Edit: Campus de Gandia. Universitat Politècnica de València. Calle Paranimf, 1 46730 - Grau de Gandia (València) T 962849333 www.gandia.upv.es/investigacion / [email protected]

Management: Jesús Alba Fernández

Coordination: Pilar Sánchez/Neus Montoro

Collaboration: Luis Zurano (Unidad de Comunicación Científica UPV) Foreword

The Campus Gandia of the Universitat Politècnica de València relies strongly on bringing science and research closer to society through the spread of the R&D activity developed by the staff of experts and against infections, as well as the dissemination of studies and scientific research teams of our campus. evidence associated with the COVID-19 disease, helping to understand the fast transformations experienced by our society. In response to this This yearbook of scientific news is born from the desire to encourage social need, this yearbook dedicates a section to contributions in re- people’s interest in scientific topics, presenting itself as a brief compila- search in the field of health. tion of the numerous contributions and actions in research and science that are carried out annually by the Campus of Gandia. Therefore, it is In reaction to another of the main social concerns of today, important a tool to share the most relevant news of technological, scientific, social lines of research are being developed in the field of conservation en- and environmental interests in 2020. vironment in different fields of action. This work is summarized in the following pages, focusing on highlighting this activity and raising public The articles and news that make up this publication focus not only on awareness of environmental problems. the results obtained by research, but also echo personal experiences, reflections and reviews of the state of play. They are giving voice to ex- Likewise, disseminating scientific culture, promoting scientific vocations perts from different scientific fields and covering a wide range of topics and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers in order to reflect the strategic role played by scientific practice in the among young people, particularly, among girls and adolescents, contin- socioeconomic development of our environment and the improvement ues to be one of the main challenges of the campus since its creation. of social well-being. Therefore, numerous initiatives are being carried out to achieve this goal, with special emphasis on making visible the work and dedication of our 2020 has been a particularly significant year for society as a whole, female researchers and the role of women in science throughout history. characterized by the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its effects. In this context, the dissemination of scientific knowledge has We invite you to discover the science and technology of the Gandia been essential in the promotion of health care practices and prevention Campus. Environmental Sciences Technology Science and Society Health Social Sciences Environmental Sciences

1. Study of Environmental Variables Influencing Tellinas and Venus Clams in the Gulf of Valencia

2. Improved Irrigation in Fruit Farms

3. Remote Sensing to Analyze Turbidity Patterns in the Albufera

4. Study Confirms that Adaptive Forest Management Does Not Affect Soil Properties

5. Return of the Loggerhead Turtles 19 FEBRUARY ‘20 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Study of Environmental Variables Influencing Tellinas and Venus Clams in the Gulf of Valencia

Julia Escrivá

Identifying these variables is crucial to the development of adequate coastal manage- The main freshwater discharges along the ment strategies, paying special attention coast of Gandia come from the Serpis riv- tance to the bivalve fisheries of the Gan- to any anthropogenic activities that may Analyzing the functions of physical, chem- er and from the drainage acequias in the dia area of, such as the tellina (Donax modify the environment and subsequent- ical and biological gradients on the the Safor wetland that discharge their waters trunculus) and the venus clam (Chamelea ly affect the benthic fauna communities sandy beach communities of the south of into the Port of Gandia. In order to analyze gallina). and bivalve species of high fishing value, the Gulf of Valencia, was one of the ob- the influence of these freshwater discharg- along with their socioeconomic repercus- jectives of the research that Julia Escrivá es on the benthic macrofauna, samples This study was able to observe increases sions. Granulometry is an important factor Perales conducted for her Doctoral The- of water and sediment were collected at in the abundance of organisms during that can condition the benthic macrofauna sis, “Study of the Exploitable Banks of different stations located at different prox- the summer, linked to the physiological populations and in particular, the bivalve Donax Trunculus and Chamelea Galli- imities to freshwater source to the south processes associated with temperature in- species of high fishing value, such as the na in the Southern Sector of the Gulf of the Serpis and Gandia Port, as well as creases. In addition, the study found that tellina (D. trunculus) and the venus clam of Valencia and Environmental Factors at another reference station located to the the benthic macrofauna communities were (C. gallina). Since these organisms bur- that Influence Their Abundance”, super- north of the main contributions. strongly influenced by physical factors row in the sediment, they are susceptible vised by Campus Gandia professor Silvia such as the mean grain size of the sedi- to variations in the mean grain size of the Falco and Miguel Rodilla. These sampling campaigns were conduct- ment, as well as the nutritional variables sediment, so any changes may condition ed over three time periods with different (organic matter in sediments and microal- their distribution and abundance. River discharge of freshwater into the sea precipitation and flow in the Serpis river, gae in the water column) and the proximity is very important because it transports nu- obtaining samples of benthic macrofauna, to the freshwater discharges, with a higher The results obtained in this research have trients, organic matter and fine sediments water and sediment in each campaign. density of organisms in those areas clos- been published under the title, “Driving to coastal ecosystems. The Mediterranean These types of studies can help us under- est to the contributions. The macrobenthic forces that structure sublittoral macro- Sea, a nutrient-poor sea, depends largely stand the causes of the possible variations fauna showed a temporary pattern with benthic communities in sandy beaches on the continental freshwater runoffs, as in the distribution and abundance of the highs abundances in summer that was not along environmental gradients”, in the they provide the necessary nutrients for fauna that lives in the marine sediment, so evident in D. trunculus and C. gallina journal Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Sci- primary production. where we can find species of great impor- due to its exploitation. ence. 5 MAY ‘20 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Improved Irrigation in Fruit Farms

In the case of GOINNOWATER, the Opera- LAUNCH MEETING tional Group is supra-regional, with members Campus Gandia UPV hosted the initial project from three autonomous communities that have meeting on January 17, where the representa- large areas of irrigated fruit crops and signif- tives of the member organizations of the Op- icant water deficits due to the lack of rainfall erational Group gathered together. Despite the achievements in irrigation mod- in their territories. ernization in recent years, Spain does not The members of each community are: The members of the Campus team, led by currently have a data flow between Cooper- - Murcia: Moval Agroingeniería Bernat Roig, are Enrique Sigalat and Jaime atives and Irrigation Communities that allows - Valencian Community: Foia del Pou Irriga- Lloret, who carried out the preparation and for measurement and improvement of the ef- tion Community, Universidad Miguel Hernán- execution tasks for the successive participato- ficiency of water and energy use, in a con- dez de Elche, Campus Gandia-Universitat ry workshops to design the tool to be imple- text aggravated by climate change and scarce Politècnica de València and Agro-food Coop- mented. The UPV team also participated in rainfall. eratives of the Valencian Communit the design and analysis of the indicators that - Andalusia: Universidad de Almería will measure the efficiency in the use of water GOINNOWATER established its mission af- and energy in each plot of land, indicators ter verifying this shortcoming in the irrigation Poster of the GOINNOWATER project This project also foresees transferring its re- that will be crucial for the execution of the farming sector. Their approach establishes sults to other geographical areas, crops and project. GOINNOWATER is a supra-regional proj- relationships between farmers, managers of irrigation systems in order to achieve an ef- As part of its program, the Operational Group ect for the improvement of water and energy the irrigation communities and cooperatives ficient use of water and energy resources, also planned to hold informative meetings to management in modernized irrigation of fruit and research staff, proposing employment of which will improve the competitiveness of showcase the use of the program, irrigation farms, responding to the need to improve and management indices and comparative evalu- agricultural holdings and contribute to the re- management and the improvement of the ef- increase the efficiency of the use of these nat- ation as a potential method for identifying ef- duction of CO2 emission levels by reducing ficiency of the use of water, energy and nitro- ural resources, as well as the productivity and fective techniques to improve the productivity energy use. gen fertilization. economic viability of these crops, ultimately of irrigated crops, whether on large farms or guaranteeing the health and sustainability of on smaller plots whose size limits their access ecosystems through innovative approaches. costly technology such as soil moisture sen- sors. In response to its commitment to the environ- ment through the implementation of sustain- able agricultural practices, the GOINNOWA- SUPRA-REGIONAL SCOPE TER team bases its strategy on the use of The GOINNOWATER Operational Group is technology and research to develop an open funded by the National Rural Development source computer program to calculate the ef- Program (2014-2020) to carry out the proj- ficiency of natural resource use through dif- ect. The Operational Groups are key factors ferent management indicators. This program in the development of the European Associa- detects inefficiencies at the land-plot scale, tion for Innovation in the field of productive applying benchmarking techniques. It also and sustainable agriculture. The aim of this proposes measures for optimizing the man- association of actors from different sectors is agement of water and energy resources and to form groups with the common objective improving the competitiveness of fruit farms. of solving particular problems by developing Project Task Force 21 JULY ‘20 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Remote Sensing to Analyze Turbidity Patterns in the Albufera

Maite Sebastiá and Javier Estornell, experts about the considerable deposition of sedi- in Environmental Management and Remote ments that are threatening the lagoon with Sensing at Campus Gandia of the Universi- clogging. In this regard, remote sensors can tat Politècnica de València, collaborated with provide information about turbidity patterns, researchers from the School of Marine Sci- which in turn would indicate the areas most ences at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja likely to accumulate sediment. At these meet- California (Mexico) in a study that analyzes ings held between the research team and the the monthly turbidity pattern of the Albufera park’s technical team, the decision was made Jesús Aguilar, Maite Sebastiá and Javier Estornell lagoon. to study turbidity patterns in greater depth. Jesús Aguilar from UABC was in charge of de- The project began during Maite Sebastiá‘s veloping and applying the methodology. postdoctoral stay at the Universidad Autóno- ma de Baja California (UABC), in the POPEYE METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS group that specializes in coastal oceanogra- In order to monitor the lagoon, the research gates.” However, precipitation and wind also The variations resulting from the irrigation sys- phy and remote sensing. Maite has a PhD in team used images from the European Space play an important role in the spatial distribu- tem through the control of the hydrological Environmental Sciences and is a specialist in Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellite and compared tion of turbidity. “During storm events, phy- cycle or from urban pressure through the dis- Monitoring Coastal Ecosystems. The objective them with in situ data from the monitoring pro- toplankton and sediments are discharged to charge of wastewater cause serious environ- of the stay was to apply remote sensing mon- gram of the Environment General Subdivision the sea, if the floodgates remain open.” The mental problems that make coastal lagoons itoring to the Albufera de Valencia, a coastal of the regional government. Given the high rice harvesting season, when the floodgates one of the most endangered ecosystems. lagoon that faces an important eutrophication spatial complexity and the varying water qual- are open, coincides with the beginning of the problem. ity, remote sensing is the only way to obtain a rainy period. Closing the floodgates during The Albufera Natural Park is one of the most synoptic view of the entire lagoon. The results the rain events can have several negative ef- representative and valuable coastal wetlands The eutrophication is due to the supply of nu- obtained allow the researchers to define the fects both for the lagoon and for the receiv- in the Valencian Community and the Medi- trients, mainly nitrate and phosphorus, which seasonal pattern of turbidity and chlorophyll ing coastal waters and ecosystem. Non-dis- terranean basin, and holds several protection can produce an imbalance in the system and a (an indicator of the phytoplankton biomass) charged solids may accumulate in the lagoon figures at both a national and international change the composition of phytoplankton. and to identify the areas of the lagoon with worsening the clogging problems, and the level, such as the Spanish Natural Park, Spe- The eutrophication of the Albufera is an old the most anomalous values, providing rele- beaches next to the receiving coastal waters cial Protection Areas (SPAs) for birds, Sites problem that dates back to the 1960s. From vant information for the management of water will not receive an important load of solids of Community Importance (SCI)s and Ramsar then on, the effects of human activity began to resources. to nourish the ecosystems. This demonstrates Site. In addition, some parts of the area have become evident with the progressive degra- the importance of conscious management of also been declared as “Flora Micro-reserve” dation of the biodiversity of the system, shift- The Albufera lagoon is surrounded by an ex- the floodgates. and as “Fauna Reserve”. ing from a clear state to a turbid stable state tensive agricultural area primarily used for that was consolidated in the early 1970s. But rice cultivation and connects to the Mediterra- COASTAL LAGOONS IN DANGER More information: in recent years, Paloma Mateache, Director nean Sea through three floodgates. As Maite Coastal lagoons are transitional ecosystems Sebastiá-Frasquet, M.-T.; Aguilar-Maldonado, of Conservation at the Albufera Natural Park, explains, “The local water council controls the between inland and coastal waters character- J.A.; Santamaría-Del-Ángel, E.; Estornell, J. and María Sahuquillo, official in charge of hydrological cycle to meet to the needs of the ized by high spatial and temporal variability Sentinel 2 Analysis of Turbidity Patterns in the Valencian Government’s Quality Monitor- rice crop. High turbidity periods are linked to due to both natural intrinsic factors and an- a Coastal Lagoon. Remote Sens. 2019, 11, ing program, have expressed their concerns higher water residence time and closed flood- thropic pressures. 2926. 28 JULY ‘20 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Study Confirms that Adaptive Forest Management Does Not Affect Soil Properties

