The Limited Effect of Graphic Elements in Video and Augmented Reality on Children’s Listening Comprehension

There is currently significant interest in the use of instructional strategies in learning environments thanks to the emergence of new multimedia systems that combine text, audio, graphics and video, such as augmented reality (AR). In this light, this study compares the effectiveness of AR and video for listening comprehension tasks. The sample consisted of thirty-two elementary school students with different reading comprehension. Firstly, the experience, instructions and objectives were introduced to all the students. Next, they were divided into two groups to perform activities—one group performed an activity involving watching an Educational Video Story of the Laika dog and her Space Journey available by mobile devices app Blue Planet Tales, while the other performed an activity involving the use of AR, whose contents of the same history were visualized by means of the app Augment Sales. Once the activities were completed participants answered a comprehension test. Results (p = 0.180) indicate there are no meaningful differences between the lesson format and test performance. But there are differences between the participants of the AR group according to their reading comprehension level. With respect to the time taken to perform the comprehension test, there is no significant difference between the two groups but there is a difference between participants with a high and low level of comprehension. To conclude SUS (System Usability Scale) questionnaire was used to establish the measure usability for the AR app on a smartphone. An average score of 77.5 out of 100 was obtained in this questionnaire, which indicates that the app has fairly good user-centered design

Multifrequency-coupled oscillators for distributed multiagent coordination

The coordination of multiagent systems in real environments receives considerable attention from research and industry. The design of coordination mechanisms should take into account the nature of the environment where the system is embedded. In this paper, the multiagent system is in an environment that features periodic properties. This environment is approached from a signal processing point of view to extract such properties. The coordination is performed by the proposed multifrequency-coupled oscillators (MuFCO) algorithm. It addresses the coordination of the multiagent system as a distributed collective synchronization mechanism. An operation example of MuFCO algorithm is shown, where it is used to coordinate consumptions in a smart grid. Thanks to the MuFCO algorithm, themultiagent system can be used to smooth the aggregated consumption of an electrical grid in a distributed way

Eficiencia del filtro de arena mediante nanopartículas de carbón de coronta de maíz para la remoción de coliformes termotolerantes en el agua de riego Terrazas-Carapongo

El articulo presenta una evaluación de estudios acerca de la utilización del filtro de arena mediante nanoparticulas de carbón de coronta de maíz para la remoción de Coliformes Termotolerantes en el agua de riego. En el Perú el riego es un factor determinante que contribuye al incremento de la inocuidad de alimentos y la producción agrícola. Sin embargo, estos alimentos están expuestos a contaminación química y biológica como Coliformes Termotolerantes. Para la eliminación de estos microorganismos, algunos investigadores utilizaron el filtro de arena a base de mazorca de maíz que se considera como residuo de biomasa lignocelulósica que se convierte en carbón activado. Según los estudios demuestran que el carbón activo de mazorca de maíz ayuda a mejorar su capacidad de adsorción y en consecuencia logra un porcentaje mayor de remoción de microrganismos patógenos. Asimismo, los filtros lentos son tecnología sencilla y económica que ayudan a potabilizar el agua siendo eficiente por su diseño.Trabajo de investigaciónLIMAEscuela Profesional de Ingeniería AmbientalBiodiversidad y calidad ambienta

Variable threshold algorithm for division of labor analyzed as a dynamical system

Division of labor is a widely studied aspect of colony behavior of social insects. Division of labor models indicate how individuals distribute themselves in order to perform different tasks simultaneously. However, models that study division of labor from a dynamical system point of view cannot be found in the literature. In this paper, we define a division of labor model as a discrete-time dynamical system, in order to study the equilibrium points and their properties related to convergence and stability. By making use of this analytical model, an adaptive algorithm based on division of labor can be designed to satisfy dynamic criteria. In this way, we have designed and tested an algorithm that varies the response thresholds in order to modify the dynamic behavior of the system. This behavior modification allows the system to adapt to specific environmental and collective situations, making the algorithm a good candidate for distributed control applications. The variable threshold algorithm is based on specialization mechanisms. It is able to achieve an asymptotically stable behavior of the system in different environments and independently of the number of individuals. The algorithm has been successfully tested under several initial conditions and number of individuals

