The Assertive Resolution of Conflicts in School With a Gamified Emotion Education Program

Coexistence in schools inevitably carries a higher risk of conflicts among peers. This fact can be detrimental to the well-being and academic achievement of the students. In many developed countries, about 90% of the pupils in compulsory secondary education report witnessing assaults among peers. In this regard, recognizing, controlling and managing emotions is key to ensure a healthy and effective interaction with others. Negative emotions, such as anger, can trigger conflicts or even episodes of violence if not regulated properly. Interactive tools, such as specialized software’s, have shown high rates of efficacy for the training of different kinds of competences like the regulation of emotions. The aim of the present work is to describe the Happy Emotional Education Program and its effects over a sample of secondary school students. This software focuses in the training of emotional competences of the students with the objective of solving conflicts in a more assertive way. The design employed in the present work was a quasiexperimental design with pretest and posttest with a control group. Results show that Happy Emotional Education Program contributes to the management of emotions and the absence of negative affect or anxiety in a significant way. Additionally, the constant use of this interactive tool enhances motivation and the learning process of students. Results also indicate the importance of assessing the effects of the program in the long term. This would enable researchers to further assess the effects of the program over those emotional competences that are more resistant to change given its stable nature

Thermal assessment of a ventilated double skin façade component with a set of air filtering photocatalytic slats in the cavity

Indoor air quality is a crucial factor when evaluating habitability, especially in developed countries, where people spend most of their time indoors. This paper presents a novel double skin façade (DSF) system that combines physical and photocatalytic filtering strategies. The air purification system is made up of fixed slats that are both solar protection and air purification system. The objective of this work is to determine the thermal behaviour of the proposed system, so that its suitability for use in various environments may be assessed. This was carried out using a physical 1:1 scale model and a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. The maximum temperature inside the scale model cavity was 17–20 °C higher than outdoor air. Additionally, it was discovered that the airflow through the DSF would require forced ventilation. To determine the emissivity values of the photocatalytic coating, additional experimental measurements were made. The CFD model was tested for summer and winter conditions in Barcelona, Chicago, and Vancouver. The average increase in the intake air temperature was around 14.5 °C in winter and 12 °C in summer, finding that the system has its main use potential in temperate or cold areas with many hours of solar radiation.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

X-rays and microwave RF power from high voltage laboratory sparks

Lightning flashes involve high energy processes that still are not well understood. In the laboratory, high voltage pulses are used to produce long sparks in open air allowing the production of energetic radiation. In this paper X-rays emitted by long sparks in air are simultaneously measured with the RF power radiation at 2.4 GHz. The experiment showed that the measured RF power systematically peaks at the time of the X-rays generation (in the microsecond time scale). All of the triggered sparks present peaks of RF radiation before the breakdown of the gap. The RF peaks are related to the applied voltage to the gap. RF peaks are also detected in discharges without breakdown. Cases where X-rays are detected presented higher RF power. The results indicate that at some stage of the discharge, before the breakdown, electrons are very fast accelerated letting in some cases to produce X-rays. Microwave radiation and X-rays may come from the same process.Preprin

Responding to the need of postgraduate education for Planetary Health : Development of an online Master's Degree

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MAltres ajuts: CERCA Programme/Generalitat de CatalunyaPlanetary Health has emerged as a new approach to respond to the existential risks that the clime and global environmental crises pose to human societies. As stated by various stakeholders, the challenges involved in Planetary Health are of such magnitude that education must be at the forefront to obtain a meaningful response. Universities and higher education institutions have been specifically called to embed the concept of planetary stewardship in all curricula and train the next generation of researchers and change makers as a matter of urgency. As a response to this call, the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) developed the first online and asynchronous Master in Science (MSc) in Planetary Health. The aim of the programme is to train a new generation of academics and professionals who understand the challenges of Planetary Health and have tools to tackle them. This article describes the development of the curriculum of this MSc, presents the main characteristics of the programme and discusses some of the challenges encountered in the development of the programme and its implementation. The design of this MSc was based on: the alignment of the programme with the principles for Planetary Health education with a focus on human health; a multi-, inter-, and trans-disciplinary approach; the urgency to respond to the Anthropocene challenges; and the commitment to the 2030 Agenda. The MSc was recognized as an official degree by the Agency for Quality of the Catalan University System, included in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education, and the Spanish National Academic Coordination body in April 2021 and launched in October 2021. There are currently more than 50 students enrolled in the program coming from a broad range of disciplines and geographic locations. The information presented in this article and the discussion on challenges encountered in developing and implementing the programme can be useful for those working in the development of similar programs

