El perfil afectivo/matemático de estudiantes de ciencias e ingeniería

En la investigación en educación matemática, el rendimiento se ha estudiado desde diferentes ópticas: cognitiva, social y emocional, entre otras. Este estudio analiza las creencias y actitudes de estudiantes de ingeniería y de ciencias a través de una metodología basada en la lógica fuzzy. Los resultados muestran, que a los de ingeniería les gustan más las matemáticas, presentan mayor autoestima matemática y creen que las matemáticas son importantes de un modo significativamente mayor que para los estudiantes de ciencias. No obstante, todos son conscientes de su responsabilidad en el aprendizaje de las matemáticas, y coinciden en valorar el papel del profesor, aunque no se considere un elemento influyente a nivel emocional

Valoración económica de los servicios ecosistémicos asociados al Parque Natural del Turia (Valencia)

[EN] The objective of this paper is to obtain the monetary value of ecosystem services provided by the Turia Natural Park (TNP). This paper proposes the use of the Analytic Multicriteria Valuation Method (AMUVAM) by replacing the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) with the Analytic Network Process (ANP), since the ANP method allows to analyze interdependence relationships between the services provided by a system. The results express that the economic value of the ecosystem services associated to the TNP ranges between 163,946,752 € and 481,549,597 €. The results reveal distinct patterns in the valuation of the existing services due to ethical issues.[ES] El objeto de este trabajo es la obtención de un intervalo de valor de los servicios ecosistémicos proporcionados por el Parque Natural del Turia (PNT). La metodología empleada ha sido el método analítico de valoración multicriterio (Analytic Multicriteria Valuation Method, AMUVAM) sustituyendo el Proceso Analítico Jerárquico por el proceso analítico en red (Analytic Network Process, ANP), dado que este permite analizar relaciones de interdependencia entre los servicios del sistema. El valor económico de los servicios ecosistémicos asociados al PNT oscila entre 163.946.752 € y 481.549.597 € en función de las diferentes sensibilidades éticas de los expertos.Estruch-Guitart, V.; Valls-Civera, A. (2019). An economic valuation of ecosystem services provided by the River Turia Natural Park (Valencia). Economía Agraria y Recursos Naturales - Agricultural and Resource Economics. 18(2):93-115. https://doi.org/10.7201/earn.2018.02.05SWORD9311518

Analysis of the length weight relationships for the Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (L.)

The recently adopted models by ICCAT Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS) for the Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT), Thunnus thynnus (L.) (RW= 0.0000159137 SFL^3.020584, WEST; and RW= 0.0000315551 SFL^2.898454, EAST ), together with the models used to date (RW= 0.0000152 SFL^3.0531, for western stock; and RW= 0.000019607 SFL^3.0092, for eastern stock) and an alternative model for the eastern stock (RW= 0.0000188SFL^3.01247), are analyzed in using bi variant samples (SFL (cm), RW (kg)) of 698 pairs of data (K= 2.02 ± 0.23 SD, western stock) and 474 pairs of data (K= 2.03 ± 0.15 SD, eastern stock) with the aim of validating them and establishing which model best fit the reality represented by the samples and, therefore, will have the greatest descriptive and predictive power. The result of the analysis indicates that the adopted models WEST and EAST clearly underestimates the weight of spawning ABFT being the models used to date, as well as the alternative model presented in this paper, that best explains the data of the samples. The result of the classical statistical analysis is confirmed by means of the quantile regression technique, selecting the quantiles 5%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 95%. Other biological and fisheries indicators also conclude that the models WEST and EAST gradually underestimates the weight of ABFT spawners (of 2 3 m) by 8 14%; the average value of K (1.78 and 1.82) obtained for spawners (> 140 cm), using the adopted models, represents ABFT in low fattening condition; and the evolution of K throughout the year, by using the monthly L-W adopted models, does not represent the significant increase in weight that ABFT experiences in nature between August and December.Cort, JL.; Estruch, VD. (2016). Analysis of the length weight relationships for the Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (L.). Collective Volume of Scientific Papers. 154:1-38. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/78955S13815

Adaptive Control Optimization of Cutting Parameters for High Quality Machining Operations Based on Neural Networks and Search Algorithms

This book chapter presents an Adaptive Control with Optimization (ACO) system for optimising a multi-objective function based on material removal rate, quality loss function related to surface roughness, and cutting-tool life subjected to surface roughness specifications constraint

A comparative analysis of the sustainability of rice cultivation technologies using the analytic network process

