MOBILE LEARNING Y EDUCACIÓN SECUNDARIA

Introducción. En los últimos años los dispositivos móviles (smartphones, tablets, laptops) permiten la conexión entre el contenido que ―trasmiten‖ y las personas que los utilizan "en todo momento y en cualquier lugar" (Park, Nam & Cha, 2012). Por ello, es crucial la importancia del Ubiquitous learning, también en la educación superior, con el fin de crear un buen diseño de itinerarios educativos que maximicen las oportunidades de aprendizaje de los estudiantes. Estos supuestos, sin embargo, deben ser verificados empíricamente para ver si los profesores y los estudiantes italianos comparten esta idea. Metodología. Hemos llevado a cabo un estudio empírico con una muestra aleatoria de 560 sujetos (alumnos y profesores) que recibieron un cuestionario on-line de elaboración propia y previamente validado, que recogía los datos relacionados con la propiedad y el uso de los dispositivos móviles, y su utilidad en el proceso de enseñanzaaprendizaje. Resultados. Los datos obtenidos (24% de profesores, 66% de estudiantes, 10% NS/NC) concluían que casi todos los encuestados poseían Smartphone y ordenadores portátiles. Tablet tan sólo una quinta parte. Coincide que tanto profesores como estudiantes aprecian, aunque concediendo distinta importancia, el potencial de los dispositivos móviles en la educación. Discusión. Un primer análisis de los datos revela algunas diferencias significativas entre la opinión de estudiantes y profesores, y muy pocas diferencias entre sexos. Los estudiantes están de acuerdo en lo beneficioso del uso de dispositivos móviles para el aprendizaje. También en el potencial de intercambio y construcción de contenidos gracias a la red, especialmente en las redes sociales. En este punto concreto, los profesores asumen una posición diferente (Syed Hassan, Mardani Landani, 2015). Se detectan diferencias entre hombres y mujeres en cuanto a la preferencia entre la enseñanza presencial y a distancia, al apreciar de manera diferente la oportunidad de estudio del Ubliquitous learning

A non-standard numerical scheme for an age-of-infection epidemic model

We propose a numerical method for approximating integro-differential equations arising in age-of-infection epidemic models. The method is based on a non-standard finite differences approximation of the integral term appearing in the equation. The study of convergence properties and the analysis of the qualitative behavior of the numerical solution show that it preserves all the basic properties of the continuous model with no restrictive conditions on the step-length $h$ of integration and that it recovers the continuous dynamic as $h$ tends to zero.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figure

ADOLESCENTES, REDES SOCIALES Y APRENDIZAJE DIGITAL. UN ESTUDIO DE CASO

Introducción. La difusión de las TIC ha permitido el desarrollo y propagación de herramientas con las que las nuevas generaciones han adquirido habilidades digitales cada vez más refinadas, permitiéndolas acudir a la escuela con una serie de capacidades previas. Aun así, actualmente, se cuestiona este supuesto (Jenkins, 2013) y, por ello, hemos analizado la posible brecha digital existente entre los nativos digitales y aquellos que no lo son, partiendo de la nueva reconsideración de Prensky (2012). Método. Retrotrayéndonos a las teorías de Prensky (2001; 2012), quisimos comprobar (con un estudio de caso), si se sustentaba la teoría de la ―sabiduría digital‖ (2012), o contrariamente, lo hacían sus planteamientos sobre los nativos e inmigrantes digitales (ibid, 2001). Se desarrolló un cuestionario, previamente validado, con cuatro secciones relativas a: área de registro; actitudes hacia las redes sociales; autoevaluación de las competencias de red; y modo de uso de la red. Distribuido a través de Facebook, generó una muestra aleatoria de 307 sujetos: el 42% jóvenes nacidos a finales del año 1991 - fecha de difusión de los protocolos de www- (Prensky, 2001), el 58% restante, lo conformaba el otro sesgo de edad. Resultados y discusión. El análisis de la χ2 fue altamente significativo en todas las preguntas y permitió verificar las brechas digitales existentes en el enfoque de las TIC, especialmente en la variable de la edad, siendo las respuestas dicotómicas. También en cuanto a la motivación para el aprendizaje utilizando las redes sociales (el 63% -totalmente de acuerdo- corresponde al sesgo más "joven", mientras que fue motivación tan sólo para el 14% del otro grupo). El Análisis de los datos muestra aún más diferencias entre ambos grupos, incluso en comunicación on-line tanto entre profesores y estudiantes como entre los propios estudiantes en el ámbito de mejora de las relaciones de estudio

Effectiveness of near-UVA in SARS-CoV-2 inactivation

This experimental study aimed to determine the activity of a near-UVA (405 nm) LED ceiling system against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The ceiling system comprised 17 near-UVA LED lights with a radiant power of 1.1 W/each centred at 405 nm wavelength. A 96-multiwell plate, fixed to a wooden base, was inoculated with suspensions of VERO E6 cell cultures infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus and irradiated at a distance of 40 cm with a dose of 20.2 J/cm(2) for 120 min. The collected suspensions were transferred to VERO cell culture plates and incubated for 3 days. The maximum measurable log reduction obtained, starting from a concentration of 10(7.2) TCID50/mL, was 3.0 log(10) and indicated inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication by the near-UVA LED ceiling system. Near-UVA light at a 405-nm wavelength is emerging as a potential alternative treatment for localised infections and environmental decontamination because it is far less harmful to living organisms' cells than UV-C irradiation

