Electrospinning of biodegradable polylactide/hydroxyapatite nanofibers: Study on the morphology, crystallinity structure and thermal stability

[EN] Aligned mats of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanofibers containing nanosized hydroxyapatite filler have been obtained via electrospinning onto a rotating mandrel. Their structure and morphology have been characterized as a function of the production parameters, by SEM, DSC, DMA and WAXS, with emphasis in the effects of the take-up velocity. SEM, DSC and X-ray diffraction studies confirmed a reduction in fiber diameter, an increase of fiber orientation and a highly crystalline structure of the mats collected at higher speed due to the stretching produced during the process. Double melting behavior was observed, suggesting the presence of two crystalline forms. Moreover the higher storage modulus (E¿ modulus), and glass transition temperatures of the higher speed collected mats were correlated with an enhancement in the thermal stability and nanofiller distribution. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.This project has been supported by Project MAT2010/21494-C03 of Spanish Ministry for Science and Innovation (MICINN). AS acknowledges the support of FPU grant from MED (MED-FPU; AP2009-2482).Sonseca Olalla, A.; Peponi, L.; Sahuquillo, O.; Kenny, J.; Giménez Torres, E. (2012). Electrospinning of biodegradable polylactide/hydroxyapatite nanofibers: Study on the morphology, crystallinity structure and thermal stability. Polymer Degradation and Stability. 97(10):2052-2059. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2012.05.009S20522059971

Propuesta de una metodología de evaluación del aprendizaje basada en las TIC

[EN] Is vital for teachers to assess accurately the continuous learning of students, obtaining of this assessment is not just a rating of each one of the students, if not also monitor the student's learning, and can reinforce those topics that are necessary. To this end, a series of questions, each of the topics of theoretical, using an online tool, have been implemented specifically SOCRATIVE, which is a tool that incorporates the use of technology and is made available from the learning. Methodology highlights because it is an active and motivational methodology with the advantage of offering the results instantly and above all enable new possibilities in the learning process. In addition, at end of course, it is planned a survey of evaluation of the methodology in order to optimize its use in subsequent courses.[ES] Es de vital importancia para los docentes poder evaluar de forma precisa el aprendizaje continuo de los alumnos, obteniendo de esta evaluación no solo una calificación de cada uno de los alumnos, sino también un seguimiento del aprendizaje del alumno, pudiendo reforzar aquellos temas que sean necesarios. Para ello, se han implementado una serie de preguntas, correspondientes a cada uno de los temas teóricos, empleando una herramienta online, concretamente SOCRATIVE, siendo esta una herramienta en la que se incorpora el uso de la tecnología y se pone a disposición del aprendizaje. La metodología destaca por tratarse de una metodología activa y motivadora con la ventaja de ofrecer los resultados instantáneamente y sobretodo permitir nuevas posibilidades en el proceso de aprendizaje. Además, a final de curso, se ha previsto una encuesta de evaluación de la metodología con el fin de optimizar en cursos posteriores su uso.Reyes Tolosa, MD.; Sahuquillo Navarro, O. (2018). Propuesta de una metodología de evaluación del aprendizaje basada en las TIC. En IN-RED 2018. IV Congreso Nacional de Innovación Educativa y Docencia en Red. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 691-702. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2018.2018.8622OCS69170

AgBTC MOF-Mediated Approach to Synthesize Silver Nanoparticles Decorated on Reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO@Ag) for Energy Storage Applications

[EN] Nanowires of silver-based metal-organic framework (MOF) (AgBTC, BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate) were grown onto graphene oxide layers to generate GO-AgBTC nano composites. Thermal treatment of these composites in inert atmosphere produced reduced graphene oxide (rGO) decorated with well-dispersed and homogeneous silver nanoparticles (rGO@ Ag). The easy and scalable synthesis of AgNPs via MOF-mediated synthesis was achieved by the thermal decomposition of the AgBTC directly onto the rGO surface. The structure, morphology, and electrochemical properties of this novel material were investigated by XRD, Raman, TGA, FE-SEM, TEM, cyclic voltammetry, and galvanostatic charge and discharge experimental techniques. The results showed improved capacitive features for rGO@Ag. Specific gravimetric capacitance measured by galvanostatic charge- discharge yielded a value of 151.97 F/g at the current density of 0.5 A/g, pointing out that MOF-mediated synthesis offers a facile method to generate rGO electrodes decorated by uniformly distributed nanoparticles for energy storage devices.The authors are grateful for Grant PID2020-112590GB-C21 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.Barjola, A.; Rapeyko, A.; Sahuquillo, O.; Llabrés I Xamena, FX.; Giménez Torres, E. (2023). AgBTC MOF-Mediated Approach to Synthesize Silver Nanoparticles Decorated on Reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO@Ag) for Energy Storage Applications. ACS Applied Energy Materials. 6(18):9159-9169. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.2c038729159916961

