The importance of new technologies in the educational process. A didactic proposal based on the application of ICT in teaching Spanish as a foreign language: mELEndien7dias

El estudio que se ofrece a continuación se presenta dentro del marco de actuación del uso de las nuevas tecnologías en el campo educativo, ámbito en el que las diferentes investigaciones en curso y las importantes ayudas recibidas por parte de organismos tanto públicos como privados constatan su importancia, actualidad y necesaria continuación investigadora en el mundo académico. Por esta razón, se aspira a ofrecer nuevas posibilidades didácticas atendiendo a los últimos recursos tecnológicos, ofreciendo nuevas vías educativas que pueden y deben seguir siendo exploradas. Después de ofrecer una visión panorámica del marco teórico sobre el papel educativo de las TIC y del análisis de los distintos recursos utilizados (página web, correo electrónico, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Windows Movie Maker, Kahoot y Audacity), se propone una unidad didáctica dirigida a alumnos de español como lengua extranjera (ELE) en la que a través de la figura del cantante Melendi se explican y repasan los distintos contenidos. Se reivindica así la importancia de las TIC en el mundo educativo y se ofrece a los lectores una interesante propuesta didáctica moldeable según las necesidades docentes.This project deals with the use of new information and communication technologies in education. Ongoing research and public and private funding confirm the importance and the necessary continuity of research work in this academic field. We aim to offer new didactic possibilities taking advantage of the latest technological resources. In the theoretical framework, we describe the educational role of ICT and analyze the different resources that we have used in this study, such as websites, e-mail, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Windows Movie Maker, Kahoot and Audacity. Then, based on this theoretical framework, we present a proposal for teaching Spanish as a foreign language focused on the well-known singer Melendi. Finally, we conclude by highlighting the relevance of ICTs in education and the value of customizable tools to meet teachers’ didactic needs

Contrasting effects of fire severity on the regeneration of Pinus halepensis Mill. and resprouter species in recently thinned thickets

Many studies have outlined the benefits for growth and reproduction resulting from thinning extremely crowded young forests regenerating after stand replacing wildfires ("thickets"). However, scarce information is available on how thinning may influence fire severity and vegetation regeneration in case a new fire occurs. We investigated the relationship between thinning and fire severity in P. halepensis thickets, and the effects on the establishment of pine seedlings and resprouting vigour in resprouter species the year after the fire. Our results show a positive relationship between forest basal area and fire severity, and thus reserved pines in thinned stands suffered less fire damage than those in un-thinned sites (respectively, 2.02 ± 0.13 vs. 2.93 ± 0.15 in a scale from 0 to 4). Ultimately, differences in fire severity influenced post-fire regeneration. Resprouting vigour varied depending on the species and the size of individuals but it was consistently higher in thinned stands. Concerning P. halepensis, the proportion of cones surviving the fire decreased with fire severity. However, this could not compensate the much lower pine density in thinned stands and thus the overall seed crop was higher in un-thinned areas. Establishment of pine seedlings was negatively affected by the slope and positively driven by the number of cones and thus it was higher in un-thinned than in thinned stands (respectively, 2581 ± 649 vs. 898 ± 325 seedlings∙ha-1). Thinning decreases fire intensity, and thus it may facilitate fire suppression tasks, but retaining a higher density of pines would be necessary to ensure P. halepensis regeneration after a new fire even

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Resumen basado en el de la publicaciónMonográfico con el título: “Enseñanza de segundas lenguas (L2/LE): tendencias docentes e investigadoras”Título, resumen y palabras clave también en inglésEl estudio se presenta dentro del marco de actuación sobre el uso de las nuevas tecnologías en el campo educativo, ámbito en el que las diferentes investigaciones en curso y las importantes ayudas recibidas por parte de organismos tanto públicos como privados constatan la importancia y la necesaria continuación investigadora en el mundo académico. Se adentra en el campo científico para ofrecer nuevas posibilidades didácticas atendiendo a los últimos recursos tecnológicos ofrecen nuevas vías educativas que pueden y deben seguir siendo exploradas. Después de ofrecer una visión panorámica del marco teórico sobre el papel educativo de las TIC (Tecnología de la Información y Comunicación), se ha realizado un análisis de los distintos recursos que se han utilizado como es el caso de la página web, el correo electrónico, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Windows Movie Maker, Kahoot y Audacity. Se propone una unidad didáctica dirigida a alumnos de español como lengua extranjera (ELE) en la que a través de la figura del cantante Melendi se explican y repasan los distintos contenidos. Se concluye, reivindicando la importancia de las TIC (Tecnología de la Información y Comunicación) en el mundo educativo y ofreciendo a los lectores una interesante propuesta didáctica que puede ser modificada según las necesidades docentes.ES

