Data normalization and integration in robotic systems using web services technologies

The robotics is one of the most active areas. We also need to join a large number of disciplines to create robots. With these premises, one problem is the management of information from multiple heterogeneous sources. Each component, hardware or software, produces data with different nature: temporal frequencies, processing needs, size, type, etc. Nowadays, technologies and software engineering paradigms such as service-oriented architectures are applied to solve this problem in other areas. This paper proposes the use of these technologies to implement a robotic control system based on services. This type of system will allow integration and collaborative work of different elements that make up a robotic system.

Las redes de académicas en la docencia universitaria

La relevante investigación en docencia universitaria de las académicas, en el marco del Programa de Redes de la Universidad de Alicante, ilustra con claridad lo significativo que es el trabajo colaborativo para las mujeres. La investigación en red es un modelo organizativo que favorece una auténtica constitución de la identidad profesional de las académicas en el contexto universitario. Como contrapunto, los datos estadísticos muestran que aún existe una alta predominancia de coordinadores varones en las distintas redes. Por primera vez, en el citado programa, en el curso 2009-2010 se constituye una red con el objetivo de indagar qué modificaciones deben implementarse para lograr la equidad de género en el ámbito de la educación terciaria. La misión de la nueva red Red Coeduca se basa en el análisis y discusión de los factores capaces de promover el desarrollo e interiorización de la igualdad de oportunidades en las estudiantes de Educación Infantil a través de la coeducación.

Esquema de anotación para categorización de citas en bibliografía científica

El análisis de citas bibliográficas que usa variaciones de métodos de conteo provoca deformaciones en la evaluación del impacto. Para enriquecer el cálculo de los factores de impacto se necesita entender el tipo de influencia de los aportes de un investigador sobre el autor que los menciona. Para ello, se requiere realizar análisis de contenido del contexto de las citas que permita obtener su función, polaridad e influencia. El presente artículo trata sobre la definición de un esquema de anotación tendiente a la creación de un corpus de acceso público que sea la base de trabajo colaborativo en este campo, con miras al desarrollo de sistemas que permitan llevar adelante tareas de análisis de contenido con el objetivo planteado.

Construction of Structures I in Moodle: a new teaching methodology in the Degree of Building Engineer

The subject of Construction of Structures I studies, from a constructive point of view and taking into account current legislation, reinforced concrete structures used in buildings, through the acquisition of knowledge and construction criteria required in the profession of a Technical Architect. The contents acquired in this course are essential for further professional development of technicians and are closely related to many of the subjects taught in the same or other courses of the Degree in Technical Architecture at the University of Alicante. The aim of this paper is to present, analyze and discuss the development of a new methodology proposed in the mentioned subject, as it supposed an important change in the traditional way of teaching Construction and Structures I. In order to incorporate new teaching tools in 2013-2014, the course has been implemented by using a Moodle software tool to promote blended learning with online exercises. Our Moodle community allows collaborative work within an open-source platform where teachers and students share a new and personalized learning environment. Students are easily used to the interface and the platform, value the constant connection with teachers or other fellows and completely agree with the possibility of making questions or share documents 24 hours a day. The proposed methodology consists of lectures and practical classes. In the lectures, the basics of each topic are discussed; class attendance, daily study and conducting scheduled exercises are indispensable. Practical classes allow to consolidate the knowledge gained in theory classes by solving professional exercises and actual construction problems related to structures, that shall be compulsorily delivered online. So, after the correction of the teacher and the subsequent feedback of students, practical exercises ensure lifelong learning of the student, who can download any kind of material at any time (constructive details, practical exercises and even corrected exams). Regarding the general evaluation system, goals achievement is assessed on an ongoing basis (65% of the final mark) along the course through written and graphic evidences in person and online, as well as a individual development of a workbook. In all cases, the acquisition of skills, the ability to synthesize, the capacity of logical and critical thinking are assessed. The other 35 % of the mark is evaluated by a complementary graphic exam. Participation in the computing platform is essential and the student is required to do and present, at least 90% of the practices proposed. Those who do not comply with the practices in each specific date could not be assessed continuously and may only choose the final exam. In conclusion, the subject of Construction of Structures I is essential in the development of the regulated profession of Technical Architect as they are considered, among other professional profiles, as specialists in construction of building structures. The use of a new communication platform and online teaching allows the acquisition of knowledge and constructive approaches in a continuous way, with a more direct and personal monitoring by the teacher that has been highly appreciated by almost 100% of the students. Ultimately, it is important to say that the use of Moodle in this subject is a very interesting tool, which was really well welcome by students in one of the densest and important subjects of the Degree of Technical Architecture.