However, seven years after the treatment, we observed that it did not affect the carbon of the soil, nor the respiration of the soil mea- sured by laboratory incubations, nor the enzy- For this reason, the study assessed the effects matic activities, specifically neither the phos- of adaptive forest management on different phatase activity of the phosphorus cycle nor soil properties. the urease of the nitrogen cycle, supporting the sustainability of this type of forest manage- RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN AND RESULTS ment,” points out the researcher. The study was carried out in a marginal semi-arid forest located in the “La Hunde” All of this highlights the important work that public forest, classified as “one of the few has been carried out by the Forestry Science well-preserved oak forests in the Valencian and Technology (Re-ForeST) group over the Community and the largest in the province of last decade, with different studies and re- Valencia,” says the professor. search projects that seek to improve the re- silience of semi-arid forests against climate The research consisted of analyzing the effect change. of a silvicultural treatment on the properties of Cristina Lull the mineral soil and the mulch in relation to “This study is complemented by others carried the carbon cycle and on the enzymatic activity out in the same area by the Re-foreST group of the soil. concerning the hydrological characterization of the forest structure for the implementation Adaptive forest management does not ad- Thus, the data obtained was compared to an of adaptive forestry, as well as the study of versely affect soil properties. It is necessary to The study is based on the premise that organ- area that was unmanaged over a period that forest measures based on ecohydrology for articulate forest ecohydrological-based mea- ic carbon reserves in the soil have an import- varied from five months to seven years after adaptation to climate change. All of this with sures that help mitigate the impact of climate ant role in the maintenance of ecosystems as silvicultural treatment. Specifically, the un- a sole purpose: to promote practices that im- change on Mediterranean forests. a source of nutrients and energy for soil mi- treated area has a high density of holm oaks prove the adaptation and conservation of our croorganisms, which have an essential role in (1059 ft/ ha) and in the treated area it was re- forests,” concludes Cristina Lull. These are the main findings of the study car- the nutrient cycle. duced to 289 ft/ha, in addition to eliminating ried out by the researchers from the Univer- the bush mass. More information: sitat Politècnica de València, Cristina Lull “The biological and biochemical properties Cristina Lull, Inmaculada Bautista, Anto- (Campus Gandia), Inmaculada Bautista, of soil are essential for the decomposition “In the early stages, in the treated plot we nio Lidón, Antonio D. del Campo, María Antonio Lidón, Antonio del Campo, María of organic matter. However, these properties detected a slightly higher content of seques- González-Sanchis, Alberto García-Prats, Tem- González and Alberto García, all members can be affected by forest treatments that are tered organic carbon in the soil and soluble poral effects of thinning on soil organic car- of Forestry Science and Technology (Re-For- considered ‘sustainable’ when the soil prop- organic carbon in water in the mineral soil, bon pools, basal respiration and enzyme ac- eST) group of the IIAMA-UPV. Their work has erties are maintained or improved,” explains probably due to the remains of the smaller tivities in a Mediterranean Holm oak forest, been published in the scientific journal “For- the co-author of the study, Cristina Lull from cuttings that were left behind in the treat- Forest Ecology and Management, Volume est Ecology and Management“. Campus Gandia. ed plot during the silvicultural treatment. 464, 2020, 118088, ISSN 0378-1127. 6 OCTOBER ‘20 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Return of the Loggerhead Turtles

In recent decades, the preservation of the logger- head sea turtle or Caretta caretta has raised great concern due to the escalation of environmental threats, many of them caused by the negative im- pact of human activity on the marine environment. In addition to the effects of marine pollution, spe- This was the case with the la tortuga Lola (Lola the cifically the presence of marine debris consisting turtle), the first rehabilitated juvenile loggerhead mainly of plastic debris that turtles mistake for turtle that was monitored after being tagged and A turtle tagged with satellite transmitters food, other dangers such as fishing or maritime released. traffic also pose health risks to these species. MOVEMENTS AND REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS The conservation of the loggerhead sea turtle and Currently, within the framework of the European other marine species in Mediterranean waters de- LIFE INTEMARES project, the Campus Gandia pends on understanding and proper management collaborates in the monitoring of young turtles of marine ecosystems. In 2015, in keeping with born on our coasts and in the monitoring of nest- this objective, Campus Gandia of the Universitat ing females. This is the case of the turtles Mascletà Most of the nesting events have been recorded on Politècnica de València was added to the exist- and Victoria, two specimens tagged with satellite tourist beaches, a fact that poses a risk to hatch- ing lines of research on Mediterranean sea tur- transmitters after spawning this summer on the lings and eggs, requiring more planning for these tles carried out by the Marine Zoology Unit of the beaches of Tarragona and Cullera respectively. events and the relocation of the eggs to safe incu- Cavanilles Institute of the Universitat de València. Thanks to the tagging and monitoring of these tur- bation sites. The Campus is providing innovation with the ap- tles, it has been possible to detect new nesting plication of new technologies to increase the un- attempts, facilitating the activation of protocols for Subsequently, it is just as important to under- derstanding of these species and the threats that the protection of the turtles and their eggs. stand the oceanic dispersal and survival rates of affect them. These lines of research are part of loggerhead hatchlings in their “lost years”, that various scientific projects in which other scientif- You can follow the turtles on the webpage https:// is, the period of time that elapses between their ic institutions, conservation associations, NGOs, eucrante.org/siguiendo-tortugas, where you will birth and entry into the sea, and their return to Citizen collaboration is very important in the loca- and the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Develop- find the updated locations of Mascletà and Victo- coastal waters as large juveniles. Few studies have tion of nests, trails or sea turtle, specimens. Please ment, Climate Emergency and Ecological Transi- ria, among other turtles. explored the behavior of young turtles in this pe- notify 112. tion of the Generalitat Valenciana also participate. riod. However, advances in satellite technology SPAWNING SITES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN have enabled research in this field. More information: In the research carried out at Campus Gandia un- Female loggerhead turtles have a philopatry ten- der the leadership of Eduardo Belda, the turtles dency, that means that they return to the beach ENDANGERED SPECIES Vilariño León, S. (2020). Monitoring and habitat are being tagged and monitored via satellite in where they were born to spawn. However, since The loggerhead sea turtle is the most common use of reproductive female loggerhead sea tur- order to establish strategies for their protection. the early 2000s, loggerhead turtle spawning sites species of sea turtles found on our coasts. It is tles, Caretta caretta, on the Spanish Mediterra- By tagging the turtles with satellite transmitters, it have begin to be detected off the western Med- a vulnerable species cataloged as “in danger of nean coasts. is possible to monitor the long journeys and mi- iterranean shores. Although the causes are un- extinction”, included in the Red List of Endan- grations carried out by these specimens, enabling known, this phenomenon is associated with the in- gered Species of the IUCN, International Union Abalo-Morla, S., Marco, A., Tomás, J. et al. Sur- the study of their behavior and habitat use, as well crease in sea surface temperatures in spring and for Conservation of Nature since 2015, as well as vival and dispersal routes of head-started logger- as understanding the survival of captive-bred and summer, and in terrestrial temperatures, offering considered a priority species under the Habitats head sea turtle (Caretta caretta) post-hatchlings in rehabilitated specimens. better thermal conditions for nesting. Directive. the Mediterranean Sea. Mar Biol 165, 51 (2018). Technology 1. CanalTeleco, Telecommunications Explained by Juan Hernández Ruano, Student at Campus Gandia UPV

2. Something’s Resonating at Campus Gandia

3. New Product with Sound-Absorption Properties Made of Esparto Grass Fiber

4. IVIO, the UPV and CEU Cardenal Herrera Partner to Study Dentin Demineralization

5. Salva Ardid, a New Commitment to Research Talent

6. Customized Private 5G Networks 25 FEBRUARY ‘20 TECHNOLOGY

CanalTeleco, Telecommunications Explained by Juan Hernández Ruano, Student at Campus Gandia UPV

How does an antenna work? What does FM and AM stand for? How do magnetic fields apply to telecommunications? Juan Hernández, student in the Telecommunications, Sound and Image Systems Engineering Degree at Campus Gandia UPV, answers these and other questions concern- ing Telecommunications on his YouTube channel, “As I was getting on with my course work, I felt Juan Hernández, creator of CanalTeleco CanalTeleco. really accomplished by everything I was learning each semester. In fact, when I was doing the labs Juan received recognition from the Official Col- and practice work in certain subjects, it occurred lege of Graduates in Telecommunications Engi- to me that it would be a good idea to share them neering of the Valencian Community for his sci- on social media since they were really interest- ence communication work and already has 1,400 ing and educational. I love the labs and practice Creating different and easy-to-understand content followers on his YouTube channel. work! It’s what solidifies all the theory you learn in to help you better understand certain subjects. class. Since I have some electronic material and The aim of the channel isn’t to teach, but rather to Here at the Campus Gandia UPV we want to According to Juan, the idea for the channel came measuring equipment, I would repeat some of the reinforce what we learn at university. In addition, take the opportunity to congratulate Juan on to him when he couldn’t find answers to questions practices at home to reinforce what I learned and the channel helps me reinforce everything I learn his initiative and we leave you one of his vid- he had when he was looking into the Telecommu- improve what I wasn’t doing right in the university in class, because I make myself look up a lot of eos. We hope you like it as much as we do! nications Engineering degree. “A few years ago, lab”. information and go over my notes to make sure as I was looking for information on YouTube and on that I’m getting it right”. You can follow Canal Teleco on: websites about the Telecommunications Engineer- “Before I started university, I worked at a radio Facebook: ing degree, I realized there was something miss- station as a sound and maintenance technician “The channel was launched a year ago, and over https://www.facebook.com/CanalTeleco/ ing: I was really curious about the practice works and among other hobbies, I do experiments with time I’ll start posting content for students in dif- YouTube: in each subject. There are quite a few videos on electronics and radio frequency. With the combi- ferent course levels. I usually record my videos https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5_8C- YouTube created by university students, but it’s all nation of my prior work experience and to all the when my class schedule permits it. Recording and Bv_kM-2fvhCLkYUUZg very scattered and I couldn’t find any of the video new information I was learning in my degree, I set editing usually takes me a few hours, but I love it Twitter: content that I personally would’ve liked to see”. out to create CanalTeleco aimed at students and so much that it’s well worth the effort.” https://twitter.com/CanalTeleco 30 JUNE ‘20 TECHNOLOGY Something’s Resonating at Campus Gandia