Electrical energy balance contest in Solar Decathlon Europe 2012

Solar Decathlon Europe (SDE) is an international multidisciplinary competition in which 20 universityteams build and operate energy-efficient solar-powered houses. The aim of SDE is not only scientificbut also educational and divulgative, making visitors to understand the problems presented by realengineering applications and architecture. From a research perspective, the energy data gathered dur-ing the competition constitutes a very promising information for the analysis and understanding of thephotovoltaic systems, grid structures, energy balances and energy efficiency of the set of houses. Thisarticle focuses on the electrical energy components of SDE competition, the energy performance of thehouses and the strategies and behaviors followed by the teams. The rules evaluate the houses? electricalenergy self-sufficiency by looking at the electricity autonomy in terms of aggregated electrical energybalance; the temporary generation-consumption profile pattern correlation; and the use of electricityper measurable area. Although the houses are evaluated under the same climatological and consump-tion conditions, production results are very different due to the specific engineering solutions (differentelectrical topologies, presence or absence of batteries, diverse photovoltaic module solutions, etc.

Improving photovoltaics grid integration through short time forecasting and self-consumption

The uncertainty associated to the forecast of photovoltaic generation is a major drawback for the widespread introduction of this technology into electricity grids. This uncertainty is a challenge in the design and operation of electrical systems that include photovoltaic generation. Demand-Side Management (DSM) techniques are widely used to modify energy consumption. If local photovoltaic generation is available, DSM techniques can use generation forecast to schedule the local consumption. On the other hand, local storage systems can be used to separate electricity availability from instantaneous generation; therefore, the effects of forecast error in the electrical system are reduced. The effects of uncertainty associated to the forecast of photovoltaic generation in a residential electrical system equipped with DSM techniques and a local storage system are analyzed in this paper. The study has been performed in a solar house that is able to displace a residential user?s load pattern, manage local storage and estimate forecasts of electricity generation. A series of real experiments and simulations have carried out on the house. The results of this experiments show that the use of Demand Side Management (DSM) and local storage reduces to 2% the uncertainty on the energy exchanged with the grid. In the case that the photovoltaic system would operate as a pure electricity generator feeding all generated electricity into grid, the uncertainty would raise to around 40%

Instituto de Sistemas Fotovoltaicos de Concentración concentration photovoltaics hybrid system first year of operation and improvements

A photovoltaic (PV) hybrid system combines PV with other forms of electricity generation, usually a diesel generator. The system presented in this paper uses concentration photovoltaic (CPV) as the main generator in combination with a storage system and the grid, configured as the backup power supply. The load of the system consists of an air conditioning system of an office building. This paper presents the results obtained from the first months of operation of the CPV hybrid system installed at Instituto de Sistemas Fotovoltaicos de Concentración facilities together with exhaustive simulations in order to model the system behaviour and be able to improve the self-consumption ratio. This system represents a first approach to the use of a CPV in office buildings complemented by an existing AC-coupled hybrid system. The contribution of this paper to the analysis of this new system and the existing tools available for its simulation, at least a part of it, can be considered as a starting point for the development of these kinds of systems

Alteraciones en el sentido del olfato y del gusto en pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica, trasplante y diálisis y su asociación con el estado nutricional

