Developing Project Managers’ Transversal Competences Using Building Information Modeling

The emergence of building information modeling (BIM) methodology requires the training of professionals with both specific and transversal skills. In this paper, a project-based learning experience carried out in the context of a project management course at the University of Extremadura is analyzed. To that end, a questionnaire was designed and given to students who participated in the initiative. Results suggest that BIM can be considered a virtual learning environment, from which students value the competences developed. The emotional performance observed was quite flat. Similarly, students valued the usefulness of the initiative. Students expressed a desire for the methodological change of the university classes, and thought that BIM methodology could be useful for other courses. The results obtained show a line of work to be done to improve the training of students and university teaching

On-line case-based policy learning for automated planning in probabilistic environments

Many robotic control architectures perform a continuous cycle of sensing, reasoning and acting, where that reasoning can be carried out in a reactive or deliberative form. Reactive methods are fast and provide the robot with high interaction and response capabilities. Deliberative reasoning is particularly suitable in robotic systems because it employs some form of forward projection (reasoning in depth about goals, pre-conditions, resources and timing constraints) and provides the robot reasonable responses in situations unforeseen by the designer. However, this reasoning, typically conducted using Artificial Intelligence techniques like Automated Planning (AP), is not effective for controlling autonomous agents which operate in complex and dynamic environments. Deliberative planning, although feasible in stable situations, takes too long in unexpected or changing situations which require re-planning. Therefore, planning cannot be done on-line in many complex robotic problems, where quick responses are frequently required. In this paper, we propose an alternative approach based on case-based policy learning which integrates deliberative reasoning through AP and reactive response time through reactive planning policies. The method is based on learning planning knowledge from actual experiences to obtain a case-based policy. The contribution of this paper is two fold. First, it is shown that the learned case-based policy produces reasonable and timely responses in complex environments. Second, it is also shown how one case-based policy that solves a particular problem can be reused to solve a similar but more complex problem in a transfer learning scope.This paper has been partially supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Econom a y Competitividad TIN2015-65686-C5-1-R and the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 730086 (ERGO)

La información divulgada a través de internet por las cooperativas

The new information and communication technologies, especially the Internet, are leading to important changes in traditional business models, and the relationship between enterprises and their chain of value is changing because of the new possibilities available to them. Cooperatives should be no exception. The way they use the Internet is relevant as is the way they disseminate business information via web sites. This paper aims to determine how these are used by cooperatives. We describe the type of information provided via the Internet by the most representative cooperatives in different sectors. The contents and general services for the different socio-economic agents are analysed, with a special focus on the cooperative members and financial information, as well as other specific characteristics of web sites.Internet, web , cooperatives.

Tools and Biomarkers for the Study of Retinal Ganglion Cell Degeneration

The retina is part of the central nervous system, its analysis may provide an idea of the health and functionality, not only of the retina, but also of the entire central nervous system, as has been shown in Alzheimer"s or Parkinson"s diseases. Within the retina, the ganglion cells (RGC) are the neurons in charge of processing and sending light information to higher brain centers. Diverse insults and pathological states cause degeneration of RGC, leading to irreversible blindness or impaired vision. RGCs are the measurable endpoints in current research into experimental therapies and diagnosis in multiple ocular pathologies, like glaucoma. RGC subtype classifications are based on morphological, functional, genetical, and immunohistochemical aspects. Although great efforts are being made, there is still no classification accepted by consensus. Moreover, it has been observed that each RGC subtype has a different susceptibility to injury. Characterizing these subtypes together with cell death pathway identification will help to understand the degenerative process in the different injury and pathological models, and therefore prevent it. Here we review the known RGC subtypes, as well as the diagnostic techniques, probes, and biomarkers for programmed and unprogrammed cell death in RGC

