We study thermophysical properties of a Janus fluid with constrained orientations, using analytical techniques and numerical simulations. The Janus character is modeled by means of a Kern–Frenkel potential where each sphere has one hemisphere of square-well and the other of hard-sphere character. The orientational constraint is enforced by assuming that each hemisphere can only point either North or South with equal probability. The analytical approach hinges on a mapping of the above Janus fluid onto a binary mixture interacting via a “quasi” isotropic potential. The anisotropic nature of the original Kern–Frenkel potential is reflected by the asymmetry in the interactions occurring between the unlike components of the mixture. A rational-function approximation extending the corresponding symmetric case is obtained in the sticky limit, where the square-well becomes infinitely narrow and deep, and allows a fully analytical approach. Notwithstanding the rather drastic approximations in the analytical theory, this is shown to provide a rather precise estimate of the structural and thermodynamical properties of the original Janus fluid.

The question of whether the known virial coefficients are enough to determine the packing fraction η∞ at which the fluid equation of state of a hard-sphere fluid diverges is addressed. It is found that the information derived from the direct Padé approximants to the compressibility factor constructed with the virial coefficients is inconclusive. An alternative approach is proposed which makes use of the same virial coefficients and of the equation of state in a form where the packing fraction is explicitly given as a function of the pressure. The results of this approach both for hard-disk and hard-sphere fluids, which can straightforwardly accommodate higher virial coefficients when available, lends support to the conjecture that η∞ is equal to the maximum packing fraction corresponding to an ordered crystalline structure.

The equilibrium properties of a Janus fluid made of two-face particles confined to a one-dimensional channel are revisited. The exact Gibbs free energy for a finite number of particles N is exactly derived for both quenched and annealed realizations. It is proved that the results for both classes of systems tend in the thermodynamic limit ( N → ∞) to a common expression recently derived (Maestre and Santos 2020 J. Stat. Mech. 063217). The theoretical finite-size results are particularized to the Kern–Frenkel model and confirmed by Monte Carlo simulations for quenched and (both biased and unbiased) annealed systems.

Education nowadays requires a certain variety of resources that allow for the acquisition of 21st-century skills, including computational thinking. Educational robotics emerges as a digital resource that supports the development of these skills in both male and female students across different educational stages. However, it is necessary to investigate in depth evaluations that analyze the acquisition of Computational Thinking skills in pre-service teachers, especially when scientific and mathematical content learning programs are designed. This study aims to analyze Computational Thinking skills using the SOLO taxonomy, with an approach to science and mathematics learning, through an intervention based on programming and Educational Robotics. A quasi-experimental design was used on a total sample of 116 pre-service teachers. The SOLO taxonomy categorization was used to associate each level of the taxonomy with the computational concepts analyzed through a quantitative questionnaire. The taxonomy levels associated with Computational Thinking skills correspond to uni-structural and multi-structural levels. Males presented better results before the intervention, while subsequently, females presented better levels of Computational Thinking, as well as a greater association with the higher complexity level of learning analyzed. In turn, there was a trend between the levels of the SOLO taxonomy and computational concepts, so that an increase in skill for a concept occurs similarly at both the uni-structural level and the multi-structural level. The SOLO taxonomy is presented as a proper tool for learning assessment since it allows for a more detailed understanding of the quality of students’ learning. Therefore, the SOLO taxonomy serves as a valuable resource in the evaluation of Computational Thinking skills.

The equilibrium properties of a Janus fluid confined to a one-dimensional channel are exactly derived. The fluid is made of particles with two faces (active and passive), so that the pair interaction is that of hard spheres, except if the two active faces are in front of each other, in which case the interaction has a square-well attractive tail. Our exact solution refers to quenched systems (i.e., each particle has a fixed face orientation), but we argue by means of statistical-mechanical tools that the results also apply to annealed systems (i.e., each particle can flip its orientation) in the thermodynamic limit. Comparison between theoretical results and Monte Carlo simulations for quenched and annealed systems, respectively, shows an excellent agreement.

Background: The One Health approach recognises the inextricable interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health and constitutes a critical framework for global public health management. Despite growing institutional support, its integration into university curricula remains limited and inconsistent, particularly outside veterinary and medical programmes, creating a formative gap that affects disciplines highly relevant to the One Health ecosystem, such as Nursing, Biology, and Education. Objectives: This study analyses the level of One Health education among undergraduate students in Education, Nursing, and Biology, and evaluates the impact of a training intervention on Master's students in Secondary Education Teacher Training (Biology specialisation). Methods: A two-phase sequential design was adopted. Phase 1 employed a descriptive and inferential cross-sectional approach using a standardised questionnaire administered to 80 undergraduates (Education n = 22; Nursing n = 45; Biology n = 13). Descriptive statistics (means and frequency distributions) and the Kruskal–Wallis non-parametric test were applied. Phase 2 consisted of a pilot pre-experimental single-group intervention applied to 18 Master's students following a 90-minute structured training session on One Health literacy. Results: Phase 1 revealed a complete absence of conceptual knowledge of One Health across all three degree programmes (0% awareness; 0% correct definition), with no statistically significant between-group differences for any of the four curricular perception variables analysed. Phase 2 demonstrated that, following the intervention, 100% of participants were aware of the term and 94.4% could define it correctly, alongside markedly more positive and interdisciplinary perceptions regarding its curricular inclusion. Conclusions: A significant formative gap exists regarding the One Health approach in undergraduate university education, independent of academic discipline. Targeted educational interventions are essential to achieve adequate One Health education. These findings underscore the need for interdisciplinary integration of One Health across diverse university programmes as a global public good.