Perfeccionismo durante la infancia y la adolescencia. Análisis bibliométrico y temático (2004-2014)

El perfeccionismo es un rasgo de la personalidad caracterizado por la imposición a uno mismo de unas normas de desempeño poco realistas, la motivación por ser perfeccionista y la percepción del entorno como demasiado exigente y crítico. Este estudio tuvo por objeto analizar la literatura científica sobre perfeccionismo en niños y adolescentes, publicada en 4 bases de datos (Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO y Education Resources Information Center), entre el año 2004 y el 2014. Se obtuvieron 325 documentos que fueron analizados con base en distintos indicadores bibliométricos, como el análisis de la producción temporal, las revistas y autores más productivos sobre el tópico y el índice de coautoría, así como un análisis y discusión de las características de la población, los principales instrumentos empleados y las temáticas identificadas. Se halló una tendencia a elaborar los trabajos en colaboración y un número considerable de grandes productores (Gordon L. Flett, Paul L. Hewitt, Andrew P. Hill y Bart Soenens). Destacaron la Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale y la Child and Adolescent Perfectionism Scale como los 2 instrumentos más empleados para evaluar el perfeccionismo en niños y adolescentes. Igualmente, prevalecieron los estudios realizados en adolescentes frente a aquellos con participantes de población infantil. Se observó que la mayor parte de los documentos analizados se centraron en analizar la relación entre el perfeccionismo y la psicopatología. Por último, se discuten las temáticas identificadas, las limitaciones encontradas y los aspectos consolidados, sirviendo como referencia para la realización de futuros estudios sobre el campo del perfeccionismo durante la infancia y la adolescencia.

An Interdisciplinary Practical for Multimedia Engineering Students

Interdisciplinary projects in the industry typically require collaboration between professionals from various fields. However, this relationship is not generally addressed in the training offered by university programs, which often ignore this interdisciplinary approach. This paper offers an example of interdisciplinary interaction through joint laboratory activities in the curricula of two very different degree programs, i.e., Multimedia Engineering and Teacher Training in Primary Education. The programs' students formed an interdisciplinary team of multimedia engineers and trainee teachers to develop a Web product for children's cognitive development. The complexity of the task required students to engage in close and strong interdisciplinary cooperation and communication; in turn, they benefited from the synergy offered by collaborative work. The results of this paper, presented from the perspective of the multimedia engineering students, demonstrate a significant increase in their academic performance compared to the control group. This paper shows that university studies can incorporate an interdisciplinary perspective to engineering education without the need to introduce a specific course on the topic, thus avoiding further demands on the curriculum schedule.

Work-related health problems among resident immigrant workers in Italy and Spain

Background: in both Spain and Italy the number of immigrants has strongly increased in the last 20 years, currently representing more than the 10% of workforce in each country. The segregation of immigrants into unskilled or risky jobs brings negative consequences for their health. The objective of this study is to compare prevalence of work-related health problems between immigrants and native workers in Italy and Spain. Methods: data come from the Italian Labour Force Survey (n=65 779) and Spanish Working Conditions Survey (n=11 019), both conducted in 2007. We analyzed merged datasets to evaluate whether interviewees, both natives and migrants, judge their health being affected by their work conditions and, if so, which specific diseases. For migrants, we considered those coming from countries with a value of the Human Development Index lower than 0.85. Logistic regression models were used, including gender, age, and education as adjusting factors. Results: migrants reported skin diseases (Mantel-Haenszel pooled OR=1.49; 95%CI: 0.59-3.74) and musculoskeletal problems among those employed in agricultural sector (Mantel-Haenszel pooled OR=1.16; 95%CI: 0.69-1.96) more frequently than natives; country-specific analysis showed higher risks of musculoskeletal problems among migrants compared to the non-migrant population in Italy (OR=1.17; 95% CI: 0.48-1.59) and of respiratory problems in Spain (OR=2.02; 95%CI: 1.02-4.0). In both countries the risk of psychological stress was predominant among national workers. Conclusions: this collaborative study allows to strength the evidence concerning the health of migrant workers in Southern European countries.

Let´s go the University Laboratory: a successful collaborative experience

Paper submitted to ICERI2013, the 6th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, Seville (Spain), November 18-20, 2013.

Providing Collaborative Support to Virtual and Remote Laboratories

Virtual and remote laboratories (VRLs) are e-learning resources that enhance the accessibility of experimental setups providing a distance teaching framework which meets the student's hands-on learning needs. In addition, online collaborative communication represents a practical and a constructivist method to transmit the knowledge and experience from the teacher to students, overcoming physical distance and isolation. This paper describes the extension of two open source tools: (1) the learning management system Moodle, and (2) the tool to create VRLs Easy Java Simulations (EJS). Our extension provides: (1) synchronous collaborative support to any VRL developed with EJS (i.e., any existing VRL written in EJS can be automatically converted into a collaborative lab with no cost), and (2) support to deploy synchronous collaborative VRLs into Moodle. Using our approach students and/or teachers can invite other users enrolled in a Moodle course to a real-time collaborative experimental session, sharing and/or supervising experiences at the same time they practice and explore experiments using VRLs.