donde se integra la opinión de los beneficiarios en el mantenimiento de los caminos rurales basado en un proceso de análisis jerárquico que valora la importancia de criterios económicos, sociales y ambientale

Desarrollo y evaluación de competencias genéricas en los títulos de grado.

Los nuevos títulos de grado en la Universidad española generados a raíz del proceso de Bolonia,inciden en una nueva dimensión: las competencias genéricas que deben adquirir los estudiantes universitarios. Pero ¿cómo armonizar el desarrollo y evaluación de dichas competencias con la actual actividad docente? En este trabajo se expone un modelo que permite la citada armonización con un mínimo de “ruido” y de esfuerzo complementario por parte de los docentes. En el modelo propuesto primero se hace una selección y una ordenación de las competencias que se quieren incorporar en un plan de estudios. Se hace una proyección de las competencias en los cuatrimestres y asignaturas del plan de estudios. La introducción de las competencias en las asignaturas asignadas se hace a través del diseño de actividades de formación, desarrollo y evaluación de la competencia. La segunda componente del modelo propuesto tiene por objeto coordinar las acciones que implementen la transversalidad de las competencias bajo desarrollo tanto en espacio como en tiempo. Por último, existen un conjunto de actividades destinadas a realizar el control de calidad del proceso propuesto. Este modelo se está implementado en las dos titulaciones de grado impartidas por la Escuela Universitaria de Informática de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid durante el curso 2012/13. La coordinación se ha mostrado especialmente difícil dado la falta de experie ncia y el desconocimiento en este campo y las reticencias de algunos docentes a implicarse en este proceso. El modelo demuestra varias bondades: flexibilidad, aplicabilidad, extensibilidad, universalidad,globalidad y economía. ABSTRACT: The new degrees in Spanish University, generated as a result of the Bologna process, affect a new dimension: the generic competences to be acquired by university students. But, how can we harmonize the development and evaluation of these competencies with current teaching? This paper presents a model that allows the aforementioned harmonization with minimal "noise" and additional effort on the part of teachers. The proposed model first makes a selection and organization of competences that are to be incorporated into a curriculum. The following is a projection of competences in the semesters and curriculum subjects. The introduction of competences in the subjects assigned is carried out by designing activities of training, development and assessment. The second component of the proposed model is focused on coordinating actions to implement the transverse character of competences in both space and time. Finally, there are a set of activities to perform quality control of the proposed process. This model is being implemented in two degree taught by the School of Computer Science at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid during the year 2012/13. Coordination has been particularly difficult given the lack of experience and lack of knowledge in this field and the reluctance of teachers to engage in this process