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

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

Mitigating energy poverty: Potential contributions of combining PV and building thermal mass storage in low-income households

The issue of energy poverty has devastating implications for the society, and it has been aggravated in the past years due to the economic crisis and the increase of energy prices. Among the most affected are those with low incomes and living in inefficient buildings. Unfortunately, the bitter reality is that sometimes this part of the population are facing the next question: Heating, or eating? The declining prices of distributed energy technologies such as photovoltaics provides an opportunity for positive social change. Although their use does not address energy poverty directly, substantial contributions may be made. Measurements of indoor temperatures in a social housing district of southern Spain in 2017 have revealed the unbearable temperatures that the occupants have to endure, both in summer and winter. Using this district as a case study, the present work aims to evaluate the benefits of exploiting its rooftop PV potential to cover part of the electricity consumption of the district (reducing the energy bills), and use the surplus electricity to supply power for the heat pumps in the district. Optimal alternatives regarding maximum PV production, maximum self-sufficiency ratio and minimum investment costs have been found, considering as well different options when sharing the available electricity surplus to improve the thermal comfort of the occupants. As far as the authors know, no previous study has followed an approach aimed at energy poverty alleviation such as the one presented in this work. The results show that using the surplus electricity to heat or cool the whole dwellings would improve the thermal comfort of the occupants in average up to 11% in winter and 26% in summer. If all the PV generation was used or more buildings in the area were employed to install PV modules, improvements up to 33% in winter and 67% in summer could be obtained, reducing at the same time the thermal comfort differences among the dwellings of the district

Effect of human interferon-alpha-2b on experimental endometriosis in rats: comparison between short and long series of treatment

Objective: A randomised and controlled experimental study was carried out to determine the effect of short and long series of treatment with recombinant human interferon-alpha-2b on surgically induced endometriosis in rats. Study design: Ninety-six Wistar adult female rats, which had undergone an autotransplant into the peritoneal cavity of four endometrial fragments measuring 4.5 mm at the side, were randomly divided into three groups. One third of the animals were manipulated like the treated animals but were not given treatment and served as control (group C). Another third (group S) were treated with three doses (one every 48 h, 100,000 U per dose) of recombinant human interferon-alpha-2b (subcutaneous route), and the last third (group L) were treated with fifteen doses of interferon (100,000 U every 48 h). Results: Before interferon was administered, there were no differences between groups in the average growth of experimental endometriosis per animal (17.3 6.7, 18.1 9.2, 16.4 5.6 mm in groups C, S and L respectively). After the treatment, experimental endometriosis per animal was significantly smaller in the groups treated with interferon than in the control non-treated group (p < 0.001), and in the group treated with 15 doses versus the group treated with 3 doses (p < 0.05), (17.6 7.5, 14.0 9.5, 9.4 6.0 mm in groups C, S, and L respectively). While the implants of the animals in the control group showed no change in size throughout the study (120 days) (+1.96% of variation), the mean size of the implants in the treated rats decreased, (22.7% with the short and 42.8% with the long series of treatment with interferon). Only one implant in group C (0.8%) disappeared, while this occurred in 27 cases (22.5%) in group S (p < 0.001) and in 45 (37.5%) in group L (p < 0.001 versus group C and p < 0.05 versus group S). Conclusion: The long series of treatment with human interferon-alpha-2b was more effective than the short one in reducing the size of surgically induced endometriosis in the peritoneal cavity of the rat

Análisis didáctico de las aulas virtuales. Una investigación en un contexto de educación superior

[ES] En este artículo se exponen los principales resultados de una investigación destinada a analizar la utilización didáctica de las aulas virtuales utilizadas en las asignaturas de los diferentes campos científicos de la Universidad de León. El estudio constata que, en estos momentos, la incorporación de la plataforma virtual de esta institución no ha supuesto una modificación cualitativa de las estrategias metodológicas empleadas ni de las prácticas docentes.S