The GEOTRACES Intermediate Data Product 2014

The GEOTRACES Intermediate Data Product 2014 (IDP2014) is the first publicly available data product of the international GEOTRACES programme, and contains data measured and quality controlled before the end of 2013. It consists of two parts: (1) a compilation of digital data for more than 200 trace elements and isotopes (TEIs) as well as classical hydrographic parameters, and (2) the eGEOTRACES Electronic Atlas providing a strongly inter-linked on-line atlas including more than 300 section plots and 90 animated 3D scenes. The IDP2014 covers the Atlantic, Arctic, and Indian oceans, exhibiting highest data density in the Atlantic. The TEI data in the IDP2014 are quality controlled by careful assessment of intercalibration results and multi-laboratory data comparisons at cross-over stations. The digital data are provided in several formats, including ASCII spreadsheet, Excel spreadsheet, netCDF, and Ocean Data View collection. In addition to the actual data values the IDP2014 also contains data quality flags and 1-σ data error values where available. Quality flags and error values are useful for data filtering. Metadata about data originators, analytical methods and original publications related to the data are linked to the data in an easily accessible way. The eGEOTRACES Electronic Atlas is the visual representation of the IDP2014 data providing section plots and a new kind of animated 3D scenes. The basin-wide 3D scenes allow for viewing of data from many cruises at the same time, thereby providing quick overviews of large-scale tracer distributions. In addition, the 3D scenes provide geographical and bathymetric context that is crucial for the interpretation and assessment of observed tracer plumes, as well as for making inferences about controlling processes.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (OCE-0608600)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (OCE-0938349)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (OCE-1243377

Visitando a Mary Shelley. Diálogos didácticos entre ciencia y literatura. Visiting Mary Shelley. Educational dialogues between science and literature.10.20420/ElGuiniguada.2020.340

This work presents an educational experience based on the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818) with alumni of the degrees in preschool and primary school education, as part of an educational innovation project related to the integration of sciences and arts. The novel was selected because of the ephemeris of its publication, but also because there was an exposition entitled “Frankenstein or the modern Prometheus. Dialogues between science and literature”, directed by Pedro Ruiz-Castell at the University of Valencia. This lead to a learning unit carried out by one hundred preservice teachers with the main goal of developing cultural mediation strategies based on the design of learning materials for children integrating science and literature.Enmarcado en un proyecto de innovación docente relacionado con la integración de las ciencias y las letras destinado a alumnos de los Grados de Maestro en Educación Primaria e Infantil, este trabajo presenta una experiencia educativa basada en la novela mítica Frankenstein, de la creadora inglesa Mary Shelley (1818). La elección de la obra viene motivada por la efeméride de su publicación, pero especialmente por la fortuna de poder asistir a la exposición “Frankenstein o el moderno Prometeo. Diálogos entre ciencia y literatura”, comisariada por Pedro Ruiz-Castell en la Universitat de València. Esta motivó una secuencia didáctica llevada a cabo por un centenar de maestros en formación que tenía por objetivo principal el desarrollo de estrategias de mediación cultural a partir del diseño de materiales didácticos para niños, con la peculiaridad de que estos integraban aspectos relacionados con las ciencias y la literatur