Role of ON and OFF Visual Pathways in Rod- and Cone-Driven Flicker Responses

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of various retinal neurotransmitters on temporal resolution, particularly, on the Critical Flicker Fusion Frequency (CFF), which has been previously applied in ophthalmic pathophysiologic research. Methods: A binocular physiologic electroretinogram was performed on adult mice. Animals in the control group were injected in the right eye with 1 & mu;L of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Animals in the experimental group were injected in the left eye with 1 & mu;L of PBS and in the right eye with 1 & mu;L of PBS to which different molecules were added: 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid (HEPES). Initially, rod response was recorded and later the cone response. Results: APB suppressed the rod-driven, but not the cone-driven flicker response. The other agents severely affected the lower flickering frequency response amplitude, in particular, at 3 Hz. The threshold of CFF was lowered from 50 Hz to 40 Hz after applying APB, Glycine, and HEPES. GABA remarkably enhanced rod-driven and cone-driven flicker response at 3 Hz, whereas Glutamate and GABA/Glutamate only did in rod-driven flicker response. Conclusions: Both ON and OFF visual pathways were implied in cone-driven response, but only the ON visual pathway appears to play a relevant role in rod-driven flicker response. Flicker response seems to be enhanced by horizontal cells both in roddriven and cone-driven response. In addition, due to the greater sensitivity of the flicker at low frequencies, it is suggested that pathophysiological studies should be carried out at said frequencies

Economic Effect of Dust Particles on Photovoltaic Plant Production

The performance of photovoltaic panels decreases depending on the different factors to which they are subjected daily. One of the phenomena that most affects their energy production is dust deposition. This is particularly acute in desert climates, where the level of solar radiation is extreme. In this work, the effect of dust soiling is examined on the electricity generation of an experimental photovoltaic pilot plant, installed at the Solar Energy Research Center (CIESOL) at the University of Almería. An average reduction of 5% of the power of a photovoltaic plant due to dust contamination has been obtained, this data being used to simulate the economic effect in plants of 9 kWp and 1 and 50 MWp. The economic losses have been calculated, and are capable of being higher than 150,000 €/year in industrial plants of 50 MWp. A cleaning strategy has also been presented, which represents a substantial economic outlay over the years of plant operation

Has cupper ion any effect on Sinorhizobium Melitoili bacteria?

Proceedings of the I Congress PIIISA celebrado en la Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Granada, el 26 de abril de 2012.Sinorhizobium meliloti is a soil bacterium that in symbiosis with Alfalfa leguminous plants fixes N2 to ammonia. This process occurs after an intimate communication between host and microsimbiont in the rhizosphere niche. This soil bacterium may suffer biotic and abiotic stresses in this complex environment. Resistance to any of this stresses can be an advantage for this type of bacteria. In this work we test the effects of Cupper ion in the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti. We found an effect on pigmentation and this effect is specific of each isolate (i.e. it is very pronounced for the isolate AK83 from Aral sea in Russia). On the other hand, comparison of Cupper ion resistance phenotype between isolates 1021 and GR4 suggests that the resistance of GR4 could be due to a set of 10 genes found in the cryptic plasmid pRmeGR4a of this strain. However, this resistance phenotype also appears in other isolates, and it could be explained by an alternative phenotype as Exopolysaccaride production (EPS+).It was supported mainly by research project MICINN Consolider‐Ingenio 2010. CSD2009‐00006; Scientific research by Young Students in Science (PIIISA2012; http://emc2astronomy.blogspot.com/).Peer reviewe

Laboratorios de investigación experimental y a cielo abierto. Coproducción de conocimientos confirmados localmente sobre el tifo en México

We approached the topic of typhus as one of the first public health topics in the history of modern science in our country, with presence in the local and international circuit of scientific communication. This event has been studied from the information contained in the paratexts (titles, references, abstract, citations, keywords) of the publications. We assume that, if the analysis is extended to the contents of the texts, it is possible to identify the geography of the objects of study, the forms of institutional organization, the contribution of vaccines and concepts to the international scientific discourse. The aim is to use the above aspects as a way of approaching the formation of the epistemic culture and co-production of knowledge of the typhoid community. With this approach, we analyze the contents of publications on typhus in Mexico during the first half of the 20th century. We employ methodological bibliomining by means of natural language processing techniques and use as categories of analysis human actors (authors) and non-human actors (places/communities, objects of study, types of research, and institutions). Research on the typhoid topic revealed the geography of open research practices, experimental research laboratories using animals as experimental models, vaccine production, and the contribution to the international scientific discourse on the topic

The Networked Forge: New Environments for Libre Software Development

Libre (free, open source) software forges (sites hosting the development infrastructure for a collection of projects) have been stable in architecture, services and concept since they become popular during the late 1990s. During this time several problems that cannot be solved without dramatic design changes have become evident. To overcome them, we propose a new concept, the “networked forge”, focused on addressing the core characteristics of libre software development and the needs of developers. The key of this proposal is to re-engineer forges as a net of distributed components which can be composed and configured according to the needs of users, using a combination of web 2.0, semantic web and mashup technologies. This approach is flexible enough to accommodate different development processes, while at the same time interoperates with current facilitie