Open Apps: Opening Teaching Experiences and Applications

The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC) is an online university that makes extensive use of information and communication technologies to provide education. Ever since its establishment in 1995, the UOC has developed and tested methodologies and technological support services to meet the educational challenges posed by its student community and its teaching and management staff. The know-how it has acquired in doing so is the basis on which it has created the Open Apps platform, which is designed to provide access to open source technical applications, information on successful learning and teaching experiences, resources and other solutions, all in a single environment. Open Apps is an open, online catalogue, the content of which is available to all students for learning purposes, all IT professionals for downloading and all teachers for reusing.To contribute to the transfer of knowledge, experience and technology, each of the platform¿s apps comes with full documentation, plus information on cases in which it has been used and related tools. It is hoped that such transfer will lead to the growth of an external partner network, and that this, in turn, will result in improvements to the applications and teaching/learning practices, and in greater scope for collaboration.Open Apps is a strategic project that has arisen from the UOC's commitment to the open access movement and to giving knowledge and technology back to society, as well as its firm belief that sustainability depends on communities of interest.

Engaging students in an e-learning experience : how to manage information resources through wikis and web blogs

The purpose of this paper is to describe the collaboration between librarians and scholars, from a virtual university, in order to facilitate collaborative learning on how to manage information resources. The personal information behaviour of e-learning students when managing information resources for academic, professional and daily life purposes was studied from 24 semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The results of the content analysis of the interview' transcriptions, highlighted that in the workplace and daily life contexts, competent information behaviour is always linked to a proactive attitude, that is to say, that participants seek for information without some extrinsic reward or avoiding punishment. In the academic context, it was observed a low level of information literacy and it seems to be related with a prevalent uninvolved attitude.

Binary proposal for assessing quality of Open Access Institutional Repositories : the case of Spanish repositories

The reason for this study is to propose a new quantitative approach on how to assess the quality of Open Access University Institutional Repositories. The results of this new approach are tested in the Spanish University Repositories. The assessment method is based in a binary codification of a proposal of features that objectively describes the repositories. The purposes of this method are assessing the quality and an almost automatically system for updating the data of the characteristics. First of all a database was created with the 38 Spanish institutional repositories. The variables of analysis are presented and explained either if they are coming from bibliography or are a set of new variables. Among the characteristics analyzed are the features of the software, the services of the repository, the features of the information system, the Internet visibility and the licenses of use. Results from Spanish universities ARE provided as a practical example of the assessment and for having a picture of the state of the development of the open access movement in Spain.

Experiencia de 10 años de innovación docente en la Unidad de Laboratorios Docentes (ULD) de la Facultad de Farmacia

[spa]En este trabajo se describe la experiencia de innovación docente desarrollada en la ULD a lo largo de los 10 años de existencia. Se comentan algunos de los indicadores del sistema de gestión de la calidad así como su evolución y los resultados más representativos obtenidos en su alimentación. El objetivo de este proyecto es introducir aspectos de la gestión de la calidad, seguridad, salud y medio ambiente en la formación de los estudiantes para que los apliquen a lo largo del desarrollo de las prácticas. De esta forma, podrán adquirir una formación transversal adicional que difícilmente le será transmitida a través de las diferentes asignaturas de la licenciatura y que mejorará sus competencias y facilitará su acceso al ámbito laboral. También se pretende contribuir en la mejora del funcionamiento y las infraestructuras de los laboratorios de prácticas de la facultad. [eng] In the following work it is summarized the innovative experience carried out by the ULD besides showing the results obtained from the different indicators that allow to evaluate the efficiency of the quality management system. The aim is to improve the management of the practical teaching by introducing aspects of quality management, safety, health and environment in the formation of the students. In such a way, they would be able to acquire a transverse additional formation that difficultly would be transmitted across the different subjects of the degree and that would improve their competitions when acceding to the working world.