Environmental attitudes in the literature classroom with preservice teachers

Este trabajo presenta el análisis de una experiencia educativa piloto cuyo objetivo general era desarrollar las actitudes medioambientales de los futuros maestros a partir de la lectura y discusión de un corpus heterogéneo de textos literarios relacionados con la ecología y la sostenibilidad. Se llevó a cabo con 44 alumnos en una asignatura prototípica de literatura del Grado de Magisterio, poniendo de relieve la transversalidad de los asuntos tratados y su rendimiento educativo en diferentes áreas. Los alumnos completaron al comienzo y al final del cuatrimestre el cuestionario “Inventario de actitudes medioambientales”, con 11 dimensiones que pueden agruparse en dos factores de segundo orden “Utilización” y “Preservación”. El análisis de las respuestas, según una escala Likert de cinco niveles, demuestra que esta innovación transdisciplinar colabora en la modificación de sus actitudes medioambientales. Además, se evidencia que hay diferencias importantes entre mujeres y hombres en ciertas dimensiones analizadas de primer y segundo orden, lo que lleva a concluir una significativa mayor conciencia medioambiental en las mujeres.With the objective of enhancing environmental attitudes in future teachers, we present here a pilot educational experience based on the reading and discussion of different literary texts with ecological and sustainability topics. It was carried out with 44 alumni from the subject “Literary training for teachers” of the Degree in Teaching where the topic was addressed crosswise. The students completed the questionnaire “Inventory of environmental attitudes” at the beginning and end of the semester, composed of 11 dimensions that can be grouped into two second-order factors “Utilization” and “Preservation”. The analysis of the answers, according to a 5-level Likert scale, demonstrates that this transdisciplinary innovation helps to modify their environmental attitudes. The results show an evolution between the initial and final questionnaires, as well as important differences between women and men in certain analyzed dimensions of first and second order, being women the ones with a higher environmental awareness

A transdisciplinary educational experience at the Botanical Garden around scientific travelers

[EN] In the framework of the transdisciplinary educational innovative project “Sciences and Arts” at the University of Valencia, we present here the design and outcome of an activity around the phenomenon of scientific travelers. It consisted in a scientific-literary tour through the Botanical Garden of the University of Valencia, that 100 students from the subjects “Natural Sciences for teachers” and “Literary training for teachers” attended. The activity was designed as a collaborative work in which scientific travelers served as a pretext to address six educational aspects that the students from each subject tackled in two different ways: from a more scientific than literary approach and viceversa. The students valued very much the possibility of interaction with the other group, the fact that the expositions took place at a natural environment, the integrating of Sciences and Arts and the didactic transposition carried out.Echegoyen Sanz, Y.; Martín Ezpeleta, A. (2019). A transdisciplinary educational experience at the Botanical Garden around scientific travelers. En HEAD'19. 5th International Conference on Higher Education Advances. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 735-742. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD19.2019.949773574

Ecology in action. An educational experience

Los autores, profesores de Literatura y Ciencias Naturales en la Facultad de Magisterio de la Universidad de Valencia, han llevado a cabo una experiencia docente basada en la Ecocrítica, cuyo diseño y resultados se presentan en este trabajo. Así, además de desarrollar el planteamiento teórico-metodológico interdisciplinar que fundamenta esta experiencia, se describen las actividades didácticas generadas a partir del cuento “Anaconda” (1921), de Horacio Quiroga, que se han implementado en este curso 2016-2017. Estas intentan potenciar una lectura que prima la voz de la naturaleza, que esta vez toma cuerpo en los diálogos y reflexiones de las serpientes. Se rompe así esa imagen atávica que une los ofidios con el mal, coadyuvando al mismo tiempo la empatía y la creación de un nuevo punto de vista que demuestra que el verdadero enemigo de la biodiversidad es el hombre. Valores ecológicos medulares en la Década de la Educación para el Desarrollo Sostenible de las Naciones Unidas (2005-2014), que ya dejó bien a las claras la necesidad de primar la protección del medio ambiente y la preservación de la biodiversidad en todos los niveles educativos. Así, parece especialmente relevante colaborar en concienciar de todo ello a los maestros del futuro, que también pueden incorporar los presupuestos de la Ecocrítica en su bagaje formativo.The design and results of an ecocriticism-based teaching experience carried out by the authors, professors of Literature and Natural Sciences at the Faculty of Education of the University of Valencia, are presented. Thus, in addition to the interdisciplinary theoretical-methodological approach basing this experience, the didactic activities implemented in the academic year 2016-2017 and generated from the story “Anaconda” (1921) by Horacio Quiroga are described. These try to focus on a reading in which the voice of nature prevails, in this case taking shape in the dialogues and reflections of the snakes. The atavistic image assimilating the ophidians with evil is broken and, at the same time, it is shown that the true enemy of biodiversity is mankind. These are core ecological values that were already revealed during the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development of the United Nations (2005-2014), where the need to prioritize the protection of the environment and the preservation of biodiversity at all educational levels was stated. Thus, it seems especially relevant to collaborate in raising awareness among the teachers of the future, who can also incorporate the Ecocriticm assumptions into their training background

