The Learning of the subject Biology in a Master in Biomedical Physics

BIOLOGY is a dynamic and fascinating science. The study of this subject is an amazing trip for all the students that have a first contact with this subject. Here, we present the development of the study and learning experience of this subject belonging to an area of knowledge that is different to the training curriculum of students who have studied Physics during their degree period. We have taken a real example, the ���Elements of Biology��� subject, which is taught as part of the Official Biomedical Physics Master, at the Physics Faculty, of the Complutense University of Madrid, since the course 2006/07. Its main objective is to give to the student an understanding how the Physics can have numerous applications in the Biomedical Sciences area, giving the basic training to develop a professional, academic or research career. The results obtained when we use new virtual tools combined with the classical learning show that there is a clear increase in the number of persons that take and pass the final exam. On the other hand, this new learning strategy is well received by the students and this is translated to a higher participation and a decrease of the giving the subject up

New ICT Literacies and Holistic Approaches for the Effective Learning of Languages in Tertiary Education

Abstract: This paper summarizes the evolution of different subjects of English for Specific Purposes and English for Academic and Professional Purposes. The aim here is to show a continuum of changes that have not started and nished in one subject alone but affect the whole curriculum. After the discussion section where advantages and drawbacks of the changes introduced are analyzed, we arrive at some conclusions regarding this ve year period of development in the approach to the teaching and learning of the specific or academic English language in the Escuela Universitaria de Ingenier��a T��cnica de Telecomunicaci��n, Universidad Polit��cnica de Madrid. Resumen: Este trabajo resume la evoluci��n que han experimentado distintas asignaturas de Ingl��s para Fines Espec�� cos e Ingl��s para Fines Acad��micos y Profesionales. El objetivo principal es mostrar c��mo el esfuerzo por mejorar las asignaturas afecta al curr��culo como un todo y no s��lo a cada una de las asignaturas. Tras el an��lisis de algunas de las ventajas e inconvenientes de los cambios introducidos, se alcanzan algunas conclusiones sobre la evoluci��n que han sufrido este tipo de asignaturas durante los ��ltimos cinco a��os en la Escuela Universitaria de Ingenier��a T��cnica de Telecomunicaci��n, Universidad Polit��cnica de Madrid.

The Learning of the Mathematical Models to Aid Decision Making in the High Level Engineering Schools?

At present, in the University curricula in most countries, the decision theory and the mathematical models to aid decision making is not included, as in the graduate program like in Doctored and Master��s programs. In the Technical School of High Level Agronomic Engineers of the Technical University of Madrid (ETSIA-UPM), the need to offer to the future engineers training in a subject that could help them to take decisions in their profession was felt. Along the life, they will have to take a lot of decisions. Ones, will be important and others no. In the personal level, they will have to take several very important decisions, like the election of a career, professional work, or a couple, but in the professional field, the decision making is the main role of the Managers, Politicians and Leaders. They should be decision makers and will be paid for it. Therefore, nobody can understand that such a professional that is called to practice management responsibilities in the companies, does not take training in such an important matter. For it, in the year 2000, it was requested to the University Board to introduce in the curricula an optional qualified subject of the second cycle with 4,5 credits titled " Mathematical Methods for Making Decisions ". A program was elaborated, the didactic material prepared and programs as Maple, Lingo, Math Cad, etc. installed in several IT classrooms, where the course will be taught. In the course 2000-2001 this subject was offered with a great acceptance that exceeded the forecasts of capacity and had to be prepared more classrooms. This course in graduate program took place in the Department of Applied Mathematics to the Agronomic Engineering, as an extension of the credits dedicated to Mathematics in the career of Engineering.

Integrated learning of production engineering software applications in a shipbuilding context

Acourse focused on the acquisition of integration competencies in ship production engineering, organized in collaboration with selected industry partners, is presented in this paper. The first part of the course is dedicated to Project Management: the students acquire skills in defining, using MS-PROJECT, the work breakdown structure (WBS), and the organization breakdown structure (OBS) in Engineering projects, through a series of examples of increasing complexity with the final one being the construction planning of a vessel. The second part of the course is dedicated to the use of a database manager, MS-ACCESS, in managing production related information.Aseries of increasing complexity examples is treated, the final one being the management of the piping database of a real vessel. This database consists of several thousand pipes, for which a production timing frame is defined connecting this part of the course with the first one. Finally, the third part of the course is devoted to working withFORAN,an Engineering Production application developed bySENERand widely used in the shipbuilding industry. With this application, the structural elements where all the outfittings will be located are defined through cooperative work by the students, working simultaneously in the same 3D model. In this paper, specific details about the learning process are given. Surveys have been posed to the students in order to get feedback from their experience as well as to assess their satisfaction with the learning process, compared to more traditional ones. Results from these surveys are discussed in the paper.