The news that has resonated over the years in both in rocket launches”, “Ambitious research about ul- The fruit of the collective work over the years has INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION AND the traditional and social media landscape in the trasond in oral implantology” and many others. a very clear result: Campus Gandia is home to RESEARCH La Safor county has been varied: “Five students They all have two things in common: acoustics and one of the most internationally recognized Span- The earned prestige of the Acoustics group has from the campus receive awards at a national con- the Campus Gandia of the Universitat Politècnica ish Acoustics groups. The resounding scientific opened the door to a wide range of internation- ference”, “Pioneer project to reduce noise levels de València (UPV). success is the result of the work carried out by a al mobility possibilities during both the Master’s team of people that have propagated throughout degree and the the doctoral degree, allowing for In this academic and scientific multiple publications, conferences, internation- continued research in acoustics in other institu- context, we decided that it would al collaborations, awards, research projects and tions. This is all possible thanks to the agreements be good idea direct our efforts to- agreements with companies and institutions. Cur- with different European universities, such as the wards research in a discipline that rently, the Acoustics research activity on the Cam- Université du Mans in France, as well as South in Spain, unlike other countries, pus Gandia finds itself in full swing. The fields American universities, such as the Universidad had relatively little relevance and of studies and specialties have been diversified, Austral de Chile in Valdivia. As of the the year was still very young: Acoustics. The with more than 20 people working in Acoustics, 2021/2022, outstanding students will be able to newly formed group consisted of including teaching staff, doctoral students, post- study the Master of Acoustic Engineering in the engineers and physicists with di- doctoral students, laboratory technical personnel prestigious joint Erasmus Mundus Master’s De- verse opinions and scientific tradi- and technical research personnel. gree between the UPV, l’École Centrale de Mar- tions, each of them committed to seille in France and the Universidade de Coimbra making scientific contributions to The best professional setting for the dissemination in Portugal. this branch of physics. Teaching of scientific results in Acoustics is the leading an- and research staff of a public uni- nual national conference: Tecniacústica. The num- PROFESSIONAL AND RESEARCH versity yet to be built in the Grao de ber and quality of scientific studies by the Cam- OPPORTUNITIES Gandia. pus research staff presented in all the editions of Intense collaboration between the Campus Gan- Students in an anechoic chamber the conference are proof of the intense and grow- dia research personnel and the surrounding com- ing activity carried out in the field of acoustics panies and institutions enables the incorporation at Campus Gandia. The Spanish Acoustic Society of students into the job market in the sector by has recognized more than 15 young researchers way of internships. Many of them decide to enter from the Campus with prestigious awards for their the job market, while others with an entrepreneur- research work. ial spirit venture to create their own companies. There are also students who are deeply invested FUTURE OF ACOUSTICS in their education and decide to further their stud- The future of acoustics in Gandia is something we ies by doing a doctorate. This way they carrying hear about every day on and around the Campus. on with the spirit and the passion for research in The topics, projects and branches of Acoustics Acoustics that will continue to resonate on Cam- continue to evolve and grow. Young university stu- pus Gandia and its surroundings for many years dents with tremendous talent, ability, enthusiasm to come. and thirst for learning are enrolled in the Master’s Degree in Acoustic Engineering, which has seen Research staff in Acoustics at Campus Gandia: 10 graduating classes go through. This academic Jesús Alba, Miguel Ardid, Manuel Bou, Víctor and research environment offers students of vary- Espinosa, Juan Antonio Martínez, Isabel Pérez, ing backgrounds a prestigious and competitive Rubén Picó, Javier Redondo, Romina Del Rey, educational program in acoustics, both for their Víctor José Sánchez. own educational aims and also to continue onto a More information in the book “Escola Politècnica doctoral dissertation. Superior de Gandia, XXV anys (1994-2019)”. Young Researchers from Campus Gandia Awarded by the Tecniacústica Conference 8 SEPTEMBER ‘20 TECHNOLOGY New Product with Sound-Absorption Properties Made of Esparto

Faced with this problem, the study measures the sound absorption performance of three different The ecological crisis and the greater degree of types of esparto grasses originating in Pakistan, Romina del Rey, Jorge Arenas and Jesús Alba public awareness regarding environmental prob- Tunisia and Egypt respectively, to solve sound in- lems have transformed the consumption habits sulation problems in buildings, further contribut- of society, requiring the incorporation of ethical ing to the existing sustainable alternatives. and environmental criteria in the production and distribution processes. In this context, research To this end, the UPV team analyzed the sound ab- and innovation is crucial for the development of sorption coefficient and the airflow resistivity of eco-efficient products and services capable of re- each esparto grass, developing the first model sponding to the demand for sustainable and envi- known to date for predicting the sound-absorption ronmentally responsible alternatives. coefficient for this type of fiber.

The building industry is following this trend with Once concluded the study, both teams (UPV- The joint project between the campus and the a boom in green materials that only keeps grow- UACh) are working on improving the durability of UACh arises from the need to continue the re- ing. This is the field of research that englobes the the product and analyzing the effects of adding search on natural fibers after the results obtained Romina del Rey study, “Sound-Absorption Properties of Materials flame retardants or insect repellents to the fibers. in the study carried out by Roberto, which stands Made of Esparto Grass Fibers”, by Roberto Ol- out for the inclusion of ethical, environmental and tra, Jesús Alba and Romina Del Rey, experts in LEADER IN ACOUSTICS social aspects in the field of Acoustic Engineer- acoustics from Campus Gandia UPV, alongside Currently, Campus Gandia is at the forefront in ing. Jorge Arenas, professor at the Institute of Acous- Acoustic Engineering, with a long history and tics of the Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh). specialization in this area, both in the teaching PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILE and scientific fields. The scientific partnership between Campus Gan- The research presents esparto fiber as an alterna- dia and the Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh), tive to standard sound-absorbing materials, since The commitment to educating students and to their which has lasted for over decade, has been fun- most of these are manufactured with mineral or scientific potential in this discipline is reflected in damental to strengthening the acoustic research synthetic fibers, which entail various environ- the quality of their research work. Roberto Oltra, potential of both institutions. mental problems, both in their manufacture and co-author of the study, is an example of the emerg- in their disposal. “These materials are difficult to ing talent of the campus. With a Bachelor’s De- This relationship led the creation of an interna- recycle, their combustion causes emissions of tox- gree in Telecommunications Systems, Sound and tional Dual Degree agreement that allows eight ic fumes and their industrial production requires Image Engineering, he also studied the Master’s selected students to obtain the Master’s Degree in large amounts of energy, which increases the Degree in Acoustic Engineering, where his thesis Acoustic Engineering (MIA) from Campus Gandia More Information: emission of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous project was a study titled “Sound-Absorbing Ma- and the Master’s Degree in Acoustics and Vibra- Arenas, J.P.; del Rey, R.; Alba, J.; Oltra, R. Sound-Ab- oxide into the atmosphere, in addition to posing terials Based on Esparto Fibers”, supervised by tions (MAV) from the UACh, a unique opportunity sorption Properties of Materials Made of Espar- a risk to health”, according to the research staff. Romina del Rey and Jesús Alba. to obtain high-level education in acoustics. to Grass Fibers. Sustainability 2020, 12, 5533. 29 SEPTEMBER ‘20 TECHNOLOGY

In the case of this study, they were successful IVIO, the UPV and CEU Cardenal in finding a method to monitor the types of in- juries that can be induced in a healthy tooth, which together with the applied ultrasonic Herrera Partner to Study Dentin system, reveals the percentage of demineral- ization that a tooth has undergone throughout Demineralization the mineral-loss process, enabling the expan- sion of the range of studies related to tooth decay and dental erosion, a highly complex The extreme complexity of demineralization area of research. requires considerable lab testing under op- timal conditions. For this specific field of re- The relevance of the study has led to the search, ultrasound is an optimal technology, presentation of the results at the XI Iberian since it is characterized by being fast, non-de- Acoustics Congress, the 51st Spanish Acous- structive and it provides localized information tics Congress TECNIACUSTICA 2020, which on the tissue. took place from October 21st to 23rd, 2020 in the Portuguese city of Faro, this time in an In this regard, the project researchers used E-congress format due to the Coronavirus the ultrasonic pulse-echo technique to eval- pandemic. uate the complete demineralization process of human dentin under controlled laboratory The IVIO-UPV Chair of the Campus Gandia conditions. has various partnership frameworks with oth- er institutions or companies to carry out their The study led by Josep Rodríguez, Inés Tor- projects. Their purpose is always to develop res, Salvatore Sauro and Francisco Camare- new projects to meet the needs that patients na, has consisted in the demineralization of demand and to provide new technologies and up to 15 human dentin teeth with phosphoric techniques that further improve the well-being acid, a process monitored by a pulse-echo of society. system similar to that used to obtain ultra- sound, which has made it possible to know For more information and inquiries on the iV- the way in which the acid produces the lesion iO-UPV Chair research projects, you can write Salvatore Sauro, Josep Rodríguez, Inés Torres and Francisco Camarena in the dentin. to Francisco Camarena, research professor at Campus Gandia UPV, at: [email protected]. You can follow the activity of the IVIO-UPV THE NEED FOR INTER-UNIVERSITY Chair on their: blog / Twitter / Facebook PARTNERSHIP The results of the project carried out between The prestigious scientific journal, IEEE Ultra- the IVIO, CEU Cardenal Herrera and the UPV sonics Transactions and Ferroelectrics, has A RESEARCH PROJECT ON THE RELE- reflect the relevance that partnership can have published a paper authored by the Valencian VANCE OF DENTAL DEMINERALIZATION in the research field of dentistry. The search Institute of Dental Research (IVIO), the CEU This inter-university project aims to study the for synergies does not only involve the use Cardenal Herrera University and the Univer- process that directly affects dental resistance of resources, but also enables the exchange sitat Politècnica de València, titled “Ultrason- and, consequently, people’s health, since it of different methodologies, ways of working ic Monitoring of Dentin Demineralization”, leads to problems with chewing, hypersensi- and research areas, which encourages the ex- demonstrating the value of collaboration be- tivity and problems in the dental pulp in teeth. pansion of the field of study, achieving more tween different institutions in research proj- Multiple factors may lead to this pathology, complete results and, therefore, with more ap- Laboratory of Campus Gandia ects on ultrasound. such as tooth decay or surgical procedures. plications in the health sector. 8 DECEMBER ‘20 TECHNOLOGY

Salva Ardid, a New Commitment to Research Talent

Researcher Salva Ardid, an expert in Neu- roscience and Machine Learning, has recent- ly joined Campus Gandia of the Universitat Politècnica de València under the framework of the Plan GenT, a program promoted by the Department of Innovation, Universities, Sci- ence and Digital Society to support talented researchers from the Valencian Community.

