Teaching Construction in the Virtual University: the WINDS project

This paper introduces some of the Information Technology solutions adopted in Web based INtelligent Design Support (WINDS) to support education in A/E/C design. The WINDS project WINDS is an EC-funded project in the 5th Framework, Information Society Technologies programme, Flexible University key action. WINDS is divided into two actions: ·The research technology action is going to implement a learning environment integrating an intelligent tutoring system, a computer instruction management system and a set of co-operative supporting tools. ·The development action is going to build a large knowledge base supporting Architecture and Civil Engineering Design Courses and to experiment a comprehensive Virtual School of Architecture and Engineering Design. During the third year of the project, more than 400 students all over Europe will attend the Virtual School. During the next three years the WINDS project will span a total effort of about 150 man-years from 28 partners of 10 European countries. The missions of the WINDS project are: Advanced Methodologies in Design Education. WINDS drives a breakdown with conventional models in design education, i.e. classroom or distance education. WINDS implements a problem oriented knowledge transfer methodology following Roger Schank's Goal Based Scenario (GBS) pedagogical methodology. GBS encourages the learning of both skills and cases, and fosters creative problem solving. Multidisciplinary Design Education. Design requires creative synthesis and open-end problem definition at the intersection of several disciplines. WINDS experiments a valuable integration of multidisciplinary design knowledge and expertise to produce a high level standard of education. Innovative Representation, Delivery and Access to Construction Education. WINDS delivers individual education customisation by allowing the learner access through the Internet to a wide range of on-line courses and structured learning objects by means of personally tailored learning strategies. WINDS promotes the 3W paradigm: learn What you need, Where you want, When you require. Construction Practice. Construction industry is a repository of ""best practices"" and knowledge that the WINDS will profit. WINDS system benefits the ISO10303 and IFC standards to acquire knowledge of the construction process directly in digital format. On the other hand, WINDS reengineers the knowledge in up-to-date courses, educational services, which the industries can use to provide just-in-time rather than in-advance learning. WINDS IT Solutions The missions of the WINDS project state many challenging requirements both in knowledge and system architecture. Many of the solutions adopted in these fields are innovative; others are evolution of existing technologies. This paper focuses on the integration of this set of state-of-the-art technologies in an advanced and functionally sound Computer Aided Instruction system for A/E/C Design. In particular the paper deals with the following aspects: Standard Learning Technology Architecture The WINDS system relies on the in progress IEEE 1484.1 Learning Technology Standard Architecture. According to this standard the system consists of two data stores, the Knowledge Library and the Record Database, and four process: System Coach, Delivery, Evaluation and the Learner. WINDS implements the Knowledge Library into a three-tier architecture: 1.Learning Objects: ·Learning Units are collections of text and multimedia data. ·Models are represented in either IFC or STEP formats. ·Cases are sets of Learning Units and Models. Cases are noteworthy stories, which describes solutions, integrate technical detail, contain relevant design failures etc. 2.Indexes refer to the process in which the identification of relevant topics in design cases and learning units takes place. Indexing process creates structures of Learning Objects for course management, profile planning procedures and reasoning processes. 3.Courses are taxonomies of either Learning Units or a design task and Course Units. Knowledge Representation WINDS demonstrates that it is possible and valuable to integrate a widespread design expertise so that it can be effectively used to produce a high level standard of education. To this aim WINDS gathers area knowledge, design skills and expertise under the umbrellas of common knowledge representation structures and unambiguous semantics. Cases are one of the most valuable means for the representation of design expertise. A Case is a set of Learning Units and Product Models. Cases are noteworthy stories, which describe solutions, integrate technical details, contain relevant design failures, etc. Knowledge Integration Indexes are a medium among different kind of knowledge: they implement networks for navigation and access to disparate documents: HTML, video, images, CAD and product models (STEP or IFC). Concept indexes link learning topics to learning objects and group them into competencies. Index relationships are the base of the WINDS reasoning processes, and provide the foundation for system coaching functions, which proactively suggest strategies, solutions, examples and avoids students' design deadlock. Knowledge Distribution To support the data stores and the process among the partners in 10 countries efficiently, WINDS implements an object oriented client/server as COM objects. Behind the DCOM components there is the Dynamic Kernel, which dynamically embodies and maintains data stores and process. Components of the Knowledge Library can reside on several servers across the Internet. This provides for distributed transactions, e.g. a change in one Learning Object affects the Knowledge Library spread across several servers in different countries. Learning objects implemented as COM objects can wrap ownership data. Clear and univocal definition of ownerships rights enables Universities, in collaboration with telecommunication and publisher companies, to act as "education brokers". Brokerage in education and training is an innovative paradigm to provide just-in-time and personally customised value added learning knowledg