Creativity and ecofeminism in teacher training. Qualitative analysis of digital stories

Este trabajo investiga la autoevaluación de la creatividad de los docentes en formación, al tiempo que analiza cualitativamente las evidencias de trabajo que conforman un conjunto de cuentos digitales. Estos forman parte de una propuesta didáctica basada en la interdisciplinariedad y el ecofeminismo, entendido este como un sincretismo didáctico clave para asimilar el papel trascendental de las mujeres en la preservación de la naturaleza y contribuir a su difusión en su futuro quehacer profesional. La muestra se compone de 93 estudiantes repartidos entre una asignatura de Ciencias y otra de Letras de los Grados de Maestro Especialidad Infantil y Primaria. Los resultados del test de creatividad K-DOCS muestran que los estudiantes de Magisterio tienen una concepción elevada de su creatividad en los dominios cotidiano y académico e intermedia en el resto, y que los hombres tienen una mayor concepción de su creatividad que las mujeres excepto en el dominio artístico (con diferencias significativas en todos ellos, excepto el cotidiano). No se encontraron diferencias en función de los estudios de origen. El análisis mediante Atlas.ti de los cuentos digitales preparados con temática ecofeminista, sin embargo, muestra que la creatividad real de los estudiantes es baja y que además no existe ninguna correlación entre la autopercepción de creatividad y la creatividad de producto.This work investigates self-assessment of creativity in preservice teachers, while analyzing creativity in digital stories created by the same group of alumni. These were part of a didactic proposal based on interdisciplinarity and ecofeminism, a key movement to assimilate the role of women in nature preservation. The sample is composed of 93 students from the Grades of Teacher in Primary Education and Early Chilhood Education. Results obtained by completing the creativity test K-DOCS show that preservice teachers obtain high values in the self/everyday and scholarly domains, with intermediate values in the rest. Men show higher values than women in all domains except the artistic one. There are statistically significant differences between genders for all domains except self/everyday. There were no significant differences depending on secondary studies. The ecofeminist digital stories created were then analyzed using Atlas.ti and the results show that the real creativity of preservice teachers is low and there is no correlation between the self-perception of creativity and product creativity

Level of Acceptance of epistemically unwarranted beliefs in pre-service primary school teachers: influence of cognitive style, academic level and gender

One of the main objectives of scientific literacy is the development of rational skills and critical thinking in citizens. This is a central goal for teachers. However, beliefs that lack rational foundation and supporting evidence,named "epistemically unwarranted beliefs" (EUB), spread rapidly among the population. If teachers had some of these EUB, their work could be compromised.The aim of this research was to determine the level of acceptance of different EUB in Spanish pre-service primary school teachers and to analyze the influence of their cognitive style, gender, and academic level. Two hundred and fifty undergraduate students of Bachelor's Degree in Primary Education participated in this study. Two questionnaires were used to collect data. ANOVA, ANCOVA, correlations, and linear regression analysis were used to quantify that influence. Results showed high levels of acceptance of some EUB in future teachers, with significant influences of gender and academic level, and a mediating role of cognitive styles. Experiential and rational cognitive styles, and academic level were significant predictors of EUB, being experiential thinking the most powerful one. Thus, pre-service teacher education should have an epistemological vigilance on future teachers' scientific literacy and increase the presence of rational style among teachers

Estudio de la liberación de plata desde recipientes de plástico de uso alimentario con nanopartículas de plata mediante el uso de algas como biosensores