Introducción: La insuficiencia renal crónica tiene alteraciones como lo son la anosmia y la disgeusia, estas ocasionadas por el incremento de toxinas urémicas, que se acompaña de un aumento del catabolismo, lo que incrementa la morbimortalidad. Estos pueden influir en la alimentación del paciente y por tanto en su estado nutricio. Objetivo: Analizar las evidencias encontradas en la literatura sobre la prevalencia, fisiopatología y tratamiento de la pérdida de gusto y olfato en pacientes con ERC, en HD, en DP y trasplantados renales y su asociación con el estado nutricional, para ello se inició una búsqueda en Pubmed, Scielo, Google académico, Published, Kydney Pediatric, Elsevier, Nutrición Hospitalaria, Society Kidney, Renut, American Society of Nephrology, Kidney Internationality con las siguientes palabras clave: Loss of kidney smell, Sense of taste, CDK, Kidney lost taste, sense of smell, nutritional status (para el idioma inglés), insuficiencia renal, pérdida del gusto, pérdida de sentidos, pérdida de olfato, estado de nutrición (para el idioma español). Resultados: Se muestra la relación existente de la pérdida del olfato con el grado de insuficiencia renal y el grado de acumulación de toxinas urémicas. Respecto al gusto, se ha descrito disminución por déficit de zinc y eliminación de urea por medio de la saliva, por la percepción alterada en estos pacientes de hemodiálisis prevalentemente asociada de forma independiente con índices en déficits por el estado nutricional y teniendo una mayor mortalidad. Conclusiones: La pérdida del olfato, del gusto o ambas es una condición frecuente en los pacientes con insuficiencia renal crónica y contribuye al riesgo nutricional de estos pacientes. Key words: Renal, sentido del olfato, diálisis, sentido del gusto, estado nutrici

HGF, IL-1α, and IL-27 are robust biomarkers in early severity stratification of COVID-19 patients

© 2021 by the authors.Pneumonia is the leading cause of hospital admission and mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to identify the cytokines responsible for lung damage and mortality. We prospectively recruited 108 COVID-19 patients between March and April 2020 and divided them into four groups according to the severity of respiratory symptoms. Twenty-eight healthy volunteers were used for normalization of the results. Multiple cytokines showed statistically significant differences between mild and critical patients. High HGF levels were associated with the critical group (OR = 3.51; p < 0.001; 95%CI = 1.95–6.33). Moreover, high IL-1α (OR = 1.36; p = 0.01; 95%CI = 1.07–1.73) and low IL-27 (OR = 0.58; p < 0.005; 95%CI = 0.39–0.85) greatly increased the risk of ending up in the severe group. This model was especially sensitive in order to predict critical status (AUC = 0.794; specificity = 69.74%; sensitivity = 81.25%). Furthermore, high levels of HGF and IL-1α showed significant results in the survival analysis (p = 0.033 and p = 0.011, respectively). HGF, IL-1α, and IL 27 at hospital admission were strongly associated with severe/critical COVID-19 patients and therefore are excellent predictors of bad prognosis. HGF and IL-1α were also mortality biomarkers.This work was supported by the Carlos III Health Institute (Grant COV20/00491)

Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Mature T Cell and Natural Killer/T Neoplasias: A Registry Study from Spanish GETH/GELTAMO Centers

Despite advances in understanding the biology of mature T and natural killer (NK)/T cell neoplasia, current therapies, even the most innovative ones, are still far from ensuring its cure. The only treatment to date that has been shown to control aggressive T cell neoplasms in the long term is allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT). We aim to report the results of alloSCT for advanced mature T and NK/T neoplasias performed in centers from our national GELTAMO/GETH (Grupo Español de Linfoma y Trasplante de Médula Ósea/Grupo Español de Trasplante Hematopoyético y Terapia Celular) over the past 25 years. As a secondary objective, we analyzed the results of alloSCT from haploidentical donors. We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients who received an alloSCT in Spanish centers (n = 201) from September 1995 to August 2018. The 2-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were 65.5% and 58.2%, respectively. The univariate for OS and DFS showed statistically different hazard ratios for conditioning intensity, response pre-alloSCT, comorbidity index, donor/receptor cytomegalovirus status and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) pre-alloSCT, but only a better ECOG pre-alloSCT remained significant in the multivariate analysis. There was an increased incidence of relapse in those patients who did not develop chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and an increased risk of death in those developing moderate to severe acute GVHD. The 1-year nonrelapse mortality was 21.9% and was mainly due to GVHD (30%) and bacterial infections (17%). When comparing unrelated donors with haploidentical donors, we found similar results in terms of OS and DFS. There was, however, a reduction of acute GVHD in the haploidentical group (P = .04) and trend to a reduction of chronic GVHD. In conclusion, alloSCT is the only curative option for most aggressive T cell neoplasias. Haploidentical donors offer similar results to related donors in terms of survival with a reduction of acute GVHD