FreeWheeling Travelers: viajando en SQL

Freewheeling Travelers (FWT) es una actividad gamificada que permite a los estudiantes practicar sus conocimientos de SQL de forma participativa y amena. Para ello, FWT convierte a los estudiantes en turistas y les ofrece la posibilidad de vivir situaciones cotidianas de un viajero, que abordarán utilizando SQL. En este artículo describimos la prueba piloto de FWT, en la que se constata un efecto positivo en la motivación y en el rendimiento académico del alumnado de una asignatura de Sistemas de Bases de Datos.Freewheeling Travelers is a gamified learning activity that aims to help students to practice SQL in an interactive and entertaining manner. FWT turns students into tourists and offers them everyday situations of a traveller, which they will experience through SQL. This paper describes the first experience of using FWT, reporting improved academic performance and motivation of students in a Database Systems subject.Este trabajo ha sido financiado por el Proyecto de Innovación Docente No. 90, del plan PID-2020/2021 de la Universidad de Valladolid (UVa). El primer autor disfruta de un contrato predoctoral de la Universidad de Valladolid, cofinanciado por el Banco de Santander

Use of synthetic RGB images in train

Ponencia presentada en: 2010 EUMETSAT Meteorological Satellite Conference celebrada del 20-24 de septiembre de 2010 en Córdoba.This paper compares actual and synthetic (calculated) airmass RGB composites, before and after applying different corrections: (a) synthetic airmass RGB calculated with the satellite zenith angle corresponding to the pixel, versus others with fixed zenith angles (0º, 15º, 30º, 45º, 60º and 75º), to observe the blue shift close to the disk boundary due to a longer atmospheric path for the signal in oblique views, (b) Synthetic airmass RGB in areas of sinking tropopause with ozone intrusion for different values in the ozone concentration and humidity. The synthetic RGB for MSG are based on the use of the ECMWF model with RTTOV package and the METEOSAT Second Generation coefficients. Also synthetic MTG-IRS sounder RGBs have been generated. Based on the use of the RTTOV package with the IASI coefficients for one GRIB file of the ECMWF model, synthetic IASI RTTOV radiances are converted to synthetic MTG-IRS RTTOV brightness temperatures (BT). After one selection of the most adequate MTG-IRS brightness temperatures (BTs), two MTG-sounder synthetic RGBs are created. This is a proving ground experiment for the MTG sounder era

Hacia la consolidación de las aulas ágiles

La educación ágil está acercando a las aulas las prácticas de mayor éxito en la industria del software, permitiendo que los alumnos comiencen a asimilar una forma de trabajo ampliamente implantada y que, además, experimenten y adquieran algunas de las competencias más demandadas en el mercado de trabajo. Este artículo presenta UVAGILE, un nuevo marco de trabajo basado en Scrum que aborda la organización ágil de procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje y que fomenta el aprendizaje incremental y la retroalimentación frecuente. Los resultados obtenidos, a partir de la implementación de cuatro aulas ágiles, avalan la efectividad de UVAGILE, tanto por la mejora de los resultados académicos como por las opiniones expresadas por los alumnos.Agile education brings the most successful practices in the software industry into the classroom. It allows our students to learn and practice a widely established framework in the labor market, but also experience and acquire some of its most-demanded soft skills. This paper presents UVAGILE, a new Scrum-based framework that organizes learning projects from an agile perspective, encouraging incremental learning and regular feedback. Our preliminary results, from four agile classrooms, show the UVAGILE effectiveness, both in terms of improved academic grades and positive feedback from participating students.Este trabajo ha sido financiado por el Proyecto de Innovación Docente No. 82 del plan PID-2019/2020 de la Universidad de Valladolid (UVa)

Agilizando el aprendizaje de Bases de Datos

La educación ágil busca implantar las prácticas ágiles en el sistema educativo y establecer nuevas metodologías más orientadas al aprendizaje permanente. En este artículo se describe cómo hemos usado UVAGILE para implantar el aula ágil de “Sistemas de Bases de Datos”, así como las actividades formativas y los mecanismos de evaluación y retroalimentación que hemos utilizado. La experiencia ha sido muy satisfactoria: los alumnos han valorado de forma positiva la metodología, su rendimiento académico ha mejorado notablemente y han destacado su avance en algunas de las soft skills más demandadas en el mercado de trabajo.Agile education brings agile practices into educative environments to consolidate methodologies more oriented towards lifelong learning. This paper describes our implementation of UVAGILE to consolidate the agile classroom for “Database Systems”, including the training activities and the evaluation and feedback procedures we have used. The experience has been successful: the students have rated UVAGILE positively, their academic performance has improved significatly, and they have highlighted the acquisition of soft skills that are in high demand in the labour market.Este trabajo ha sido financiado por el Proyecto de Innovación Docente No. 90, del plan PID-2020/2021 de la Universidad de Valladolid (UVa). El segundo autor disfruta de un contrato predoctoral de la Universidad de Valladolid, cofinanciado por el Banco de Santander

Si Platón levantara la cabeza... el mito de la caverna aplicado al desarrollo de soft skills

La ausencia de un marco conceptual que permita al alumnado trabajar conscientemente las soft skills nos lleva a cuestionarnos si darle visibilidad en el marco de una asignatura (i) hace que los estudiantes sean conscientes de su importancia en el proceso formativo, (ii) facilita su comprensión y potencia su desarrollo, y (iii) ofrece al profesorado información sobre los obstáculos que dificultan su aprendizaje. Este artículo analiza la influencia que las actividades formativas realizadas en dos asignaturas ha tenido en las competencias de comunicación, trabajo en equipo, gestión del tiempo, liderazgo y pensamiento crítico del alumnado. Los resultados reflejan una comprensión más natural y concisa de estas soft skills, manteniendo el compromiso y motivación en la preparación de la asignatura.The absence of a conceptual framework that allows students to consciously work on soft skills leads us to question whether giving them visibility within subject (i) makes students aware of their importance in the training process, (ii) facilitates their understanding and enhances their development, (iii) provides teachers with information on the obstacles that hinder their learning. This paper analyzes the influence that the training activities performed in two subjects have had on students’ communication, teamwork, time management, leadership and critical thinking skills. The results reflect a more natural and concise understanding of these soft skills, and hold the engagement and motivation in the preparation of the subject.Este trabajo ha sido financiado por el Proyecto de Innovación Docente No. 94, del plan PID-2021/2022 de la Universidad de Valladolid (UVa). El segundo autor disfruta de un contrato predoctoral de la Universidad de Valladolid, cofinanciado por el Banco de Santander

Modeling a multilevel converter for radiography and fluoroscopy

EPE'16 ECCE Europe, 18th European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications, 5-9 september 2016, Karsruhe, GermanyIn this paper a mathematical model for a resonant multilevel converter is presented. The topology has been conceived to be used in X-ray power supplies. The power stage has been designed to minimize the resonant current throughout the input voltage range: 400V to 750V. The inverter stage is based on the series-parallel resonant topology, LCC, to include the parasitic elements of the step-up transformer. However, the introduction of an additional magnetic coupling provides a way to modify the reactive elements depending on the output powe

Alineamiento constructivo basado en prácticas ágiles: un caso de estudio en el marco de UVagile

En este artículo presentamos eXtreme Learning (χLe), una propuesta que integra el alineamiento constructivo en UVAGILE. χLe (chili) propone una dinámica inspirada en el ciclo de TDD para alinear las actividades de aprendizaje y de evaluación (pruebas) en torno a la jerarquía de objetivos de UVAGILE, favoreciendo que los alumnos aprueben haciendo lo mismo que hacen para aprender. La implantación de χLe, en la asignatura Sistema de Bases de Datos ha consolidado unos resultados académicos muy positivos, con calificaciones promedio en el rango de Notable. Por contra, el esfuerzo del profesor para retroalimentar el aprendizaje aparece como un desafío para χLe.This paper presents eXtreme Learning (χLe), a methodology to integrate constructive alignment in UVAGILE. χLe (chili) proposes a TDD cycle-inspired dynamic to align learning and assessment activities (tests) with the UVAGILE hierarchy of objectives, enabling students to pass by doing what they do to learn. Deploying χLe, in “Database Systems”, has consolidated very positive academic results, with average grades in the range of “B”. In contrast, the teacher effort to provide feedback appears to be a major challenge for χLe.Este trabajo ha sido financiado por el Proyecto de Innovación Docente No. 94, del plan PID-2021/2022 de la Universidad de Valladolid (UVa). El primer autor disfruta de un contrato predoctoral de la Universidad de Valladolid, cofinanciado por el Banco de Santander

Dynamic modeling of the solar field in parabolic trough solar power plants

Parabolic trough solar power plants use a thermal fluid to transfer thermal energy from solar radiation to a water-steam Rankine cycle in order to drive a turbine that, coupled to an electrical generator, produces electricity. These plants have a heat transfer fluid (HTF) system with the necessary elements to transform solar radiation into heat and to transfer that thermal energy to the water-steam exchangers. In order to get the best possible performance in the Rankine cycle and, hence, in the thermal plant, it is necessary that the thermal fluid reach its maximum temperature when leaving the solar field (SF). Also, it is mandatory that the thermal fluid does not exceed the maximum operating temperature of the HTF, above which it degrades. It must be noted that the optimal temperature of the thermal fluid is difficult to obtain, since solar radiation can change abruptly from one moment to another. The aim of this document is to provide a model of an HTF system that can be used to optimize the control of the temperature of the fluid without interfering with the normal operation of the plant. The results obtained with this model will be contrasted with those obtained in a real plant

Imaging Tests in the Early Diagnosis of Giant Cell Arteritis

Early recognition of giant cell arteritis (GCA) is crucial to avoid the development of ischemic vascular complications, such as blindness. The classic approach to making the diagnosis of GCA is based on a positive temporal artery biopsy, which is among the criteria proposed by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) in 1990 to classify a patient as having GCA. However, imaging techniques, particularly ultrasound (US) of the temporal arteries, are increasingly being considered as an alternative for the diagnosis of GCA. Recent recommendations from the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) for the use of imaging techniques for large vessel vasculitis (LVV) included US as the first imaging option for the diagnosis of GCA. Furthermore, although the ACR classification criteria are useful in identifying patients with the classic cranial pattern of GCA, they are often inadequate in identifying GCA patients who have the extracranial phenotype of LVV. In this sense, the advent of other imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT, has made it possible to detect the presence of extracranial involvement of the LVV in patients with GCA presenting as refractory rheumatic polymyalgia without cranial ischemic manifestations. Imaging techniques have been the key elements in redefining the diagnostic work-up of GCA. US is currently considered the main imaging modality to improve the early diagnosis of GCA

A novel modeling of molten-salt heat storage systems in thermal solar power plants

Many thermal solar power plants use thermal oil as heat transfer fluid, and molten salts as thermal energy storage. Oil absorbs energy from sun light, and transfers it to a water-steam cycle across heat exchangers, to be converted into electric energy by means of a turbogenerator, or to be stored in a thermal energy storage system so that it can be later transferred to the water-steam cycle. The complexity of these thermal solar plants is rather high, as they combine traditional engineering used in power stations (water-steam cycle) or petrochemical (oil piping), with the new solar (parabolic trough collector) and heat storage (molten salts) technologies. With the engineering of these plants being relatively new, regulation of the thermal energy storage system is currently achieved in manual or semiautomatic ways, controlling its variables with proportional-integral-derivative (PID) regulators. This makes the overall performance of these plants non optimal. This work focuses on energy storage systems based on molten salt, and defines a complete model of the process. By defining such a model, the ground for future research into optimal control methods will be established. The accuracy of the model will be determined by comparing the results it provides and those measured in the molten-salt heat storage system of an actual power plant