Salva belongs to the second generation of CIDEGENT, an initiative integrated within this plan aimed at reversing the “brain drain” and promoting the retention and attraction of re- When asked about his most relevant research, searchers and doctoral candidates of excel- the researcher highlights the project on me- Salva Ardid‘s research work at Campus Gan- lence for the development of research proj- ta-learning in the context of reinforcement dia focuses on adapting brain mechanisms ects in institutions within the Comunitat. learning. “Meta-learning mechanisms are that are known to be computationally efficient, capable of deducing learning algorithms by to introduce them into artificial intelligence ar- His research activity focuses on the field of themselves, hence the alternative term ‘learn- chitectures (such as deep learning neural net- artificial intelligence and computational neu- ing to learn’ is also used to refer to them. With works) with the aim of achieving more flexible roscience, with a doctorate in the latter. Pre- these techniques, we’re able to optimize the and powerful learning algorithms. viously Salva Ardid carried out research res- behavior of the algorithms in terms of flexibil- idencies in the United States and Canada, ity, agility and robustness,” he underscores. Salva has joined the campus to direct the re- where he worked on research projects in this search project called Artificial General Intelli- scientific field. Another one of his projects focuses on cog- gence: Beyond Deep Learning, in which he nitive dynamics. This study combines experi- intends to delve into Deep Learning and over- “I’m interested in identifying the physiolog- mental procedures (psychophysics and neu- come the limitations it faces today through ical mechanisms of brain function and dys- roimaging) with computational approaches three main improvements: data pre-process- function, in particular the neural substrates of (machine learning and neural circuit model- ing, increasing the dimensionality of the data learning and intelligence. To do this, in the ing) to study the dynamics, development, and through non-linear combinations; strengthen- Lab of Natural and Designed Intelligence re- decline of human cognition across the life ing the neurobiological base of the algorithm, search group, we build reinforcement learn- span. Similarly, he also highlights other proj- mainly with regard to the network architecture ing models and both biological and artificial ects focused on the study of decision-making and its connectivity; the use of adaptive learn- neural networks,” he indicates. and selective attention. ing based on meta-learning mechanisms. Salva Ardid 22 DECEMBER ‘20 TECHNOLOGY Customized Private 5G Networks

These networks are designed for closed scenarios with many users and/or connected devices, not for individuals. They are of particular interest to industry, as well as other settings such as hospi- tals and universities. “But these networks need a Gómez Barquero further explains that the FUDGE- dedicated spectrum. Germany was a pioneer in 5G project will establish guidelines for deploy- reserving spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band locally ment of private 5G networks in the cloud in or- for private 5G networks at the end of 2019, and der to reduce infrastructure cost and increase the by 2020 they had already granted 88 licenses. flexibility of the deployment, this adjusting to the Many countries have followed in the footsteps of needs of the end user. “FUDGE-5G opens up a Germany, but the entire 3.5 GHz band spectrum new market for the telecommunications sector; it in Spain has already been assigned, so we’ll have will offer the opportunity for a customized 5G net- to wait for new 5G frequencies to be assigned in work configuration, with all the benefits that this order to reserve spectrum for private networks,” entails.” according to David Gómez. David Gómez FIVE TESTING GROUNDS Researchers from Campus Gandia of the Univer- The project launched in September and will run sitat Politècnica de València (UPV) at the Institute until February 2022. It includes the development of Telecommunications and Multimedia Applica- of different pilot tests for the deployment of these tions (iTEAM) are leading a European project to private 5G networks, which will be carried out in offer customized 5G networks, a private “super Norway with the operator Telenor. WiFi” with “revolutionary” features for industries and other settings such as hospitals or universi- The scenarios in which these tests will be carried ties. The FUDGE-5G project is funded by the EU out are a hospital (eHealth use case), the Norwe- H2020 program and has a budget of six million gian public television NRK (multimedia use case), euros. the Defense Agency of the Nordic country (securi- ty use case), the multinational ABB (Case of indus- “Private 5G networks will be similar to a WiFi net- try 4.0, where they will evaluate the performance work, but with the difference that the spectrum is of these networks for connected robotics applica- not shared, providing greater advantages. Com- tions), and in a university. “In the latter case, our bined with the technical characteristics of 5G, it goal is to connect the UPV campus with the cam- will be possible to provide full coverage, Giga- pus of the Oslo metropolitan university and the bit-per-second speeds and very low response German research institute, Fraunhofer FOKUS, in times, without depending on the public network Berlin, deploying an Eduroam-style network with of a telecommunications operator. Another advan- private 5G networks in different countries con- tage it offers is privacy, since all the information nected to one another,” states David Gómez. that travels through these networks would only be accessible to their owners. They will be quite a The project partners also include the Valencian revolution,” remarks David Gómez, 5G expert start-up Fivecomm, which will coordinate the im- and project coordinator. plementation tests of this network at ABB. Science and Society

1. Four Young Researchers Join Campus Gandia

2. Second Edition of the initiative “Bring a Female Scientist to School”

3. Tendencia al alza en la captación de fondos para investigación en el Campus de Gandia

4. Science Week 2020

5. First Mediterranean Night of Women Researchers in Gandia

6. Campus Researchers Take Part in the V Gandia Astroparticle Marathon 22 JANUARY ‘20 SCIENCE AND SOCIETY

Four Young Researchers Join Campus Gandia

Juan González, Enrique Ramis, Blanca Feliu and Neus Montoro have been recruited by Campus Gandia thanks to the implementation of the Youth Guarantee in RDI program, promoting youth em- ployment. An action that is part of the State Sub- program for Incorporation, part of the umbrella of the State Program for the Promotion of Talent and Employability in RDI, under the umbrella of the 2017-2020 State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation.

The aim of the initiative, funded by the State Re- search Agency and co-financed by the European Blanca Feliu, Enrique Ramis, Neus Montoro and Juan González Social Fund (ESF) and the Youth Employment Ini- tiative (YEI), is to hire qualified personnel under the age of 30 in technical and management RDI jobs for a two-year period. Blanca Feliu studied both the Bachelor’s Degree Juan González, graduate in Telecommunications, in Environmental Sciences and the Master’s De- Sound and Image Systems Engineering and spe- gree in Assessment and Environmental Monitor- cialized in Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, is Enrique Ramis has a Bachelor’s Degree in Me- ing of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems at this Uni- joining the Immersive Interactive Media (IIM) Re- chanical Engineering, as well as Master’s Degree versity. She will now join the Research Institute for search & Development (R&D) Group at Campus in Engineering, Processing and Characterization Integrated Management of Coastal Areas – IGIC, Gandia, led by Fernando Boronat. For the com- of Materials. On the campus, he will work in the supporting the groups formed by Silvia Falco, ing two years, Juan will provide technical support team led by Jesús Alba, where he will conduct Francisco Martínez and Tomás Sogorb. She will Finally, Neus Montoro will provide technical to in the line of research in immersive multimedia tests on the acoustic and thermal characterization work on environmental research projects where support in RDI management and will participate in systems, virtual reality (VR) and augmented re- of materials from sustainable natural resources in she will conduct sampling in river, estuarine and the promotion, popularization and dissemination ality (AR), multi-sensory, interactive and collabo- acoustic chambers. Currently, new materials are marine ecosystems. In addition, she will collabo- of scientific activities. Neus is a graduate in Au- rative network, additionally collaborating in the being developed using environmentally friendly, rate in ecological, water resources management, diovisual Communication and has completed the assembly and testing of new prototypes, as well reusable and recyclable natural resources, but this aquaculture, topography, food technology and Master’s Degree in Digital Postproduction taught as in their evaluation processes. At present, the entails a refocusing of technological, regulatory health science projects, that require chemical and on Campus. Therefore, she is aware of the funda- research group is also carrying out research and and modeling solutions. Enrique will work on the organism analysis. Blanca will have the opportu- mental role of communication as a means of trans- innovation projects in other lines, in which he will improvement, consolidation, programming and nity to get acquainted with the latest technology, ferring scientific knowledge to society. ”Scientific also collaborate, such as the development of an automation of characterization protocols for these used both by the University and by administrations communication is vital to arouse society’s interest innovative stereoscopic vision system and the de- materials and devices from the acoustic stand- and companies, which will allow her to develop in science and research, as well as to support re- sign of a system to study facial paralysis. point. her skills in monitoring systems. searchers and attract funding.” 11 FEBRUARY ‘20 SCIENCE AND SOCIETY Second Edition of the initiative “Bring a Female Scientist to School”

February 22nd, 12:00 pm “The magical female scientist” – Performance by ‘Los Gatos con Batas’– Casa de la Cultura de Gandia. The magical female scientist is a show about Women, Science, Magic and Storytelling, For the second year in a row, the Equality Com- in which the attendees thrilled to magic tricks with mittee of Campus Gandia UPV, in collaboration Mónica Catalá metals and mathematics. It is inspired by the life with the IVIO Chair and the Smart Tourism Chair, of Ada Lovelace and explains how stories shape joined the 11defebrero.org national campaign us and how we shape stories. in celebration of the International Day of Wom- As part of this initiative, Campus Gandia present- “¿What do you want to do be when you grow en and Girls in Science on February 11th. This ed “Bring a Female Scientist to School”, a pro- up? Science workshops” – Pilar Sánchez (Offi- February 24th campaigns coordinated informative and aware- gram of activities that included the participation of cer at the Campus) and Mónica Catalá (Campus “What would you want to be if you were a boy? ness-raising activities in educational institutions to women working in the STEM fields that share their Researcher) – year 1 of ESO – Biblioteca IES And a girl? And now… science is fun” – Pilar offer visibility to women scientists and this way experiences and perspectives in organized talks, Ramón Muntaner (Xirivella). Sánchez (Officer at the Campus) and Teresa Ru- create female role models in the STEM field (sci- workshops and demonstrations aimed at students. “Science is fun” – Mª José Canet (research pro- bio – 3rd grade – CEIP Miguel de Cervantes ence, technology, engineering and mathematics) fessor at the Campus) – 3rd, 4th and 5th grade. (Xirivella). to promote full and equal access to participation Colegio Sant Antoni de Pàdua. in science for women and girls. Agenda Throughout the month of February and online on February 6th February 12th Pinterest “Dones i ciencia”. Bibliography and re- “Do you know how to listen to music? Introduc- “The science of the senses” – Isabel Pérez (re- sources on “Women and Science” at the Campus tion to wave physics”: Explains the properties of search professor at the Campus) and Carla Sán- Gandia Library. sound and the important dimensions that environ- chez (Student of the Campus in Environmental mental characteristics can add – Romina del Rey Sciences) – primary school – Colegio Rótova-Al- Gender Gap (research professor at the UPV) – year 3 and 4 of fauir. The conversation about the role of women in sci- ESO – IES Rodolfo Llopis, Callosa d’En Sarrià. ence today still revolves around the barriers and February 13th the invisibility, based on inequality due to gender February 10th “The science of the senses” – Isabel Pérez (re- stereotypes that persist in our society. We edu- “Oceanography – Women at sea and marine re- search professor at the Campus) and Neus Mon- cators have a relevant role in the implementation search techniques”: History of women in ocean- toro (Officer at the Campus) – Preventorio infantil of strategies aimed at ending the current gender ography and marine research techniques – Jose- Nuestra Señora del Amparo Real de Gandia / 1st gap in science, which start with the reeducation pa Costa (Senior Technician at the Campus) and and 2nd grade – CEIP Verge de la Font de Vil- about the relationship between women and sci- Blanca Feliu (Campus Researcher) – 4th, 5th and lalonga. ence. Workshops such as the one led by Blanca 6th grade – Colegio Joan Martorell, Gandia. Feliu, which highlights the role of women in ma- February 17th rine research, or by Romina del Rey, focused on February 11th “Women in Science”– Pilar Sánchez, Sandra Bar- wave physics, seek to promote scientific vocations “Conciliation, women and science” – Maite Se- rancos i Neus Montoro (Senior Technicians at the in female students and eliminate gender stereo- bastià (Campus Researcher) – year 3 and 4 of Campus) – 5th and 6th grade – CEIP Sant Pere types in male students. ESO, Colegio Carmelitas, Gandia. Apòstol – Alqueria de la Comtessa. “Oceanography – Women at sea and marine re- Scientific Vocations Award search techniques”: History of women in ocean- February 20th, 12:00 pm Campus Gandia received an award from the Offi- ography and marine research techniques – San- “How do mobile phones work? From the walk- cial College of Graduates in Telecommunications dra Barrancos (Senior Technician at the Campus) ie-talkie to 5G” – Amparo Girona (research pro- Engineering of the Valencian Community for its and Blanca Feliu (Campus Researcher) – year 4 fessor at the Campus) – year 3 and 4 of ESO work and trajectory in promoting scientific and of ESO – IES María Enríquez, Gandia. – Colegio Sagrado Corazón Carmelitas Vedruna. technological vocations among girls. 1 SEPTEMBER ‘20 SCIENCE AND SOCIETY

