PAPCIM: programa d'acompanyament professional del centre CIM adreçat a estudiants de la UPC

Donada la importànci que estant donant les empreses al fet que els candidats a incorporar-se a les seves plantilles hagin realitzat pràctiques per completar la formació universitària, els recents titulats han de compaginar els últims anys d’estudi amb estades pràctiques a empreses i/o institucions que els donin la oportunitat de participar en proyectes reals i en proyectes de recerca i investigació, pera conseguir millorar les seves habilitats interpersonals. Amb aquesta finalitat es planteja el projecta “Programa d’Acompanyament Professional del Centre CIM (PAPCIM)” que té com a objectiu, capcitar als participants amb els coneixements, habilitats i experiencia per disminuir les barreres d’entrada al mercat laboral, mitjançant el suport d’un tutor i d’un itinerari formatiu personalitzat. Amb el desenvolupament del projecte s’ha posat a prova mitjançant una promoció pilot, la gestió de pràctiques d’estudiants de la UPC, que s’ha consolidat i materialitzat al centre CIM en el programa PAPCIM, amb la participació activa de tot el personal implicat: coordinadors, tècnics de depertament, tutors i participants, i amb una alta satisfacció per part de tots els involucrats. També s’ha consolidat una metodología de treball i uns procediments, amb el programa i els documents associats a les pràctiques dels estudiants, adequats per portar una gestió i un seguiment eficaz dels participants, i s’anirà fent una revisió i una actualització d’aquest, per anar fent una millota contínua en el procés

Social networks and performance in distributed learning communities

Social networks play an essential role in learning environments as a key channel for knowledge sharing and students' support. In distributed learning communities, knowledge sharing does not occur as spontaneously as when a working group shares the same physical space; knowledge sharing depends even more on student informal connections. In this study we analyse two distributed learning communities' social networks in order to understand how characteristics of the social structure can enhance students' success and performance. We used a monitoring system for social network data gathering. Results from correlation analyses showed that students' social network characteristics are related to their performancePostprint (published version

Health Related Quality of Life in Coronary Patients.

The increase observed in the survival of patients with ischemic cardiopathy, together with the effect of the disease on the social, professional, and family life of those suffering from it, have led researchers to consider that the traditional ways of measuring morbidity and mortality are not adequate for assessing the potential benefits of health care interventions. For this reason, there is common agreement on the need to use an indicator of subjective assessment of health, and of health related quality of life (HRQL), as a complementary criterion for monitoring the results of medical interventions in these patients. The term "quality of life" (QoL) or health related quality of life (HRQL) came into use during the 1970s as a multidimensional concept reflecting the overall subjective condition of the physical and mental welfare of the individual, which is a consequence not only of the disease but also of the family and social conditions forming the patient’s environment. The assessment of these patients’ HRQL has been tackled by several authors using both disease-specific and generic instruments such as the Nottingham Health Profile, the Sickness Impact Profile, the SF-36 or the SF-12 health questionnaire. Both types of instrument have advantages and disadvantages, and they may provide additional information since they quantify the patient’s overall health. Using different multidimensional measures, poorer HRQL has been observed in patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) and angina pectoris than in other populations, and these differences have been related to low social class, female sex, the presence of mental disorders and the severity of the clinical condition. Measuring changes in the HRQL of coronary patients is also important as a way of assessing interventions and predicting needs for social care, because it has been shown that the focus of attention in the immediate period following a cardiac attack is generally the physical functioning, but following discharge from hospital and in the longer term, general health, vitality, social and emotional functions could be at least as important. In this chapter, we aim to provide an overview of the concept of HRQL and the usefulness of this measure from the perspective of a coronary patient. Likewise, we intend to review the main instruments used to assess HRQL and we analyse the factors that have been seen to affect the quality of life of these patients

Design and Modelling of a Bidirectional DC-DC Converter based on Full Bridge Current Doubler Topology for Aeronautical Applications

