Homegreens: Aquaponics and Education

The Homegreens project aims to develop small freshwater or saltwater aquaponic systems, which can be in-stalled in schools, serving as a pedagogical tool for the apprenticeship of subjects such as biology and sustaina-bility to the juvenile audience. A multidisciplinary team of designers, biologists, and agronomists was responsi-ble for the project’s research. The development and installation of experimental models, for qualitative analy-sis of user interaction, determined the methodology layout. This small-scale aquaponic system consists of two different grow beds, an aquarium with a capacity of 45L, a separating barrier for plants’ roots, a biofilter mesh with an integrated aerator, a valve for sediment cleaning, and two tripods. The involvement and the interaction with the Homegreens’ aquaponic system provides a group learning oppor-tunity, which contributes to environmental literacy in children with relevant values and experiences.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

CÁLCULO DE UN ÍNDICE DE HUMEDAD RELATIVA DEL AIRE, CONSIDERANDO LA RESILIENCIA TÉRMICA HORARIA DE LA TEMPERATURA

Un índice de humedad relativa (IHR-LST), que se calcula utilizando la diferencia entre la LST (temperatura de la superficie del terreno), una hora después del amanecer y una hora después del medio día solar, dividida por el número de horas entre estos dos periodos, se compara con la humedad relativa del aire de un conjunto seleccionado de estaciones meteorológicas Los resultados muestran una clara asociación entre ambos valores, el índice de humedad relativa y la humedad relativa del aire, lo que permite, con una única variable (LST distribuida por EUMETSAT / LSASAF), obtener un comportamiento térmico de la superficie del suelo, así como, una estimación de la humedad relativa de su dinámica temporal

Cálculo de um índice de humidade relativa do ar, considerando a resiliência térmica horária da temperatura lST, obtida por imagens de satellite

A relative humidity index (IHR-LST), estimated using the difference between the temperature LST (Land Surface Temperature), one hour after sunrise and one hour after solar noon, divided by the number of hours mediate these two periods, is compared with the air relative humidity of a selected set of meteorological stations.The results show a clear association between both values, relative humidity index and air relative humidity, enabling, with a single variable (LST distributed by EUMETSAT/LSASAF), to obtain a thermal behavior of the soil surface, as well as, an estimation of relative humidity from its temporal dynamics

Agriculture pest and disease risk maps considering MSG satellite data and Land Surface Temperature.

Pest risk maps for agricultural use are usually constructed from data obtained from in-situ meteorological weather stations, which are relatively sparsely distributed and are often quite expensive to install and difficult to maintain. This leads to the creation of maps with relatively low spatial resolution, which are very much dependent on interpolation methodologies. Considering that agricultural applications typically require a more detailed scale analysis than has traditionally been available, remote sensing technology can offer better monitoring at increasing spatial and temporal resolutions, thereby improving pest management results and reducing costs. This article uses ground temperature, or land surface temperature (LST), data distributed by EUMETSAT/LSASAF (with a spatial resolution of 3 x 3 km (nadir resolution) and a revisiting time of 15 min) to generate one of the most commonly used parameters in pest modelling and monitoring: “thermal integral over air temperature (accumulated degree-days)”. The results show a clear association between the accumulated LST values over a threshold and the accumulated values computed from meteorological stations over the same threshold (specific to a particular tomato pest). The results are very promising and enable the production of risk maps for agricultural pests with a degree of spatial and temporal detail that is difficult to achieve using in-situ meteorological stations

Homegreens - Aquaponics System as an Educational Tool towards a Sustainable Future

Aquaponics is an integrated production practice that emerges from the combi-nation of two farming techniques: hydroponics and aquaculture. It consists in a simulation of a natural ecosystem that grows plants without soil substrate in the nutrient enriched waters recirculated from aquaculture systems. This type of production offers several advantages, namely economic and ecological ones. Homegreens is a project that aims to create small saltwater and freshwater aquaponic sys-tems, which can be installed in schools and serve as a didactic tool for introducing contents such as biology and sustainability to a juvenile audience. Implemented by a designers, biol-ogists and agronomists’ multidisciplinary team, the methodology was based on the develop-ment and quantitative validation of prototypes, and the installation and qualitative analyses of user’s interaction. These small scale aquaponic systems consists on a grow bed, an aquarium with a capacity for 45L, a protection barrier for the plant’s roots, aeration, biofilters and a thermostat. Sever-al simplified models were developed, presented and installed in two primary schools. Labor-atory tests were conducted to validate the use of a cork grow bed and a 3D printed polya-cid lactic (PLA) aeration and biofilter system. Children’s engagement and interaction with these simplified models, indicates that these systems will provide a biology and sustainability related group learning opportunity.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Multimorbidity worsened anxiety and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil

Multimorbidity is a global health issue impacting the quality of life of all ages. Multimorbidity with a mental disorder is little studied and is likely to have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We used a survey of 14,007 respondents living in Brazil to investigate whether people who already had at least one chronic medical condition had more depression and anxiety symptoms during social distancing in 2020. Generalized linear models and structural equation modelling were used to estimate the effects. A 19 % and 15 % increase in depressive symptoms were found in females and males, respectively, for each unit of increase in the observed value of reported chronic disease. Older subjects presented fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety. There was a 16 % increase in anxiety symptoms in females for each unit increase in the reported chronic disease variable and a 14 % increase in males. Younger subjects were more affected by anxiety symptoms in a dose-response fashion. High income was significantly related to fewer depressive and anxiety symptoms in both males and females. Physical activity was significantly associated with fewer anxiety and depression symptoms. Structural equation modelling confirmed these results and provided further insight into the hypothesised paths

Efficacy of the complementary therapies in the management of cancer pain in palliative care: A systematic review

Objective: to synthesize the knowledge and to critically evaluate the evidences arising from randomized controlled trials on the efficacy of the complementary therapies in the management of cancer pain in adult patients with cancer in palliative care. Method: a systematic review guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. The search for articles in the MEDLINE, ISI Web of Knowledge, CENTRAL Cochrane, and PsycINFO databases, as well as the manual search, selection of studies, data extraction, and methodological assessment using the Cochrane Bias Risk tool were performed independently by two reviewers. Results: eight hundred and fifteen (815) studies were identified, six of them being selected and analyzed, of which three used massage therapy, one study used a combination of progressive muscle relaxation and guided imaging, and another two studies used acupuncture. Most of the studies had an uncertain risk of bias (n=4; 67%). Conclusion: while the evidence from the studies evaluating the use of massage therapy or the use of progressive muscle relaxation and guided imaging for the management of cancer pain in these patients demonstrated significant benefits, the other two studies that evaluated the use of acupuncture as a complementary therapy showed contradictory results, therefore, needing more research studies to elucidate such findings.Objetivo: sintetizar conocimiento y realizar el análisis crítico de las evidencias procedentes de ensayos clínicos controlados aleatorios sobre la eficacia de las terapias complementarias en el manejo del dolor oncológico en pacientes adultos con cáncer en cuidados paliativos. Método: revisión sistemática guiada por el Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. La búsqueda de artículos en las bases de datos MEDLINE, ISI Web of Knowledge, CENTRAL Cochrane y PsycINFO, así como la búsqueda manual, selección de estudios, extracción de datos y evaluación metodológica con la utilización de la herramienta Riesgo de Sesgo de Cochrane se realizaron por dos revisores de forma independiente. Resultados: se identificaron 815 estudios, de los cuales, seis fueron seleccionados y analizados, siendo que tres utilizaron masaje terapéutico, un estudio utilizó una combinación de relajación muscular progresiva e imagen guiada, y otros dos estudios la acupuntura. La mayor parte de los estudios presentaron riesgo de sesgo incierto (n=4; 67%) Conclusión: mientras las evidencias de los estudios que evalúan el uso de la del masaje terapéutico o el uso de la relajación muscular progresiva y las imágenes guiadas para el manejo del dolor oncológico en estos pacientes demostraron beneficios significativos, los otros dos estudios que evaluaron el uso de la acupuntura como terapia complementaria mostraron resultados divergentes, razón por la cual se requiere de más investigación para dilucidar tales hallazgos.Objetivo: sintetizar o conhecimento e avaliar criticamente as evidências provenientes de ensaios clínicos controlados randomizados sobre a eficácia das terapias complementares no manejo da dor oncológica em pacientes adultos com câncer em cuidados paliativos. Método: revisão sistemática guiada pelo Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. A busca dos artigos nas bases de dados MEDLINE, ISI Web of Knowledge, CENTRAL Cochrane e PsycINFO, bem como a busca manual, seleção dos estudos, extração dos dados e avaliação metodológica pela ferramenta do Risco de Viés da Cochrane foram realizadas por dois revisores de forma independente. Resultados: foram identificados 815 estudos, sendo seis selecionados e analisados, dos quais três utilizaram a massagem terapêutica, um estudo usou uma combinação de relaxamento muscular progressivo e imagem guiada, e outros dois estudos a acupuntura. A maioria dos estudos apresentou risco de viés incerto (n=4; 67%). Conclusão: enquanto as evidências dos estudos que avaliaram o uso da massagem terapêutica ou o uso de relaxamento muscular progressivo e imagem guiada para manejo da dor oncológica nesses pacientes mostraram benefícios significativos, os outros dois estudos que avaliaram o uso da acupuntura como terapia complementar exibiram resultados divergentes, necessitando, portanto, de mais pesquisas para elucidar tais achados

El reto de la inclusión de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible en la formación inicial de profesores de secundaria: creación del MOOC curso cero sobre educación y ODS, inclusión en asignaturas y en trabajos fin de máster

Memoria ID-041. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2021-2022