MakeUP Stylist

Este proyecto, es una aplicación de escritorio que simula los efectos que se producen al aplicar un determinado maquillaje, o un complemento como podrían ser unas gafas, sobre un rostro. Por eso hemos llamado a este proyecto, MakeUP Stylist, algo así como estilista de maquillaje. Sobre las características técnicas , hemos de decir que está programado en C#, con un diseño de interfaces, basado en la tecnología WPF. Para detectar las caras a maquillar o sus elementos, ojos y boca, hemos empleado una potente librería de visión por computador llamada OpenCv, en su versión .Net: Emgu. Utiliza un estilo de programación basado en el modelo 3 capas y un patrón de diseño llamado Model-View-ViewModel. A groso modo, este programa funciona de la siguiente forma, realiza una captura de de imágenes empleando una cámara web o una imagen cargada del sistema, procesa la información obtenida buscando los elementos de la cara y muestra una serie de respuestas y/o soluciones basadas en el maquillaje.Sahuquillo Falaguera, S.; Fortuny Elvira, O.; Sabic, N. (2012). MakeUP Stylist. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/17032.Archivo delegad

Proton conductivity through polybenzimidazole composite membranes containing silica nanofiber mats

The quest for sustainable and more efficient energy-converting devices has been the focus of researchers′ efforts in the past decades. In this study, SiO2 nanofiber mats were fabricated through an electrospinning process and later functionalized using silane chemistry to introduce different polar groups −OH (neutral), −SO3H (acidic) and −NH2 (basic). The modified nanofiber mats were embedded in PBI to fabricate mixed matrix membranes. The incorporation of these nanofiber mats in the PBI matrix showed an improvement in the chemical and thermal stability of the composite membranes. Proton conduction measurements show that PBI composite membranes containing nanofiber mats with basic groups showed higher proton conductivities, reaching values as high as 4 mS·cm−1 at 200 °C

Assessment of oral and written communication competences in the European Higher Education Area: a proposal of evaluation methodologies

[EN] he international accreditation for the Master and Bachelor degrees offered at our university, together with the demands of the employers, have made it clear that the students’ curricula should specify not only what they have studied, but also what they are actually able to do. Although the competence based curricula approach has been used in the development of the new programmes for the Master and Bachelor degrees within the European Higher Education Area in recent years, the assessment of these competences is still a pending task. This work presents an ‘outcomes’ approach for the assessment of the oral and written communication skills within subjects related to mechanical and materials engineering. In particular, this paper proposes some rubrics developed in order to quantify the level of achievement. These rubrics are based on the evaluation of some learning outcomes that can be observed by using different strategies during the course. Conclusions about preliminary results and the difficulties found in order to create these tools are also described here.Sonseca, A.; Sahuquillo, O.; Martinez-Casas, J.; Carballeira, J.; Denia Guzmán, FD.; Rodenas, J.; Rodenas (2015). Assessment of oral and written communication competences in the European Higher Education Area: a proposal of evaluation methodologies. En 1ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION ADVANCES (HEAD' 15). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 2-9. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD15.2015.485OCS2

Assessment of problem-solving skills in subjects related to mechanical and materials engineering

[EN] The international accreditation for the Master and Bachelor degrees offered at our university, together with the demands of the employers, have made it clear that students’ curricula should specify not only what they have studied, but also what they are actually able to do. Although the competence based curricula approach has been used in the development of the new programmes for Master and Bachelor degrees within the European Higher Education Area in recent years, the assessment of generic competences is still a pending task. This work presents an ‘outcomes’ approach for the assessment of the problem-solving capacity in subjects related to mechanical and materials engineering. In particular, this paper proposes a scale in order to quantify the level of achievement and shows some tools developed for this purpose. These tools are based on the evaluation of some learning outcomes that can be observed by using different strategies during the course. Conclusions about preliminary results and the difficulties found in order to create these tools and the scale are also described here.The authors acknowledge the financial contribution of Universitat Politècnica de València through the project PIME/2014/A/012/B.Martínez Casas, J.; Sahuquillo, O.; Sonseca Olalla, A.; Carballeira, J.; Denia Guzmán, FD.; Marco Alacid, O. (2015). Assessment of problem-solving skills in subjects related to mechanical and materials engineering. En 1ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION ADVANCES (HEAD' 15). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 288-295. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD15.2015.48628829

Enhanced Antibacterial Activity through Silver Nanoparticles Deposited onto Carboxylated Graphene Oxide Surface

