Active learning based laboratory towards engineering education 4.0

Universities have a relevant and essential key role to ensure knowledge and development of competencies in the current fourth industrial revolution called Industry 4.0. The Industry 4.0 promotes a set of digital technologies to allow the convergence between the information technology and the operation technology towards smarter factories. Under such new framework, multiple initiatives are being carried out worldwide as response of such evolution, particularly, from the engineering education point of view. In this regard, this paper introduces the initiative that is being carried out at the Technical University of Catalonia, Spain, called Industry 4.0 Technologies Laboratory, I4Tech Lab. The I4Tech laboratory represents a technological environment for the academic, research and industrial promotion of related technologies. First, in this work, some of the main aspects considered in the definition of the so called engineering education 4.0 are discussed. Next, the proposed laboratory architecture, objectives as well as considered technologies are explained. Finally, the basis of the proposed academic method supported by an active learning approach is presented.Postprint (published version

Biogas production from the liquid waste of distilled gin production: Optimization of UASB reactor performance with increasing organic loading rate for co-digestion with swine wastewater

This study is the first test that proves high rate anaerobic digestion as an efficient technological process for the treatment of gin spent wash. The gin spent wash was co-digested in UASB reactors with swine wastewater, which provided nutrients and alkalinity. The process was optimized by increasing the proportion of gin spent wash in the feed, and thus the organic loading rate (OLR) up to reactor failure. Stable high- efficiency operation was reached at an OLR as high as 28.5 kg COD m−3 d−1, yielding 8.4m3 CH4 m−3 d−1 and attaining a COD removal of 97.0%. At an organic loading rate of 32.0 kg COD m−3 d−1, the process became unstable and the reactor underwent over-acidification that drastically lowered the pH and suppressed methanogenesis. The failure of the reactor was caused by a combination of an organic overloading and alkalinity deficit that uncoupled acidogenesis and methanogenesis

Altered calcium signaling in platelets from nitric oxide-deficient hypertensive rats

BACKGROUND: In the present study we have analyzed the mechanisms of calcium entry and mobilization in platelets obtained from rats chronically treated with the nitric oxide synthesis inhibitor, N-nitro L-arginine methyl ester [L-NAME, 40 mg/kg/day, 5 days). The platelets were obtained the day of the experiment, washed and loaded with fura-2. The intracellular calcium levels were determined in suspension of cells by means of fluorescence spectroscopy. RESULTS: Basal calcium levels were always elevated in the platelets of the L-NAME-treated rats, both in the presence and in the absence of extracellular calcium. The administration of thrombin in the absence and in the presence of extracellular calcium induced important elevations in calcium levels that were always of greater magnitude in the platelets of the L-NAME-treated rats than in those of the controls. The addition of calcium to thapsigargin-treated platelets produced a massive elevation in calcium levels in both groups that was significantly greater in the platelets obtained from the hypertensive rats than in those of the controls. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the arterial hypertension induced by the reduction of nitric oxide alters the regulation of platelet calcium levels so that elevated baseline levels and calcium entry and mobilization are enhanced. This could be the result of direct or indirect effects of the lack of nitric oxide synthesis in platelets or in other tissues

Fear of Falling Score Is a Predictor of Falls in Community-Dwelling Pre-Frail and Frail Older People

Identifying frail older people at risk of falling is a priority in order to apply preventive strategies. This cross-sectional study included community-dwelling pre-frail and frail people (Fried’s criteria) aged 70 years and older to assess the prevalence of falls and identify screening strategies based on comprehensive geriatric assessments to detect an increased risk of falling and recurrent falling in community-dwelling frail and pre-frail old people. Of the 229 participants, 121 (54.9%) had fallen in the previous 12 months, and 20 of these (16.5%) were recurrent fallers (≥2 falls). A score of 20 points or more on the Falls Efficacy Scale International was predictive of falling (area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve 0.67, 95% confidence interval: 0.61–0.74, p < 0.001) with a sensitivity of 51.7% and a specificity of 73.9%. Polypharmacy, Short Physical Performance Battery score of 8 points or less, and Falls Efficacy Scale International score of 20 points or more show an area under the curve of 0.78 (95% confidence interval: 0.67–0.89, p < 0.001) for recurrent falling.Medicin