Ense��anza (y aprendizaje) virtual de Geolog��a por parte del alumno=Virtual education (and learning) of Geology by students

Una de las maneras m��s efectivas para asentar conocimientos se produce cuando, adem��s de realizar un aprendizaje pr��ctico, se intentan transmitir a otra persona. De hecho, los alumnos muchas veces prestan m��s atenci��n a sus compa��eros que al profesor. En la E.T.S.I. Minas de Madrid se ha llevado a cabo un programa de innovaci��n educativa en asignaturas relacionadas con la Geolog��a mediante nuevas tecnolog��as para mejorar el aprendizaje basado en el trabajo pr��ctico personal del alumno, con la realizaci��n de v��deos en el medio f��sico (campo) en los que explican los aspectos geol��gicos visibles a diferentes escalas. Estos v��deos se han subido a las plataformas ���moodle���, ���facebook��� y canal ���youtube��� donde compa��eros, alumnos de otras Universidades y personas interesadas pueden consultarlos. De esta manera se pretende que, adem��s de adquirir conocimientos geol��gicos, los alumnos adquieren el h��bito de expresarse en p��blico con un lenguaje t��cnico. Los alumnos manifestaron su satisfacci��n por esta actividad, aunque idea del rodaje de v��deos no result�� inicialmente muy popular. Se ha observado una mejora en las calificaciones, as�� como un incremento de la motivaci��n. De hecho, los estudiantes manifestaron haber adquirido, adem��s de los conceptos geol��gicos, seguridad a la hora de expresarse en p��blico. Palabras clave: innovaci��n educativa, nuevas tecnolog��as (TIC), Geolog��a Abstract- Knowledge is gained by practice, but one of the most effective ways is when one tries to transmit it to others. Likewise, students pay more attention to their classmates than to teachers. In the Geological Engineering Department of the Madrid School of Mines, we have run an educational innovation program in courses related to Geology using new technologies (ITC) in order to increase the acquisition of geological knowledge. This program is designed mainly on the basis of individual and group work with video recordings in the field in which students explain geological concepts at various scales. These videos have been uploaded to the ���Moodle���, ���Facebook��� and ���YouTube��� channel of the Madrid School of Mines, where other students from the same university or elsewhere can view them. Students acquire geological knowledge and the ability to address the general public using technical language. The realization of these videos has been warmly welcomed by students. Notably, they show increased motivation, accompanied by an improvement in grades, although at the beginning this program was not very popular because of student insecurity. Students have expressed that they learnt geological concepts but also gained confidence in public speaking using technical language

On-line learning of a fuzzy controller for a precise vehicle cruise control system

Usually, vehicle applications require the use of artificial intelligent techniques to implement control methods, due to noise provided by sensors or the impossibility of full knowledge about dynamics of the vehicle (engine state, wheel pressure or occupiers weight). This work presents a method to on-line evolve a fuzzy controller for commanding vehicles? pedals at low speeds; in this scenario, the slightest alteration in the vehicle or road conditions can vary controller?s behavior in a non predictable way. The proposal adapts singletons positions in real time, and trapezoids used to codify the input variables are modified according with historical data. Experimentation in both simulated and real vehicles are provided to show how fast and precise the method is, even compared with a human driver or using different vehicles.

A holistic experience in the integrated learning of specialized English and content in Engineering degrees

This paper aims to outline a theory-based Content and Language Integrated Learning course and to establish the rationale for adopting a holistic approach to the teaching of languages in tertiary education. Our work focuses on the interdependence between Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), and the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), in particular regarding the learning of English within the framework of Telecommunications Engineering. The study first analyses the diverse components of the instructional approach and the extent to which this approach interrelates with technologies within the context of what we have defined as a holistic experience, since it also aims to develop a set of generic competences or transferable skills. Second, an example of a course project framed in this holistic approach is described in order to exemplify the specific actions suggested for learner autonomy and CLIL. The approach provides both an adequate framework as well as the conditions needed to carry out a lifelong learning experience within our context, a Spanish School of Engineering. In addition to specialized language and content, the approach integrates the learning of skills and capacities required by the new plans that have been established following the Bologna Declaration in 1999.