[EN] The strong bactericidal action of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is usually limited by their degree of aggregation. Deposition of AgNPs onto a graphene oxide (GO) surface to generate GO-Ag hybrids has been shown to be an effective method of controlling these aggregation problems. In this sense, a novel carboxylated graphene oxide-silver nanoparticle (GOCOOH-Ag) material has been synthesized, and their antibacterial and biofilm formation inhibitions have been studied. AgNPs decorating the GOCOOH surface achieved an average size of 6.74 +/- 0.25 nm, which was smaller than that of AgNPs deposited onto the GO surface. In addition, better distribution of AgNPs was achieved using carboxylated material. It is important to highlight the main role of the carboxylic groups in the nucleation and growth of the AgNPs that decorate the GO-based material surface. In vitro antibacterial activity and antibiofilm-forming action were tested against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis) and Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli). Both GO-Ag and GOCOOH-Ag reduced bacterial growth, analyzed by time-kill curves. However, the minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration of GOCOOH-Ag were lower than those of GO-Ag for all strains studied, indicating that GOCOOH-Ag has better antibacterial activity. In addition, both nanomaterials prevent biofilm formation, with a higher reduction of biofilm mass and cell viability in the presence of GOCOOH-Ag. The carboxylation functionalization in GO-based materials can be applied to improve the bactericidal and antibiofilm-forming action of the AgNPs.This research was funded by Agencia Valenciana de la Innovacio (Valencian Regional Government) under the project INNEST00/19/002 and the Spanish Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad (project SAF2017-82251-R) and co-financed with ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) "A way for Europe".Barjola, A.; Tormo-Mas, MÁ.; Sahuquillo, O.; Bernabé-Quispe, P.; Pérez, JM.; Giménez Torres, E. (2022). Enhanced Antibacterial Activity through Silver Nanoparticles Deposited onto Carboxylated Graphene Oxide Surface. Nanomaterials. 12(12):1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12121949115121

Ionic Liquid Composite Polybenzimidazol Membranes for High Temperature PEMFC Applications

[EN] A series of proton exchange membranes based on polybenzimidazole (PBI) were prepared using the low cost ionic liquids (ILs) derived from 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium (BMIM) bearing different anions as conductive fillers in the polymeric matrix with the aim of enhancing the proton conductivity of PBI membranes. The composite membranes prepared by casting method (containing 5 wt. % of IL) exhibited good thermal, dimensional, mechanical, and oxidative stability for fuel cell applications. The effects of anion, temperature on the proton conductivity of phosphoric acid-doped membranes were systematically investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The PBI composite membranes containing 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium-derived ionic liquids exhibited high proton conductivity of 0.098 Scm(-1) at 120 degrees C when tetrafluoroborate anion was present in the polymeric matrix. This conductivity enhancement might be attributed to the formed hydrogen-bond networks between the IL molecules and the phosphoric acid molecules distributed along the polymeric matrix.The authors acknowledge the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO) for the financial support under the project ENE/2015-69203-R.Escorihuela, J.; Garcia Bernabe, A.; Montero Reguera, ÁE.; Sahuquillo, O.; Giménez Torres, E.; Compañ Moreno, V. (2019). Ionic Liquid Composite Polybenzimidazol Membranes for High Temperature PEMFC Applications. Polymers. 11(4):1-14. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym1104073211411

Comparación de herramientas de evaluación de la competencia comunicación oral efectiva

[EN] With the main objective of evaluating oral communication skills, a coevaluation methodology has been carried out for the last years to obtain quantitative results from data collected in the lab sessions on Materials Science, from the Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering. The evaluation methodology followed is focus on students encouragement to participate more actively in the continuous learning of the subject. Students were asked to prepare oral presentations to explain to the class a summary about a previous lesson. These presentations were evaluated by a rubric-based method. The evaluation was done by using two different rubrics. The first one developed by the authors as a part of a Universitat Politècnica de Valencia project in educational innovation and improvement (PIME); and the second one an institutional one. The last one was developed later at UPV and also based on the experience derived from PIMEs projects. The idea is to compare both of them to prove if there is a good correlation between them.[ES] Con el objetivo principal de evaluar la competencia de comunicación oral, se ha empleado durante los últimos años una metodología basada en la coevaluación, para obtener resultados cuantitativos de las sesiones de laboratorio de la asignatura Ciencia de Materiales del Grado en Ingeniería Química. La metodología pretende que los alumnos participen más activamente la evaluación continua de la asignatura. Los alumnos tienen que preparar y realizar una presentación oral resumen de la sesión anterior al resto de sus compañeros. La presentación será evaluada usando una rúbrica como herramienta de evaluación. La evaluación fue realizada utilizando dos rúbricas diferentes, una de ellas diseñada por los autores como parte del "Proyecto de Innovación y Mejora Educativa" (PIME) de la Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV). Otra desarrollada posteriormente en la UPV, basándose en la experiencia derivada de diferentes PIMEs. Se busca comparar si hay una buena correlación entre los resultados obtenidos con ambas rúbricas.El proyecto has sido financiado por el Vicerrectorado de Estudios, Calidad y Acreditación de la Universitat Politècnica de València a través del programa PIME 2016-17 bajo la referencia A26.Sahuquillo Navarro, O.; Sonseca Olalla, A.; Martinez, J.; Carballeira, J. (2017). Comparación de herramientas de evaluación de la competencia comunicación oral efectiva. En In-Red 2017. III Congreso Nacional de innovación educativa y de docencia en red. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1293-1302. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2017.2017.6851OCS1293130