Concurs per a una Llar d'Infants

El projecte defineix un carrer interior tangent a l’edifici del pavelló per on es produeix l’entrada i per on s’atravessa visualment l’edifici, de manera que la façana del pavelló te continuïtat cap a l’interior de la llar d’infants. Perpendicularment es disposa l’espai del vestíbul que articula els espais de circulació i dona sortida i visuals al pati de jocs. Les zones de pas tenen una alçada inferior a la de les altres àrees per lògica d’us i per donar claredat volumètrica a l’edifici. L’entrada es produeix per una rampa, sota un voladís que a l’hora recull l’escletxa oberta a la façana del pavelló per il•luminar l’àrea administrativa. L’altre extrem del carrer és una sortida d’emergència. En una visió general s’observa que el pla de façana del pavelló fa de suport a dos volums que entren en relació: la rampa d’accés al pavelló i la coberta del carrer interior de la llar d’infants. Pel que fa a les alçades, el conjunt manté el criteri de donar major alçada als espais principals (pista i aules) respecte els d’accés. Pel que fa a la forma, el cos d’aules adopta la coberta plana per entrar en relació amb l’horitzontalitat de la visera de la façana principal del pavelló i no la forma corba perquè l’escala del cos d’aules no admet aquesta solució. S’enfatitzaria al màxim la percepció de conjunt si les cobertes de les aules i del pavelló fossin igualment inclinades. Les dependències s’organitzen en dues àrees: L’àrea administrativa es col•loca sota el forjat que defineix el projecte del pavelló. Atès que l’alçada lliure interior és de 3.00 m., i per tal de poder garantir il•luminació i ventil•lació natural a aquestes peces, es proposa baixar la cota de tota la llar d’infants 80 cm. respecte la cota del carrer. Consta d'una sala de reunions propera al vestíbul, un despatx per la direcció del centre uns vestidors amb bany per al personal i una sala d'usos múltiples. L’àrea d’activitats es col•loca separada del pavelló, definint un volum independent, tant en planta com en secció. Consta de 3 aules de 20 alumnes que donen resposta a les necessitats plantejades pel programa. Aquestes s’obren generosament al pati de jocs buscant la llum de nord i per la part superior amb una obertura molt més controlada tenen la llum del sud. Això permet il•luminar i ventil•lar de forma creuada. El tram de carrer interior davant de les aules es converteix en una zona de jocs comuna.

Via-configurable transistor array: a regular design technique to improve ICs yield

Process variations are a major bottleneck for digital CMOS integrated circuits manufacturability and yield. That iswhy regular techniques with different degrees of regularity are emerging as possible solutions. Our proposal is a new regular layout design technique called Via-Configurable Transistors Array (VCTA) that pushes to the limit circuit layout regularity for devices and interconnects in order to maximize regularity benefits. VCTA is predicted to perform worse than the Standard Cell approach designs for a certain technology node but it will allow the use of a future technology on an earlier time. Ourobjective is to optimize VCTA for it to be comparable to the Standard Cell design in an older technology. Simulations for the first unoptimized version of our VCTA of delay and energy consumption for a Full Adder circuit in the 90 nm technology node are presented and also the extrapolation for Carry-RippleAdders from 4 bits to 64 bits.

Experiencia de 10 años de innovación docente en la Unidad de Laboratorios Docentes (ULD) de la Facultad de Farmacia

[spa]En este trabajo se describe la experiencia de innovación docente desarrollada en la ULD a lo largo de los 10 años de existencia. Se comentan algunos de los indicadores del sistema de gestión de la calidad así como su evolución y los resultados más representativos obtenidos en su alimentación. El objetivo de este proyecto es introducir aspectos de la gestión de la calidad, seguridad, salud y medio ambiente en la formación de los estudiantes para que los apliquen a lo largo del desarrollo de las prácticas. De esta forma, podrán adquirir una formación transversal adicional que difícilmente le será transmitida a través de las diferentes asignaturas de la licenciatura y que mejorará sus competencias y facilitará su acceso al ámbito laboral. También se pretende contribuir en la mejora del funcionamiento y las infraestructuras de los laboratorios de prácticas de la facultad. [eng] In the following work it is summarized the innovative experience carried out by the ULD besides showing the results obtained from the different indicators that allow to evaluate the efficiency of the quality management system. The aim is to improve the management of the practical teaching by introducing aspects of quality management, safety, health and environment in the formation of the students. In such a way, they would be able to acquire a transverse additional formation that difficultly would be transmitted across the different subjects of the degree and that would improve their competitions when acceding to the working world.

Job accessibility, employment and job-education mismatch in the metropolitan area of Barcelona

This paper analyses the effect of job accessibility by public and private transport on labour market outcomes in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. Beyond employment, we consider the effect of job accessibility on job-education mismatch, which represents a relevant aspect of job quality. We adopt a recursive system of equations that models car availability, employment and mismatch. Public transport accessibility appears as an exogenous variable in the three equations. Even though it may reflect endogenous residential sorting, falsification proofs suggest that the estimated effect of public transport accessibility is not entirely driven by the endogenous nature of residential decisions.

Un projecte de logopèdia a la ciutat de l'infinit

En aquest article s'explica la realització d'un projecte de logopèdia a l'Índia. En concret, d'un projecte que neix a partir de la proposta de la Fundación Vicente Ferrer d'integrar la tasca de logopèdia en un nou centre per a nens amb paràlisi cerebral. En primer lloc, es fa una breu presentació de la Fundació des dels seus inicis fins a l'actualitat. A continuació, es descriu el context on aquest projecte es va dur a terme. Tot seguit, se n'explica el desenvolupament i l'evolució. Per acabar, es fa una reflexió sobre el que ha suposat aquest projecte tant com a professional com pel que fa a vivència personal.