Abstract Sustainability of local farming systems and technologies is a very important issue that faces notorious measurement difficulties. Multi-criteria methods may help researchers to solve empirical problems in the construction of composite sustainability indicators and in ranking agricultural technologies according to their sustainability. This paper shows how a multi-criteria decision-making technique, the Analytic Network Process (ANP), can be fruitfully employed to this end. Contrary to simpler and hierarchical goal-criteria-alternative approaches, in ANP all the elements in the network can be related in any possible way, which means that a network can incorporate feedback and interdependent relationships within and between clusters. We illustrate the use of ANP by ranking three rice cultivation technologies -that we call unrestricted traditional, agro-environmental and ecological-in the rice fields of the Albufera Natural Park in Valencia (Spain), using economic, environmental and socio-cultural sustainability criteria. Rice is a multifunctional crop in this area, as flooded rice fields act as semi-natural wetlands, with important ecological consequences, mainly connected with the protection of biodiversity. We show that the ANP methodology is perfectly suited to tackling the complex interrelations involved in sustainability evaluation in this case. We find the ecological cultivation system to be the most sustainable technology. The agro-environmental system ranks second, while the unrestricted system is ranked third. Our results also show that if only the economic dimension of sustainability were considered, the order would be reversed, with traditional unrestricted and ecological technologies exchanging places and the agro-environmental system remaining in second place. Additional key words: biodiversity protection, ecosystems, multi-criteria decision methods, ranking of technologies. Resumen Análisis comparativo de la sostenibilidad de tecnologías de cultivo del arroz mediante el método ANP (analytic network process) La sostenibilidad de los sistemas y tecnologías agrícolas locales es un tema que encara notables dificultades de medición. Los métodos multicriterio pueden ayudar a los investigadores en la construcción de indicadores agregados de sostenibilidad y en la ordenación de las tecnologías agrícolas de acuerdo con su sostenibilidad. Este trabajo muestra como una técnica de decisión multicriterio, el Analytic Network Process (ANP), puede ser empleada al respecto. Contrariamente a otros enfoques, en el ANP todos los elementos de la red pueden ponerse libremente en relación, lo que permite incorporar relaciones de interdependencia y realimentación. Su uso se ilustra ordenando tres tecnologías de cultivo del arroz -tradicional, agroambiental y ecológica-, en los arrozales del Parque Natural de la Albufera (Valencia), con criterios de sostenibilidad económicos, ambientales y socioculturales, que recogen el carácter multifuncional del cultivo del arroz en esta zona. Los resultados muestran que la metodología ANP permite abordar las complejas interrelaciones implícitas en la evaluación de la sostenibilidad en este caso, y que el sistema de cultivo ecológico es el más sostenible. El sistema agroambiental ocupa el segundo lugar y el sistema sin restricciones el tercero. Señalan también que si solamente se considerara la dimensión económica de la sostenibilidad el orden se revertiría, con las tecnologías tradicional (sin restricciones) y ecológica alternando en sus posiciones y el sistema agroambiental permaneciendo en la segunda posición. Palabras clave adicionales: biodiversidad, ecosistemas, métodos de decisión multicriterio, ranking de tecnologías

Relationship between weight and linear dimensions of Bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) following fattening on western Mediterranean farms

This study presents various models based on formulae relating weight and dimensions (length, height and width) of Bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (L.), fattened in captivity. The main aim of establishing these expressions is to design tools for indirectly predicting the weight of a Bluefin tuna from measurements of one or more dimensions obtained using non- invasive methods such as stereoscopic cameras. Measurements of maximum length, height and width following slaughter were taken of fish fattened in captivity (n = 2078). Different relationships drawn from the dimensions of the tuna against their weight are fitted with part of the data collection and later checked against a reserved sample set. The resulting formu- lae are compared with the formulae most commonly used in the case of wild tuna. The results of this study confirm that, for tuna fattened in cages, the availability of more than one dimension to estimate weight improves the predictive power of the model and reduces error in the estimate.En prensa4,41

Insights into mRNP Biogenesis Provided by New Genetic Interactions Among Export and Transcription Factors

The various steps of mRNP biogenesis (transcription, processing and export) are interconnected. It has been shown that the transcription machinery plays a pivotal role in mRNP assembly, since several mRNA export factors are recruited during transcription and physically interact with components of the transcription machinery. Although the shuttling DEAD-box protein Dbp5p is concentrated on the cytoplasmic fibrils of the NPC, previous studies demonstrated that it interacts physically and genetically with factors involved in transcription initiation. We investigated the effect of mutations affecting various components of the transcription initiation apparatus on the phenotypes of mRNA export mutant strains. Our results show that growth and mRNA export defects of dbp5 and mex67 mutant strains can be suppressed by mutation of specific transcription initiation components, but suppression was not observed for mutants acting in the very first steps of the pre-initiation complex (PIC) formation

Optimum sample size to estimate mean parasite abundance in fi sh parasite surveys