Water, agriculture and ecosystem services in climate change vulnerable agricultural regions of Spain and Jordan

Irrigated agricultural landscapes generate a valuable set of ecosystem services, which are threatened by water scarcity in many aridand semi���arid regions of the world. In the Mediterranean region, climate change is expected to decrease water availability through reduced precipitation and more frequent drought spells. At the same time, climate change, demographic and economic development and an agricultural sector highly dependent on irrigation, will raise water demand, increasing experienced water scarcity and affecting the provision of ecosystem services from water resources and agro-ecosystems. In this context, policy makers face the challenge of balancing the provision of different ecosystem services, including agricultural income and production and also water ecosystem protection.

Agricultural use of organic wastes as source of nitrogen and phosphorus: risks and opportunities

El nitr��geno (N) y el f��sforo (P) son nutrientes esenciales en la producci��n de cultivos. El desarrollo de los fertilizantes de s��ntesis durante el siglo XX permiti�� una intensificaci��n de la agricultura y un aumento de las producciones pero a su vez el gran input de nutrientes ha resultado en algunos casos en sistemas poco eficientes incrementando las p��rdidas de estos nutrientes al medio ambiente. En el caso del P, este problema se agrava debido a la escasez de reservas de roca fosf��rica necesaria para la fabricaci��n de fertilizantes fosfatados. La utilizaci��n de residuos org��nicos en agricultura como fuente de N y P es una buena opci��n de manejo que permite valorizar la gran cantidad de residuos que se generan. Sin embargo, es importante conocer los procesos que se producen en el suelo tras la aplicaci��n de los mismos, ya que influyen en la disponibilidad de nutrientes que pueden ser utilizados por el cultivo as�� como en las p��rdidas de nutrientes de los agrosistemas que pueden ocasionar problemas de contaminaci��n. Aunque la din��mica del N en el suelo ha sido m��s estudiada que la del P, los problemas importantes de contaminaci��n por nitratos en zonas vulnerables hacen necesaria la evaluaci��n de aquellas pr��cticas de manejo que pudieran agravar esta situaci��n, y en el caso de los residuos org��nicos, la evaluaci��n de la respuesta agron��mica y medioambiental de la aplicaci��n de materiales con un alto contenido en N (como los residuos procedentes de la industria vin��cola y alcoholera). En cuanto al P, debido a la mayor complejidad de su ciclo y de las reacciones que ocurren en el suelo, hay un mayor desconocimiento de los factores que influyen en su din��mica en los sistemas suelo-planta, lo que supone nuevas oportunidades de estudio en la evaluaci��n del uso agr��cola de los residuos org��nicos. Teniendo en cuenta los conocimientos previos sobre cada nutriente as�� como las necesidades espec��ficas en el estudio de los mismos, en esta Tesis se han evaluado: (1) el efecto de la aplicaci��n de residuos procedentes de la industria vin��cola y alcoholera en la din��mica del N desde el punto de vista agron��mico y medioambiental en una zona vulnerable a la contaminaci��n por nitratos; y (2) los factores que influyen en la disponibilidad de P en el suelo tras la aplicaci��n de residuos org��nicos. Para ello se han llevado a cabo incubaciones de laboratorio as�� como ensayos de campo que permitieran evaluar la din��mica de estos nutrientes en condiciones reales. Las incubaciones de suelo en condiciones controladas de humedad y temperatura para determinar el N mineralizado se utilizan habitualmente para estimar la disponibilidad de N para el cultivo as�� como el riesgo medioambiental. Por ello se llev�� a cabo una incubaci��n en laboratorio para conocer la velocidad de mineralizaci��n de N de un compost obtenido a partir de residuos de la industria vin��cola y alcoholera, ampliamente distribuida en Castilla-La Mancha, regi��n con problemas importantes de contaminaci��n de acu��feros por nitratos. Se probaron tres dosis crecientes de compost correspondientes a 230, 460 y 690 kg de N total por hect��rea que se mezclaron con un suelo franco arcillo arenoso de la zona. La evoluci��n del N mineral en el suelo a lo largo del tiempo se ajust�� a un modelo de regresi��n no lineal, obteniendo valores bajos de N potencialmente mineralizable y bajas contantes de mineralizaci��n, lo que indica que se trata de un material resistente a la mineralizaci��n y con una lenta liberaci��n de N en el suelo, mineraliz��ndose tan solo 1.61, 1.33 y 1.21% del N total aplicado con cada dosis creciente de compost (para un periodo de seis meses). Por otra parte, la mineralizaci��n de N tras la aplicaci��n de este material tambi��n se evalu�� en condiciones de campo, mediante la elaboraci��n de un balance