Aprendizaje y servicio en análisis económico de las organizaciones: el caso de una cooperativa de consumo responsable

[Resumen] Los Proyectos de Aprendizaje y Servicio (ApS) se caracterizan por ser propuestas educativas que combinan procesos de aprendizaje y de servicio comunitario en un proyecto bien articulado, donde los participantes aprenden a trabajar en necesidades reales del entorno, con el fin de mejorarlo. En este contexto, y con la finalidad de incrementar la empatía y compromiso de los estudiantes universitarios con la economía social y colaborativa y el consumo consciente y responsable, se ha desarrollado un Proyecto ApS en la asignatura troncal Análisis Económico de las Organizaciones del grado en Economía, grado en Administración y Dirección de Empresas (ADE) y doble grado de ADE y Derecho de la Universidade da Coruña. En este sentido, el Proyecto ApS se desarrolló con la cooperativa de consumo responsable Zocamiñoca, de tal forma que los estudiantes elaboraron informes que respondían a sus problemas organizativos, lo que les permitió la adquisición de competencias relacionadas con el desempeño de labores de gestión, asesoramiento y evaluación de empresas, la aplicación de conocimientos a su trabajo de forma profesional y el respeto de los derechos fundamentales, la promoción de los Derechos Humanos y principios de igualdad (acción de aprendizaje).[Abstract] The Service-Learning Projects are characterised by being educational proposals that combine learning processes and community service. Students learn how to work in the real needs of the environment with the aim of improving it. In this context, and with the objective of increasing students´ empathy and commitment to social problems, a Service-Learning Project was developed in the subject Organisations Economic Analysis. It is a core subject in the grade of Business and Economics, as well as, in the double degree in Business-Law of the University of A Coruna. This project was developed with the responsible consumption cooperative Zocamiñoca. Students wrote reports that solved organizational problems that allowed them to acquire competences related to organization management and consulting, the application of knowledge to their professional life and the respect for fundamental rights, the promotion of human rights and principles of equality (learning action)

Determinants of (–1,1)-matrices of the skew-symmetric type: a cocyclic approach

An n by n skew-symmetric type (−1, 1)-matrix K = [ki,j ] has 1’s on the main diagonal and ±1’s elsewhere with ki,j = −kj,i. The largest possible determinant of such a matrix K is an interesting problem. The literature is extensive for n 0 mod 4 (skew- Hadamard matrices), but for n 2 mod 4 there are few results known for this question. In this paper we approach this problem constructing cocyclic matrices over the dihedral group of 2t elements, for t odd, which are equivalent to (−1, 1)-matrices of skew type. Some explicit calculations have been done up to t = 11. To our knowledge, the upper bounds on the maximal determinant in orders 18 and 22 have been improved.Junta de Andalucía FQM-01

Perceptions and Degree of Satisfaction with the Health Sciences University Educational Community Regarding the Measures Adopted for the Prevention of COVID-19 in the Academic Year 2020/2021

[EN] The COVID-19 pandemic caused the start of the academic year 2020/2021 to be conditioned by health and safety regulations. The present research was defined with the aim of analyzing the degree of satisfaction and perceptions on the establishment of bubble groups and pairs and on the use of audiovisual platforms for the development of theoretical and practical university teaching in three degrees of health sciences. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on a representative sample of students and teachers of health sciences in Ponferrada (n = 285). Specific questionnaires designed for this study were completed virtually during April and May 2021. The results indicate that that satisfaction was moderate–high. The perception of the influence of bubble pairs on the quality of teaching can be interpreted as very low. These results increase with the age and academic and professional experience of students and faculty members, respectively. However, the participants belonging to physiotherapy considered that the quality of teaching had worsened much more compared to their counterparts in nursing and podiatry.S

Mental health and its influence on empathy in health science students.

