Las asignaturas optativas de formación profesional en la planificación curricular de pregrado / Optative professional training courses towards higher education curricula design

Las universidades ecuatorianas se encuentran en un momento histórico para la educación superior debido a la aprobación de una nueva “Ley Orgánica de Educación Superior”1 (LOES), que tiene como principal objetivo transformar y regular a las instituciones de estudios superiores, en todos los aspectos: académico, administrativo, financiero, laboral, etcétera. Los cambios que actualmente pretende implementar el gobierno ecuatoriano en las universidades implican y demandan la generación de una serie de reglamentos que deben contribuir a reordenarlas, reorganizarlas y regularlas bajo los lineamientos que los organismos pertinentes dicten y a las normativas internas que las propias universidades establezcan para complementar la legislación estata

Las asignaturas optativas de formación profesional en la planificación curricular de pregrado / Optative professional training courses towards higher education curricula design

Las universidades ecuatorianas se encuentran en un momento histórico para la educación superior debido a la aprobación de una nueva “Ley Orgánica de Educación Superior”1 (LOES), que tiene como principal objetivo transformar y regular a las instituciones de estudios superiores, en todos los aspectos: académico, administrativo, financiero, laboral, etcétera. Los cambios que actualmente pretende implementar el gobierno ecuatoriano en las universidades implican y demandan la generación de una serie de reglamentos que deben contribuir a reordenarlas, reorganizarlas y regularlas bajo los lineamientos que los organismos pertinentes dicten y a las normativas internas que las propias universidades establezcan para complementar la legislación estata

Optative professional training courses towards higher education curricula design

Las universidades ecuatorianas se encuentran en un momento histórico para la educación superior debido a la aprobación de una nueva "Ley Orgánica de Educación Superior"1 (LOES), que tiene como principal objetivo transformar y regular a las instituciones de estudios superiores, en todos los aspectos: académico, administrativo, financiero, laboral, etcétera.Los cambios que actualmente pretende implementar el gobierno ecuatoriano en las universidades implican y demandan la generación de una serie de reglamentos que deben contribuir a reordenarlas, reorganizarlas y regularlas bajo los lineamientos que los organismos pertinentes dicten y a las normativas internas que las propias universidades establezcan para complementar la legislación estatal.En este contexto de reformas a la educación superior, inédito para las universidades ecuatorianas que están actualmente sometidas a procesos de evaluación institucional y acreditación de carreras, y en el proceso de elaboración del nuevo Reglamento de Régimen Académico por parte del Consejo de Educación Superior, el tema del diseño de un programa de asignaturas optativas como parte de un currículo de educación superior pretende convertirse en una importante contribución a la etapa de diseño mesocurricular de una carrera universitaria

Modelling solute transport in soil columns using advective-dispersive equations with fractional spatial derivatives

Solute transport in soils is commonly simulated with the advective–dispersive equation, or ADE. It has been reported that this model cannot take into account several important features of solute movement through soil. Recently, a new model has been suggested that results in a solute transport equation with fractional spatial derivatives, or FADE. We have assembled a database on published solute transport experiments in soil columns to test the new model. The FADE appears to be a useful generalization of the ADE. The order of the fractional differentiation reflects differences in physical conditions of the solute transport in soi

Multiple scaling regimes in simple aging models

We investigate aging in glassy systems based on a simple model, where a point in configuration space performs thermally activated jumps between the minima of a random energy landscape. The model allows us to show explicitly a subaging behavior and multiple scaling regimes for the correlation function. Both the exponents characterizing the scaling of the different relaxation times with the waiting time and those characterizing the asymptotic decay of the scaling functions are obtained analytically by invoking a `partial equilibrium' concept.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Validation of a virtual patient and virtual trials method for accurate prediction of tight glycemic control protocol performance

Peer reviewe

Nonlinear anomalous diffusion equation and fractal dimension: Exact generalized gaussian solution