From micro-scale 3D simulations to macro-scale model of periodic porous media

In environmental engineering, the transport of colloidal suspensions in porous media is studied to understand the fate of potentially harmful nano-particles and to design new remediation technologies. In this perspective, averaging techniques applied to micro-scale numerical simulations are a powerful tool to extrapolate accurate macro-scale models. Choosing two simplified packing configurations of soil grains and starting from a single elementary cell (module), it is possible to take advantage of the periodicity of the structures to reduce the computation costs of full 3D simulations. Steady-state flow simulations for incompressible fluid in laminar regime are implemented. Transport simulations are based on the pore-scale advection-diffusion equation, that can be enriched introducing also the Stokes velocity (to consider the gravity effect) and the interception mechanism. Simulations are carried on a domain composed of several elementary modules, that serve as control volumes in a finite volume method for the macro-scale method. The periodicity of the medium involves the periodicity of the flow field and this will be of great importance during the up-scaling procedure, allowing relevant simplifications. Micro-scale numerical data are treated in order to compute the mean concentration (volume and area averages) and fluxes on each module. The simulation results are used to compare the micro-scale averaged equation to the integral form of the macroscopic one, making a distinction between those terms that could be computed exactly and those for which a closure in needed. Of particular interest it is the investigation of the origin of macro-scale terms such as the dispersion and tortuosity, trying to describe them with micro-scale known quantities. Traditionally, to study the colloidal transport many simplifications are introduced, such those concerning ultra-simplified geometry that usually account for a single collector. Gradual removal of such hypothesis leads to a detailed description of colloidal transport mechanisms. Starting from nearly realistic 3D geometries, the ultimate purpose of this work is that of develop an improved understanding of the fate of colloidal particles through, for example, an accurate description of the deposition efficiency, in order design efficient remediation techniques

Food related risks during pregnancy: how much do women know about it?

Aim Infection with Toxoplasma gondii and Listeria monocytogenes during pregnancy can lead to severe illness in the foetus but it can be prevented by simple hygienic measures. This study evaluated the knowledge that women have about food related risk and the information sources used. Methods We surveyed pregnant women and new mothers in[Removed for blind peer review], using a questionnaire approved by health direction, processed by an optical reader and analyzed using χ² test and Odds Ratio. Results 149 women responded to the survey, 78.5% of them received information from the gynaecologist, 45% from internet and then books/pamphlets. 67.8% felt well informed about food-related risks connected. 94% of them knows Toxoplasma; 39.5% ignore Listeria instead. From our results it’s evident  that graduated women tend to identify all foods as less secure and had better attitudes on cleaning refrigerator, on respecting temperatures, on avoiding consumption of undercooked foods, on protecting food before consumption. Conclusions Pregnant women have good awareness of food-related risks. However there’s a high confusion, due to the use of internet and other not reliable sources. This study demonstrates that it’s necessary to improve the organization of nutritional education by adequately trained health personnel

Epileptic Capgras-Like Delusions in a Patient with Right Frontal Meningioma: Case Report

Capgras syndrome is a condition characterized by the belief that a relative has been replaced by an almost identical imposter. The disorder has been reported in several neurological diseases. We describe the uncommon case of a transient Capgras syndrome manifesting as focal temporal seizures in a woman with a right frontal meningioma. Our patient represents an exceptional case of Capgras syndrome for several reasons, namely, the association with meningioma, very rarely reported before, the transient manifestation of symptoms, and, most importantly, the epileptic etiology of reduplicative paramnesias. Lastly, our report also confirms the importance of frontal and right hemisphere dysfunction in generating Capgras syndrome-like delusions

Fisheries and aquaculture by-products modulate growth, body composition, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content in black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae

The black soldier fly (BSF) (Hermetia illucens L.) is one of the most promising species for the production of ingredients, mainly protein, useful for animal feed formulation, owing to its ability to convert organic waste into biomass with a high nutritional value. However, the low percentage of n-3 series polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in its fatty acid profile is a limiting factor for the utilization of BSF in fish feed. Recent studies have highlighted that wastes derived from different agro-food value chains could affect the nutritional composition of BSF larvae, depending on the composition of the wastes used as larvae-growing substrate. Due to the significant amount of n-3 PUFA in marine products, both in edible produce and in by-products, in this study, different sources of fish by-products were included in experimental diets for BSF to evaluate the effect of its addition on the final nutritional profile of BSF pre-pupae. One control diet and five experimental diets were prepared to feed the BSF larvae: wheat bran as the control diet (diet B), bycatch from Mediterranean trawl fisheries (diet F), Parapenaeus longirostris processing by-products (diet S), aquaculture processing by-products (diet R), Thunnus albacares processing by-products (diet T), and Engraulis encrasicolus processing by-products (diet A). In this study, the effects of the different diets were analyzed on the growth, body composition, and fatty acid profile of BSF larvae and pre-pupae. The obtained results showed that the different experimental diets affected total lipids content and fatty acids composition, when compared with the control. A significant increase in eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in BSF larvae and pre-pupae fed with all fish by-products was observed when compared with those fed with diet B, in particular in larvae and pre-pupae fed with diet A, demonstrating that the utilization of fish processing by-products is a suitable solution for improving the nutritional value of insects as ingredients in aqua feeds. The reuse of marine by-products can contribute to the industry’s “zero waste” goal, increasing the sustainability of the fishery value chain and the formulation of new valuable products