Up-tick in Fundraising for Research at Campus Gandia

COMMITMENT TO RESEARCH The ability to obtain funding, a clear sign of the trust placed in the university by businesses and institutions, demonstrates the high quality of the research activity carried out on campus, which The amount of money raised from external fund- maintains its firm commitment to the generation ing sources in 2019 for the scientific activity and transfer of knowledge for scientific and tech- carried out at Campus Gandia of the Universitat nological progress, with the aim of making signif- Politècnica de València continued with the up-tick icant contributions to society. initiated in 2016. RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR INTEGRATED In 2019, the funding raised for scientific research COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT amounted to 4,855,000 euros, according to the After barely 10 years in existence, the Research data published in the annual report on the results Institute for Integrated Coastal Zone Management of the R&D&I activities at the Campus. With respect to the spatial distribution of the ac- In the analysis of the geographical origin of the (100% Campus Gandia institute) has managed to tions contracted, 58% came from businesses in funds, there is also a large increase in the finan- establish itself in the top 25 research structures of 40% of the funding corresponds to signed con- the Valencian Community and 37% from the rest cial volume of R&D contracts and agreements the 85 present at the UPV. It is composed of 65 tracts and agreements, while 60% comes from of Spain, which indicates the tremendous impact signed with international (non-European) entities, people, of which 49 are PhDs. The research per- competitive grants, this percentage accounting that the research from the Campus on its immedi- increasing from the sum of 5,000 euros in 2018 sonal has a total of 57 six-year tenures of research for a total of 1,959,000 euros, which more than ate socio-economic environment. In turn, 5% of to 851,000 euros in 2019, representing 56% of under their belt, an indicator that validates the rec- doubles the amount raised in 2018 (842,000 eu- the actions originate from international (non-Euro- the total volume. ognition of its high level of scientific output. ros). pean) businesses. In addition, the mixed unit formed by the UPV and With respect to the competitive R&D&I activi- the Spanish Institute of Oceanography – Technol- ty, half of the financial volume comes from the ogy Unit for Marine Studies (UTEM, for its Spanish Central Administration, which makes up 51% of initials), based on the Campus (port of Gandia the total funding and represents a considerable sheds), is conducting major scientific projects. increase as compared to the figures from 2017 and 2018. The full reports can be viewed in Spanish in the following links: As for the R&D contracts and grant agreements R&D&I Results 2019 signed in 2019, they have mostly involved busi- R&D&I Results 2018 nesses, followed by contracts/agreements with R&D&I Results 2017 the administration and with other entities (univer- R&D&I Results 2016 sities, research centers, business associations and R&D&I Results 2015 institutes). Thus, the financial volume of contracts R&D&I Results 2014 and agreements with businesses (78%) has risen R&D&I Results 2013 significantly with respect to the figures obtained R&D&I Results 2012 in the last three years. Campus Gandia Bibliometric Analysis v

10 NOVEMBER ‘20 SCIENCE AND SOCIETY

Thursday 19th Habitability of the Universe. Fernando Ballesteros. Astronomical Observatory of the Universitat de Science Week 2020 València. Friday 20th Observatorios de ondas gravitatorias: tecnología punta para una ciencia fascinante. Isabel Corde- ro. Departamento de Matemáticas de la Universi- tat de València. For the fourth year in a row, Campus Gandia of Gravitational wave observatories: cutting-edge the Universitat Politècnica de València, the CEIC technology for fascinating science. Isabel Corde- The mural was the work of the urban artist Flug, Alfons El Vell and the Universitat de València unit- ro. Departament of Mathematics of the Universitat a graduate of the Universitat Politècnica de Valèn- ed their scientific and popularization capacities de València. cia. This is an initiative that started two years ago to coordinate the Gandia Science Week from with the aim of giving visibility to relevant scien- November 16th to 20th, with activities aimed at EXHIBITION tists and disseminators through murals and the in- promoting interest in science and technology and May math be with you! A selection of books, both OPENING CEREMONY: MURAL DEDICATED auguration of laboratories named after them. helping to bring it closer to the public. physical and digital, on recreational mathematics TO CLARA GRIMA and mathematical dissemination on the occasion On Monday 16th, at 12.30 pm, the Inauguration ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS of the inauguration of the mural dedicated to Clara of the Gandia Science Week 2020 took place with WORKSHOPS Grima. The exhibition was located throughout the the presentation of the mural dedicated to Clara Four workshops were directed by Professor Víctor month of November in the hall of the Campus Grima, at the Campus Gandia Library (UPV). García and given by students of the Bachelor’s Gandia Library (UPV) and at: Degree in Environmental Sciences at the Campus, https://polibuscador.upv.es/primo-explore/ Clara Grima is a mathematician, scientist, dissem- aimed at enhancing the interest and active partici- collectionDiscovery?vid=bibupv&collection- inator and writer of popular mathematics books. pation in scientific practice among young people. Id=8198372770003706 Her book, Mathematics Watches Your Health, of- Elementary school students from the schools of fers an insight into mathematics as a powerful tool Gandia participated in these workshops, which Gandia Science Week 2020 was sponsored by for understanding how disease spreads and how took place at the Casa de la Marquesa de Gandia, the Gandia Smart Tourism Chair, with the support we can stop it. Her simple and beautiful models from Tuesday to Friday, offering a space for exper- of the Gandia City Council and the Chair for Sci- lead us to indisputable and objective conclusions imentation and scientific creation. entific Dissemination of the Universitat de Valèn- about the development of infectious diseases and cia, among other organizations. the importance of vaccination. Monday 16th Mathematics watches Borja and Clara Grima allow lay readers to under- your health: model on stand the potential of mathematics in the control epidemics and vaccines. and prevention of epidemics in an entertaining Clara Grima. Universidad and accessible manner. It consists of four initial de Sevilla. chapters that go through concepts such as graph Tuesday 17th theory, game theory, functions and differential Tourism businesses and equations, with a novel perspective and a great COVID: challenges and sense of humor. The aim is “to fill our backpacks opportunities. Lourdes with the minimum necessary knowledge” to be Canós. Campus Gan- able to understand and address the development dia of the Universitat of diseases with mathematics. Politècnica de València. Wednesday 18th Clara Grima was at the fore of this opening cere- Cheer up girl, it’s not that This edition marks the 16th one organized by mony, in which she gave a short talk. In the eve- bad!: effect of pain on Campus Gandia, given that the initiative shares ning, at 7:30 p.m., she initiated the daily confer- drug use. Lucia Hipólito. the same commitment to science and its dissem- ences to be held at the Casa de la Marquesa de School of Pharmacy of ination that has governed the Campus since its Gandia with a fuller and more complete talk about the Universitat de Valèn- inception. this book. cia. Jesús Alba and Clara Grima with the mural dedicated to Clara Grima v

17 NOVEMBER ‘20 SCIENCE AND SOCIETY First Mediterranean Night of Women

Researchers in Gandia Given such a problem that affects both marine biodiversity and human health, research is essen- tial for assessing the situation and determining measures to reduce the impact of this type of pol- lution on marine ecosystems.

Along these lines, Nuria Felis, has conducted the Campus Gandia of the Universitat Politècnica de first research study on the density of microplastics València (UPV) joined forces with some of the in the southern area of the Gulf of Valencia, a most representative institutions in research and project carried out as part of her the final proj- scientific dissemination in the regions of Valencia ect in the Master’s Degree in Assessment and and Murcia to celebrate the first Mediterranean Environmental Monitoring of Marine and Coastal Women Researcher’s Night (Mednight) on 27 No- Ecosystems at the Campus, under the direction of vember 2020. professors Silvia Falco and Miguel Rodilla, both from Campus Gandía. Mednight was an event associated with the Eu- ropean Union’s “European Researchers’ Night” ACTIVIDADES UPV initiative, funded by the Marie Sktodowska-Cu- For Friday 27, the Universitat Politècnica de Valèn- rie actions, which aimed to enhance the value cia prepared a program of activities that includ- of “Mediterranean science”, making visible the going to be able to see in situ the marine pollution ed the debut of an audiovisual workshop that range of scientific activities carried out in this To this end, the participating institutions organized problem caused by the presence of microplastics featured the Mediterranean Diet. All of this pro- setting and the figure of women in research, in talks, workshops, virtual exhibitions and various in the coastal area of Gandia, as well discover gramming was completed with more activities on addition to promoting scientific vocations among shows that formed part of an extensive program the work being done by these scientists in marine the Alcoi Campus and a special about Mednight younger people. that you could consult on the official Mednight research projects. Due to the weather conditions, on the UPV Radio program “Peer-reviewed”, and website, a portal that offers recent information this workshop was cancelled. the premiere of “They tell us about science”, an about research and articles published by experts audiovisual series of online interviews with seven in various fields of science, such as the article on MICROPLASTICS AND MARINE POLLUTION female researchers from the Universitat Politècni- marine pollution by Silvia Falco, a campus pro- It is estimated that around 80% of the plastics found ca de València, who are some of the top Spanish fessor and researcher at the Research Institute for in the sea come from land-based sources, such as scientists, according to the ranking prepared by Integrated Coastal Zone Management (IGIC). rivers or irrigation canals, which are washed away the Group for the Dissemination of the h Index by runoff and transported by currents. (DIH, for its Spanish initials). They are Amparo ACTIVITIES IN GANDIA Marine plastic waste has varying sizes, not only Chiralt, Mercedes Álvaro, Mª del Carmen Muñoz, As part of the program, Campus Gandia, in collab- due to their different dimensions in manufacture, Mª Victoria Borrachero, Josefa Mula, Sara Iborra y oration with the EUCRANTE, association, offered but also due to exposure to erosive processes Mª Dolores Marcos two environmental awareness activities focusing such as ultraviolet radiation, wave force or tem- on the problem caused by microplastics and pol- perature, which influence the fragmentation of lution in marine ecosystems. The activities were waste particles without altering their chemical led by Campus research staff specialized in the composition. marine environment.The activities were opened to everyone with prior registration. Given their small size, less than 5 millimeters, mi- - Microplastics: a marine problem of terrestrial or- croplastics are not filtered during the treatment igin. Online talk given by Nuria Felis. phases of wastewater treatment plants and end up - Discover microplastics (guided boat tour). in the sea, where they are ingested by organisms, The guided boat tour that it was going to be given both benthic and pelagic, that other living organ- by Miguel Rodilla and Blanca Feliu, researchers isms feed on, until they to finally reach humans Blanca Feliu at Campus Gandia, where the participants were through the food chain. Nuria Felis 16 DECEMBER ‘20 SCIENCE AND SOCIETY Campus Researchers Take Part in the V Gandia Astroparticle Marathon