Las nanopartículas de plata son uno de los productos más utilizados en la nanotecnología, sector que está en pleno auge. En este trabajo se ha estudiado la liberación de este tipo de material desde los recipientes para conservar alimentos “Kinetic Go Green”. La plata liberada desde estos envases en un medio líquido se ha valorado mediante técnicas analíticas (ICP-MS) y mediante el uso de biosensores (alga verde Chlamydomonas reinhardtii). Se ha estudiado cómo los cambios en factores como el pH del medio, la temperatura y el tiempo de exposición afectan a la liberación de plata desde los recipientes de plástico. Los resultados demuestran que existe liberación de plata. Las concentraciones liberadas son lo suficientemente elevadas como para ser detectadas mediante ICP-MS y también como para provocar un efecto tóxico sobre la fotosíntesis del organismo utilizado como biosensor. Ni un menor pH ni una mayor temperatura parecen incrementar la cantidad de plata liberada. Los resultados de toxicidad sobre la fotosíntesis algal, sugieren que la liberación de plata desde los recipientes puede ser tanto en forma de plata iónica Ag+ (libre o ligada a otros compuestos plásticos) como en forma de plata metálica (nanoparticulada seguramente). La liberación de Ag+ se debe a la oxidación de las nanopartículas, y este proceso sí que parece favorecido por el calentamiento en microondas de las muestras

Analysis of trace metals (Cu, Cd, Pb, and Fe) in seawater using single batch nitrilotriacetate resin extraction and isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A simple and accurate low-blank method has been developed for the analysis of total dissolved copper, cadmium, lead, and iron in a small volume (1.3–1.5 mL per element) of seawater. Pre-concentration and salt-separation of a stable isotope spiked sample are achieved by single batch extraction onto nitrilotriacetate (NTA)-type Superflow® chelating resin beads (100–2400 beads depending on the element). Metals are released into 0.1–0.5 M HNO[subscript 3], and trace metal isotope ratios are determined by ICPMS. The benefit of this method compared to our previous Mg(OH)2 coprecipitation method is that the final matrix is very dilute so cone-clogging and matrix sensitivity suppression are minimal, while still retaining the high accuracy of the isotope dilution technique. Recovery efficiencies are sensitive to sample pH, number of resin beads added, and the length of time allowed for sample–resin binding and elution; these factors are optimized for each element to yield the highest recovery. The method has a low procedural blank and high sensitivity sufficient for the analysis of pM–nM open-ocean trace metal concentrations. Application of this method to samples from the Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series Study station provides oceanographically consistent Cu, Cd, Pb, and Fe profiles that are in good agreement with other reliable data for this site. In addition, the method can potentially be modified for the simultaneous analysis of multiple elements, which will be beneficial for the analysis of large number of samples.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (NSF frant OCE-0751409)Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of SciencesNational Science Foundation (U.S.) (NSF award OCE-0751409)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (NSF award OCE-0926197

Electrospun Poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol)/Graphene Nanoplatelets Composites of Interest in Intelligent Food Packaging Applications

Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were synthetized from graphite powder and, thereafter, embedded in poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) (EVOH) fibers by electrospinning in the 0.1-2 wt.-% range. The morphological, chemical, and thermal characterization performed on the electrospun nanocomposite fibers mats revealed that the GNPs were efficiently dispersed and rolled along the EVOH fibrilar matrix up to contents of 0.5 wt.-%. Additionally, the dielectric behavior of the nanocomposite fibers was evaluated as a function of the frequency range and GNPs content. The obtained results indicated that their dielectric constant rapidly decreased with the frequency increase and only increased at low GNPs loadings while the nanocomposite fiber mats became electrically conductive, with the maximum at 0.5 wt.-% GNPs content. Finally, the electrospun mats were subjected to a thermal post-treatment and dark films with a high contact transparency were obtained, suggesting that the nanocomposites can be used either in a nonwoven fibers form or in a continuous film form. This study demonstrates the potential of electrospinning as a promising technology to produce GNPs-containing materials with high electrical conductivity that can be of potential interest in intelligent packaging applications as 'smart' labels or tags