Responding to the need of postgraduate education for Planetary Health: development of an online Master's Degree

The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) have developed an online and asynchronous Master in Science (MSc) in Planetary Health. The aim of the programme is to train a new generation of academics and professionals who understand the challenges of Planetary Health and have tools to tackle them. The design of this MSc was based on: the alignment of the programme with the principles for Planetary Health education with a focus on human health; a multi-, inter-, and trans-disciplinary approach; the urgency to respond to the Anthropocene challenges; and the commitment to the 2030 Agenda. The MSc was recognized as an official degree by the Spanish academic system on April 2021 and launched in October 2021. There are currently more than 50 students enrolled in the program coming from a broad range of disciplines and geographic locations. This article describes the development of the curriculum of this MSc, presents the main characteristics of the programme and discusses some of the challenges encountered in the development of the programme and its implementation

Famílies botàniques de plantes medicinals

Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona. Ensenyament: Grau de Farmàcia, Assignatura: Botànica Farmacèutica, Curs: 2013-2014, Coordinadors: Joan Simon, Cèsar Blanché i Maria Bosch.Els materials que aquí es presenten són els recull de 175 treballs d’una família botànica d’interès medicinal realitzats de manera individual. Els treballs han estat realitzat per la totalitat dels estudiants dels grups M-2 i M-3 de l’assignatura Botànica Farmacèutica durant els mesos d’abril i maig del curs 2013-14. Tots els treballs s’han dut a terme a través de la plataforma de GoogleDocs i han estat tutoritzats pel professor de l’assignatura i revisats i finalment co-avaluats entre els propis estudiants. L’objectiu principal de l’activitat ha estat fomentar l’aprenentatge autònom i col·laboratiu en Botànica farmacèutica

New development for a pre-stressed façade concrete panel

Development of a panel for closing the façade quickly, efficiently and at a competitive cost. The panel is: massive as a brick, prefabricated as a pre-stressed slab and adaptable as a cement-board. It is equivalent to the main façade layer and is the adequate support for different façade solutions. The proposal focuses in the construction cost reduction, shorten timelines, and promoting a cleaner, local and more sustainable industry. This technology rationalizes the construction of the main layer of the façade, the one we normally build with brick. We propose closing the building with serial-industrialized pre-stressed concrete-panels as the base for any façade system. The panel has the same mass as a brick wall, a similar cost, but in a completely prefabricated element. Dimensions can be adapted without a mould, just by cutting at the industry before hardening. The on-site assembly, operating from the inside, avoids external platforms permitting secure conditions. As the brick wall, it is the main wall of a rain screen façade, ETICS,etc. Changing the façade image is easy just by changing the cladding or finishing materials; changing the openings distribution is easy just by disassembling some panels, moving or eliminating them. BIM management permits controlling the work-process, execution-time, costs and quality level. Block-chain increases supply-chain transparency during contracting and building process, and helps managing the community from the very beginning, and during all the lifetime. Even though it is concrete, a long lifetime reduces the environmental impact. Potential for reusing or recycling is high. Not resorting to 3D modules permits easily having diaphanous floors to reusing the building; dry assembled construction permits disassembling and reusing the elements.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