[EN] INTRODUCCIÓN: Over the past decade, there has been an increase in college students experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Empathy, defined as the intention of the health professional, to remain in the patient's frame of reference, understanding the patient's feelings and demonstrating this understanding, is considered one of the main attributes for carrying out the therapeutic relationship. OBJETIVOS: To describe the levels of mental health and empathy among the Health Sciences students of the Ponferrada Campus of the University of León. To analyze the influence of mental health on empathy. METODOLOGÍA: Cross-sectional descriptive study. An ad hoc questionnaire with Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and Global Health Questionnaire - 12 questionnaires were administered to Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry Degrees of the Ponferrada Campus of the University of León. RESULTADOS: 247 students responded, 168 women (68%). women scored statistically higher (p < 0.001) in empathy in the four dimensions of the IRI (fantasy, perspective-taking, empathic concern and personal discomfort). 136 Students (55%) scored compatible with a possible mental disorder on the Global Health Questionnaire - 12. Of these, 107 were women (63.9%) and 29 men (36.1%), with statistically significant differences between the sexes (p < 0.001), with women achieving higher scores. The Global Health Questionnaire - 12 correlated statistically significantly with the component "Empathic Concern (r = 0.3, p =0.0001) and Personal Distress (r = 0.4, p < 0.001), with no correlation in either "Fantasy" or "Perspective Taking". CONCLUSIÓN: More than half of the health sciences students are at risk for poor mental health. This percentage increases in women. Women have greater empathy. Mental health influences the affective dimensions of empathy, so that the worse the mental health, the more personal discomfort and empathic concern can generate relationships with patients, which can alter the quality of the therapeutic relationship and the care administered

Mental health and self-regulation of learning in health science undergraduate students: relationship with gender, age and degree

[EN] INTRODUCCIÓN: It is particularly relevant to consider the mental health of university students because there is evidence that approximately 75% of mental health problems appear in the second decade of life. In addition to the impact on quality of life, mental health problems can affect students' learning processes and academic performance. OBJETIVOS: The aim was to analyse mental health and self-regulation of learning in Health Sciences undergraduate students and its relationship with gender, age and degree. METODOLOGÍA: DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of students of the Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry degrees of the Ponferrada Campus of the University of León (Spain). INSTRUMENTS An ad hoc questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic variables. The Global Health Questionnaire-12 was used to determine the state of mental health and self-regulation of learning was determined by means of the Learning Self-Regulation Questionnaire, both instruments validated in Spanish. PROCEDURE The questionnaires were self-completed in person in May and June 2023. Statistical analysis was performed with Stata. RESULTADOS: The sample consisted of 247 participants, with a mean age of 21.7±4.5 Years, of whom 168 (68%) were women. In terms of degree, there were more students with a degree in Physiotherapy (56.3%). The total score on the Global Health Questionnaire-12 was 12.9±6.4 Points, with significant differences between both sexes, with the mental health of women being worse (p<0.001). The total score on the Learning Self-Regulation Questionnaire was 55±10.2 Points, with no statistically significant differences by age, gender or degree. Correlation analysis revealed no association between mental health and self-regulation of learning. CONCLUSIÓN: Undergraduate students of Health Sciences have a state of mental health compatible with suffering from a psycho-emotional disorder, with women's mental health being worse. They have a moderate capacity for self-regulation of learning. There are no differences linked to age or degree

Predominance of kinesthetic learning among health sciences undergraduate students.

[EN] INTRODUCCIÓN: The promotion of effective learning at the university level requires adaptation to the evolving circumstances characterizing contemporary student populations. The distinct learning styles adopted by students can exert a substantial impact on their approach to various academic tasks and activities, both within and outside the classroom. OBJETIVOS: The aim of this study was to determine the most common learning styles among Health Science students and identify differences based on their degree programs. METODOLOGÍA: This cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted during the academic year 2022-2023 and involved students enrolled in the Nursing, Physiotherapy, and Podiatry programs at the University of León. Data collection involved the utilization of a self-administered questionnaire encompassing sociodemographic inquiries and the administration of the VAK Learning Styles Test. Analysis of variance among the groups was performed with ANOVA. RESULTADOS: A total of 247 students participated (16.6% nursing, 56.3% physiotherapy, and 27.1% podiatry). The mean age of the participants was 21.7±4.5 years. The análisis revealed that a substantial majority of the student cohort (50.6%) exhibited kinesthetic learning preferences, followed by visual learners (15.4%), and auditory learners (15.4%). Notably, a proportion of students presented mixed learning styles, with the most prominent combination being kinesthetic and visual learning. When examining specific programs, Nursing and Physiotherapy students predominantly adopted visual learning as their secondary preference, while among Podiatry students, auditory learning emerged as the second most frequent choice. These distinctions achieved statistical significance when compared across the academic programs (p=0.007). CONCLUSIÓN: In this study, students pursuing Health Science degrees displayed a pronounced predilection for kinesthetic learning. Multiple studies underscore the potential impact of technology on the learning methodologies employed by present-day generations

New pixellation scheme for CT algebraic reconstruction to exploit matrix symmetries

In this article we propose a new pixellation scheme which makes it possible to speed up the time of reconstruction. This proposal consists in splitting the field of view of the scanner into as many circular sectors as rotation positions of the detector. The sectors are pixellated using circular pixels whose size is always smaller than the resolution needed. The geometry of the pixels and the arrangement on circular sectors make it possible to compute the entire matrix from only one position of the scanner. Therefore, the size of the matrix decreases as many times as the number of rotations. This results in a significant reduction of the system matrix which allows algebraic methods to be applied within a reasonable time of reconstruction and speeds up the time of matrix generation. The new model is studied by means of analytical CT simulations which are reconstructed using the Maximum Likelihood Emission Maximization algorithm for transmission tomography and is compared to the cartesian pixellation model. Therefore, two different grids of pixels were developed for the same scanner geometry: one that employs circular pixels within a cartesian grid and another that divides the field of view into a polar grid which is composed by identical sectors, with circular pixels too. The results of both models are that polar matrix is built in a few seconds and the cartesian one needs several hours, the size of the matrix is significantly smaller than the circular one, and the time of reconstruction per iteration using the same iterative method is less in the polar pixel model than in the square pixel model. Several figures of merit have been computed in order to compare the original phantom with the reconstructed images. Finally, we can conclude that both reconstructions have been proved to have enough quality but, the polar pixel model is more efficient than the square pixel model. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Mora Mora, MTC.; Rodríguez Álvarez, MJ.; Romero Bauset, JV. (2008). New pixellation scheme for CT algebraic reconstruction to exploit matrix symmetries. Computers and Mathematics with Applications. 56(3):717-726. doi:10.1016/j.camwa.2008.02.019S71772656

Embedding cocylic D-optimal designs in cocylic Hadamard matrices

A method for embedding cocyclic submatrices with “large” determinants of orders 2t in certain cocyclic Hadamard matrices of orders 4t is described (t an odd integer). If these determinants attain the largest possible value, we are embedding D-optimal designs. Applications to the pivot values that appear when Gaussian elimination with complete pivoting is performed on these cocyclic Hadamard matrices are studied.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación MTM2008-06578Junta de Andalucía FQM-016Junta de Andalucía P07-FQM-0298

Fucoxanthin-Containing Cream Prevents Epidermal Hyperplasia and UVB-Induced Skin Erythema in Mice

Microalgae represent a source of bio-active compounds such as carotenoids with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. We aimed to investigate the effects of fucoxanthin (FX) in both in vitro and in vivo skin models. Firstly, its anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in LPS-stimulated THP-1 macrophages and TNF-α-stimulated HaCaT keratinocytes, and its antioxidant activity in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells. Next, in vitro and ex vivo permeation studies were developed to determine the most suitable formulation for in vivo FX topical application. Then, we evaluated the effects of a FX-containing cream on TPA-induced epidermal hyperplasia in mice, as well as on UVB-induced acute erythema in hairless mice. Our results confirmed the in vitro reduction of TNF-α, IL-6, ROS and LDH production. Since the permeation results showed that cream was the most favourable vehicle, FX-cream was elaborated. This formulation effectively ameliorated TPA-induced hyperplasia, by reducing skin edema, epidermal thickness, MPO activity and COX-2 expression. Moreover, FX-cream reduced UVB-induced erythema through down-regulation of COX-2 and iNOS as well as up-regulation of HO-1 protein via Nrf-2 pathway. In conclusion, FX, administered in a topical formulation, could be a novel natural adjuvant for preventing exacerbations associated with skin inflammatory pathologies as well as protecting skin against UV radiation