[EN] To reach ethically and scientifically valid mean abundance values in parasitological and epidemiological studies this paper considers analytic and simulation approaches for sample size determination. The sample size estimation was carried out by applying mathematical formula with predetermined precision level and parameter of the negative binomial distribution estimated from the empirical data. A simulation approach to optimum sample size determination aimed at the estimation of true value of the mean abundance and its confidence interval (CI) was based on the Bag of Little Bootstraps (BLB). The abundance of two species of monogenean parasites Ligophorus cephali and L. mediterraneus from Mugil cephalus across the Azov-Black Seas localities were subjected to the analysis. The dispersion pattern of both helminth species could be characterized as a highly aggregated distribution with the variance being substantially larger than the mean abundance. The holistic approach applied here offers a wide range of appropriate methods in searching for the optimum sample size and the understanding about the expected precision level of the mean. Given the superior performance of the BLB relative to formulae with its few assumptions, the bootstrap procedure is the preferred method. Two important assessments were performed in the present study: i) based on CIs width a reasonable precision level for the mean abundance in parasitological surveys of Ligophorus spp. could be chosen between 0.8 and 0.5 with 1.6 and 1x mean of the CIs width, and ii) the sample size equal 80 or more host individuals allows accurate and precise estimation of mean abundance. Meanwhile for the host sample size in range between 25 and 40 individuals, the median estimates showed minimal bias but the sampling distribution skewed to the low values; a sample size of 10 host individuals yielded to unreliable estimates.SS and VS were supported by MEDEA project fellowships, Erasmus Mundus Action 2. CC-S was funded by project #MTM2014-52975-C2-1-R:" Inference in Structured Additive Regression (STAR) Models with Extensions to Multivariate Responses. Applications in Biomedicine", cofinanced by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (SPAIN) and by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). This study is partially supported by Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, project #1/17.Shvydka, S.; Sarabeev, V.; Estruch, VD.; Cadarso-Suarez, C. (2018). Optimum sample size to estimate mean parasite abundance in fi sh parasite surveys. Helminthologia. 55(1):52-59. https://doi.org/10.1515/helm-2017-0054S5259551Rohde, K., Hayward, C., & Heap, M. (1995). Aspects of the ecology of metazoan ectoparasites of marine fishes. International Journal for Parasitology, 25(8), 945-970. doi:10.1016/0020-7519(95)00015-tAnderson, R. M., & Gordon, D. M. (1982). Processes influencing the distribution of parasite numbers within host populations with special emphasis on parasite-induced host mortalities. Parasitology, 85(2), 373-398. doi:10.1017/s0031182000055347Poiani, A. (1992). Ectoparasitism as a possible cost of social life: a comparative analysis using Australian passerines (Passeriformes). Oecologia, 92(3), 429-441. doi:10.1007/bf00317470Kleiner, A., Talwalkar, A., Sarkar, P., & Jordan, M. I. (2014). A scalable bootstrap for massive data. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series B (Statistical Methodology), 76(4), 795-816. doi:10.1111/rssb.12050Jovani, R., & Tella, J. L. (2006). Parasite prevalence and sample size: misconceptions and solutions. Trends in Parasitology, 22(5), 214-218. doi:10.1016/j.pt.2006.02.011BAGGE, A. M., SASAL, P., VALTONEN, E. T., & KARVONEN, A. (2005). Infracommunity level aggregation in the monogenean communities of crucian carp (Carassius carassius). Parasitology, 131(3), 367-372. doi:10.1017/s0031182005007626Belghyti, D., Berrada-rkhami, O., Boy, V., Aguesse, P., & Gabrion, C. (1994). Population biology of two helminth parasites of flatfishes from the Atlantic coast of Morocco. Journal of Fish Biology, 44(6), 1005-1021. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1994.tb01272.xTAYLOR, L. R. (1961). Aggregation, Variance and the Mean. Nature, 189(4766), 732-735. doi:10.1038/189732a

Random two-parameter TGC growth model

A mathematical model to simulate fish growth is presented, based on the model proposed by Cho (1992), which had only one parameter: the thermal growth coefficient (TGC). Our new model's fundamental difference is the consideration of a second parameter, which makes it possible to factor out the impact of temperature and other factors on fish growth. The proposed model enables us to consider temperature and starting weight as random variables, and has been implemented in a computer program using the Matlab mathematical package.Se presenta un modelo matemático para simular el crecimiento de peces en peso. Este modelo se basa en el propuesto por Cho (1992), el cual se fundamenta en un único parámetro: el coeficiente de crecimiento térmico (CCT). La característica fundamental del nuevo modelo es la consideración de otro parámetro más, el cual permite separar la influencia de la temperatura y la de otros factores en el crecimiento de los peces. El modelo propuesto permite considerar la temperatura y el peso inicial como variables aleatorias y se ha implementado en un programa de ordenador utilizando el lenguaje del paquete matemático Matlab.Instituto Español de Oceanografí