Miquel Ardid and Joan Martínez Over the three days, the students had the oppor- tunity to talk openly about science and the work carried out by researchers in order to learn more about their profession.”The students asked many questions about the mysteries of the Universe, which could be explained through astroparticle These particles offer essential information about physics”, commented Joan Martínez Mora. events that occur in the Universe, such as super- nova explosions or the formation of black holes. The event ended with a closing ceremony held on The aim of Astroparticle Physics is to understand Friday afternoon in the Conference room of Cam- the composition and evolution of the Universe. pus Gandia, with the talk titled “From the electron to the Higss”, given by Antonio Ferrer, followed The objective of this Astroparticle Marathon was by a round table discussion with the participation to promote vocations in STEM (Science, Techno- of all the experts attending initiative. logy, Engineering and Mathematics) among the youngest members of our community. What is ASTROPARTICLE MARATHON Campus Gandia of the Universitat Politècnica de attended by secondary and high school students the Universe composed of, what is dark matter This V Astroparticle Marathon in Gandia and La València (UPV) took part in the V Astroparticle Ma- from I.E.S. Gregori Maians (Oliva), I.E.S. Vall and what are the cosmic rays that constantly pass Safor was part of a series of astroparticle mara- rathon in Gandia and La Safor, an initiative held de la Safor (Villalonga) and I.E.S. Veles e Vents through us from outer space? These are some of thons that have been carried out throughout the between December 2 and 4 in various educatio- (Grau de Gandia). the topics chosen to spark an interest in Astropar- national territory during 2020: the I Astroparticle nal institutions in Gandia, Oliva and Villalonga. ticle Physics among the students present. Marathon at the Huesca Planetarium in February, Astroparticle Physics is a field of research that the II Marathon in Barco de Ávila in August, the This initiative, organized by Campus Gandia re- combimes Particle Physics, Astronomy and Cos- The activities were given by Miquel Ardid and III Marathon in Santiago de Compostela in Octo- searcher professors and experts in neutrinos, mology. If Astronomy studies the Universe by Joan Martínez, from Campus Gandia (UPV); Luis ber and the IV marathon in Teruel in November. Joan Martínez and Miquel Ardid, featured talks, looking at light (made up of particles called pho- del Peral, from the University of Alcalá; Antonio workshops and experiences carried out by expert tons), Astroparticle Physics does it by studying Ferrer and Julia Suso, from the University of Va- The action was funded by the Spanish Founda- staff from the University of Alcalá, Universitat Poli- other particles that come from the cosmos with lencia; Mª Dolores Rodríguez, from the Universi- tion for Science and Technology (FECYT) coordi- tècnica de Valencia, University of Valencia and the energies that are much higher even than those ty of Alcalá; and Avelino Vicente and José Valle, nated by Mª Dolores Rodríguez from the Univer- Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC, Valencia) produced in particle accelerators. from IFIC, Valencia. sity of Alcalá. Health

1. The Gandia Health Department, FISABIO, Campus Gandia and FAES Join Forces to Strengthen the Safor Health Innovation System

2. Arrhythmia and COVID-19, Increased Risk

3. POLISABIO 2020, More Funding for Health Research

4. INTEMASC, Collaborate With the Development of the APP to Detect Proper Placement of Masks

5. New Low-Cost System for Real-Time Monitoring of Vital Signs in COVID-19 Patients in Nursing Homes 16 DECEMBER ‘20 HEALTH The Gandia Health Department, FISABIO, Campus Gandia and FAES Join Forces to Strengthen the Safor Health Innovation System

SAFOR SALUT 2020 SAFOR SALUT AND COVID-19 Safor Salut is a cooperation program that unites In the framework of the Safor Salut project with the scientific, technological, administrative and Safor Salut responds to the need for interconnec- At the same time, success stories were present- regard to the health emergency caused by business capacities of three key agents in the tion between the agents of the local innovation ed resulting from the collaboration between the COVID-19, it was carried out a focused action to health innovation system of the territorial region system, an indispensable factor in order to take Gandia Campus and the healthcare environment, identify specific challenges, since health research of La Safor and its surroundings: the Gandia advantage of the potential of each of the parties. such as the study of noise, electromagnetic and and innovation and the union of all agents is prov- Health Department through the Foundation for the The strategy enables the identification of unmet light pollution in neonatal wards or the treatment ing crucial, and it will continue to be so in the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of needs and opportunities for research, innovation of obstruction of the central artery of the retina medium and long term. the Valencian Community (FISABIO, for its Span- and improvement in the healthcare environment, using ultrasound, among others. Starting this day, ish initials), Campus Gandia of the Universitat as well as the joining of the business network and several collaboration proposals were identified NEW COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS Politècnica de València (UPV) and the Federation the talent that resides at the University, thus mak- and 4 collaborative projects of the three agents If you have an idea for a project or a solution of Business Associations of La Safor (FAES, for its ing it possible to transfer the results obtained in involved were developed. related to the COVID-19 emergency of the or any Spanish initials). research to market and the generation of new in- other field of healthcare, and you need a partner novative products and services. In 2020 took place an online conference where from the healthcare, university or business envi- The main objective of the project is to strength- the plan of work was announced, as well as the ronment to carry it out, please send it to the Sa- en and promote cooperation in research and BACKGROUNDS presentation of the current research activity of the for Salut team by the website https://saforsalut. innovation between the health, business and uni- The Safor Salut project, which was very well re- three agents and the challenges detected, pitch- es/ideas-retos/ and we will help you find the versity network at the county level to determine ceived by the agents involved and their profes- ing capabilities and results that could respond to partners. Once the team has been assembled, the their needs and generate innovative solutions and sionals, has a track record of success resulting the challenges and the organization of bi and tri- project idea can be developed with its own means new business opportunities in the health sector from the Polisabio program. This initiative, based lateral meetings for the possible implementation or submitted to a competitive public call. through transfer of technology and knowledge, as on the collaboration between Fisabio and the of research or innovation projects. After the con- well as through the development of collaborative UPV, was born in 2017 with the aim of generat- ference, were held innovation pills and sessions SAFOR SALUT BEYOND LA SAFOR methodologies between the three actors. ing synergies and promoting new collaborations on enabling technologies in the healthcare envi- The action contemplates a possible continuity between UPV researchers and the staff of the ronment to identify new research and innovation through to 2021, as well as the scalability of the Health Departments of the Valencian Community projects. program to other counties or regions of the Valen- attached to FISABIO, giving rise to successful ex- cian Community. periences throughout its three calls. SAFOR SALUT TEAM PRESENTATION OF THE PROGRAM Campus Gandia (UPV): The presentation day of the Safor Salut program Pilar Sánchez | [email protected], took place on June 12, 2019 at the Gandia Cam- Neus Montoro | [email protected] pus. Several companies presented innovative FISABIO-DS Gandia: projects related to the health sector from different María Prada | [email protected], fields: technological, food, textile and hygiene. Amparo Arlandis | [email protected] Elena Carrió | [email protected] Empresas-FAES: Fina López | [email protected] 12 MAY ‘20 HEALTH Arrhythmia and COVID-19, Increased Risk

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an abnormal heart rhythm, Currently, Rieta is leading a transnational and mul- also known as arrhythmia. This condition is the ticenter research project in which research staff most common type of cardiac arrhythmia seen in from national universities (Campus Gandia-Uni- clinical practice overall, since it affects more than versitat Politècnica de València and Castilla-La 9 million people throughout Europe and approxi- Mancha), as well as foreign universities (United mately one million people in Spain. It is prevalent Kingdom, Italy and Sweden) are participating, in 1.5-2% of the general population and it increas- along with six university hospitals from the Valen- es with age, reaching up to 17% of the population cian Community and Castilla-La Mancha. This am- over 80 years of age. As a result of the aging bitious project is laying the groundwork for the population, its prevalence is expected to double development of personalized therapy for the dis- in the next 50 years. ease, a significant advance that will lower the risks to patients and reduce hospital costs. In recent years there have been remarkable ad- vances in the understanding of AF, with the intro- José Joaquín Rieta, research professor at Campus duction of rapidly evolving therapies, such as new Gandia of the Universitat Politècnica de València antiarrhythmic drugs and catheter ablation tech- in the field of Telecommunications for 25 years, is niques, into clinical practice. However, the treat- an expert in Biomedical Engineering, principally ment of AF continues to have its limitations and in the analysis and processing of atrial fibrillation has a significant economic impact for health sys- signals, and recognized around the world as an José Joaquin Rieta tems, with approximately 1% of the overall health expert in this matter. budget being allocated to it and more than 15% of the budget dedicated to cardiovascular diseases. Throughout his more than 20 years as a research- er, his work has achieved tremendous prestige These limitations are the reasons behind the re- and relevance, with an h-index ranking of 27. CARDIOVASCULAR PATIENTS AND COVID-19 the ICU suffered cardiac arrhythmias and 20% of search work being carried out by José Joaquín Ri- José J. Rieta has published 17 books related to People with AF or other cardiovascular diseases those who overcame the disease had heart dam- eta and his research team (BioMIT.org), which Biomedical Engineering, around 80 articles in are particularly at risk for COVID-19. Although age caused by the inflammation associated with is always oriented towards social benefit. Their international scientific journals, has collaborated people with cardiovascular disease (CVD), such COVID-19. work has achieved tremendous repercussion with with research personnel from all over the world as high blood pressure, heart failure, or ischemic novel advances of great scientific impact, such and has supervised numerous doctoral theses heart disease, have the same likelihood to be in- Given the risk that the virus poses to these pa- as the development of electrocardiographic anal- and research projects, making for an extensive ac- fected and have COVID-19 as those without CVD, tients, it is advisable to follow certain specific ysis methods that are capable of predicting the ademic career in research and education that has very recent studies have shown that the coexis- recommendations, such as avoiding going to the appearance of AF two hours in advance. These been summarized in the book “Escola Politècnica tence of these underlying diseases with infection primary care consultation if it is not necessary; results are paving the way for preventive thera- Superior de Gandia, XXV anys (1994-2019)”, in increases mortality and the possibility of suffering not going off the medication without the indica- py, as well as for the development of analysis of which an entire chapter is dedicated to his career, major complications. tion of a doctor; or maintaining self-care routines electrocardiographic indicators that are capable as well as to the work of other professors and re- such as self-monitoring of blood pressure, heart of providing preoperative prediction of outcomes searchers at the campus. Thus, 50% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 rate, temperature, respiratory rate, O2 saturation, for the Cox-Maze AF surgical procedure. had hypertension, up to 44% of those admitted to blood glucose and weight. 23 JUNE ‘20 HEALTH POLISABIO 2020, More Funding for Health Research