Prácticas profesionales virtuales como estrategia de empleabilidad: el caso de la UNED

ABSTRACT One One of the main axes of the recent higher education reform in Spain is the employability of graduates. In this sense, external practices are presented as a central strategy within this political commitment. This article presents a case study about the virtual practices program at the National University of Distance Education (UNED) as an innovative strategy to adapt the promotion of employability to the needs and characteristics of distance students with family conciliation needs. We use a mixed methodology based on data from administrative records, evaluation surveys and qualitative analysis of interviews and focus groups. Research objectives identify motivations of the students and companies to develop virtual internships and evaluate those effects in the students employability by self-evaluation of their level of competences and, on the other hand, through their continuity in these companies. The analysis is performed comparatively with on-site practices. It is concluded that the profile of student in virtual practices has a higher level of competences than on-site students. On the other hand, the need for greater attention and resources is detected in order to achieve a formative efficiency of the practices. Finally, in general terms, we conclude with a reflection on the role of internships within a complex labor context in which they perform as a mechanism for legitimizing access to the labor market or reorientation of the professional career.RESUMENUno de los principales ejes de la reciente reforma universitaria en España es la empleabilidad de los titulados. En este sentido, las prácticas externas se presentan como una estrategia central dentro de este compromiso en la política educativa. Este artículo presenta un estudio de caso sobre el programa de prácticas virtuales de la Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED) como una estrategia innovadora para adecuar la promoción de la empleabilidad a las necesidades y características de los estudiantes a distancia y con necesidades de conciliación. Nos servimos de una metodología mixta, a partir de datos procedentes de registros administrativos2, encuestas de evaluación y análisis cualitativo de entrevistas y reuniones de grupo. Los objetivos de esta investigación son conocer las motivaciones de los estudiantes para realizar (estudiantes) o acoger (empresas) prácticas profesionales virtuales y valorar los efectos de las prácticas en su empleabilidad por medio de la autovaloración de su nivel de competencias y, por otro lado, a través de la continuidad en la empresa en la que realizan prácticas. El análisis se realiza de forma comparada con las prácticas presenciales.Se llega a la conclusión de que el perfil de estudiante en prácticas virtuales tiene un mayor nivel de competencias. Por otro lado, se detecta la necesidad de una mayor atención y disposición de recursos para lograr la eficiencia formativa de las prácticas en modalidad virtual. Finalmente, en términos generales, se reflexiona sobre el papel de las prácticas dentro de un contexto laboral complejo en el que funcionan como mecanismo de legitimación para el acceso al mercado laboral o reorientación de la carrera profesional.ABSTRACTOne One of the main axes of the recent higher education reform in Spain is the employability of graduates. In this sense, external practices are presented as a central strategy within this political commitment. This article presents a case study about the virtual practices program at the National University of Distance Education (UNED) as an innovative strategy to adapt the promotion of employability to the needs and characteristics of distance students with family conciliation needs. We use a mixed methodology based on data from administrative records, evaluation surveys and qualitative analysis of interviews and focus groups. Research objectives identify motivations of the students and companies to develop virtual internships and evaluate those effects in the students employability by self-evaluation of their level of competences and, on the other hand, through their continuity in these companies. The analysis is performed comparatively with on-site practices. It is concluded that the profile of student in virtual practices has a higher level of competences than on-site students. On the other hand, the need for greater attention and resources is detected in order to achieve a formative efficiency of the practices. Finally, in general terms, we conclude with a reflection on the role of internships within a complex labor context in which they perform as a mechanism for legitimizing access to the labor market or reorientation of the professional career

