Numerical Treatment of Fixed Point Applied to the Nonlinear Fredholm Integral Equation

The authors present a method of numerical approximation of the fixed point of an operator, specifically the integral one associated with a nonlinear Fredholm integral equation, that uses strongly the properties of a classical Schauder basis in the Banach space .This research partially supported by M.E.C. (Spain) and FEDER project no. MTM2006-12533 and by Junta de Andalucía Grant FQM359

An educational experience with digital storytelling in a classroom of early childhood education for the development of the digital competence

Presentamos un cuento electrónico que hemos diseñado sobre las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación para alumnos de Educación Infantil. Este recurso multimedia, al que hemos denominado el cuento de Los TICinventos, se contextualiza dentro de una experiencia innovadora desarrollada para favorecer la competencia digital de estos niños y secundariamente, su competencia comunicativa. El trabajo se ha llevado a cabo, en una primera fase, en un centro público de Educación Infantil y Primaria de la Región de Murcia. Los análisis cualitativos de la información obtenida mediante los dibujos de los niños y las manifestaciones verbales de éstos y su maestra, ponen de manifiesto el valor didáctico de la experiencia y que los aprendizajes relativos a las citadas competencias se producen. En esta comunicación explicamos el proceso de diseño y elaboración del cuento eléctronico adaptándolo a las características personales y de aprendizaje del alumnado de esta etapa educativa

Influencia del consumo moderado de cerveza sobre la toxicocinética del aluminio: estudio agudo

Objective: Aluminium has lately been implicated as one of the possible causal factors contributing to Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders due to this metal is conducive to oxidative stress in the brain. According to different researches, it has been suggested that silicon may interfere in the toxico-kinetic of this metal. The present study has examined the effect of beer consumption as a source of silicon on the bioavailability of aluminium and the possible role of beer consumption in averting aluminium's neurotoxicity. Material and methods: In a three-day study, male rats were subjected to acute exposure to aluminium while being given two types of beer, i.e., alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer, to drink at two intake levels, one equivalent to moderate to low consumption in humans (0.5 I/d; 27.5 g alcohol/d) and another equivalent to moderate to high consumption in humans (1 I/d; 55 g alcohol/day). Aluminium and silicon were determined by ICP-MS and ICPOES, respectively. Results: The results obtained seem indicate that at moderately high levels of alcoholic beer intake the silicon present in the beer was able to reduce aluminium uptake in the digestive tract, increasing its excretion by faecal route. In addition, a possible interaction of both elements at level of distribution and renal excretion is suggested. Conclusion: In consequence, moderate beer consumption, possibly affording a protective factor for the toxic effect of aluminium, one of the environmental factors for Alzheimer's disease

Role of beer as a possible protective factor in preventing Alzheimer's disease

Aluminium (Al), a neurotoxin, has lately been implicated as one of the possible causal factors contributing to Alzheimer's disease. Because silicon (Si) intake can affect the bioavailability of aluminium, the object of the present study was to assess whether moderate beer consumption might, as a source of dietary Si, affect the toxicokinetics of Al and thereby limit that element's neurotoxicity. The results obtained confirmed that at moderately high levels of beer intake the Si present in the beer was able to reduce Al uptake in the digestive tract and thus was able to slow the accumulation of this metal in the body, brain tissue included. In consequence, moderate beer consumption, due to its content in bioavailability silicon, possibly affording a protective factor for preventing Alzheimer's disease, could perhaps be taken into account as a component of the dietary habits of the population

Monitoring heavy metal contents in food and hair in a sample of young Spanish subjects

For most people the main route Of exposure to the toxic elements is through the diet. Consequently, information concerning dietary intake is of the utmost importance in being able to assess risks to human health. The goal of this study was to intend to assess the usefulness of hair as a biomonitor of the mineral status in young adults. Daily intakes of selected toxic and essential mineral elements were evaluated using a food frequency questionnaire. In addition, the levels of these same elements in hair samples were Measured by inductively Coupled plasma mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The contents of the essential elements in the study population were all well above Spanish recommendations for adult males and females. The estimated intakes of toxic elements were appreciably below the respective PTWIs, indicating that these intake levels do not pose a health concern for this group. Significant differences in hair metal levels were observed between the men and the women, who were in the same age group. Interestingly, no correlation was found between trace element intakes and the corresponding levels in the hair. In conclusion, hair is only limited usefulness as a means of estimating the nutritional status of the essential and toxic elements considered

Features of non-kinship foster care children with birth family contact in Andalusia

The aim of the presentation is to describe the personal features of non-kinship foster care children who have visits with their birth family in Málaga, Granada and Jaén (provinces of Andalusia, Spain). This study was funded by the research project Application of a psychoeducational intervention program to improve visits between foster children and their biological families (Reference EDU2016 77094-P). SPSS v.21.0 was used to carry out the descriptive and frequency analysis of socio-demographic information collected by the Child File Summary Form designed for this study. There are 212 non-kinship foster care children who have visits with their birth family. Their mean age is 8.09 years old (SD= 4.73). The more frequent types of foster care are both long-term and short-term placement (30.7%, respectively), followed by specialized long-term foster care (20.3%), urgency placement (10.8%) and specialized short-term foster care (7.5%). The period of time they have been into the Child Protection System is on average 4.08 years (SD= 3.88) and into the current placement is on average 2.53 (SD= 2.95). Thus, 44.8% of foster children were in residential care and 30.2% were in previous foster care. The latter could have been with the current foster care family. Also, 41.0% of foster children were placed at least with one sibling. It is important to know the features of foster children in order to apply the main principle of “the best interests of the child” to the whole decision-making process about the child’s protection and welfare. In our project, these decisions concern foster care placement and birth family contact to maintain and strengthen family affective bonds and child’s identity formation. Our findings contribute to develop: (a) initiatives to improve children’s well-being; (b) support and social resources required by families; and (c) socio-educative tools for the social workers.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Features of birth families with foster children in Andalusia

The aim of the presentation is to describe the personal features of biological families whose children are in non-kinship foster care and with whom they have face-to-face contact in Málaga, Granada and Jaén (provinces of Andalusia, Spain). This study was funded by the research project Application of a psychoeducational intervention program to improve visits between foster children and their biological families (Reference EDU2016 77094-P). SPSS v.21.0 was used to carry out the descriptive and frequency analysis of socio-demographic information collected by the Child File Summary Form designed for this study. The results show the difficulties experienced by birth families to deal with the responsibility of parenthood. There is a high percentage of unemployment (54.5% mothers, 46.4% fathers), and a low level of education (61.7% uneducated mothers, 68.8% uneducated fathers). Furthermore, it is necessary to consider their diverse personal problems which undermine their competences to bring up and educate their children: substance abuse, mental health issues, mental disability and prison. Finally, the lack of relation between Social Services and birth families is highlighted. Knowing the circumstances of families at psychosocial risk permits to develop social policies that match with their specific necessities, by providing them the support and resources required, in line with Recommendation Rec(2006)19 of the Committee of Ministers to member states. Moreover, children and families’ rights have to be respected, such as their right to have contact to maintain and strengthen their affective bonds as part of their identity. These findings will contribute to design: (a) family intervention programs which allow parents to acquire the necessary parental skills; (b) support and educational tools for the social workers; and (c) projects to contribute to children’s well-being.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Intentionality and technological and institutional change: Implications for economic development

The interactive implementation of agents’ intentional actions generates new combinations that are at the base of structural change and complexity and produce unexpected consequences. An interesting case of study is provided by the absorption of new technology strategies for development. A common hypothesis is that development requires an institutional arrangement that allows for the exploitation of imported technology. However, historical examples (such as Cuba in the nineteenth century) show how the technological choices of highly innovative entrepreneurial élites may generate a trap of development even though institutions are conveniently adapted to accommodate new technology. To understand the nature of this type of development trap, we introduce a micro-meso-macro analytical approach based on Dopfer & Potts (2008). Institutions and technology are meso rule trajectories that coevolve in an emergence-disseminationretention process that interacts with both micro units (purposeful entrepreneurs) and the emergent macro properties of the system (development). Within this framework, it is shown how such a strategy for development may result in underdevelopment. The explanation is that, under special circumstances, the decoordination and re-coordination processes of meso trajectories may be unable to generate enough variety to feed the evolutionary process, and they thereby catch agents in such a “techno-institutional trap

Social interaction diagrams analysis in virtual contexts for a reinterpretation of relationships at the school

Las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) se han convertido en recursos comunicativos que permiten múltiples formas de relaciones interpersonales. En la Sociedad del Conocimiento, donde las TIC juegan un papel fundamental, las interacciones sociales no sólo afectan a los contextos presenciales, sino también a los virtuales. Diversos estudios han analizado las frecuencias de interacción virtual y su relación con las relaciones interpersonales presenciales. Sin embargo, hay una falta de información sobre la manera de los jóvenes interactúan en el contexto virtual, sus objetivos y la influencia de otros actores. Un estudio reciente analiza el papel de las TIC y las redes sociales en los hábitos de comunicación social en las relaciones sociales de estudiantes españoles de Secundaria, con especial énfasis en la influencia de los amigos y la red de contactos. ¿Interaccionamos realmente con todos estos contactos? ¿Dónde están los límites de la calidad de la interacción social de los jóvenes? Estas y otras preguntas son respondidas en este trabajo, mediante el uso de mapas de interacción social en la presencialidad y la virtualidad, a partir de las relaciones identificadas por los alumnos de Educación Secundaria. Para concluir, a partir del análisis e interpretación de estos mapas de interacción se realiza una reinterpretación de las relaciones en la escuela y las implicaciones educativas que estas pueden poner de manifiesto.The Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have emerged as communicative resources which allow multiple ways of interpersonal relations. In the Society of Knowlegdge, where ICTs play a fundamental role, social interactions are not only subjected to present contexts but also to virtual ones. Several works have analyzed the frequencies of virtual interaction and their relation with the present interpersonal relations. However, there is a lack of information about the way young people interact in the virtual context, their objectives and the influence of other actors. A recent study analyzes the role of ICT's and social networks in the communication habits ans social relations in spanish students of Secondary School, with special emphasis on their influence of the friends and contacts network. Do we actually interact with all our contacts? Where are the limits of the social interaction quality in young people? These and other questions are answered in this work, using social interaction maps in the presence and technological spheres, using the information obtained from students of Secondary School level. This study allows re-interprete the relationships at school and their educative implications

Revista complutense de educación

Resumen basado en el de la publicaciónLa investigación sobre clima institucional en universidades ha dado ya algunos frutos importantes, a pesar de los obstáculos teóricos y metodológicos con los que se ha encontrado a lo largo del desarrollo. El clima, como variable de proceso educativo que ha surgido de la investigación sobre eficacia institucional, se ha estudiado de diversos modos, que las autoras han agrupado en tres grandes enfoques: estudio de los posibles condicionantes del ambiente en un centro de educación superior; utilidad del constructo para caracterizar universidades, y relación del clima con diversas variables de producto educativo. Se aportan algunas consideraciones que han de contemplarse para superar las limitaciones que la línea de investigación en que se inscribe ha tenido durante los treinta años de historia.ES