Doença de Chagas: Contribuições do Centro de Investigações Toxicológicas

La quimioterapia de la enfermedad de Chagas cuenta en la actualidad con el empleo de dos fármacos solamente: Nifurtimox y Benznidazol. Nifurtimox es un nitrofurano y Benznidazol es un compuesto nitroimidazólico. El uso de estas drogas para tratar la fase aguda de la enfermedad se acepta ampliamente. Sin embargo, su utilización en el tratamiento de la fase crónica no está exenta de cuestionamientos serios. Los efectos colaterales de ambas son un inconveniente mayor en su uso, y frecuentemente fuerza a los médicos a detener el tratamiento. Los estudios de toxicidad experimentales con Nifurtimox evidenciaron neurotoxicidad, daño testicular, toxicidad ovárica y efectos deletéreos en corazón, tejido mamario, adrenales, colon y esófago. Para el Benznidazol, se observaron efectos deletéreos en adrenales, colon y esófago. También inhibe el metabolismo de varios xenobióticos transformados por el sistema del citocromo P450 y sus metabolitos reaccionan con los componentes fetales in vivo. Ambas drogas exhibieron efectos mutagénicos significativos y se demostró en algunos estudios que eran carcinogénicas o tumorigénicas. Los efectos tóxicos de ambos fármacos dependen de la reducción enzimática de su grupo nitro. En este trabajo se resume la actividad de este laboratorio en el esfuerzo por comprender los mecanismos de la acción tóxica de estos fármacos.Chemotherapy of Chagas disease is currently performed by the use of only two drugs: Nifurtimox and Benznidazole. Nifurtimox is a nitrofurane and Benznidazole is a nitroimidazole compound. The use of these drugs to treat the acute phase of the disease is now widely accepted. However, their use in the treatment of the chronic phase is not without serious consequences. The side effects of both drugs are a major drawback in their use and often force physicians to stop treatment. In the case of Nifurtimox, experimental toxicity studies showed neurotoxicity, testicular damage, ovarian toxicity and deleterious effects in heart, breast tissue, adrenals, colon and esophagus. Benznidazole deleterious effects were observed in adrenals, colon and esophagus. It also inhibits the metabolism of various xenobiotics transformed by cytochrome P450 and its metabolites react with fetal components in vivo. Both drugs exhibited significant mutagenic effects and in some studies, they demonstrated to be carcinogenic or tumorigenic. Toxic effects of both drugs are dependent on the enzymatic reduction of the nitro group. This paper summarizes this laboratory’s activity in an effort to understand the mechanisms of these drugs’ toxic action.A quimioterapia da doença de Chagas tem atualmente com o uso de apenas dois medicamentos: nifurtimox e benzonidazol. Nifurtimox é um nitrofuran e benzonidazol é um composto nitroimidazólico. A utilização destes fármacos para o tratamento da fase aguda da doença é agora amplamente aceite. No entanto, a sua utilização no tratamento da fase crónica não é sem dúvida graves. Os efeitos colaterais de ambas são uma grande desvantagem na sua utilização, e frequentemente médicos força para interromper o tratamento. Estudos experimentais com Nifurtimox mostraram neurotoxicidade, lesão testicular, toxicidade ovariana e efeitos deletérios no coração, tecido mamário, adrenal, cólon e esôfago. Para benzonidazole efeitos deletérios foram observadas em supra-renal, cólon e esofágica. Também inibe o metabolismo de vários xenobióticos transformadas pelo citocromo P450 e seus metabolitos reagem com componentes fetal in vivo. Ambos os fármacos apresentaram efeitos mutagênicos significativos demonstrado em alguns estudos que eram cancerígenas ou tumorigenic. Os efeitos tóxicos de ambas as drogas são dependentes da redução enzimática do grupo nitro. Neste trabalho a atividade do nosso laboratório no esforço para compreender os mecanismos de ação tóxica dessas drogas é resumidaFil: Castro, Jose Alberto. Ministerio de Defensa. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas para la Defensa; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental; ArgentinaFil: Montalto de Mecca, María. Ministerio de Defensa. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas para la Defensa; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Diaz Gomez, Maria Isabel. Ministerio de Defensa. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas para la Defensa; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental; ArgentinaFil: Castro, Gerardo Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo Estratégicos Para la Defensa; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental; Argentin

Inkjet-Printed Flexible Piezoelectric Sensor for Large Deformation Applications

Next-generation flexible, soft, and stretchable sensors and electronic devices are conquering the technological scene due to their extremely innovative applications. Especially when produced via innovative technologies like additive manufacturing (AM) and/or inkjet printing (IJP), they represent an undeniable strategic asset for Industry 5.0. Within the growing sensor market, they offer advantages in terms of sensitivity and maximum sensing range. In addition, the use of AM/IJP reduces material waste, enhances scalability, and lowers cost production. In the present work, the design and fabrication of a highly flexible inkjet-printed piezoelectric sensor on top of a thin highly flexible polyimide substrate are presented. The silver top and bottom electrodes were inkjet-printed together with a P(VDF-TrFE) active layer with a nominal thickness of 3 μm which is located between them. The experimental results demonstrate that, even in extreme bending conditions and at different bending speeds, the fabricated sensors are able to maintain their performance without mechanical delamination, giving a stable and repeatable output peak-to-peak signal of 850 mV under cyclic bending. The material combination and the IJP-based fabrication technique employed for the first time in this work to produce highly flexible sensors represent a promising novelty in terms of both sensor performance and customization possibilities

A sensitivity study of triboson production processes to dimension-6 EFT operators at the LHC

We present the first parton-level study of anomalous effects in triboson production in both fully and semi-leptonic channels in proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The sensitivity to anomalies induced by a minimal set of bosonic dimension-6 operators from the Warsaw basis is evaluated with specific analyses for each final state. A likelihood-based strategy is employed to assess the most sensitive kinematic observables per channel, where the contribution of Effective Field Theory operators is parameterized at either the linear or quadratic level. The impact of the mutual interference terms of pairs of operators on the sensitivity is also examined. This benchmark study explores the complementarity and overlap in sensitivity between different triboson measurements and paves the way for future analyses at the LHC experiments. The statistical combination of the considered final states allows setting stringent bounds on five bosonic Wilson coefficients

Enfermedad de Chagas: Contribuciones del Centro de Investigaciones Toxicológicas

La quimioterapia de la enfermedad de Chagas cuenta en la actualidad con el empleo de dos fármacos solamente: Nifurtimox y Benznidazol. Nifurtimox es un nitrofurano y Benznidazol es un compuesto nitroimidazólico. El uso de estas drogas para tratar la fase aguda de la enfermedad se acepta ampliamente. Sin embargo, su utilización en el tratamiento de la fase crónica no está exenta de cuestionamientos serios. Los efectos colaterales de ambas son un inconveniente mayor en su uso, y frecuentemente fuerza a los médicos a detener el tratamiento. Los estudios de toxicidad experimentales con Nifurtimox evidenciaron neurotoxicidad, daño testicular, toxicidad ovárica y efectos deletéreos en corazón, tejido mamario, adrenales, colon y esófago. Para el Benznidazol, se observaron efectos deletéreos en adrenales, colon y esófago. También inhibe el metabolismo de varios xenobióticos transformados por el sistema del citocromo P450 y sus metabolitos reaccionan con los componentes fetales in vivo. Ambas drogas exhibieron efectos mutagénicos significativos y se demostró en algunos estudios que eran carcinogénicas o tumorigénicas. Los efectos tóxicos de ambos fármacos dependen de la reducción enzimática de su grupo nitro. En este trabajo se resume la actividad de este laboratorio en el esfuerzo por comprender los mecanismos de la acción tóxica de estos fármacos.Fil: Montalto de Mecca, María. Ministerio de Defensa. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas para la Defensa; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Diaz Gomez, Maria Isabel. Ministerio de Defensa. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas para la Defensa; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental; ArgentinaFil: Castro, Gerardo Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo Estratégicos Para la Defensa; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental; ArgentinaFil: Castro, Jose Alberto. Ministerio de Defensa. Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas para la Defensa; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental; Argentin

Gestión y transferencia del conocimiento II

El presente proyecto de investigación denominado “Gestión y Transferencia del Conocimiento II” es parte integrante del Programa de Investigación: “Gestión y Vinculación del Conocimiento en Ciencia y Tecnología en la Universidad Nacional de La Matanza (UNLaM)” de la Secretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología de la misma universidad, y continúa la línea de investigación iniciada con los proyectos de investigación: 55B PIDC/184 “Gestión y Transferencia del Conocimiento” (2014-2015), 55B PIDC/168 “Gestión del Conocimiento” (2012-2013), y 55B PIDC/169 “Vinculación del Conocimiento” (2012-2013), junto con el proyecto de investigación “La gestión de la vinculación tecnológica y su relación con el proyecto institucional de una universidad nacional: el caso de la Universidad Nacional de La Matanza” (Código: 55B-PIDC/183), ejecutados como Proyectos de Investigación con Dependencia Compartida (PIDC) entre el Departamento de Ciencias Económicas y la Secretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología de la UNLaM. Este proyecto tiene como objetivo general continuar con el desarrollo -iniciado con el proyecto “Gestión y Transferencia del Conocimiento”- de las tres áreas centrales de intervención en el diseño de políticas y procedimientos de gestión en Ciencia y Tecnología en la Universidad Nacional de La Matanza, a saber: I-Gestión de la investigación científica y tecnológica, II- Formación de Recursos Humanos y III-Transferencia y vinculación del conocimiento. Estas tareas de intervención y desarrollo en materia de política y gestión de la ciencia y la tecnología en la UNLaM forman parte del Plan de Desarrollo Institucional de fortalecimiento y mejora permanente del conjunto de actividades que desarrolla la universidad en pos de una mayor producción y transferencia de conocimiento al conjunto de la universidad, sector productivo y comunidad universitaria, de parte del conjunto de docentes investigadores, núcleos de investigación, programas y proyectos dedicados a atender las distintas demandas de producción de conocimiento del conjunto de la comunidad universitaria intra y extra Universidad. La perspectiva desde la que se realiza esta investigación integra los aspectos epistemológicos, históricos y sociales, en los que se pondrán en juego criterios científicos, sociales, éticos, pedagógicos y culturales. La meta, desde una perspectiva de gestión y transferencia del conocimiento, es asegurar la pertinencia académica y social de los saberes que se producen y transmiten en la Universidad, y con ello crear una “cultura del conocimiento” que permita subsumir las otras culturas universitarias en un proyecto al servicio de la sociedad.Fil: Bidiña, Ana Marcela. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina.Fil: Pérez, Nélida. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina.Fil: Ezeiza Pohl, Carlos Alberto. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina.Fil: Perissé, Marcelo Claudio. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina.Fil: Mecca, Dorina Elizabeth. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina.Fil: Molgaray, Damián R. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina.Fil: Gutiérrez, David Alfredo. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina.Fil: Molinari, Florencia. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina.Fil: Schifrin, Antonella. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina.Fil: Cavallero, Fernando. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina.Fil: Oyola, Claudia Rosana. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina.Fil: Fasolino, Nicolás Alberto. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina.Fil: González Vitto, Ayelén. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina.Fil: Moreira, Hugo Gabriel. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina.Fil: Rojas, Paula Gabriela. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina.Fil: Zunino, Diana Solange. Universidad Nacional de La Matanza; Argentina

Observation of γγ → ττ in proton-proton collisions and limits on the anomalous electromagnetic moments of the τ lepton

The production of a pair of τ leptons via photon–photon fusion, γγ → ττ, is observed for the f irst time in proton–proton collisions, with a significance of 5.3 standard deviations. This observation is based on a data set recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb−1. Events with a pair of τ leptons produced via photon–photon fusion are selected by requiring them to be back-to-back in the azimuthal direction and to have a minimum number of charged hadrons associated with their production vertex. The τ leptons are reconstructed in their leptonic and hadronic decay modes. The measured fiducial cross section of γγ → ττ is σfid obs = 12.4+3.8 −3.1 fb. Constraints are set on the contributions to the anomalous magnetic moment (aτ) and electric dipole moments (dτ) of the τ lepton originating from potential effects of new physics on the γττ vertex: aτ = 0.0009+0.0032 −0.0031 and |dτ| < 2.9×10−17ecm (95% confidence level), consistent with the standard model

Efficient Queries over Web Views

Large web sites are becoming repositories of structured information that can benefit from being viewed and queried as relational databases. However, querying these views efficiently requires new techniques. Data usually resides at a remote site and is organized as a set of related HTML documents, with network access being a primary cost factor in query evaluation. This cost can be reduced by exploiting the redundancy often found in site design. We use a simple data model, a subset of the Araneus data model, to describe the structure of a web site. We augment the model with link and inclusion constraints that capture the redundancies in the site. We map relational views of a site to a navigational algebra and show how to use the constraints to rewrite algebraic expressions, reducing the number of network accesses. We show that similar techniques can be used to maintain materialized views over sets of HTML pages

Ochratoxin A adsorption phenotype: an inheritable yeast trait

21st International ICFMH Symposium “Evolving Microbial Food Quality and Safety” Aberdeen 1st – 4th Septembe