Aplicación de la pragmática en clase: propuesta para enseñar las disculpas en lengua materna, segunda lengua y lengua extranjera

La pragmática ha adquirido una importante dimensión convirtiéndose en una disciplina muy estudiada y con muchas posibilidades que abren diferentes frentes investigadores. En este sentido, partimos de esa importancia como pretexto para focalizar esta propuesta en torno a la enseñanza de español. Dentro del campo de actuación de la pragmática centramos la mirada en la forma de disculparse. Para ello, proponemos una serie de actividades que facilitan el aprendizaje de este aspecto atendiendo a tres diferentes contextos con sus respectivos destinatarios, esto es, alumnos de lengua materna (LM), segunda lengua (L2) y lengua extranjera (LE).Pragmatics has taken on an important dimension becoming a well-studied discipline with many different research opportunities. In this regard, we are assuming this importance as a pretext to focus this proposal on teaching of Spanish. Within the field of pragmatics we set our sights on the manner of making apologies. In order to do that, we propose some activities that facilitate learning of this particular aspect in three different contexts with their respective recipients, namely students of the native language (NL), of the second language (L2), and of the foreign language (FL)

Magnetic hardening of Fe30Co70nanowires

3d transition metal-based magnetic nanowires (NWs) are currently considered as potential candidates for alternative rare-earth-free alloys as novel permanent magnets. Here, we report on the magnetic hardening of FeConanowires in anodic aluminium oxide templates with diameters of 20 nm and 40 nm (length 6 μm and 7.5 μm, respectively) by means of magnetic pinning at the tips of the NWs. We observe that a 3-4 nm naturally formed ferrimagnetic FeCo oxide layer covering the tip of the FeCo NW increases the coercive field by 20%, indicating that domain wall nucleation starts at the tip of the magnetic NW. Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements were used to quantify the magnetic uniaxial anisotropy energy of the samples. Micromagnetic simulations support our experimental findings, showing that the increase of the coercive field can be achieved by controlling domain wall nucleation using magnetic materials with antiferromagnetic exchange coupling, i.e. antiferromagnets or ferrimagnets, as a capping layer at the nanowire tips.We acknowledge funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7-NMP) under grant agreement no. 280670 (REFREEPERMAG)

The role of recent (1985-2014) patterns of land abandonment and environmental factors in the establishment and growth of secondary forests in the Iberian Peninsula

Farmland abandonment has been a widespread land-use change in the Iberian Peninsula since the second half of the 20th century, leading to the establishment of secondary forests across the region. In this study, we aimed to address changes in the recent (1985-2014) emergence patterns of these forests and examine how environmental factors affected their growth by considering differences in leaf-habit types. We used a combination of Landsat-derived land-cover maps and above-ground biomass (AGB) maps from the European Space Agency to assess the secondary forest establishment and growth, respectively, in the study region. We also obtained a set of topographic, climatic and landscape variables from diverse GIS layers and used them for determining changes over time in the environmental drivers of forest establishment and AGB using general linear models. The results highlight that secondary forest cover was still increasing in the Iberian Peninsula at a rate above the European average. Yet, they also indicate a directional change in the emergence of secondary forests towards lower and less steep regions with higher water availability (mean rainfall and SPEI) and less forest cover but are subjected to greater drought events. In addition, these environmental factors differentially affect the growth of forests with different leaf-habit types: i.e., needleleaf secondary forests being less favoured by high temperature and precipitation, and broad-leaf deciduous forests being most negatively affected by drought. Finally, these spatial patterns of forest emergence and the contrasting responses of forest leaf-habits to environmental factors explained the major development of broadleaf evergreen compared to broadleaf deciduous forests and, especially, needleleaf secondary forests. These results will improve the knowledge of forest dynamics that have occurred in the Iberian Peninsula in recent decades and provide an essential tool for understanding the potential effects of climate warming on secondary forest growth

The role of recent (1985-2014) patterns of land abandonment and environmental factors in the establishment and growth of secondary forests in the Iberian Peninsula