Vitamin D deficiency at pediatric intensive care admission

AbstractObjectiveto assess whether 25hydroxivitaminD or 25(OH)vitD deficiency has a high prevalence at pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission, and whether it is associated with increased prediction of mortality risk scores.Methodprospective observational study comparing 25(OH)vitD levels measured in 156 patients during the 12hours after critical care admission with the 25(OH)vitD levels of 289 healthy children. 25(OH)vitD levels were also compared between PICU patients with pediatric risk of mortality III (PRISM III) or pediatric index of mortality 2 (PIM 2) > p75 [(group A; n=33) vs. the others (group B; n=123)]. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as < 20ng/mL levels.Resultsmedian (p25‐p75) 25(OH)vitD level was 26.0ng/mL (19.2‐35.8) in PICU patients vs. 30.5ng/mL (23.2‐38.6) in healthy children (p=0.007). The prevalence of 25(OH)vitD < 20ng/mL was 29.5% (95% CI: 22.0‐37.0) vs. 15.6% (95% CI: 12.2‐20.0) (p=0.01). Pediatric intensive care patients presented an odds ratio (OR) for hypovitaminosis D of 2.26 (CI 95%: 1.41‐3.61). 25(OH)vitD levels were 25.4ng/mL (CI 95%: 15.5‐36.0) in group A vs. 26.6ng/mL (CI 95%: 19.3‐35.5) in group B (p=0.800).Conclusionshypovitaminosis D incidence was high in PICU patients. Hypovitaminosis D was not associated with higher prediction of risk mortality scores

The Effect of Regular Intake of Dry-Cured Ham Rich in Bioactive Peptides on Inflammation, Platelet and Monocyte Activation Markers in Humans.

Background and aims: Dietary studies have shown that active biopeptides provide protective health benefits, although the mediating pathways are somewhat uncertain. To throw light on this situation, we studied the effects of consuming Spanish dry-cured ham on platelet function, monocyte activation markers and the inflammatory status of healthy humans with pre-hypertension. Methods: Thirty-eight healthy volunteers with systolic blood pressure of >125 mmHg were enrolled in a two-arm crossover randomized controlled trial. Participants received 80 g/day dry-cured pork ham of >11 months proteolysis or 100 g/day cooked ham (control product) for 4 weeks followed by a 2-week washout before "crossing over" to the other treatment for 4 more weeks. Soluble markers and cytokines were analyzed by ELISA. Platelet function was assessed by measuring P-selectin expression and PAC-1 binding after ADP (adenosine diphosphate) stimulation using whole blood flow cytometry. Monocyte markers of the pathological status (adhesion, inflammatory and scavenging receptors) were also measured by flow cytometry in the three monocyte subsets after the interventional period. Results: The mean differences between dry-cured ham and cooked ham followed by a time period adjustment for plasmatic P-selectin and interleukin 6 proteins slightly failed (p = 0.062 and p = 0.049, respectively), notably increased for MCP-1 levels (p = 0.023) while VCAM-1 was not affected. Platelet function also decreased after ADP stimulation. The expression of adhesion and scavenging markers (ICAM1R, CXCR4 and TLR4) in the three subsets of monocytes was significantly higher (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: The regular consumption of biopeptides contained in the dry-cured ham but absent in cooked ham impaired platelet and monocyte activation and the levels of plasmatic P-selectin, MCP-1 and interleukin 6 in healthy subjects. This study strongly suggests the existence of a mechanism that links dietary biopeptides and beneficial health effects

Marked Theme in the Reading Comprehension of Advanced L2 English Learners

According to Barzegar (2013), the way we arrange words in different positions of the clause is essential to communicate in any language. In other words, word order is highly important when creating meaning. Second language learners usually aim to have a clear understanding of how and where to place words, so they can achieve successful communication in the target language. Kessler (2004) found that native speakers and advance language learners of English have a similar level of syntactical knowledge, especially in terms of word order. However, this word-order knowledge does not seem equally applied to different structures and languages. In this regard, Jin (2008) discovered that English speakers have much difficulty in learning marked structures in Chinese. Similarly, Solís Hernández (2006) demonstrated that L2 English learners usually struggle with structures that do not follow the same pattern at all times, especially in relation to adverb placement. She described that most students did not clearly understand the reasons why adverbs in English are placed in different positions of the clause. In my experience, I have noticed that small differences in clause constructions (e.g., “I saw him yesterday” and “Yesterday I saw him”), can be confusing to L2 learners. This is not only because of the syntactic order, but because sometimes it is difficult for learners to understand the reasons that have motivated a speaker or a writer to select a less common word order construction to communicate a specific message

