The Reference Column

Este artículo es una reflexión sobre tres aspectos de la política educativa: la calidad, las competencias y las pruebas estandarizadas, desde la mirada de los organismos internacionales, comparándolos en tres momentos en la historia: los noventa, los inicios del Siglo XXI y a partir del 2010, cuando se crean las metas educativas 2021 y el discurso internacional se caracteriza por una clara tendencia hacia la rendición de cuentas y la visión técnica de la evaluación. En tal sentido, se sugiere avanzar en esta reflexión desde una postura epistemológico-crítica

O estado de arte na investigação: Análise dos conhecimentos acumulados ou indagação por novos sentidos?

This paper presents the state of the art as more than a simple research technique. It is a quest for new senses, which goes beyond the descriptive level of data to establish new analysis relationships within the categories of the object of study in different research papers, and propose new research and formation approaches. For that purpose, a new concept approach to state of the art, its origins, and its definition are suggested. Furthermore, it is strongly suggested that alternative research methods include three essential elements. It is advisable to advance in the theoretical and methodological fields of the state of the art, as a proposal to get a critical insight into the methodological strategies of the object of study which promote involvement, self-criticism and reflection within educational communities.Este escrito presenta el estado del arte como algo más que una simple técnica; una indagación de nuevos sentidos, que trasciende el nivel descriptivo de los datos para establecer nuevas relaciones de interpretación entre las categorías del objeto de estudio en las distintas producciones investigativas y crear nuevas miradas de investigación y formación. Con tal propósito, se esboza una aproximación conceptual del estado del arte, su génesis y su definición; y como planteamiento central se propone que la investigación alternativa articule tres elementos esenciales. En este sentido, se sugiere avanzar en el campo teórico y metodológico del estado del arte como propuesta de una mirada crítica a estrategias metodológicas del objeto de estudio que promuevan la participación, la autocrítica y la deliberación de las comunidades educativas.Este artigo apresenta o estado de arte como algo mais que uma simple técnica; uma exploração de novas formas, que transcende o nível descritivo dos dados para estabelecer novas relações entre as categorias de interpretação estudadas nas várias produções de investigação e criar novos olhares de investigação e de formação. Para este fim, uma abordagem conceptual do estado da arte, a sua génese e sua definição é descrita; e uma abordagem central é proposto para que a investigação alternativa se articule em três elementos essenciais. Neste sentido, sugere-se avançar no estado teórico e metodológico do campo da arte como uma proposta para uma mirada crítica das estratégias metodológicas em estudo para promover a participação, a autocrítica e a deliberação das comunidades educativas

Quality, competences and standardized tests: a look from international organizations

Este artículo es una reflexión sobre tres aspectos de la política educativa: la calidad, las competencias y las pruebas estandarizadas, desde la mirada de los organismos internacionales, comparándolos en tres momentos en la historia: los noventa, los inicios del Siglo XXI y a partir del 2010, cuando se crean las metas educativas 2021 y el discurso internacional se caracteriza por una clara tendencia hacia la rendición de cuentas y la visión técnica de la evaluación. En tal sentido, se sugiere avanzar en esta reflexión desde una postura epistemológico-crítica.This article is a reflection on three aspects of educational policy: quality, competencies and standardized tests, from the perspective of international organizations, comparing them in three moments in history: the nineties, the beginning of the XXI Century and from the 2010, when the 2021 educational goals were created and when the international discourse is characterized by a clear tendency toward accountability and the technical vision of evaluation. In this sense, it is suggested to advance in this reflection from an epistemologicalcritical point of view

Maintenance and Asset Life Cycle for Reliability Systems

This chapter presents tools, methods, and indicators, in order to develop a successful and modern maintenance program. These are based on reliability engineering that improves the reliability of a system or complex equipment. Frequently, the industry implements maintenance schemes, which are based on equipment’s manufacturer’s recommendations and may not apply changes throughout the asset life cycle. In this sense, several philosophies, methodologies, and standards seek to assist this process, but most of them do not take into consideration their operation characteristics, production necessity, and other factors that are regarded as being important to one’s company. This method is based on the analysis of preventive component replacements and the subsequent critical consequences. These analyses may be used as a decision-making tool for defining component replacement decisions. In this chapter, the first section introduces and justifies the importance of this topic being approached from the perspective of asset management. Next, it discusses key maintenance concepts and techniques, with the aim of establishing the foundation of a maintenance management. The purpose of the final section is to present a maintenance strategy model, and it presents the findings of the case study about model implementation at home cleaning service company