This project falls within the framework of the research about More Electric Aircraft (MEA) concept, which is the target of the current designs. In this context, electrical system is being reinforced as one of the main power systems. Electrical power level and voltage level transmission are increasing –the last one is tending to High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) level– and requirements of generation, distribution, management and control of this kind of power are becoming more and more challenging. Within electrical system, power converters are responsible for electrical power transmission. Moreover, they must fulfil aeronautical standards in respect of on-board electrical and electronic systems. The precise aim of this project is to study suitable topologies for DC-DC bidirectional and isolated power converters within defined framework. Many industries, as aeronautical or automotive, request them with better features –for instance, power density and e ciency are critical KPI in aeronautical industry–. After a review of main power circuits that could fulfil specifications for these applications, a promising topology will be analysed from a numerical point of view. Particularly, Bidirectional Current Doubler is the topology subject of study. Its working principle will be analysed under certain operating range domain. Simulation models will be developed to asses topology performance in such operating domain. By knowing currents and voltages on ideal elements, a more realistic components selection will be carried out, particularly as far as MOSFETs concerns. Finally, regarding a more little bit accurate model, e ciency will be calculated in terms of input and output power.Universidad de Sevilla. Máster en Ingeniería Aeronáutic

Sensors: elaboració d'un curs de sensors en suport digital per desenvolupament de formació a distància i/o semipresencial

La finalitat del projecte de Sensors, ha estat dissenyar un material docent que permeti capacitar als participants del curs en el funcionament i característiques de diferents tipologies de sensors, facilitant el desenvolupament mitjançant activitats pedagògiques no presencials. El projecte Sensor és un projecte Leonardo on han participat entitats de diferents països. Es va iniciar a l’any 2001 amb la recerca i identificació de fonts d’informació que van servir com a punt de partida per al desenvolupament dels mòduls educatius sobre sensors. Es va elaborar i redactar el contingut del material docent en format multimedia, estructurat en mòduls educatius i activitats pedagògiques no presencials i en diferents idiomes. Per a avaluar l’efectivitat i qualitat dels mòduls educatius es van realitzar nombroses sessions de prova entre grups d’estudiants de diferents branques de l’enginyeria, professionals i professors universitaris qui avaluaven els mòduls per mitjà de proves escrites i enquestes de satisfizo, posteriorment, els resultats de aquestes eren analitzats per a extreure conclusions i realitzar suggerimets. El resultat obtingut es va preparar en un CDROM i es va publicar la informació sobre el projecte en la pàgina web de cadascuna de les institucions participants, així com la pàgina web dedicada completament a haches

Do indigenous peoples benefit from poverty programs? Evidence from Mexico´s 2000 census

Indigenous peoples are among the poorest in Latin America, and it is often argued that social policies do not reach them. At the same time, several countries have implemented in recent years new programs for poverty reduction that should have benefited the indigenous. In this paper, we use data from Mexico's 2000 census to test whether indigenous peoples living in the southern states of Chiapas, Guerrero and Oaxaca benefit from three large government programs: PROGRESA, FISM, and PROCAMPO.

Methane concentration and isotopic composition (d13C-CH4) in the Nerja Cave system (South Spain)

Air in underground caves often has methane (CH4) concentrations below the atmospheric level, due to methanotrophic or other unkown CH4 consuming processes. Caves are thus considered a potential sink for atmospheric methane. If globally important, this underground CH4 oxidation should be taken into account in the atmospheric methane budget, in addition to the known soil methanotrophy and tropospheric/stratospheric sinks. A large set of data is however necessary to understand how and how much methane from external atmospheric air is consumed in the caves. While methane concentration data are available for several caves worldwide, its isotopic composition and variations in space and time are poorly documented. We measured methane concentration and stable C isotope composition (d13C) in the Nerja cave (Southern Spain) air during two surveys in March and April 2015. CH4 concentration decreases progressively from the more external cave rooms, with atmospheric levels of 1.9 ppmv, to the more internal and isolated rooms down to 0.5 ppmv. d13C increases correspondingly from -47 h to -41 h (VPDB). CH4 is systematically 13C-enriched (d13C > -45 permil) in areas of the cave where the concentration is below 1.4 ppmv. This combination of concentration decrease and 13C-enrichment towards the more internal and isolated zones of the cave confirms the importance of CH4 oxidation, likely driven by methanotrophic bacteria. Further data, including stable H isotope composition of subatmospheric CH4 concentrations, CO2 and microbial analyses, shall be acquired over time to assess the actual role of methanotrophic bacteria and seasonal controls in the CH4 consumption process.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech