Threshold Effects And Perturbative Unification

We discuss the effect of the renormalization procedure in the computation of the unification point for running coupling constants. We explore the effects of threshold--crossing on the $\beta$--functions. We compute the running of the coupling constants of the Standard Model, between $m_Z$ and $M_P$, using a mass dependent subtraction procedure, and then compare the results with $\bar{MS}$, and with the $\theta$-- function approximation. We also do this for the Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model. In the latter, the bounds on susy masses that one obtains by requiring perturbative unification are dependent, to some extent, on the procedure.Comment: 22 pages, REVTEX-2.1, 6 Post-Script figures are include

Study of the compressive response of masonry using non-conventional joint materials

Winner of the International Journal of Masonry Research and Innovation IJMRI Best Paper Award 2017The compressive response of masonry is influenced by geometric, material and execution variables. In addition, the nature of bricks and mortar typically introduces uncertainty to the experimental results. In order to reduce this uncertainty, an experimental campaign has been carried out to analyse the influence of the properties of the joints. Four non-conventional masonry typologies including resin, EPS and rubber joints have been considered for this purpose. In all, 60 compressive tests and 50 deformability tests on five stacked bricks prisms were performed. Obtained data are compared with data from the literature. A comparison with the current European standard is also carried out. The obtained results point out that the modulus of linear deformation of the joint is the most influent variable on the compressive response of masonry. Finally, it seems that current formulation (Eurocode-6) tends to overestimate the modulus of linear deformation of masonry.Peer ReviewedAward-winningPostprint (author's final draft

Analysing teamwork in higher education: an empirical study on the antecedents and consequences of team cohesiveness

Uno de los factores más importantes del trabajo en equipo es la cohesión entre sus miembros. Sin embargo, escasos trabajos analizan sus antecedentes y consecuencias. El presente estudio utiliza el modelo Input-Process-Output para analizar el impacto de factores individuales y de la tarea sobre la cohesión del equipo, así como la influencia de la cohesión del equipo sobre la eficacia del mismo. En base a una encuesta a 160 alumnos que realizaron trabajos en grupo, los resultados muestran que el grado de cooperación y el comportamiento colaborativo tienen una influencia positiva en la cohesión del equipo, mientras que la carga de trabajo y la complejidad de la tarea tienen una influencia negativa en la misma. Además, la cohesión del equipo influye positivamente en el aprendizaje percibido, la satisfacción con el trabajo en equipo y la calidad esperada. Finalmente, tanto el aprendizaje percibido como la calidad esperada predicen la satisfacción con el trabajo en equipo.One of the most important components of effective teamwork is cohesiveness. However, few empirical studies on the antecedents and consequences of group cohesiveness exist. In response to this gap, the current study draws on the Input-Process-Output model of team effectiveness to investigate the impact of individual and task factors on team cohesiveness, as well as the influence of team cohesiveness on students’ perceived learning, satisfaction with teamwork, and expected quality in the outcome. Based on a survey of 160 undergraduate students who worked in groups, the findings show that cooperativeness and collaborative behaviour have a positive influence on team cohesiveness, while workload and task complexity have a negative influence on it. Additionally, team cohesiveness is positively related to perceived learning, satisfaction with teamwork, and expected quality. Finally, both perceived learning and expected quality predict satisfaction with teamwork

Comparative analysis of two genomic regions among four strains of Buchnera aphidicola, primary endosymbiont of aphids.

Preliminary analysis of two selected genomic regions of Buchnera aphidicola BCc, the primary endosymbiont of the cedar aphid Cinara cedri, has revealed a number of interesting features when compared with the corresponding homologous regions of the three B. aphidicola genomes previously sequenced, that are associated with different aphid species. Both regions exhibit a significant reduction in length and gene number in B. aphidicola BCc, as it could be expected since it possess the smallest bacterial genome. However, the observed genome reduction is not even in both regions, as it appears to be dependent on the nature of their gene content. The region fpr-trxA, that contains mainly metabolic genes, has lost almost half of its genes (45.6%) and has reduced 52.9% its length. The reductive process in the region rrl-aroK, that contains mainly ribosomal protein genes, is less dramatic, since it has lost 9.3% of genes and has reduced 15.5% of its length. Length reduction is mainly due to the loss of protein-coding genes, not to the shortening of ORFs or intergenic regions. In both regions, G+C content is about 4% lower in BCc than in the other B. aphidicola strains. However, when only conserved genes and intergenic regions of the four B. aphidicola strains are compared, the G+C reduction is higher in the fpr-trxA region

Diez años de investigación en didáctica de las ciencias : realizaciones y perspectivas

This paper summarizes the research in science education undertaken by the international community during the past decade, paying a special attention to the Spanish production. We intend to show that science education has improved considerably during this period, becoming a coherent body of knowledge, and we present what could be, in our opinion, the main trends for the next future

La crisis política en Tailandia: evolución, causas y efectos

Se analiza la inestabilidad política reciente en Tailandia, destacando en particular sus causas y sus consecuencias previsibles, tanto internas como en la región. La crisis reciente de Tailandia es un nuevo episodio de un proceso iniciado con el golpe militar de 2006, que puso fin al segundo gobierno de Thaksin Shinawatra y cerró el ciclo democrático. Las elecciones de 2007 no solucionaron la situación de inestabilidad política. Los efectos de esta crisis se están dejando notar ya en la economía del país, que ha visto reducido su crecimiento económico para este año y está experimentado una importante pérdida de turistas. Al mismo tiempo, la convulsión en el país puede afectar a la estabilidad del resto de naciones del área debido a la importante función estratégica que desempeña Tailandia como principal punto de paso de drogas, personas y armas

Contribución de la historia y de la filosofía de las ciencias al desarrollo de un modelo de enseñanza/aprendizaje como investigación

After the fiasco of the alearning by discovery» orientation and the serious limitations of the areception learningn paradigm, a new consensus is emerging on the nature of mathematics and science learning as a construction of knowledge. These constructivist approaches have taken explicitly into account contemporary views in philosophy of science as an epistemological base for a conception of learning as a conceptual change. Teaching strategies oriented to produce conceptual changes have been developed with promising results, but serious difficulties have also appeared. Our contribution will try to show that those difficulties are due to a still insufficient consideration of the nature of science in the teaching strategies. Consequently, we shall propose some modifications of these strategies, taking more carefully into account the relationship between the nature of science and the nature of learning

Sound recordings of leading professors of Spanish Manufacturing Engineering. Analysis of contents.

ISBN 978-84-09-10387-4"Academic Lives in Industrial Engineering" is one of the different initiatives developed by PATRIF, a Working Group of the Manufacturing Engineering Society (MES) / Sociedad de Ingeniería de Fabricación (SIF). This activity intends to create a sound recording archive with interview format, in order to disseminate the trajectory of the great professors of the Spanish Industrial Engineers Faculties. It seeks to preserve and bring closer to the new generations the experiences and the personality of these professors, with a story told in the first person. This work aims to show the characteristics of this activity, presenting the profile of the interviewees, pointing out the most outstanding aspects of their interventions, carrying out an analysis of the follow-up of the broadcasted interviews and assessing their impact. Despite other areas of engineering are covered in this initiative, present work limit its analysis to the group of professors who have developed their academic and professional life within the Manufacturing Engineering and it also wants to serve as tribute and recognition to their trajectories and dedication to the Spanish Manufacturing Engineering.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech