The cave of Los Murciélagos at Zuheros (Córdoba): habitat and sanctuary during the Early Neolithic. Hearths, "Papaver somniferum" and symbolism

Presentamos en este trabajo una serie de restos recuperados en un hogar, excavado en la campaña de 1991, encendido en uno de los niveles iniciales del Neolítico Antiguo de la Cueva de los Murciélagos de Zuheros. Las características del hogar, la peculiaridad de los ecofactos que ha proporcionado y la presencia de manifestaciones artísticas en el mismo sector de la cavidad donde se efectuó la excavación, junto con algunas cerámicas simbólicas, nos permiten plantear que los primeros productores establecidos en esta cavidad llevaron a cabo unas actividades que relacionamos con la práctica de algún tipo de ritual.We present,in this study, a series of artefects recovered from the remains a fire that was found in one of the levels of the Early Neolithic period during an excavation carried out in 1991 in the Cueva de los Murciélagos, Zuheros. The characteristics of the fire, together with the ecofacts, artistic manifestations and symbolic ceramics found near to the fire suggests that the first inhabitants of this cave carried out activities that could be related to some type of ritual

Nuevas técnicas y recursos para la enseñanza de la lengua inglesa en una clase de segundo de Primaria

Este trabajo ha consistido en la reflexión sobre la implementación de distintos métodos y metodologías para la enseñanza del inglés como lengua extranjera en la educación. Todo ello mediante un análisis sobre el primer ciclo de Educación Primaria, concretamente del segundo curso, y teniendo en cuenta los desarrollos cognitivos de los alumnos. Como resultado del estudio de los distintos pedagogos, tales como Gardner, y sus inteligencias múltiples, María Montessori, y su escuela innovadora, la atención a niños en edades tempranas, la importancia de un adecuado aprendizaje del lenguaje…; Friedrich Froebel, y el método naturalista o Waldorf, con su metodología artística e integradora, se han planteado y estructurado distintas actividades ejemplificando la manera adecuada de organizar y adecuar el aprendizaje efectivo de la lengua. Finalmente, se vislumbrará qué cualidades y beneficios aportan estas propuestas innovadoras a la personalidad del estudiante.This work has consisted of a reflection about the innovative methods and methodologies used through the years to teach English as a foreign language in primary education and its implementation. All this, starting with an analysis of the selected educational cycle (first cycle of primary school), and taking into account the cognitive development of the students. As a result of the different studies from some of the best-known pedagogues, such as Gardner and his multiple intelligences, María Montessori and her educational philosophy, her innovative school with the attention given to the child's development at an early age, the importance of language acquisition..., Friedrich Fröbel and his naturalistic and active method or Waldorf and his artistic, engaging and integrative methodologies, different activities have been purposed and structured with the aim of exemplifying an appropriate way to help the students approach and achieve an enduring knowledge about English and its language learning process. Finally, the benefits that this proposal brings to the student's personality will be shown throughout the project.Este treball ha consistit en la reflexió sobre la implementació de distints mètodes i metodologies per a l'ensenyança de l'anglés com a llengua estrangera en l'educació. Tot això per mitjà d'una anàlisi sobre el primer cicle d'Educació Primària, concretament del segon curs, i tenint en compte els desenvolupaments cognitius dels alumnes. Com resultat de l'estudi dels distints pedagogs, com ara Gardner, i les seues intel·ligències múltiples, María Montessori, i la seua escola innovadora, l'atenció a xiquets en edats primerenques, la importància d'un adequat aprenentatge del lenguaje...; Friedrich Froebel, i el mètode naturalista o Waldorf, amb la seua metodologia artística i integradora, s'han plantejat i estructurat distintes activitats exemplificant la manera adequada d'organitzar i adequar l'aprenentatge efectiu de la llengua. Finalment, s'albirarà quines qualitats i beneficis aporten estes propostes innovadores a la personalitat de l'estudiant.Educació

Biofunctionalization strategies on tantalum-based materials for osseointegrative applications

The use of tantalum as biomaterial for orthopedic applications is gaining considerable attention in the clinical practice because it presents an excellent chemical stability, body fluid resistance, biocompatibility, and it is more osteoconductive than titanium or cobalt-chromium alloys. Nonetheless, metallic biomaterials are commonly bioinert and may not provide fast and long-lasting interactions with surrounding tissues. The use of short cell adhesive peptides derived from the extracellular matrix has shown to improve cell adhesion and accelerate the implant’s biointegration in vivo. However, this strategy has been rarely applied to tantalum materials. In this work, we have studied two immobilization strategies (physical adsorption and covalent binding via silanization) to functionalize tantalum surfaces with a cell adhesive RGD peptide. Surfaces were used untreated or activated with either HNO3 or UV/ozone treatments. The process of biofunctionalization was characterized by means of physicochemical and biological methods. Physisorption of the RGD peptide on control and HNO3-treated tantalum surfaces significantly enhanced the attachment and spreading of osteoblast-like cells; however, no effect on cell adhesion was observed in ozone-treated samples. This effect was attributed to the inefficient binding of the peptide on these highly hydrophilic surfaces, as evidenced by contact angle measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In contrast, activation of tantalum with UV/ozone proved to be the most efficient method to support silanization and subsequent peptide attachment, displaying the highest values of cell adhesion. This study demonstrates that both physical adsorption and silanization are feasible methods to immobilize peptides onto tantalum-based materials, providing them with superior bioactivity.Peer Reviewe

Diamond vs. square mesh codend in a multi-species trawl fishery of the western Mediterranean: effects on catch composition, yield, size selectivity and discards

Selectivity studies usually describe the effects on target species, whereas information on by-catch and discards is scarce. Nevertheless, large quantities of undersized individuals and invertebrates are discarded in the Mediterranean multi-species bottom trawl fishery. The present work analyses the data from two surveys carried out on the shallow and deep continental shelf (50–78 m, and 147–189 m, respectively) off the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean). In these surveys, the traditionally used 40 mm diamond mesh codend and an experimental square mesh codend were used under commercial conditions. Catch composition, yields, size selectivity of both target and by-catch species, and discards were compared between the two mesh types. The mean selection length (L50) clearly increased for most species when using square mesh, escaping many more individuals under their minimum landing size. Yield of Spicara smaris was significantly lower by using the square mesh, changing the composition of the retained catch. Escapement ratio and economic loss were significantly higher with square mesh, although economic loss was almost negligible for both meshes on the deep continental shelf. The use of square mesh significantly reduced the discards of algae in the shallow waters and fish on the deep continental shelf. The results confirmed that square mesh codend reduces the fishing pressure on small specimens as well as the impact of trawling on the ecosystem. These benefits would not lead to a reduction of the yields neither of the main target species, the fishes Merluccius merluccius, Mullus surmuletus, Zeus faber, and the cephalopods Loligo vulgaris and Octopus vulgaris, nor of the rest of commercial categories, except for Spicara smarisPublicado

Potenciación de las competencias en inglés técnico en los estudios de ingeniería industrial

Desde hace dos años se está incrementando la introducción de nuevos objetivos en forma de competencias de inglés técnico en los descriptores de algunas asignaturas de Proyectos, tanto en los estudios de primer como segundo ciclo en la titulación de Ingeniería Industrial que se imparte en la ETSEIAT (Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenierías Industrial y Aeronáutica de Terrassa), adscrita a la Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña. En esta comunicación se describe el proceso seguido en estos años así como los resultados obtenidos y las nuevas propuestas a plantear en el futuro.Postprint (published version