Farmland abandonment has been a widespread land-use change in the Iberian Peninsula since the second half of the 20th century, leading to the establishment of secondary forests across the region. In this study, we aimed to address changes in the recent (1985-2014) emergence patterns of these forests and examine how environmental factors affected their growth by considering differences in leaf-habit types. We used a combination of Landsat-derived land-cover maps and above-ground biomass (AGB) maps from the European Space Agency to assess the secondary forest establishment and growth, respectively, in the study region. We also obtained a set of topographic, climatic and landscape variables from diverse GIS layers and used them for determining changes over time in the environmental drivers of forest establishment and AGB using general linear models. The results highlight that secondary forest cover was still increasing in the Iberian Peninsula at a rate above the European average. Yet, they also indicate a directional change in the emergence of secondary forests towards lower and less steep regions with higher water availability (mean rainfall and SPEI) and less forest cover but are subjected to greater drought events. In addition, these environmental factors differentially affect the growth of forests with different leaf-habit types: i.e., needleleaf secondary forests being less favoured by high temperature and precipitation, and broad-leaf deciduous forests being most negatively affected by drought. Finally, these spatial patterns of forest emergence and the contrasting responses of forest leaf-habits to environmental factors explained the major development of broadleaf evergreen compared to broadleaf deciduous forests and, especially, needleleaf secondary forests. These results will improve the knowledge of forest dynamics that have occurred in the Iberian Peninsula in recent decades and provide an essential tool for understanding the potential effects of climate warming on secondary forest growth

The role of recent (1985-2014) patterns of land abandonment and environmental factors in the establishment and growth of secondary forests in the Iberian Peninsula

Farmland abandonment has been a widespread land-use change in the Iberian Peninsula since the second half of the 20th century, leading to the establishment of secondary forests across the region. In this study, we aimed to address changes in the recent (1985-2014) emergence patterns of these forests and examine how environmental factors affected their growth by considering differences in leaf-habit types. We used a combination of Landsat-derived land-cover maps and above-ground biomass (AGB) maps from the European Space Agency to assess the secondary forest establishment and growth, respectively, in the study region. We also obtained a set of topographic, climatic and landscape variables from diverse GIS layers and used them for determining changes over time in the environmental drivers of forest establishment and AGB using general linear models. The results highlight that secondary forest cover was still increasing in the Iberian Peninsula at a rate above the European average. Yet, they also indicate a directional change in the emergence of secondary forests towards lower and less steep regions with higher water availability (mean rainfall and SPEI) and less forest cover but are subjected to greater drought events. In addition, these environmental factors differentially affect the growth of forests with different leaf-habit types: i.e., needleleaf secondary forests being less favoured by high temperature and precipitation, and broad-leaf deciduous forests being most negatively affected by drought. Finally, these spatial patterns of forest emergence and the contrasting responses of forest leaf-habits to environmental factors explained the major development of broadleaf evergreen compared to broadleaf deciduous forests and, especially, needleleaf secondary forests. These results will improve the knowledge of forest dynamics that have occurred in the Iberian Peninsula in recent decades and provide an essential tool for understanding the potential effects of climate warming on secondary forest growth

Integrating Health Into the Urban Master Plan of Vic, Barcelona: A Comprehensive Approach

Planning healthier cities is essential for public health. However, there is a gap between the insights from public health research and applications to planning practice. Based on a scoping review and in cooperation with urban planners and public health professionals, this study developed evidence-based tools and a comprehensive approach to help urban planners integrate health into the urban master plan (2017-2020) of a medium-sized city named Vic (Barcelona). The scoping review included a systematic review of the literature (PubMed, PRISMA protocol) and an advanced Google search for gray literature (2015–2017). The systematic review identified significant associations between urban planning attributes (n = 16) and health outcomes (n = 21). After critical appraisal with stakeholders, an urban and health association matrix was developed to help urban planners understand the connection between urban planning and health. The advanced Google search identified urban planning actions (n = 117) that had an impact on health outcomes. After critical appraisal with stakeholders, a healthy urban planning actions checklist (n = 68) was developed to help urban planners' decision-making on the inclusion of locally tailored health-enhancing urban planning actions into the urban master plan. From the reviewed evidence and tools, a comprehensive approach delineated a series of steps that successfully led urban planners to incorporate health-enhancing urban actions (n = 112) into the urban master plan. This translational research developed a comprehensive approach to include health in local urban planning. This might scale up to other European medium-sized cities to maximise the effectiveness of built environment interventions and monitor their health impact