La crisis climática de la Tardoantigüedad y su impacto en las ciudades del Valle Medio del Ebro

Resumen:La Antigüedad Tardía fue un periodo de transición de la Edad Antigua a la Edad Media que estuvo marcado por una serie de acontecimientos históricos y ambientales que han quedado reflejados en el registro arqueológico y geomorfológico. Históricamente, la inestabilidad económica, social, política y cultural, así como la desarticulación urbanística y territorial, fueron algunos de sus eventos más significativos. Por otro lado, a nivel ambiental, la Tardoantigüedad se caracterizó por sufrir un significativo cambio climático holocénico, la denominada Pequeña Edad de Hielo de la Antigüedad Tardía o LALIA (Late Antiquity Little Ice Age), que debió influir considerablemente sobre el desarrollo urbanístico de las ciudades del Valle Medio del Ebro. Afortunadamente, disponemos de una información paleoambiental suficiente sobre esta crisis en el entorno del Ebro, como para intentar un ensayo sobre la influencia y el grado de impacto que este fenómeno climático ejerció sobre los asentamientos tardoantiguos. Palabras clave: Tardoantigüedad – Holoceno – crisis climática – paleoambiente – evolución urbanística. <br /

La producción de cerámica ibérica en el Bajo Aragón.

La cerámica ibérica del Bajo Aragón es, si cabe, una de las más extraordinarias del territorio nacional debido a sus abundantes decoraciones y tipologías. Su singularidad ha dado como resultado la aparición de un estilo característico desarrollado en la zona del Bajo Aragón y que es conocido de varias formas, Estilo Azaila, Estilo Azaila- Alloza o Estilo Azaila-Alcorisa-Alloza. Sin embargo, es gracias a las estructuras y elementos empleados para la realización de esta cerámica los que han propiciado la singularidad de la misma. Desgraciadamente, es poca la información de la que disponemos sobre los centros ibéricos de producción alfarera, por ello, este trabajo pretende dar cierta visibilidad a estas estructuras, abordando los aspectos fundamentales que se desempeñaban en el taller, como la decoración o la cocciónSon tres los centros alfareros que abastecieron de objetos cerámicos a los núcleos indígenas del Bajo Aragón. Las partidas de Mas de Moreno, el Olmo y Masada de la Cerrada localizados cerca de Foz-Calanda, forman un conjunto de alfares extraordinario, compuestos por una serie de hornos de tiro vertical de tradición fenicia y griega. El fin último de este ensayo, es dar a conocer este tipo de estructuras, pues, la mayor parte de las monografías y artículos sobre cerámica ibérica únicamente se centran en la tipología y las decoraciones, obviando estos talleres y por lo tanto, contribuyendo al olvido de los mismos.<br /

Multiplex PCR for simultaneous detection of enterococcal genes vanA and vanB and staphylococcal genes mecA, ileS-2 and femB

The experimental transfer of the vanA gene cluster from Enterococcus faecalis to Staphylococcus aureus has raised fears about the occurrence of such genetic transfer in clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant staphylococci. Recently, infections by a S. aureus strain carrying the enterococcal vancomycin resistance vanA gene cluster were reported. The possible emergence and dissemination of these strains is a serious health threat and makes optimization of prevention strategies and fast detection methods absolutely necessary. In the present study, we developed a PCR protocol for simultaneous detection of enterococcal vanA and vanB genes, the staphylococcal methicillin and mupirocin resistance markers mecA and ileS-2, and identification of S. aureus. As no vancomycin-resistant S. aureus isolates were available for our study, we used mixtures of enterococcal and staphylococcal colonies that harbored the different resistance markers to show that these genes could be detected simultaneously. This protocol could be used to facilitate the detection and identification of predictable S. aureus or methicillin-resistant strains carrying vanA or vanB

Mapping Recombination Rate on the Autosomal Chromosomes Based on the Persistency of Linkage Disequilibrium Phase Among Autochthonous Beef Cattle Populations in Spain

In organisms with sexual reproduction, genetic diversity, and genome evolution are governed by meiotic recombination caused by crossing-over, which is known to vary within the genome. In this study, we propose a simple method to estimate the recombination rate that makes use of the persistency of linkage disequilibrium (LD) phase among closely related populations. The biological material comprised 171 triplets (sire/dam/offspring) from seven populations of autochthonous beef cattle in Spain (Asturiana de los Valles, Avileña-Negra Ibérica, Bruna dels Pirineus, Morucha, Pirenaica, Retinta, and Rubia Gallega), which were genotyped for 777, 962 SNPs with the BovineHD BeadChip. After standard quality filtering, we reconstructed the haplotype phases in the parental individuals and calculated the LD by the correlation -r- between each pair of markers that had a genetic distance &lt; 1 Mb. Subsequently, these correlations were used to calculate the persistency of LD phase between each pair of populations along the autosomal genome. Therefore, the distribution of the recombination rate along the genome can be inferred since the effect of the number of generations of divergence should be equivalent throughout the genome. In our study, the recombination rate was highest in the largest chromosomes and at the distal portion of the chromosomes. In addition, the persistency of LD phase was highly heterogeneous throughout the genome, with a ratio of 25.4 times between the estimates of the recombination rates from the genomic regions that had the highest (BTA18-7.1 Mb) and the lowest (BTA12-42.4 Mb) estimates. Finally, an overrepresentation enrichment analysis (ORA) showed differences in the enriched gene ontology (GO) terms between the genes located in the genomic regions with estimates of the recombination rate over (or below) the 95th (or 5th) percentile throughout the autosomal genome

Computación ubicua aplicada al aprendizaje: implementación en el curso de ingreso universitario

Integrar tecnologías en los procesos de aprendizaje de los estudiantes que ingresan a la universidad se vuelve desafiante para favorecer la colaboración, conectar espacios formales, no formales e informales; la ubicación del aprendizaje, tanto dentro como fuera del aula; adaptar los contenidos y actividades a las características de los alumnos y su contexto, etc. Es así, que se considera como alternativa válida el uso del modelo educativo de aprendizaje ubicuo. En este modelo, los ambientes de aprendizaje ubicuo superan las limitaciones de un ambiente de aprendizaje tradicional, y lo extienden haciendo realidad la idea de aprendizaje en cualquier lugar y momento. Por lo tanto, los contenidos educativos pueden accederse y las interacciones pueden concretarse donde los estudiantes lo necesiten sin restricción de espacio ni de tiempo. En este trabajo se presenta la línea de investigación: Desarrollos de sistemas para el aprendizaje ubicuo; en particular uno de los principales resultados obtenidos. Se trata de una aplicación ubicua para el curso de ingreso a la universidad para carreras de informática. La propuesta se basa en aprendizaje ubicuo con el uso de objetos de aprendizaje (OA) que se ofrecen de forma personalizada al estudiante. La aplicación ofrece servicios de apoyo para el aprendizaje.Eje: Tecnología informática aplicada en educación.Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informátic

Virtual self-conversation using motivational interviewing techniques to promote healthy eating and physical activity : A usability study

We aim to examine the usability of a Virtual Reality (VR) platform, called ConVRSelf, which has been designed to address the needs of People Living With Obesity (PLWO). Fourteen participants with a desire to eat healthier and exercise more (6 normal weight and 8 PLWO; Mean age = 41.86, SD = 13.89) were assigned to the experimental group (EG) or the control group (CG). EG participants, after being trained on motivational interviewing skills, engaged in a virtual self-conversation using embodiment and body swapping techniques, which aimed to normalize and resolve their ambivalence to change lifestyle habits. CG participants, embodied in their virtual bodies, participated in a pre-established discourse with a virtual counselor giving them psychoeducational advice about how to change lifestyle habits. A mixed-methods design was used, involving a semi-structured interview and self-report questionnaires, including readiness to change habits (Readiness Rulers), body ownership (Body Ownership Questionnaire, BOQ), and system usability (System Evaluation Questionnaire, SEQ). Thematic content analysis was carried out for qualitative data while statistical data analysis was carried out using SPSS 20.0. Participants from both groups showed high readiness to change lifestyle (Readiness Rulers) before engaging with the virtual experiences, which was maintained at the same level after the interventions and their scores on the SEQ and BOQ were satisfactory. Regarding qualitative information obtained from the interviews, almost all participants found the VR experience to be novel, interesting, and enjoyable. A higher acceptability was observed among PLWO from the EG than normal weight participants from the same group, a promising finding for the ConVRSelf platform, which had been specifically designed to address the needs of PLWO. The ConVRSelf system is well-accepted by participants and is ready to be tested with PLWO in a clinical setting

An example of Space Engineering Education in Spain: a master in space based on Project-Based Learning (PBL)

This work describes the successful education experience for five years of space engineering education at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain. The MSc. in Space Systems (MUSE, Máster Universitario en Sistemas Espaciales) is a 2-year and 120-ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) master program organized by the Microgravity Institute ‘Ignacio Da Riva’ (IDR/UPM), a research institute of UPM with extensive experience in the space sector. The teaching methodology is oriented to Project Based Learning (PBL), taking advantage of the IDR/UPM Institute experience. The main purposes are to share the IDR/UPM knowledge with the students and promote their collaboration with several space scientific institutions, both national and international. In the present work, the most relevant characteristics of this master program are described, highlighting the importance of the student’s participation in actual missions. In addition, to offer practical cases in all aspects of satellite development, the IDR/UPM decided to create its own satellite development program, the UPMSats. The latest, the UPMSat-2, is an educational, scientific, and in-orbit technological demonstration microsatellite (50 kg-class) that was launched in September 2020 on-board a Vega launcher (VV-16 flight). MUSE students have participated in all phases of the mission, from design to integration, calibration, and testing, and (at present) in-orbit operation. The construction of a microsatellite, although it exceeds in time the academic duration of the master, has proven to be a very interesting and versatile tool for PBL education, since it provides practical cases at all levels of development. Furthermore, the continuity of the project encourages graduated students to continue their education with a Ph.D. and the collaboration of master and doctoral students. These reasons have made MUSE one of the most successful academic programs in space systems engineering in Spain, with high employment rates in the most prestigious space engineering institution

Avances en métodos y técnicas para la construcción de aplicaciones basadas en computación ubicuas

Los nuevos desarrollos de las Ciencias de la Computación/Informática se orientan hacia la Computación Ubicua, en la que los ordenadores están incluidos en nuestros movimientos naturales y en las interacciones con nuestro entorno, tanto físico como social. Este nuevo paradigma de la computación involucra dos características fundamentales: la movilidad y la pervasividad. Los principales desafíos en la Computación Ubicua se originan, entonces, en la integración de ambas características en la búsqueda de que todo dispositivo computacional, mientras se mueve con nosotros, pueda ir construyendo de forma incremental modelos dinámicos de sus diversos entornos y configurar sus servicios en consecuencia. Nuevos retos emergen en términos de cómo se debe diseñar y desarrollar aplicaciones ubicuas. Esto requiere el replanteo de las arquitecturas de software posibles, el diseño de ontologías y de modelos de dominio, nuevos escenarios de interacciones y el análisis de nuevas familias de requisitos no funcionales (como configurabilidad y la adaptabilidad). Con el proyecto de investigación presentado en el contexto, se busca desarrollar nuevas técnicas, métodos y estrategias para el diseño y construcción de aplicaciones ubicuas, atendiendo a los nuevos retos que la computación Ubicua impone. En este artículo se describe el proyecto, los resultados obtenidos a lo largo de tres años de ejecución del mismo, en especial la formación de recursos humanos concretada en el marco del proyecto.Eje: Innovación en sistemas de software.Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informátic

UPMSat-2 Micro-Satellite: In-orbit Technological Demonstration for Education and Science

The UPMSat-2 micro-satellite was launched on September the 3rd 2020 at 01:51:10 UTC from Kourou spaceport in French Guyana. The VV16 Vega Flight has been the first low Earth orbit rideshare commercial flight with a total of 53 satellites (7 of them micro-satellites) to be released by the launch vehicle, arranged in the modular SSMS (Small Spacecraft Mission Service) dispenser. UPMSat-2 is an educational, scientific and in-orbit technological demonstration microsatellite project led by the IDR/UPM research institute from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Spain. This mission can be considered as a logical extension of the IDR/UPM Institute activities focused on designing small satellites to be used as educational platforms of first level. Thereby, UPMSat-2 (as well as its precursor, the UPMSat-1) has the main objective to give students the competences for designing, analyzing, manufacturing, integrating, testing and operating the platform. UPMSat-2 also includes a set of scientific payloads and equipment to be tested in space, provided by research institutions and private companies. The UPMSat-2 is a 50 kg-class microsatellite developed for a 2-year LEO mission with a geometrical envelope of 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.6 m. Since launch, the satellite is orbiting the Earth in a sun-synchronous orbit of 500 km of altitude, passing over the IDR/UPM ground station four times a day. The satellite operation is being carried out by students and professors of the Master in Space Systems (MUSE), an official Master’s program of UPM organized by IDR/UPM. This work describes the most relevant characteristics of UPMSat-2, its payloads, technological contributions, and the main activities performed up to the launch, including participation in the launch campaign in French Guyana. The lessons learned during the mission are also summarized. Finally, the importance and benefits of incorporating actual space systems design and development within academic programs is also emphasized, as it improves these programs with constant and direct feedback

The UPMSat-2 Satellite: an academic project within aerospace engineering education

Today, project-based learning is a well-known methodology in engineering education. In the IDR/UPM Institute of Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), different lines of research have been developed to involve students into projects related to aerodynamics (both theoretical and experimental), fluid dynamics on low gravity, and space science (heat transfer).Although these lines of research were initially related to the Ph.D. programs integrated within the academic plan of the university, the increasing interest among the bachelor and master students on research and projects linked to the most advanced engineering techniques, prompted the IDR/UPM academic staff to offer some specific projects to these students as their final degree thesis. In the present work, the UPMSat-2 satellite project is analyzed as an academic tool to involve different groups of students into a big project,encouraging them not only to develop specific skills in relation to a single subsystem of the satellite, but also to harmonize their work with the results from other groups of students working on other different subsystems.The different groups of students were directed by the professors of the IDR/UPM Institute. These students being mainly from two different degrees at UPM: Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering and Master’s Degree in Space Systems (MUSE). The main difference between these two groups being the amount of work carried out to fulfill the degree requirements. For the Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering, a 300-hour average project is required, whereas for the Master’s Degree in Space Systems this limit increases to 450 hours. Taking into account the aforementioned figures, the importance of having motivated students is crucial. In this sense, a project like the UPMSat-2 has revealed itself as a formidable way to gather students and professors around a common engineering task. It should be pointed out that this kind of satellite, a 50-kg spacecraft, allows a more complex engineering management when compared to the cubesats (that is, engineering operations such as testing, integration or harnessing are closer to the ones related to commercial or military aircraft). Besides, as the UPMSat-2 is used as a platform to qualify space technologies for engineering enterprises (Iberespacio, Bartington, SSVB, Tecnobit, Arquimea…), students are in contact with commercial enterprises from the space sector, this fact being also important in order to increase their motivation. In the present work the educational benefits of the UPMSat-2 program in relation to the Master’s Degree in Space Systems (MUSE) are thoroughly described, some examples of the projects carried out by the students being summarized. satellite design, space technology, project-based learning, active learning