de N durante dos ciclos de cultivo (2011 y 2012) de mel��n bajo riego por goteo, cultivo y manejo agr��cola muy caracter��sticos de la zona de estudio. Las constantes de mineralizaci��n obtenidas en el laboratorio se ajustaron a las temperaturas reales en campo para predecir el N mineralizado en campo durante el ciclo de cultivo del mel��n, sin embargo este modelo generalmente sobreestimaba el N mineralizado observado en campo, por la influencia de otros factores no tenidos en cuenta para obtener esta predicci��n, como el N acumulado en el suelo, el efecto de la planta o las fluctuaciones de temperatura y humedad. Tanto el ajuste de los datos del laboratorio al modelo de mineralizaci��n como las predicciones del mismo fueron mejores cuando se consideraba el efecto de la mezcla suelo-compost que cuando se aislaba el N mineralizado del compost, mostrando la importancia del efecto del suelo en la mineralizaci��n del N procedente de residuos org��nicos. Dado que esta zona de estudio ha sido declarada vulnerable a la contaminaci��n por nitratos y cuenta con diferentes unidades hidrol��gicas protegidas, en el mismo ensayo de campo con mel��n bajo riego por goteo se evalu�� el riesgo de contaminaci��n por nitratos tras la aplicaci��n de diferentes dosis de compost bajo dos reg��menes de riego, riego ajustado a las necesidades del cultivo (90 �� 100% de la evapotranspiraci��n del cultivo (ETc)) o riego excedentario (120% ETc). A lo largo del ciclo de cultivo se estim�� semanalmente el drenaje mediante la realizaci��n de un balance h��drico, as�� como se tomaron muestras de la soluci��n de suelo y se determin�� su concentraci��n de nitratos. Para evaluar el riesgo de contaminaci��n de las aguas subterr��neas asociado con estas pr��cticas, se utilizaron algunos ��ndices medioambientales para determinar la variaci��n en la calidad del agua potable (��ndice de Impacto (II)) y en la concentraci��n de nitratos del acu��fero (��ndice de Impacto Ambiental (EII)). Para combinar par��metros medioambientales con par��metros de producci��n, se calcul�� la eficiencia de manejo. Se observ�� que la aplicaci��n de compost bajo un r��gimen de riego ajustado no aumentaba el riesgo de contaminaci��n de las aguas subterr��neas incluso con la aplicaci��n de la dosis m��s alta. Sin embargo, la aplicaci��n de grandes cantidades de compost combinada con un riego excedentario supuso un incremento en el N lixiviado a lo largo del ciclo de cultivo, mientras que no se obtuvieron mayores producciones con respecto al riego ajustado. La aplicaci��n de residuos de la industria vin��cola y alcoholera como fuente de P fue evaluada en suelos calizos caracterizados por una alta capacidad de retenci��n de P, lo cual en algunos casos limita la disponibilidad de este nutriente. Para ello se llev�� a cabo otro ensayo de incubaci��n con dos suelos de diferente textura, con diferente contenido de carbonato c��lcico, hierro y con dos niveles de P disponible; a los que se aplicaron diferentes materiales procedentes de estas industrias (con y sin compostaje previo) aportando diferentes cantidades de P. A lo largo del tiempo se analiz�� el P disponible del suelo (P Olsen) as�� como el pH y el carbono org��nico disuelto. Al final de la incubaci��n, con el fin de estudiar los cambios producidos por los diferentes residuos en el estado del P del suelo se llev�� a cabo un fraccionamiento del P inorg��nico del suelo, el cual se separ�� en P soluble y d��bilmente enlazado (NaOH-NaCl-P), P soluble en reductores u ocluido en los ��xidos de Fe (CBD-P) y P poco soluble precipitado como Ca-P (HCl-P); y se determin�� la capacidad de retenci��n de P as�� como el grado de saturaci��n de este elemento en el suelo. En este ensayo se observ�� que, dada la naturaleza caliza de los suelos, la influencia de la cantidad de P aplicado con los residuos en el P disponible s��lo se produc��a al comienzo del periodo de incubaci��n, mientras que al final del ensayo el incremento en el P disponible del suelo se igualaba independientemente del P aplicado con cada residuo, aumentando el P retenido en la fracci��n menos soluble con el aumento del P aplicado. Por el contrario, la aplicaci��n de materiales org��nicos menos estabilizados y con un menor contenido en P, produjo un aumento en las formas de P m��s l��biles debido a una disoluci��n del P retenido en la fracci��n menos l��bil, lo cual demostr�� la influencia de la materia org��nica en los procesos que controlan el P disponible en el suelo. La aplicaci��n de residuos aument�� el grado de saturaci��n de P de los suelos, sin embargo los valores obtenidos no superaron los l��mites establecidos que indican un riesgo de contaminaci��n de las aguas. La influencia de la aplicaci��n de residuos org��nicos en las formas de P inorg��nico y org��nico del suelo se estudi�� adem��s en un suelo ��cido de textura areno francosa tras la aplicaci��n en campo a largo plazo de esti��rcol vacuno y de compost obtenido a partir de biorresiduos, as�� como la aplicaci��n combinada de compost y un fertilizante mineral (superfosfato tripe), en una rotaci��n de cultivos. En muestras de suelo recogidas 14 a��os despu��s del establecimiento del experimento en campo, se determin�� el P soluble y disponible, la capacidad de adsorci��n de P, el grado de saturaci��n de P as�� como diferentes actividades enzim��ticas (actividad deshidrogenasa, fosfatasa ��cida y fosfatasa alcalina). Las diferentes formas de P org��nico en el suelo se estudiaron mediante una t��cnica de adici��n de enzimas con diferentes substratos espec��ficos a extractos de suelo de NaOH-EDTA, midiendo el P hidrolizado durante un periodo de incubaci��n por colorimetr��a. Las enzimas utilizadas fueron la fosfatasa ��cida, la nucleasa y la fitasa las cuales permitieron identificar mono��steres hidrolizables (monoester-like P), di��steres (DNA-like P) e inositol hexaquifosfato (Ins6P-like P). La aplicaci��n a largo plazo de residuos org��nicos aument�� el P disponible del suelo proporcionalmente al P aplicado con cada tipo de fertilizaci��n, suponiendo un mayor riesgo de p��rdidas de P dado el alto grado de saturaci��n de este suelo. La aplicaci��n de residuos org��nicos aument�� el P org��nico del suelo resistente a la hidr��lisis enzim��tica, sin embargo no influy�� en las diferentes formas de P hidrolizable por las enzimas en comparaci��n con las observadas en el suelo sin enmendar. Adem��s, las diferentes formas de P org��nico aplicadas con los residuos org��nicos no se correspondieron con las analizadas en el suelo lo cual demostr�� que ��stas son el resultado de diferentes procesos en el suelo mediados por las plantas, los microorganismos u otros procesos abi��ticos. En este estudio se encontr�� una correlaci��n entre el Ins6P-like P y la actividad microbiana (actividad deshidrogenasa) del suelo, lo cual refuerza esta afirmaci��n. Por ��ltimo, la aplicaci��n de residuos org��nicos como fuente de N y P en la agricultura se evalu�� agron��micamente en un escenario real. Se estableci�� un experimento de campo para evaluar el compost procedente de residuos de bodegas y alcoholeras en el mismo cultivo de mel��n utilizado en el estudio de la mineralizaci��n y lixiviaci��n de N. En este experimento se estudi�� la aplicaci��n de tres dosis de compost: 1, 2 y 3 kg de compost por metro lineal de plantaci��n correspondientes a 7, 13 y 20 t de compost por hect��rea respectivamente; y se estudi�� el efecto sobre el crecimiento de las plantas, la acumulaci��n de N y P en la planta, as�� como la producci��n y calidad del cultivo. La aplicaci��n del compost produjo un ligero incremento en la biomasa vegetal acompa��ado por una mejora significativa de la producci��n con respecto a las parcelas no enmendadas, obteni��ndose la m��xima producci��n con la aplicaci��n de 2 kg de compost por metro lineal. Aunque los efectos potenciales del N y P fueron parcialmente enmascarados por otras entradas de estos nutrientes en el sistema (alta concentraci��n de nitratos en el agua de riego y ��cido fosf��rico suministrado por fertirrigaci��n), se observ�� una mayor acumulaci��n de P uno de los a��os de estudio que result�� en un aumento en el n��mero de frutos en las parcelas enmendadas. Adem��s, la mayor acumulaci��n de N y P disponible en el suelo al final del ciclo de cultivo indic�� el potencial uso de estos materiales como fuente de estos nutrientes. ABSTRACT Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are essential nutrients in crop production. The development of synthetic fertilizers during the 20th century allowed an intensification of the agriculture increasing crop yields but in turn the great input of nutrients has resulted in some cases in inefficient systems with higher losses to the environment. Regarding P, the scarcity of phosphate rock reserves necessary for the production of phosphate fertilizers aggravates this problem. The use of organic wastes in agriculture as a source of N and P is a good option of management that allows to value the large amount of wastes generated. However, it is important to understand the processes occurring in the soil after application of these materials, as they affect the availability of nutrients that can be used by the crop and the nutrient losses from agricultural systems that can cause problems of contamination. Although soil N dynamic has been more studied than P, the important concern of nitrate pollution in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones requires the evaluation of those management practices that could aggravate this situation, and in the case of organic wastes, the evaluation of the agronomic and environmental response after application of materials with a high N content (such as wastes from winery and distillery industries). On the other hand, due to the complexity of soil P cycle and the reactions that occur in soil, there is less knowledge about the factors that can influence its dynamics in the soil-plant system, which means new opportunities of study regarding the evaluation of the agricultural use of organic wastes. Taking into account the previous knowledge of each nutrient and the specific needs of study, in this Thesis we have evaluated: (1) the effect of the application of wastes from the winery and distillery industries on N dynamics from the agronomic and environmental viewpoint in a vulnerable zone; and (2) the factors that influence P availability in soils after the application of organic wastes. With this purposes, incubations were carried out in laboratory conditions as well as field trials that allow to assess the dynamic of these nutrients in real conditions. Soil incubations under controlled moisture and temperature conditions to determine N mineralization are commonly used to estimate N availability for crops together with the environmental risk. Therefore, a laboratory incubation was conducted in order to determine the N mineralization rate of a compost made from wastes generated in the winery and distillery industries, widely distributed in Castilla-La Mancha, a region with significant problems of aquifers contamination by nitrates. Three increasing doses of compost corresponding to 230, 460 and 690 kg of total N per hectare were mixed with a sandy clay loam soil collected in this area. The evolution of mineral N in soil over time was adjusted to a nonlinear regression model, obtaining low values of potentially mineralizable N and low constants of mineralization, indicating that it is a material resistant to mineralization with a slow release of N, with only 1.61, 1.33 and 1.21% of total N applied being mineralized with each increasing dose of compost (for a period of six months). Furthermore, N mineralization after the application of this material was also evaluated in field conditions by carrying out a N balance during two growing seasons (2011 and 2012) of a melon crop under drip irrigation, a crop and management very characteristic of the area of study. The mineralization constants obtained in the laboratory were adjusted to the actual temperatures observed in the field to predict N mineralized during each growing season, however, this model generally overestimated the N mineralization observed in the field, because of the influence of other factors not taken into account for this prediction, as N accumulated in soil, the plant effect or the fluctuations of temperature and moisture. The fitting of the laboratory data to the model as well as the predictions of N mineralized in the field were better when considering N mineralized from the soil-compost mixture rather than when N mineralized from compost was isolated, underlining the important role of the soil on N mineralization from organic wastes. Since the area of study was declared vulnerable to nitrate pollution and is situated between different protected hydrological units, the risk of nitrate pollution after application of different doses compost was evaluated in the same field trial with melon under two irrigation regimes, irrigation adjusted to the crop needs (90 or 100% of the crop evapotranspiration (ETc)) or excedentary irrigation (120% ETc). Drainage was estimated weekly throughout the growing season by conducting a water balance, samples of the soil solution were taken and the concentration of nitrates was determined. To assess the risk of groundwater contamination associated with these practices, some environmental indices were used to determine the variation in the quality of drinking water (Impact Index (II)) and the nitrates concentration in the groundwater (Environmental Impact Index (EII)). To combine environmental parameters together with yield parameters, the Management Efficiency was calculated. It was observed that the application of compost under irrigation adjusted to the plant needs did not represent a higher risk of groundwater contamination even with the application of the highest doses. However, the application of large amounts of compost combined with an irrigation surplus represented an increase of N leaching during the growing season compared with the unamended plots, while no additional yield with respect to the adjusted irrigation strategy is obtained. The application of wastes derived from the winery and distillery industry as source of P was evaluated in calcareous soils characterized by a high P retention capacity, which in some cases limits the availability of this nutrient. Another incubation experiment was carried out using two soils with different texture, different calcium carbonate and iron contents and two levels of available P; to which different materials from these industries (with and without composting) were applied providing different amounts of P. Soil available P (Olsen P), pH and dissolved organic carbon were analyzed along time. At the end of the incubation, in order to study the changes in soil P status caused by the different residues, a fractionation of soil inorganic P was carried out, which was separated into soluble and weakly bound P (NaOH-NaCl- P), reductant soluble P or occluded in Fe oxides (CBD-P) and P precipitated as poorly soluble Ca-P (HCl-P); and the P retention capacity and degree of P saturation were determined as well. Given the calcareous nature of the soils, the influence of the amount of P applied with the organic wastes in soil available P only occurred at the beginning of the incubation period, while at the end of the trial the increase in soil available P equalled independently of the amount of P applied with each residue, increasing the P retained in the least soluble fraction when increasing P applied. Conversely, the application of less stabilized materials with a lower content of P resulted in an increase in the most labile P forms due to dissolution of P retained in the less labile fraction, demonstrating the influence of organic matter addition on soil P processes that control P availability in soil. As expected, the application of organic wastes increased the degree of P saturation in the soils, however the values obtained did not exceed the limits considered to pose a risk of water pollution. The influence of the application of organic wastes on inorganic and organic soil P forms was also studied in an acid loamy sand soil after long-term field application of cattle manure and biowaste compost and the combined application of compost and mineral fertilizer (triple superphosphate) in a crop rotation. Soil samples were collected 14 years after the establishment of the field experiment, and analyzed for soluble and available P, P sorption capacity, degree of P saturation and enzymatic activities (dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase). The different forms of organic P in soil were determined by using an enzyme addition technique, based on adding enzymes with different substrate specificities to NaOH-EDTA soil extracts, measuring the hydrolyzed P colorimetrically after an incubation period. The enzymes used were acid phosphatase, nuclease and phytase which allowed to identify hydrolyzable monoesters (monoester-like P) diesters (DNA-like P) and inositol hexakisphosphate (Ins6P-like P). The long-term application of organic wastes increased soil available P proportionally to the P applied with each type of fertilizer, assuming a higher risk of P losses given the high degree of P saturation of this soil. The application of organic wastes increased soil organic P resistant to enzymatic hydrolysis, but no influence was observed regarding the different forms of enzyme hydrolyzable organic P compared to those observed in the non-amended soil. Furthermore, the different forms of organic P applied with the organic wastes did not correspond to those analyzed in the soil which showed that these forms in soil are a result of multifaceted P turnover processes in soil affected by plants, microorganisms and abiotic factors. In this study, a correlation between Ins6P-like P and the microbial activity (dehydrogenase activity) of soil was found, which reinforces this claim. Finally, the application of organic wastes as a source of N and P in agriculture was evaluated agronomically in a real field scenario. A field experiment was established to evaluate the application of compost made from wine-distillery wastes in the same melon crop used in the experiments of N mineralization and leaching. In this experiment the application of three doses of compost were studied: 1 , 2 and 3 kg of compost per linear meter of plantation corresponding to 7, 13 and 20 tonnes of compost per hectare respectively; and the effect on plant growth, N and P accumulation in the plant as well as crop yield and quality was studied. The application of compost produced a slight increase in plant biomass accompanied by a significant improvement in crop yield with respect to the unamended plots, obtaining the maximum yield with the application of 2 kg of compost per linear meter. Although the potential effects of N and P were partially masked by other inputs of these nutrients in the system (high concentration of nitrates in the irrigation water and phosphoric acid supplied by fertigation), an effect of P was observed the first year of study resulting in a greater plant P accumulation and in an increase in the number of fruits in the amended plots. In addition, the higher accumulation of available N and P in the topsoil at the end of the growing season indicated the potential use of this material as source of these nutrients.

Composition, potential emissions and agricultural value of pig slurry from Spanish commercial farms

Pig slurry is a valuable fertilizer for crop production but at the same time its management may pose environmental risks. Slurry samples were collected from 77 commercial farms of four animal categories (gestating and lactating sows, nursery piglets and growing pigs) and analyzed for macronutrients, micronutrients, heavy metals and volatile fatty acids. Emissions of ammonia (NH3) and biochemical methane potential (BMP) were quantified. Slurry electrical conductivity, pH, dry matter content and ash content were also determined. Data analysis included an analysis of correlations among variables, the development of prediction models for gaseous emissions and the analysis of nutritional content of slurries for crop production. Descriptive information is provided in this work and shows a wide range of variability in all studied variables. Animal category affected some physicochemical parameters, probably as a consequence of different slurry management and use of cleaning water. Slurries from gestating sows and growing pigs tended to be more concentrated in nutrients, whereas the slurry from lactating sows and nursery piglets tended to be more diluted. Relevant relationships were found among slurry characteristics expressed in fresh basis and gas emissions. Predictive models using on-farm measurable parameters were obtained for NH3 (R2 = 0.51) and CH4

Interocular transfer in perceptual learning of a pop-out discrimination task.

The specificity of the improvement in perceptual learning is often used to localize the neuronal changes underlying this type of adult plasticity. We investigated a visual texture discrimination task previously reported to be accomplished preattentively and for which learning-related changes were inferred to occur at a very early level of the visual processing stream. The stimulus was a matrix of lines from which a target popped out, due to an orientation difference between the three target lines and the background lines. The task was to report the global orientation of the target and was performed monocularly. The subjects' performance improved dramatically with training over the course of 2-3 weeks, after which we tested the specificity of the improvement for the eye trained. In all subjects tested, there was complete interocular transfer of the learning effect. The neuronal correlate of this learning are therefore most likely localized in a visual area where input from the two eyes has come together.

EmotiBlog: a finer-grained and more precise learning of subjectivity expression models

The exponential growth of the subjective information in the framework of the Web 2.0 has led to the need to create Natural Language Processing tools able to analyse and process such data for multiple practical applications. They require training on specifically annotated corpora, whose level of detail must be fine enough to capture the phenomena involved. This paper presents EmotiBlog ��� a fine-grained annotation scheme for subjectivity. We show the manner in which it is built and demonstrate the benefits it brings to the systems using it for training, through the experiments we carried out on opinion mining and emotion detection. We employ corpora of different textual genres ���a set of annotated reported speech extracted from news articles, the set of news titles annotated with polarity and emotion from the SemEval 2007 (Task 14) and ISEAR, a corpus of real-life self-expressed emotion. We also show how the model built from the EmotiBlog annotations can be enhanced with external resources. The results demonstrate that EmotiBlog, through its structure and annotation paradigm, offers high quality training data for systems dealing both with opinion mining, as well as emotion detection.

Constellations and the unsupervised learning of graphs

In this paper, we propose a novel method for the unsupervised clustering of graphs in the context of the constellation approach to object recognition. Such method is an EM central clustering algorithm which builds prototypical graphs on the basis of fast matching with graph transformations. Our experiments, both with random graphs and in realistic situations (visual localization), show that our prototypes improve the set median graphs and also the prototypes derived from our previous incremental method. We also discuss how the method scales with a growing number of images.

Some reflections on the impact of globalization in the teaching and learning of English in socalled ���expanding circle��� countries

This article deals with the ongoing debate on the complex role of English as an International Language, be it understood as a homogeneous entity (one language with an international role [EIL]) or a heterogeneous one (different varieties (WE or ELF) grouped under one label, ��English��) as well as on the implications of this ��globalising�� status for its teaching in non-native settings. Given the complexity of this phenomenon, whose study is still in its infancy, we attempt neither to provide definitive answers nor adopt a prescriptive attitude, but simply contribute to the discussion and clarification of this, to some extent, emergent, controversial situation.

Inclusion of immersive virtual learning environments and visual control systems to support the learning of students with Asperger syndrome

This paper presents the use of immersive virtual reality systems in the educational intervention with Asperger students. The starting points of this study are features of these students' cognitive style that requires an explicit teaching style supported by visual aids and highly structured environments. The proposed immersive virtual reality system, not only to assess the student's behavior and progress, but also is able to adapt itself to the student's specific needs. Additionally, the immersive reality system is equipped with sensors that can determine certain behaviors of the students. This paper determines the possible inclusion of immersive virtual reality as a support tool and learning strategy in these particular students' intervention. With this objective two task protocols have been defined with which the behavior and interaction situations performed by participant students are recorded. The conclusions from this study talks in favor of the inclusion of these virtual immersive environments as a support tool in the educational intervention of Asperger syndrome students as their social competences and executive functions have improved.