Departamento Ingeniería

Psychometric Evaluation of a Spanish Telepressure Measure in Primary School Students

2026-07-24T21:00:16Z

Psychometric Evaluation of a Spanish Telepressure Measure in Primary School Students Martínez - Calvo, Jesús; Díaz - Milanés, Diego; Guerra, Jose Manuel Introduction: Telepressure—the perceived urge to respond quickly to digital messages—may undermine students’ attention and well-being, yet brief validated tools are limited in school settings. This empirical study evaluates the psychometric properties of a Spanish adaptation of the 6-item Workplace Telepressure Measure (WTM-6) for primary education. Materials and Methods: Participants were 439 Spanish primary students (5th grade n=189; 6th grade n=250; 53.99% females) who completed the WTM-6 on a 1–5 Likert scale. Factorability was assessed using the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) index and Bartlett’s test. Dimensionality was examined with multiple factor-retention procedures and then tested with a one-factor confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using an ordinal estimator. Model fit was evaluated with χ², CFI, TLI, RMSEA (90% CI), and SRMR. Internal consistency was estimated with ordinal alpha, split-half reliability, and omega total. Group differences by gender and grade were examined using independent-sample t-tests with Cohen’s d. Results and Discussion: The data were suitable for factor analysis (KMO=0.800; Bartlett χ²(15)=728.45, p<.001). Retention criteria converged on a single latent factor. The one-factor CFA showed good fit: χ²(9)=25.48, CFI=0.985, TLI=0.974, RMSEA=0.065 (90% CI [0.036, 0.095]), and SRMR=0.053. Reliability was satisfactory in the total sample (ordinal α =0.797; ω=0.854). Telepressure did not differ by gender (total score p=0.540), but 5th-grade students reported slightly higher telepressure than 6th-grade students (M=2.595 vs 2.377; p=0.006; d=0.264). These findings support the use of the adapted WTM-6 as a brief, reliable measure of telepressure in primary educational contexts.

Mechanism of lipid transfer by bridge-like protein VPS13A and the scramblase XK

2026-07-24T21:00:26Z

Mechanism of lipid transfer by bridge-like protein VPS13A and the scramblase XK Hu, Bodan; Álvarez, Daniel; Rocha-Roa, Cristian; De Camilli, Pietro; Vanni, Stefano; Reinisch, Karin M. In eukaryotes, bridge-like lipid-transfer proteins (BLTPs) are central in mediating vesicle-independent lipid transfer between organelles. BLTPs span the cytosolic space between organelles at contact sites, featuring hydrophobic channels for lipids to travel between membranes. How BLTPs cooperate with partner proteins to orchestrate lipid delivery remains a mystery. Here, we used cryo-electron microscopy to visualize a complex comprising the prototypical BLTP VPS13A and the plasma membrane-localized scramblase XK at near-atomic resolution. VPS13A interacts with XK via its pleckstrin homology domain, priming VPS13A’s bridge-like lipid-transfer domain to deliver lipids directly to the cytosolic leaflet of the acceptor membrane. In molecular dynamics simulations, this arrangement allows for robust lipid transfer. Newly delivered lipids can then be equilibrated between leaflets of the membrane bilayer by the scramblase, allowing for membrane growth. Mechanistic insights regarding lipid delivery by VPS13A are directly applicable to all VPS13 proteins and, more broadly, to all BLTP family members.

Automation of Learning Workflows for 3D Modeling Skills in Engineering Education

2026-07-17T21:01:00Z

Automation of Learning Workflows for 3D Modeling Skills in Engineering Education Salmerón Medina, Francisco; Alcalde Rico, María; Canales, Diego; Gómez-Estern Aguilar, Fabio; Valderrama Gual, Francisco Andrés This paper presents a novel platform for automated self-paced learning in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) courses within engineering education. The platform fully automates the entire learning cycle, including exercise generation, submission, scheduling, test design, and grading. The central hypothesis posits that complete automation reduces repetitive tasks for instructors, allowing them to dedicate more time to individualized student support. The system also provides key advantages: it generates unique exercises for each student to prevent plagiarism while maintaining comparable complexity; it delivers instantaneous grading and feedback to enhance motivation; and it enables students to work with almost any CAD software, as the evaluation relies on physical properties rather than commercial tools. After several years of successive testing and refinement, the tool can generate and accurately grade frequent activities in large student cohorts, providing abundant data points. Their statistical analysis, via multiple approaches, confirms that the system reliably produces individualized exercises, reduces grading errors, and offers prompt, consistent feedback, thereby supporting a more efficient and engaging learning process.

Operational dynamics and long-term stability in the novel CO-based electrothermal energy and geological storage system in salt cavities

2026-07-16T21:04:42Z

Operational dynamics and long-term stability in the novel CO-based electrothermal energy and geological storage system in salt cavities Carro, A.; Carneiro, J.; Unger, S.; Behnous, D.; Fogel, S.; Chacartegui, R. The massive integration of renewable energy sources and the development of advanced technologies to mitigate climate change are key factors in the energy transition towards a sustainable model. Increasing the contribution of renewables to the electricity market requires developing new energy storage systems. The novel CO 2-based electrothermal energy and geological storage system could be a viable option for large-scale storage in renewable power generation plants in the near future. This system utilises transcritical CO 2 cycles to convert electrical energy into thermal and mechanical energy, enabling integration with carbon capture and storage systems in geological formations, with an initial efficiency range of 52.8–61.5%. This dual approach enhances energy storage capabilities and contributes to reducing atmospheric CO 2 levels, offering a sustainable solution to address both energy and environmental challenges. This study evaluates, for the first time, the subsurface potential as a thermohydraulic buffer that ensures long-term operational stability and pressure management. Through long- term temporal simulations, a numerical model featuring coupled thermohydraulic simulations has been devel oped to incorporate subsurface heat transfer processes, considering a salt cavern scenario. Different scenarios are analysed depending on the characteristics of the production/injection processes, well depth, cavern size, or storage time. The research identifies a critical transition from an initial transient phase to a dynamic steady state. The results demonstrate that while operational fluid streams almost entirely govern the system’s short-term energetic response, geothermal interaction could be critical for long-term stabilisation. The energy gain dur ing injection directly influences the required CO 2 conditions at the wellhead. Wellhead pressure and temperature must be adjusted according to the desired conditions at the bottomhole. Maintaining high-pressure conditions in the salt cavern is essential to ensure proper coupling with the surface cycles and to operate with high electricity- to-electricity conversion efficiencies, reaching the range of 50.3–65.6% when the pressure approaches the upper limit. Active management of mass flow rates and pressures, along with advanced thermal control strategies, will be essential to improve system efficiency and flexibility.