New development for a pre-stressed façade concrete panel

Development of a panel for closing the façade quickly, efficiently and at a competitive cost. The panel is: massive as a brick, prefabricated as a pre-stressed slab and adaptable as a cement-board. It is equivalent to the main façade layer and is the adequate support for different façade solutions. The proposal focuses in the construction cost reduction, shorten timelines, and promoting a cleaner, local and more sustainable industry. This technology rationalizes the construction of the main layer of the façade, the one we normally build with brick. We propose closing the building with serial-industrialized pre-stressed concrete-panels as the base for any façade system. The panel has the same mass as a brick wall, a similar cost, but in a completely prefabricated element. Dimensions can be adapted without a mould, just by cutting at the industry before hardening. The on-site assembly, operating from the inside, avoids external platforms permitting secure conditions. As the brick wall, it is the main wall of a rain screen façade, ETICS,etc. Changing the façade image is easy just by changing the cladding or finishing materials; changing the openings distribution is easy just by disassembling some panels, moving or eliminating them. BIM management permits controlling the work-process, execution-time, costs and quality level. Block-chain increases supply-chain transparency during contracting and building process, and helps managing the community from the very beginning, and during all the lifetime. Even though it is concrete, a long lifetime reduces the environmental impact. Potential for reusing or recycling is high. Not resorting to 3D modules permits easily having diaphanous floors to reusing the building; dry assembled construction permits disassembling and reusing the elements.Peer Reviewe

The Assertive Resolution of Conflicts in School With a Gamified Emotion Education Program

Coexistence in schools inevitably carries a higher risk of conflicts among peers. This fact can be detrimental to the well-being and academic achievement of the students. In many developed countries, about 90% of the pupils in compulsory secondary education report witnessing assaults among peers. In this regard, recognizing, controlling and managing emotions is key to ensure a healthy and effective interaction with others. Negative emotions, such as anger, can trigger conflicts or even episodes of violence if not regulated properly. Interactive tools, such as specialized software’s, have shown high rates of efficacy for the training of different kinds of competences like the regulation of emotions. The aim of the present work is to describe the Happy Emotional Education Program and its effects over a sample of secondary school students. This software focuses in the training of emotional competences of the students with the objective of solving conflicts in a more assertive way. The design employed in the present work was a quasiexperimental design with pretest and posttest with a control group. Results show that Happy Emotional Education Program contributes to the management of emotions and the absence of negative affect or anxiety in a significant way. Additionally, the constant use of this interactive tool enhances motivation and the learning process of students. Results also indicate the importance of assessing the effects of the program in the long term. This would enable researchers to further assess the effects of the program over those emotional competences that are more resistant to change given its stable nature

New development for a pre-stressed façade concrete panel

Development of a panel for closing the façade quickly, efficiently and at a competitive cost. The panel is: massive as a brick, prefabricated as a pre-stressed slab and adaptable as a cement-board. It is equivalent to the main façade layer and is the adequate support for different façade solutions. The proposal focuses in the construction cost reduction, shorten timelines, and promoting a cleaner, local and more sustainable industry. This technology rationalizes the construction of the main layer of the façade, the one we normally build with brick. We propose closing the building with serial-industrialized pre-stressed concrete-panels as the base for any façade system. The panel has the same mass as a brick wall, a similar cost, but in a completely prefabricated element. Dimensions can be adapted without a mould, just by cutting at the industry before hardening. The on-site assembly, operating from the inside, avoids external platforms permitting secure conditions. As the brick wall, it is the main wall of a rain screen façade, ETICS,etc. Changing the façade image is easy just by changing the cladding or finishing materials; changing the openings distribution is easy just by disassembling some panels, moving or eliminating them. BIM management permits controlling the work-process, execution-time, costs and quality level. Block-chain increases supply-chain transparency during contracting and building process, and helps managing the community from the very beginning, and during all the lifetime. Even though it is concrete, a long lifetime reduces the environmental impact. Potential for reusing or recycling is high. Not resorting to 3D modules permits easily having diaphanous floors to reusing the building; dry assembled construction permits disassembling and reusing the elements.Peer Reviewe