Their Story: College Persistence Of Hispanic/Latino Students At Predominantly White Institutions

This phenomenological qualitative study examined the Hispanic/Latino students’ college experiences at Predominantly White, 4-year institutions in an effort to better understand what these students perceived as contributing factors to their sense of belonging and persistence through their first year. Participants included individuals classified as first-year or second-year college students. Data was collected through individual interviews where personal stories were examined by using the student integration model and theory of mattering and marginality to identify reoccurring themes. Identifying these factors was the key motivating factor in determining success and persistence through their first year. From this study, four emergent themes shed light into students’ ability to persist: sense of belonging, student involvement, mentoring, and familial expectations. These themes aided the researcher’s understanding about which factors students attributed to their overall success and first-year persistence

Artificial neural network algorithm for online glucose prediction from continuous glucose monitoring.

Background and Aims: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices could be useful for real-time management of diabetes therapy. In particular, CGM information could be used in real time to predict future glucose levels in order to prevent hypo-/hyperglycemic events. This article proposes a new online method for predicting future glucose concentration levels from CGM data. Methods: The predictor is implemented with an artificial neural network model (NNM). The inputs of the NNM are the values provided by the CGM sensor during the preceding 20 min, while the output is the prediction of glucose concentration at the chosen prediction horizon (PH) time. The method performance is assessed using datasets from two different CGM systems (nine subjects using the Medtronic [Northridge, CA] Guardian® and six subjects using the Abbott [Abbott Park, IL] Navigator®). Three different PHs are used: 15, 30, and 45 min. The NNM accuracy has been estimated by using the root mean square error (RMSE) and prediction delay. Results: The RMSE is around 10, 18, and 27 mg/dL for 15, 30, and 45 min of PH, respectively. The prediction delay is around 4, 9, and 14 min for upward trends and 5, 15, and 26 min for downward trends, respectively. A comparison with a previously published technique, based on an autoregressive model (ARM), has been performed. The comparison shows that the proposed NNM is more accurate than the ARM, with no significant deterioration in the prediction delay

Analysis of the feeding system in the injection process of peek in fixed partial dentures

[EN] In dental sector, PEEK is a new material used in the injection process of fixed partial dentures (FPD). The design of the feeding system is one of the most important stages in the injection process. This study simulates different locations of the feeding system in fixed partial dentures of PEEK, varying number of the injection points, using the software Moldflow. Variables used to compare simulations are the complete filling of the FPD mould cavity, the filling time, the minimum amount of rejected material of the feeding system, defects due to air traps, welding lines, etc. As results, depending on the geometric complexity, and the number and position of the injection points, it is possible to reduce the rejected material and to improve the filling time of the FPD.Gutiérrez, SC.; Meseguer, MD.; Gandía Barberá, A. (2015). Analysis of the feeding system in the injection process of peek in fixed partial dentures. Procedia Engineering. 132:1021-1028. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2015.12.591S1021102813

Effects of ketosis on cocaine-induced reinstatement in male mice;

In recent years, the benefits of the ketogenic diet (KD) on different psychiatric disorders have been gaining attention, but the substance abuse field is still unexplored. Some studies have reported that palatable food can modulate the rewarding effects of cocaine, but the negative metabolic consequences rule out the recommendation of using it as a complementary treatment. Thus, the main aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the KD on cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) during acquisition, extinction, and reinstatement. 41 OF1 male mice were employed to assess the effects of the KD on a 10 mg/kg cocaine-induced CPP. Animals were divided into three groups: SD, KD, and KD after the Post-Conditioning test. The results revealed that, while access to the KD did not block CPP acquisition, it did significantly reduce the number of sessions required to extinguish the drug-associated memories and it blocked the priming-induced reinstatement. © 2022 The Author(s

Prepulse Inhibition of the Startle Reflex as a Predictor of Vulnerability to Develop Locomotor Sensitization to Cocaine

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle reflex is a measure of sensory-motor synchronization. A deficit in PPI has been observed in psychiatric patients, especially those with schizophrenia and vulnerable subjects, since the neural bases of this disorder are also involved in the regulation of PPI. Recently, we have reported that baseline PPI levels in mice can predict their sensitivity to the conditioned reinforcing effects of cocaine in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. Mice with a low PPI presented a lower sensitivity to the conditioned rewarding effects of cocaine; however, once they acquired conditioned preference with a higher dose of the drug, a more persistent associative effect of cocaine with respect to environmental cues was evident in these animals when compared with High-PPI mice. Therefore, we proposed that the PPI paradigm can determine subjects with a higher vulnerability to the effects of cocaine. Developing locomotor sensitization after pre-exposure to cocaine is considered an indicator of transitioning from recreational use to a compulsive consumption of the drug. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate whether subjects with a low PPI display a higher locomotor sensitization induced by cocaine. First, male and female OF1 mice were classified as High- or Low-PPI according to their baseline PPI levels. Subsequently, the motor effects induced by an acute dose of cocaine (Experiments 1 and 2) and the development of locomotor sensitization induced by pre-exposure to this drug (Experiments 3 and 4) were recorded using two apparatuses (Ethovision and actimeter). Low-PPI mice presented low sensitivity to the motor effects of an acute dose of cocaine, but a high increase of activity after repeated administration of the drug, thus suggesting a great developed behavioral sensitization. Differences after pretreatment with cocaine vs. saline were more pronounced among Low-PPI subjects than among High-PPI animals. These results endorse our hypothesis that the PPI paradigm can detect subjects who are more likely to display behaviors induced by cocaine and which can increase the risk of developing a cocaine use disorder. Herein, we further discuss whether a PPI deficit can be considered an endophenotype for cocaine use disorder

Life Cycle Assessment in Higher Education: Design and Implementation of a Teaching Sequence Activity

The latest studies show that to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals on education, there must be a focus on adequately training higher education students. In this work, we present a study about the Life Cycle Analysis of knowledge of products and processes of engineering students. This aspect is very relevant in engineering education since it has direct implications on sustainability. The first step was to identify what the learning problems were, and taking them into account, a specific teaching sequence was designed and implemented over three academic years. Two activities, on an increasing level of complexity, of the application of Life Cycle Assessment are shown in this paper. The first one is the Life Cycle Analysis comparison between two steel and polypropylene pieces. The second one is the Life Cycle Analysis comparison between three different ends of life of a polypropylene piece: mechanical recycling, incineration, and landfill. Data on the evolution of students’ marks while solving a “one step more difficult project” throughout these courses have been collected. The results show a generalized learning by the students about Life Cycle Analysis

Hormonal differences in intimate partner violence perpetrators when they cope with acute stress: A pilot study

Background: Only a few studies have paid attention to the ability of perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPVAW) against women to cope with acute stress, including hormonal pa-rameters. In fact, previous studies assessed how salivary testosterone (Tsal) and cortisol (Csal) changed after coping with an acute emotional stressor (directly related to IPVAW), and they con-cluded that an imbalance between the two hormones might be characteristic of these men. Never-theless, they neglected to examine the role of other hormones, such as salivary oxytocin (OXsal), which also seemed to play an important role in behavioral regulation, and whether this response could be generalized to other types of stress not directly related to IPVAW. Methods: This study aims to assess whether IPVAW perpetrators (n = 19) present differential hormonal (Tsal, Csal, OXsal and their ratios) and psychological state (anxiety, anger, and general affect) responses when coping with an acute cognitive laboratory stressor (a set of neuropsychological tests performed in front of an expert committee) in comparison with non-violent men (n = 16). This quasi-experimental study also assessed whether the psychological state variables drive this different hormonal response. Re-sults: Our results revealed that IPVAW perpetrators had lower Csal and higher Tsal/Csal ratio levels during the post-task period, as well as higher total levels (average) of OXsal than controls. We also found that, only in IPVAW perpetrators, high levels of baseline anxiety and negative affect were related to high rises in Csal during the stress task. Conclusions: These data present a background showing that IPVAW perpetrators and non-violent men cope differently with stress. These findings might help to identify idiosyncratic profiles of IPVAW perpetrators that can then be employed to establish their therapeutic needs. Moreover, we reinforced the importance of combining biological markers with self-reports, thus increasing the reliability of these forensic assessments. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

An Embedded-Sensor Approach for Concrete Resistivity Measurement in On-Site Corrosion Monitoring: Cell Constants Determination

[EN] The concrete electrical resistivity is a prominent parameter in structural health monitoring, since, along with corrosion potential, it provides relevant qualitative diagnosis of the reinforcement corrosion. This study proposes a simple expression to reliable determine resistivity from the concrete electrical resistance (R-E) provided by the corrosion sensor of the Integrated Network of Sensors for Smart Corrosion Monitoring (INESSCOM) we have developed. The novelty here is that distinct from common resistivity sensors, the cell constants obtained by the proposed expression are intended to be valid for any sensor implementation scenario. This was ensured by studying most significant geometrical features of the sensor in a wide set of calibration solutions. This embedded-sensor approach is intended to be applicable for R-E measurements obtained both using potential step voltammetry (PSV, used in the INESSCOM sensor for corrosion rate measurement) and alternating current methods. In this regard, we present a simple protocol to reliably determine R-E, and therefore resistivity, from PSV measurements. It consists in adding a very short potentiostatic pulse to the original technique. In this way, we are able to easy monitor resistivity along with corrosion rate through a single sensor, an advantage which is not usual in structural health monitoring.This research was funded by the pre-doctoral scholarship granted to Jose Enrique Ramon Zamora by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, grant number FPU13/00911. Funding was also provided by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under the national program for research, development and innovation geared to societal challenges; project number BIA2016-78460-C3-3-R. The research activity reported in this paper has been partially possible thanks to the project Voltammetric Electronic Tongue for Durability Control in Concrete funded by the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, project number SP20180245.Ramón, JE.; Martínez, I.; Gandía-Romero, JM.; Soto Camino, J. (2021). An Embedded-Sensor Approach for Concrete Resistivity Measurement in On-Site Corrosion Monitoring: Cell Constants Determination. Sensors. 21(7):1-23. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21072481S12321