Applications with proposals aimed at promoting EVOLUTION OF THE PROGRAM knowledge about SARS-COV2 and COVID-19 dis- The POLISABIO Partnership Program was launched ease, as well as its socio-health impact, were pos- in 2017 with the aim of generating synergies and itively evaluated. stimulating new collaborations between research- ers from the UPV and the staff of the Valencian STAGES OF THE PROGRAM Community Health Departments affiliated with FIS- The POLISABIO 2020 program was carried out in ABIO. Initially, the program was developed jointly three stages of operation: only between FISABIO and the Alcoi and Gandia STAGE I (Until 06/30/2020): presentation of Campuses, with the hospitals in their vicinity. As a expressions of interest on the part of the partici- result of the success of the prior edition, the 2018 pants, based on capacities and or unsolved tech- program was extended to the Vera campus and to nical problems for the search of possible partners. the rest of the FISABIO centers in the province of STAGE II (01/07/2020-15/07/2020): submis- Valencia. In 2019, the budget increased and more sion of applications. Participants may request healthcare centers in Valencia and Alicante were competitive aid in any of its two modalities (Pre- incorporated, thus expanding this call to the entire paratory Actions or Innovation Projects). Valencian Community. The IV call for the POLISABIO 2020 grants, the DEVELOPMENTS STAGE III (September-November): evaluation of collaboration program between the Universitat POLISABIO 2020 consisted of two grant subpro- the applications received and result of the call. Polisabio Team: Politècnica de València (UPV) and the Founda- grams: Campus de Gandia (UPV): Pilar Sánchez tion for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical - UPV-FISABIO Preparatory Actions Subprogram Research of the Valencian Community (FISABIO) for the exploration and formulation of Future Re- Campus de Alcoi (UPV): Vicente Díez started with two grant subprograms to fund Joint search and Innovation Projects. Campus de Vera (UPV): Laia Bielsa Preparatory Actions and Innovation Projects coor- - Support Subprogram for the development of In- FISABIO: Amparo Arlandis dinated between UPV research staff and FISABIO novation Projects. professionals. The requirements for this call features key chang- Due to the obligatory social distancing measures es with respect to previous calls. The budget al- imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mon- located for the grants in this edition are higher, itoring Commission of the POLISABIO Program making for a budget of €120,000 compared to held an online meeting to agree on the require- the €90,000 budgeted for 2019. This budgetary ments for this call with the aim of creating syner- increase corresponds to an increase in the num- gies between the staff from both entities that will ber of preparatory action projects and innovation give rise to to research and innovation projects projects that will benefit from the grant this year. with tremendous scientific-technical potential ori- In total, the grants will fund 12 preparatory ac- ented towards innovative topics. tions for €5,000 each and 4 innovation projects for €15,000. In addition, the call is extended to The meeting was attended by José Antonio Man- all the centers associated with Fisabio of the Va- rique, Mónica Vázquez, María Prada, Elena Car- lencian Community. rió and Amparo Arlandis, from FISABIO; and by José Esteban, Jesús Alba (Campus Gandia), Juan Funding continued for a minimum of 3 preparato- Ignacio Torregrosa, Fernando Javier Conesa, Pilar ry actions for both the Alcoi and Gandia campus- Sánchez (Campus Gandia), Vicente Díez, Mª Car- es, provided that the proposals meet the minimum men Rodrigo and Piotr Adam, from the UPV. quality standards required. POLISABIO UPV Team 14 JULY ‘20 HEALTH

INTEMASC, Collaborate With the Development of the APP to Detect Proper Placement of Masks

With the INTEMASC app, the user will be able to verify the fit of the mask through the mobile cam- The problems to be detected are: no mask, era quickly and easily. To this end, the research non-symmetrical, loose, under the bridge of the team is studying the implementation of artificial nose, under the nose, underneath glasses, neck intelligence techniques to indicate to the user the adjustment, beard, improper nose placement, im- possible problems with mask placement. proper elastic band placement, side gap. Eventu- Jesús Tomás and Jaime Lloret, experts in mobile ally, the final version of the beta application for application development and artificial intelligence The application will detect hygienic and surgical Android will be obtained, which will be imple- at Campus Gandia of the Universitat Politècnica masks, although this will depend on the results mented for iOS after testing and validating. de València (UPV) are in charge of a research obtained in the experimentation phase, and can project for the development of a mobile applica- be extended to other types. COLLABORATE WITH THE PROJECT tion to detect the proper placement of masks us- You can collaborate with the project by download- ing artificial intelligence. This project is being car- ing the free INTEMASC application in the Play ried out in collaboration with the surgical nursing METHOD Store (only for Android) and taking selfies wear- group of the Hospital General d’Ontinyent (GE- The final objective of the project is to develop an ing the mask properly and improperly. A database QUO), a FISABIO affiliate. The joint collaboration image recognition system that will detect if a mask will be created with all the photos, which used to in this project is rooted on three research fields: is fitted properly. The objective of the first stage develop the final version of the image recognition artificial intelligence, health prevention and app is to create a corpus that trains neural networks application to verify the fit of your mask. development. through an Android application that will stream- line this process. DATA PROTECTION: The photographs will treat- This application rises from the need to increase ed completely anonymously and will only be used safety in the use of the mask and to raise aware- In the development of machine learning mod- for the purposes described in the project. The use ness on the importance of its proper placement. els and, especially, of artificial neural networks, of the application implies the acceptance of the Masks are the most effective complement to the it is not necessary to know the precise solution privacy policies on the part of the user. recommended physical distance and hygiene to a problem, but it does require a considerable measures to reduce the risk of transmission and number of examples indicating how it has been POSITIVE IMPACT infection of COVID-19. The effectiveness of the solved. Therefore, the photographs taken by the In addition to raising awareness of the importance masks depends on the follow-up of some gener- users through the app will be collected with the of proper mask placement, the project aims to al hygiene measures, among which the adequate mask worn properly and improperly. After collect- achieve research results in artificial intelligence coverage of the mouth and nose stands out, block- ing the photographs, a group of experts will label and to obtain statistical data on mask use, which ing the droplets of large particles and splashes them indicating the placement problems detected will enable the development of future innovative that may contain germs. by a second mobile application. solutions in these fields of research. 15 SEPTEMBER ‘20 HEALTH New Low-Cost System for Real-Time Monitoring of Vital Signs in COVID-19 Patients in Nursing Homes

Sandra Viciano, Marta Botella, Jaime Lloret and Sandra Sendra

Researchers from Campus Gandia of the Univer- Jaime Lloret and Marta Botella-Campos, cam- To determine the level of emergency, the system diabetes or stroke, most of these systems are sitat Politècnica de València (UPV) have devised a pus researchers. With this application, the med- relies on the Manchester triage system, which clas- based on manual data entry and, given how little is new system for nursing homes that helps to moni- ical and nursing staff are informed in real time sifies patients into five categories, each of which known about the conditions caused by COVID-19, tor people infected with COVID-19 in real time. In on the emergency level and they will be informed is associated with a color code and maximum ser- specific monitoring and follow-up methods have addition, it is capable of alerting the medical and instantly if there is an alert, since the system sends vice time. In addition, the solution devised by the not been implemented to speed up triage and use nursing staff in the event that there is a problem an alarm to their mobile phones or tablet. project team will help medical staff to keep track the available resources more efficiently. that requires immediate attention. of other subjective parameters, such as muscle “These messages will only be sent when the emer- pain, dizziness, coughing up blood, etc. “For this reason, we have devised this system to The system consists of an Android app (RTM- gency level is yellow or higher, which means that monitor the vital signs of people infected by the COVID) and an electronic device, a sort of pelvic medical personnel will have 60 minutes or less According to the researchers, the public health Coronavirus in nursing homes and notify the med- belt that uses various sensors to monitor vital signs to visit the sick person. The information provided emergency caused by the SARS-CoV2 virus has ical personnel in charge of supervising their con- such as temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, in these messages includes an icon whose color revealed the need to supply medical profession- dition. Although the application can be download- oxygen saturation or blood in the urine. It can also determines the level of emergency, as well as the als with remote monitoring methods that allow ed on Google Play or the App Store for free, its monitor the respiratory rate of the person wearing name of the person in need of medical attention them to track the evolution of infected patients access will be restricted and must be supervised it, instantly detecting breathing difficulties, as well and the cause of the alert”, explains Sandra Sen- and receive alerts when their condition worsens. by each organization to guarantee the privacy and as other parameters such as chills or dyspnea. dra, also a campus researcher. Although there are already applications aimed at security of the information. Also, since the system assisting patients affected by diseases such as will be accessed locally, the installation of the All the data collected by the different sensors in server and the database can be carried out quick- the system are recorded and processed on a local ly and easily, so that it can be used by the different server in the nursing home’s own network so as organizations as quickly as possible”, concludes to preserve patient privacy and their clinical data. Jaime Lloret.

“The system processes information in a way that is More information: transparent for whomever is using it, combining Botella-Campos, M.; Viciano-Tudela, S.; Sen- the data from all the sensors and equipment. It dra, S. and Lloret, J. (2020). Non-invasive analyzes it jointly and determines whether there Wireless Mobile System for COVID-19 Moni- is any situation that requires attention”, according toring in Nursing Homes.In Proceedings of the 17th International Joint Conference on e-Busi- ness and Telecommunications – Volume 3: ICETE, ISBN 978-989-758-446-6, pages 7-16. DOI: 10.5220/0010023700070016 Social Sciences

1. Impact of COVID-19 On the Tourism Industry

2. Online Arts & Entertainment in the Times of COVID-19, More Necessary than Ever

3. 60% of Spanish Families Rate Teachers “Very Good” or “Outstanding” for Their Online Teaching Efforts and Implication

4. The Project “Women and Fishing in Gandia and La Albufera”, an Example of Gender Equality

5. Campus Gandia Helps Restore the Legacy of Joaquín Pérez Arroyo, Pioneer in Valencian Animation 21 APRIL ‘20 SOCIAL SCIENCES Impact of COVID-19 On the Tourism Industry

The world has been upended. We were confident Travel agencies have essentially stopped their ac- in our jobs, in our freedom to move anywhere and tivity. Museums and exhibitions are offering free to hang out with our friends and families whenev- virtual tours online. Many conferences have been er we wanted, but now this has all changed with canceled or have switched to virtual mode. Hotels the appearance of the pandemic we are experi- have been closed, although some, especially in encing. The world has come to a halt, travel has large cities, have been medicalized to care for ended and tourism has ceased to exist. patients or to host healthcare workers. Bars and restaurants have had to close, except the ones of- As tourists, the first thing that overwhelms us is fering food delivery and takeaway, some of them the uncertainty. Many people, ourselves included, providing meals to disadvantaged groups. had been planning trips that have suddenly been canceled. There is uncertainty about receiving re- The figures for the tourism sector had been pos- funds for the payments we have made or about itive until this point, with a largely upward trend booking new dates. Some travel companies are of- before the pandemic. For example, in February fering free cancellation for any reservations made 2020, Spain received visits from 4.4 million inter- by their clients. Others are providing vouchers for national tourists, 1% more than in February 2019 the amount of the ticket or reservation that has (Frontur, 2020); the total expenditure by interna- been canceled. Transportation has been reduced tional tourists who visited Spanish destinations to a minimum and many companies have offered in February increased by 1.2% compared to the In global terms, according to the INE, the share In any case, the recovery of activity in the tourism to transport medical supplies or cover trips to hos- same month in 2019, and the average daily ex- of tourism to the GDP of 2018 equaled 12.3% of sector and the economy in general will strong- pitals for free. penditure also increased by 5.3% over the same the total, an important percentage over the glob- ly depend on public fiscal policies (postponing period (Egatur, 2020). al amount, taking into account that this indicator or reducing taxes, for example) and on actions includes all the goods and services produced in aimed at facilitating access to credit to prevent Spain in a given period. In terms of employment, loss of liquidity, among other things. the World Travel & Tourism Council (2019) calcu- lated a total of 2.8 million jobs in the sector. But The current scenario is exceptional and there is now all these figures have completely changed in much to be understood, studied and analyzed. the new environment we are now operating in. The professors Cristina Santandreu and Lourdes Canós supervised the Final Project in the Bach- How will this pandemic affect tourism businesses? elor’s Degree in Tourism by the student Paula We don’t know. According to Exceltur (2020), the Ribes Noguera, titled “Analysis Of the Impact sector will lose 55,000 million euros in Spain, of COVID-19 on Spanish Tourism”. “With these that is, a decrease in the tourism GDP of 32.4%, results, we hope to contribute our grain of sand with the Valencian Community suffering an even to understanding what is happening. We want greater loss of 33.6%. However, given the expe- freedom of movement to return and for tourism rience of the 2008 economic crisis, with which to come back stronger than ever. In this extraordi- some compare the economic outcome after the nary situation, one of the things we realize is how health crisis is resolved, we know that tourism valuable our experiences are when we travel, so recovered before other sectors and that it con- we have to keep dreaming about them and never tributed to the country’s wealth by improving the give up on them”. results in GDP and job creation (Tourism Satellite Lourdes Canós Account, 2017). 19 MAY ‘20 SOCIAL SCIENCES