Conference report: the IEEE Colombian conference on automatic control 2017

© 20xx IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.The 3th IEEE Colombian Conference on Automatic Control 2017 (CCAC) was held October 18-20th, 2017 at the Corales de Indias Hotel, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. The conference was preceded by a day devoted to four technical workshops. CCAC is the main gathering for Colombian researchers, and it has begun to attract researchers from many different Latin American institutions. CCAC has been the main control conference in the country since 2011, one year after the IEEE CSS Colombian Chapter was founded. The conference is held in odd years, and previous meetings of CCAC were held in Bogotá (2011) and Manizales (2015). This was the first time it was organized in Cartagena de Indias, a small piece of paradise in the Colombian Caribbean coast. The 2017 CCAC was, for the first time, sponsored by the IEEE Control Systems Society (CSS), which highlights the quality of the event. CCAC also received support from the CSS Outreach Program, which provided funds to support students and travel for external keynote speakers.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Sex Steroids Induce Apoptosis of CD8⁺CD4⁺ Double-Positive Thymocytes via TNF-α

T cell production by the thymus, thymic size, cellularity and output all decrease drastically after puberty. Among the candidates that may mediate this decrease are the sex steroids: Hypersecretion or pharmacological administration of these hormones has long been known to induce thymic hypocellularity, and their depletion yields thymic hypercellularity. Here we show that a typical sex steroid, testosterone, specifically targets CD8⁺CD4⁺ double-positive (DP) thymocytes for apoptosis via TNF-α Anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibodies abrogated testosterone-induced DP apoptosis, and TNF-a⁻^/⁻DP thymocytes were largely resistant to testosterone-mediated apoptosis in vivo. Testosterone accomplishes this effect by up-regulating TNF-α production and by simultaneously sensitizing DP thymocytes to TNF-α. Thus, TNF-α is the critical mediator of sex steroid-induced apoptosis in thymocytes, and its manipulation should provide a point of intervention to modulate T cell production in sex hormone disorders

The Role of NKG2D in Vitiligo

Vitiligo is an acquired multifactorial disease that affects melanocytes and results in skin depigmentation. In this review, we examine the role of cells stress and self-reactive T cells responses. Given the canonical and non-canonical functions of NKG2D, such as authenticating stressed target and enhance TCR signaling, we examine how melanocyte stress leads to the expression of ligands that are recognized by the activating receptor NKG2D, and how its signaling results in the turning of T cells against self (melanocyte suicide by proxy). We also discuss how this initiation phase is followed by T cell perpetuation, as NKG2D signaling results in self-sustained long-lasting T cells, with improved cytolytic properties

Análisis del potencial de innovación en apósitos para tratar heridas crónicas en la ciudad de Lima, Perú: Analysis of the potential of innovation in dressings to treat chronic wounds in the city of Lima, Peru.

Objective: To analyze the potential for innovation in dressings to treat chronic wounds in the City of Lima.  Methods: A qualitative study was carried out by means of interviews to medical experts and purchasing managers of medical supplies for the treatment of difficult-to-resolve wounds in 8 representative public health institutions with categories 1-4 within the only  54 of Lima, Peru - 2018. Results: It was determined that an average of 17 patients is treated in public health institutions on a monthly basis (60% from hospitalization and 40% from an outpatient office). It is equivalent to say that 11,016 patients present chronic wounds of difficult resolution each year, which will require specialized treatment and an average annual demand of 110,160 dressings in stock. The dressings with the highest demand correspond to the Hydrogels and Hydrocolloids, respectively; used because of the positive results they offer in wound healing, despite economic limitations. The market  price per unit ranges between 20 and 90 soles (S/.), representing an economic investment of 1500 soles on average per patient, in some cases causing complications or abandonment of treatment when resources are scarce. Conclusions: There is a high demand for patients with chronic wounds of difficult resolution in the public health institutions of Lima. It is important to promote and incentivize the investigation of new therapeutic alternatives and / or biomedical devices that favor its treatment.Objetivo: Analizar el potencial de innovación en apósitos para tratar heridas crónicas en la Ciudad de Lima. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio cualitativo mediante una encuesta y análisis de las entrevistas realizadas a expertos médicos y gestores de compras en insumos para el tratamiento de heridas de difícil resolución en 8 instituciones representativas de salud pública con categorías 1 – 4 dentro de las 54 existentes solo en Lima Metropolitana, Perú - 2018. Resultados: Se determinó que en las instituciones de salud pública son atendidos un promedio 17 pacientes mensualmente (60% provenientes de hospitalización y 40% de consultorio externo). Equivale decir que 11,016 pacientes presentan heridas crónicas de difícil resolución al año, los cuales requerirán de tratamiento especializado y una demanda anual promedio de 110,160 apósitos en stock. Los apósitos con mayor demanda corresponden a los Hidrogeles e Hidrocoloides, respectivamente que son utilizados por los resultados positivos que ofrecen en la curación de las heridas, aunque en ocasiones la limitante es el aspecto económico. En el mercado, el precio unitario oscila entre los 20 y 90 soles, esto representa una inversión económica de 1500 soles en promedio por paciente, produciendo en algunos casos complicaciones o abandono del tratamiento cuando los recursos son escasos. Conclusiones: La demanda de pacientes con heridas crónicas de difícil resolución en las instituciones de salud públicas de Lima metropolitana es alta. Es importante promover e incentivar la investigación de nuevas alternativas terapéuticas y/o dispositivos biomédicos que favorezcan su curación