The Conformational Stability and Biophysical Properties of the Eukaryotic Thioredoxins of Pisum Sativum Are Not Family-Conserved

Thioredoxins (TRXs) are ubiquitous proteins involved in redox processes. About forty genes encode TRX or TRX-related proteins in plants, grouped in different families according to their subcellular localization. For instance, the h-type TRXs are located in cytoplasm or mitochondria, whereas f-type TRXs have a plastidial origin, although both types of proteins have an eukaryotic origin as opposed to other TRXs. Herein, we study the conformational and the biophysical features of TRXh1, TRXh2 and TRXf from Pisum sativum. The modelled structures of the three proteins show the well-known TRX fold. While sharing similar pH-denaturations features, the chemical and thermal stabilities are different, being PsTRXh1 (Pisum sativum thioredoxin h1) the most stable isoform; moreover, the three proteins follow a three-state denaturation model, during the chemical-denaturations. These differences in the thermal- and chemical-denaturations result from changes, in a broad sense, of the several ASAs (accessible surface areas) of the proteins. Thus, although a strong relationship can be found between the primary amino acid sequence and the structure among TRXs, that between the residue sequence and the conformational stability and biophysical properties is not. We discuss how these differences in the biophysical properties of TRXs determine their unique functions in pea, and we show how residues involved in the biophysical features described (pH-titrations, dimerizations and chemical-denaturations) belong to regions involved in interaction with other proteins. Our results suggest that the sequence demands of protein-protein function are relatively rigid, with different protein-binding pockets (some in common) for each of the three proteins, but the demands of structure and conformational stability per se (as long as there is a maintained core), are less so

Association between a Mediterranean lifestyle and growth differentiation factor 15: The seniors ENRICA-2 cohort

Background: Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF-15) is a marker of inflammation and oxidative stress that has been associated with multiple age-related chronic diseases. Since lifestyle is key for preventing these adverse health outcomes, we examined the association between a Mediterranean lifestyle and GDF-15 serum concentrations in Spanish older adults. Methods: We used cross-sectional data from 2502 older adults participating in the Seniors ENRICA-2 cohort. Adherence to the Mediterranean lifestyle was assessed with the 27-item MEDLIFE index, divided into three blocks: 1) “Mediterranean food consumption, 2) Mediterranean dietary habits, 3) Physical activity, rest, social habits, and conviviality”. Analyses of the association between the MEFLIFE index and GDF-15 concentrations were performed using multivariable linear regression models adjusting for the main potential confounders. Results: The MEDLIFE index was inversely associated with GDF-15. Compared with participants in the lowest quartile of the MEDLIFE score, GDF-15 mean percentage differences (95% CI) were − 3.0% (− 8.0, 2.3) for the second quartile, − 8.7% (− 13.0, − 4.1) for the third quartile, and − 10.1% (− 15.0, − 4.9) for the fourth quartile (ptrend<0.001). Block 3 of MEDLIFE, and particularly doing sufficient physical activity, adequate sleep duration, and participating in collective sports, was individually linked to lower concentrations of GDF-15. Results remained similar after excluding participants with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, or obesity. Conclusions: A Mediterranean lifestyle was associated with reduced levels of GDF-15, suggesting that a combination of multiple lifestyles may be an integral approach to reduce chronic inflammation and disease burden in older adultsThis work was supported by the Institute of Health Carlos III; the Secretary of R+D+I; the European Regional Development Fund/European Social Fund (FIS grants 19/319, 20/00896); the National Plan on Drugs (grant 2020/17); Fundacion ´ Soria Melguizo (MITOFUN project); Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (RYC 2018-02069I to MSP); Universidad Autonoma ´ de Madrid (FPI contract to JMR); FACINGLCOVID-CM project, Funding REACT EU Program (Comunidad de Madrid, European Regional Development Fund). Reagents for measuring Growth Differentiation Factor 15 have been provided by Roche Diagnostics International through a Research Agreement with the FUAM (Fundacion ´ de la Universidad Autonoma ´ de Madrid). The funding agencies had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, interpretation of results, manuscript preparation or the decision to submit this manuscript for publicatio