Online Arts & Entertainment in the Times of COVID-19, More Necessary than Ever

As these new initiatives crop up, the ones ded- icated to music, art, culture and online learn- ing stand out most. For musicians and oth- er professional performers, this is probably one of the toughest and most difficult times in their careers. Most have seen their sched- uled income opportunities, such as concerts, tours or album launches, either canceled or It’s true that during these difficult times, we’re delayed indefinitely. And no one knows when The weekends of the month of March 2020 hearing music all the time, either from balco- they will be able to perform on stage again in were set to the sound of this musical initiative, nies or on the screens of our mobile phones. any kind of live music venue. in which 163 artists participated for a total of We could say that these concerts and the 83 hours of live music. Immediately, other on- many different genres of music are helping As we all adjust to the new reality of life under line festivals began to pop up, such as Man- us get through this quarantine, helping us es- As we navigate the crisis of the COVID-19 pan- self-quarantine, a number of artists are taking titaFest, Canción A Domicilio, Caloret Fest, cape and discover new styles of music and demic, society and Web 2.0 have taken on a the show online and livestreaming their per- Cuarentena Fest, etc. new offerings that we would never have dis- fundamental role in our day-to-day lives. New formances on YouTube or Instagram. Lives- covered before. forms of entertainment have emerged that tream concerts are the new hot ticket during This has been a totally new experience for we can all enjoy from the safety and comfort quarantine, with the first online festival #yo- people, one in which rapid adaptation has Aline García, author of the article, says: “I am of our homes and that go beyond traditional mequedoencasafest, held on the weekend been key to lifting our spirits and enjoying all so excited by the new possibilities offered by family board games. Thanks to the digital age, of March 13-15 2020, featuring 30-minute the entertainment available to us from home. this new paradigm, that I am currently work- we are more connected than ever, and de- concerts by 50 different artists performing Many artists have begun doing livestream per- ing on a research project for my Final Mas- spite our confinement and social distancing, live on their personal Instagram accounts. formances with excellent sound quality, offer- ter’s Project, which will study the impact of our schedules are full of plans, such as virtual This first ever online music festival was so well ing a reverse-box-office option, that is to say, these online concerts in a time of pandemic, meetups with friends and family on videocon- received by the online audience that it was the consumer can pay what they consider a supervised by Marga Cabrera (Social Media ferencing apps. repeated on the following weekend. fair price for the concert they have just seen. expert at Campus Gandia)”. 26 MAY ‘20 SOCIAL SCIENCES 60% of Spanish Families Rate Teachers “Very Good” or “Outstanding” for Their Online Teaching Efforts and Implication

HOME COMPUTERS AND INTERNET CONNECTION The study also addresses the availability of IT equipment – computers, tablets and smartphones – to attend online classes and carry out the home- work assignments. It concludes that 93% of the respondents have more than one computer or tablet. With regards to internet connection, 35% state that theirs “is good, but if we all go connect The survey was distributed in late April and 2,270 at the same time, it slows down” and 57% do not parents all throughout Spain took part. From the have any problem when it comes to browsing the results, we can conclude that under the circum- web, regardless of who connects to it. stances, families are generally satisfied with the quality of teaching that their children are receiv- REGARDING THE SCHOOLS ing, with three out of four declaring themselves The preliminary results of this study also indicate either satisfied or very satisfied. However, one in that the majority of schools (53%) did not have any four think it needs a lot of improvement. In ad- online teaching system in place before the start of dition, parents have high opinions of homeroom the pandemic, and 17.5% did, but barely used it. teacher overall, although they score higher in The preliminary results of this study also indicate primary school than in secondary school. In this that the majority of schools (53%) did not have any Rebeca Díez and Marga Cabrera level of education, respondents perceive a lack of online teaching system in place before the start coordination when handing in assignments or a of the pandemic, and 17.5% did, but barely used calibrating the student homework load. it. There are also perceived differences between Researchers from Campus Gandia of the Univer- public, semi-private and fully-private schools, the sitat Politècnica de València (UPV) conducted a DOING LESS WORK THAN BEFORE latter receiving the highest scores. The answers study gain insight into Spanish family perception More than half of the respondents (58.6%) say that indicate that fully-private schools interact much of the online education their children are receiv- during the confinement their children dedicated more with students, they keep track of them, they ing. The study focused exclusively on primary and less time to school subjects (classes and home- work longer hours and students have greater re- secondary education, with one conclusion stand- work) than before. And in terms of total hours, the lationships with each other in virtual classrooms. ing out from the preliminary results: Spanish fam- study offers these results: 19% of students spend The study was carried out by Marga Cabrera, Re- ilies have very high opinions of the effort and in- an average of one to two hours, 43% between beca Díez and Alberto López, from the Depart- volvement of their school teachers. Nearly six out two and four hours and 24% between four and six ment of Audiovisual Communication, Documen- of ten respondents give them a rating of outstand- hours. Furthermore, many of them (44%) require tation and Art History at Campus Gandia of the ing or very good, and 23% give them a pass. explanations to understand their assignments. Universitat Politècnica de València. Alberto López 7 JULY ‘20 SOCIAL SCIENCES The Project “Women and Fishing in Gandia and La Albufera”, an Example of Gender Equality

The project “Women and fishing in Gandia and aquaculture sector, both from the busi- and La Albufera”, under the direction of Palo- ness perspective – through innovative initia- ma Herrera, expert in women and fishing tives led by women – and from the perspec- and professor in the Degree in Environmental tive of the promotion of gender equality in Sciences at Campus Gandia of the Universi- this area of activity. tat Politècnica de València, is included in the Pictures: ADOMAR guide, “Good practices in the area of entre- The study directed by Paloma Herrero can be preneurship promoted by women in the sec- found in unit 2 on Gender Equality, under tor and in the field of gender equality”, pub- the section “Visibility of women in the mar- constitute a perceptible change in a sector equality in the fishing sector is the Associació lished by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries itime sector”. The general aim of the study is characterized by occupational segregation. Dones del Mar Grau de Gandia (ADOMAR), and Food. to showcase the role of women in the fishing also included in the guide of good practices. sector of Gandia and La Albufera, putting a Measures have been carried out to make the This association, established in 2018, has en- This guide compiles a series of projects and ini- spotlight on their influence on the sustainabili- work of the fisherwomen visible, strengthen abled fisherwomen to increase their represen- tiatives that are considered good practices in ty of the marine and coastal ecosystem, in line their presence and influence in public life, tation in the sector through a unified voice, their respective categories within the fisheries with the Participatory Local Development Strat- promote female entrepreneurship within the working together to achieve greater recogni- egy of the GALP La sector and promote cohesion and commu- tion and the protection of their collective inter- Safor (funding the nication among the workers. A total of ten ests and rights. study) on promot- interviews, two workshops (in El Palmar and ing female employ- Gandia) on the current role of women in fish- Paloma Herrera is currently working on a ment in the fishing ing and the problems and opportunities they high level scientific and technical research sector. face, as well as a meeting at the Gandia Fish- project through the Ministry of Science, Inno- ermen’s Association on female employment in vation and Universities with researchers from The study surges the fishing sector, were conducted as part of the UPV, UNED and the Spanish Institute of from the need to this study. Oceanography, focusing on the situation of recognize the labor the fishing guilds of the Spanish Mediterra- and social rights of The conclusions of the study propose female nean, with a very important part dedicated to women workers in associationism as a means of transforming women. the fishing sector, the socio-labor reality of women in the sec- as well as to analyze tor through their participation and organiza- More information about the results of these the current situation tion, rooted in the exchange of experiences, studies in: “The sea is our life”. Woman in in order to design support and awareness, both at the individual the fishery sector of the Valencian Communi- and subsequently and collective level. A good example of the ty, Paloma Herrera Racionero, Emmánuel Liz- implement effective importance of women’s associationism and its caino, Luis Miret-Pastor, Yesmina Mascarell. gender policies that contribution to the implementation of gender

Pictures: ADOMAR 20 OCTOBER ‘20 SOCIAL SCIENCES Campus Gandia Helps Restore the Legacy of Joaquín Pérez Arroyo, Pioneer in Valencian Animation

Like Salvatore Di Vita in Cinema Paradiso, Joaquín Pérez Arroyo discovered his love of cinema by accident. Born in the town of Lu- cena in the province of Cordoba in 1895, Raúl González Pérez Arroyo was a lover of this art in all its formats. He came to Valencia to do his mili- tary service, where he met Teresa Maset, who With the war over at the age of 46 and no would later become his wife, and would sub- real trade or skills to speak of, Pérez Arroyo short films between 1941 and 1959 for the sequently settle here the remainder of his life. began a self-taught career in the world of an- Valencian brands Juguetes Payá and Industri- Some of the animated short films found were The Civil War saw him working as an usher in imated films. Out of a family-run studio that as Saludes, that, thanks to him, became film very deteriorated and the restoration work on the Benimàmet cinema out of sheer economic was basically disconnected from the Catalan producers and manufacturers of toy projec- the part of the film library proved very labo- survival, while he painted fans for the militia and Madrid trends of the time, he created a tors. He designed and patented six different rious. women. sensational film heritage in the Golden Age models of these toy projectors and created a of Spanish animation. Almost 80 years later, hundred films for home screening. He was The result of this research is the project web- Raúl González, animation expert at Campus a self-taught forerunner who made the transi- site, which details how “Pérez Arroyo used Gandia of the Universitat Politècnica de Valèn- tion to television animation. resources and techniques that were typical of cia, is at work restoring this legacy. high-quality animation, such as camera move- In addition, Pérez Arroyo produced seven ments (panning, traveling, tracking, etc.), an- 70 RESTORED FILMS 35mm animated short films for the Compañía imated backgrounds, drop shadows, various Thanks to the work of Monaj, the coordination Industrial de Film Español SA, known as shots, sweeps and even animated special ef- of the Valencia Film Library, and the collab- CIFESA, the most important Spanish film pro- fects”. oration of the Spanish, Catalan and Navarre duction company at the time, which revolved film libraries, and the Ibi Toy Museum, the around a character named Quinito. And he The documentary titled “Pérez Arroyo: alma research project that was launched in 2017 worked for Publicidad Levante and his own de animador” (soul of the animator), pro- has already restored 70 of his more than 110 company, PASSA. duced by Admirable Films, with the support films. This compilation has been included by of the IVC-Valencian Audiovisual Institute. His the Institute of Cinematographic Sciences A MAN AHEAD OF HIS TIME legacy, virtually unknown until now, has come (ICAA) in the NEW SPANISH FILMS/Films Since 2012, Raúl González Monaj has been to light to reveal the work of a man that was from our archive catalog that were presented interested in the work of this animator from ahead of his time and, without a doubt, an in the current MARCHÉ DU FILM, one of the Cordoba based in Valencia. Monaj gained essential Valencian reference in the Golden parallel activities of the Cannes Festival. access to the material thanks to Pérez Arroyo’s Age of Spanish animation. family. He also found original films in flea mar- kets, purchased some online and received the Quinito A pioneer and forerunner, Pérez Arroyo pro- More information: http://grupoanimacion. duced a copious production of animated selfless collaboration of several owners. upv.es/elcinedeperezarroyo/ http://cienciagandia.webs.upv.es/en/

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