In this work we incorporate, in a unified way, two anomalous behaviors, the power law and stretched exponential ones, by considering the radial dependence of the $N$-dimensional nonlinear diffusion equation $\partial\rho /\partial{t}={\bf \nabla} \cdot (K{\bf \nabla} \rho^{\nu})-{\bf \nabla}\cdot(\mu{\bf F} \rho)-\alpha \rho ,$ where $K=D r^{-\theta}$, $\nu$, $\theta$, $\mu$ and $D$ are real parameters and $\alpha$ is a time-dependent source. This equation unifies the O'Shaugnessy-Procaccia anomalous diffusion equation on fractals ($\nu =1$) and the spherical anomalous diffusion for porous media ($\theta=0$). An exact spherical symmetric solution of this nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation is obtained, leading to a large class of anomalous behaviors. Stationary solutions for this Fokker-Planck-like equation are also discussed by introducing an effective potential.Comment: Latex, 6 pages. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Aging in Models of Non-linear Diffusion

We show that for a family of problems described by non-linear diffusion equations an exact calculation of the two time correlation function gives C(t,t')=f(t-t')g(t'), t>t', exhibiting normal and anomalous diffusions, as well as aging effects, depending on the degree of non-linearity. We discuss also the form in which FDT is violated in this class of systems. Finally we argue that in this type of models aging may be consequence of the non conservation of the "total mass".Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to appear in Phys.Rev.

Assessing microcirculation function using a pulse oximeter

1-pageSepsis patients normally suffer microcirculatory dysfunction, which results in organ failure and increased risk of death [1]. Importantly, microcirculatory distress is the only independent factor for predicting patient outcome if it is not treated within 48 hours [2]. Analyzing oxygen transport and utilization could potentially yield insight on microcirculation function to improve sepsis diagnosis. A pulse oximeter is used to extract information on the absorption of red (R) and infrared (IR) light. The IR signal is related to the overall blood volume, (HbO2 + Hb) and the R signal is related to the amount of reduced hemoglobin, (Hb). Differences between these two signals, measured in real-time, thus represent the amount of oxygenated hemoglobin, HbO2 and can be used to estimate microcirculation function and extraction. Healthy individuals participated in vascular occlusion tests (VOT, N=15) and physical exercise (PE, N=10), respectively. These tests artificially create changes in extraction, and are used to prove the concept. This study was approved by the University of Canterbury Human Ethics Committee, Christchurch, New Zealand. In VOT, both red (R) and infrared (IR) signals rapidly decreased during vascular occlusion since less blood flows into the occluded area. During ischemia, the IR signals are almost constant and both the R and IR signals immediately increased after the occlusion is release, as a large amount of blood flows into the occluded area. Median oxygen extraction increases from 39% during rest to 46.5% during following intense exercise. For further (repeated) PE tests yielded extraction of 45%, 44.2%, 45.5% and 44.2%. However, the increased rate varies across subjects showing significant inter-subject variability. The pulse oximeter sensor concept presented is capable of extracting valuable information to assess microcirculation condition. Implementing this concept on ICU patients has the potential to aid sepsis diagnosis and provide more accurate tracking of patient state, sepsis status and response to treatment. [1] P. E. Spronk, D. F. Zandstra, and C. Ince. Bench-to-bedside review: sepsis is a disease of the microcirculation. Crit Care, 8:462–468, Dec 2004. [2] Y. Sakr, M. J. Dubois, D. De Backer, J. Creteur, and J. L. Vincent. Persistent microcirculatory alterations are associated with organ failure and death in patients with septic shock. Crit. Care Med., 32:1825–1831, Sep 2004

Rejuvenation in the Random Energy Model

We show that the Random Energy Model has interesting rejuvenation properties in its frozen phase. Different `susceptibilities' to temperature changes, for the free-energy and for other (`magnetic') observables, can be computed exactly. These susceptibilities diverge at the transition temperature, as (1-T/T_c)^-3 for the free-energy.Comment: 9 pages, 1 eps figur