Absorption and pharmacokinetics of grapefruit flavanones in beagles

The present study evaluated the pharmacokinetics of three different grapefruit flavanone forms in dog plasma and demonstrated their absorption after an oral intake of a grapefruit extract; pharmacokinetic parameters of these forms were also determined. Ten healthy beagles were administered 70 mg citrus flavonoids as a grapefruit extract contained in capsules, while two additional dogs were used as controls and given an excipient. The grapefruit flavanone naringin, along with its metabolites naringenin and naringenin glucuronide, was detected in dog plasma. Blood samples were collected between 0 and 24 h after administration of the extract. Naringin reached its maximun plasma concentration at around 80 min, whereas naringenin and naringenin glucuronide reached their maximun plasma concentrations at around 20 and 30 min, respectively. Maximum plasma concentrations of naringin, naringenin and naringenin glucuronide (medians and ranges) were 0·24 (0·05 2·08), 0·021 (0·001 0·3) and 0·09 (0·034 0·12) mmol/l, respectively. The areas under the curves were 23·16 l (14·04 70·62) min £ mmol/for nariningin, 1·78 (0·09 4·95) min £ mmol/l for naringenin and 22·5 (2·74 99·23) min £ mmol/l for naringenin glucuronide. The median and range values for mean residence time were 3·3 (1·5 9·3), 2·8 (0·8 11·2) and 8·0 (2·3 13·1) h for naringin, naringenin and naringenin glucuronide, respectively. The results of the present study demonstrate the absorption of grapefruit flavanones via the presence of their metabolites in plasma, thus making an important contribution to the field since the biological activities ascribed to these compounds rely on their specific forms of absorption.

Absorption and pharmacokinetics of green tea catechins in beagles

The present study evaluates for the first time in dogs, the kinetics of green tea catechins and their metabolic forms in plasma and urine. Ten beagles were administered 173 mg (12·35 mg/kg body weight) of catechins as a green tea extract, in capsules. Blood samples were collected during 24 h after intake and urine samples were collected during the following periods of time: 02, 26, 68 and 824 h. Two catechins with a galloyl moiety and three conjugated metabolites were detected in plasma. Most of the detected forms in plasma reached their maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) at around 1 h. Median Cmax for (2)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), (2)-epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), (2)-epigallocatechin glucuronide (EGCglucuronide), (2)-epicatechin glucuronide (EC-glucuronide), (2)-epicatechin sulphate (EC sulphate) were 0·3 (range 0·11·9), 0·1 (range 00·4), 0·8 (range 0·23·9), 0·2 (range 0·1 1·7) and 1 (range 0·33·4) mmol/l, respectively. The areas under the plasma concentration v. time curves (AUC0!24) were 427 (range 1021185) mmol/l £ min for EGC-glucuronide, 112 (range 53919) mmol/l £ min for EC-sulphate, 71 (range 26306) mmol/l £ min for EGCG, 40 (range 12258) mmol/l £ min for EC-glucuronide and 14 (range 0·1124) mmol/l £ min for ECG. The values of mean residence time (MRT0!24) were 5 (range 216), 2 (range 111), 10 (range 213), 3 (range 216) and 2·4 (range 118) h for EGCG, ECG, EGC-glucuronide, EC-glucuronide and EC sulphate, respectively. In urine, catechins were present as conjugated forms, suggesting bile excretion of EGCG and ECG. Green tea catechins are absorbed following an oral administration and EGC-glucuronide is the metabolic form that remains in the organism for a longer period of time, suggesting that this compound could suffer an enterohepatic cycle.

Absorption and pharmacokinetics of grapefruit flavanones in beagles

The present study evaluated the pharmacokinetics of three different grapefruit flavanone forms in dog plasma and demonstrated their absorption after an oral intake of a grapefruit extract; pharmacokinetic parameters of these forms were also determined. Ten healthy beagles were administered 70 mg citrus flavonoids as a grapefruit extract contained in capsules, while two additional dogs were used as controls and given an excipient. The grapefruit flavanone naringin, along with its metabolites naringenin and naringenin glucuronide, was detected in dog plasma. Blood samples were collected between 0 and 24 h after administration of the extract. Naringin reached its maximun plasma concentration at around 80 min, whereas naringenin and naringenin glucuronide reached their maximun plasma concentrations at around 20 and 30 min, respectively. Maximum plasma concentrations of naringin, naringenin and naringenin glucuronide (medians and ranges) were 0·24 (0·05 2·08), 0·021 (0·001 0·3) and 0·09 (0·034 0·12) mmol/l, respectively. The areas under the curves were 23·16 l (14·04 70·62) min £ mmol/for nariningin, 1·78 (0·09 4·95) min £ mmol/l for naringenin and 22·5 (2·74 99·23) min £ mmol/l for naringenin glucuronide. The median and range values for mean residence time were 3·3 (1·5 9·3), 2·8 (0·8 11·2) and 8·0 (2·3 13·1) h for naringin, naringenin and naringenin glucuronide, respectively. The results of the present study demonstrate the absorption of grapefruit flavanones via the presence of their metabolites in plasma, thus making an important contribution to the field since the biological activities ascribed to these compounds rely on their specific forms of absorption.