Reaching the habit of reading for pleasure : a preliminary action research report

When you find out that you can improve the way you are teaching, because you realize that some objectives are not being reached, it is a good time to develop an action research. In this case, students did not have interest in reading and they found it very boring. I got some data to understand why they had not reached the habit of reading for pleasure and I decided to implement some changes in my daily activities. This was the first time I carried out an ARP following the steps that can be seen in the current article.Cuando descubres que puedes mejorar la forma en que enseñas, porque te das cuenta de que los alumnos no están alcanzando algunos objetivos, es un buen momento para desarrollar una investigación-acción. En este caso, los estudiantes no tenían interés en la lectura y la encontraban muy aburrida. Obtuve algunos datos para entender mejor por qué no habían alcanzado el hábito de leer por placer y decidí llevar a cabo algunos cambios en mis actividades diarias. Ésta era la primera vez que realizaba un PIA siguiendo los pasos que se pueden ver en el artículo actual

Haemodialysate: Long neglected, difficult to optimize, may modify hard outcomes

In two recent CKJ reviews, experts (Basile and Lomonte and Locatelli et al.) have reviewed haemodialysate composition. A longneglected issue, observational studies have associated the composition of haemodialysate to adverse outcomes. However, the scarcity of clinical trial-derived information results in limited guideline recommendations on the issue. Indeed, guidelines have more frequently indicated what not to do rather than what to do. In this setting, expert opinion becomes invaluable. In designing haemodialysate composition, a balance should be struck between the need to correct within a time frame of around 4 hours the electrolyte and water imbalances that take 48 to 72 h to build, with the need for gradual correction of these imbalances. The issue is complicated further by the impact of individual variability in dietary habits, medications and comorbidities. In this regard, a personalized medicine approach to individualization of haemodialysate composition offers the best chance of improving patient outcomes. But how can haemodialysate individualization be achieved, and what clinical trial design will best test the impact of such approaches on patient outcomes?Grant support: ISCIII and FEDER funds PI13/00047, Sociedad Española de Nefrologia, ISCIII-RETIC REDinREN/RD012/0021, Comunidad de Madrid CIFRA S2010/BMD-2378. Salary support: Programa Intensificación Actividad Investigadora (ISCIII/Agencia Laín-Entralgo/CM) to A.O

Hybrid Cross-Entropy Method/Hopfield Neural Network for Combinatorial Optimization Problems

Abstract. This paper presents a novel hybrid algorithm for combinatorial optimization problems based on mixing the cross-entropy (CE) method and a Hopfield neural network. The algorithm uses the CE method as a global search procedure, whereas the Hopfield network is used to solve the constraints associated to the problems. We have shown the validity of our approach in several instance of the generalized frequency assignment problem

Estudio de pre factibilidad para la instalación de una granja avícola productora de pollos de engorde, en la comarca Pilas Orientales de la ciudad de Masaya para el periodo de 2019-2023

La presente Investigación consiste en el desarrollo de un estudio de pre factibilidad para la instalación de una granja avícola comercializadora de pollo fresco ubicada en la comarca Pilas Orientales del municipio de Masaya, funcionando desde abril de 2019 hasta en diciembre de 2023. Para tal efecto se realizaron estudios en pro de evaluar la aceptación de mercado, la viabilidad técnica y rentabilidad financiera del proyecto. En el capítulo I se definen los detalles del producto que se comercializará y el segmento de mercado al que está dirigido. Tomando en cuenta la naturaleza de estos factores se analiza también la demanda del pollo en el mercado nicaragüense y las particularidades de los consumidores de las Pilas Orientales y las Conchitas. Además del consumidor final también se estudian las demandas de las pulperías y la oferta de la competencia potencial

Evaluación del impacto científico de las tesis doctorales en Ciencias Pedagógicas mediante indicadores cienciométricos

The doctoral theses in Pedagogical Sciences have a great contribution within social sciences in Cuba, their contents deal with very pertinent scientific problems for the Cuban society. However their scientific contributions have not been systematically evaluated by different specific techniques up to now, for this reason the determination of scientometric indicators is pertinent for the evaluation of their scientific impact. The objective of this article is the evaluation of scientific impact of doctoral theses in Pedagogical Sciences.Dentro de las ciencias sociales, las Ciencias Pedagógicas son las que aportan mayor cantidad de tesis doctorales anualmente en Cuba, las cuales abordan problemas científicos de alta pertinencia para la sociedad. Sin embargo, hasta ahora no han sido evaluadas de manera sistemática sus contribuciones científicas una vez presentadas y aprobadas oficialmente mediante herramientas previamente establecidas, por lo que es pertinente la determinación de indicadores cienciométricos que puedan contribuir a la determinación de su impacto científico. En investigaciones anteriores realizadas por los autores de este trabajo, como parte de un proyecto investigativo, se ha constatado que dicha evaluación es insuficiente y desigual, pero sin llegar a determinar indicadores específicos. El objetivo de este artículo es evaluar el impacto científico de las tesis doctorales en Ciencias Pedagógicas

Análisis altmétrico de la investigación sobre trastornos en la calidad de sueño publicada en 2021

Introduction: sleep is a biological function of vital importance for most living beings. The number of published research articles related to sleep disturbances and sleep-wake rhythm is unprecedented and shows the intense efforts of the global research community to understand the different aspects of these pathologies and address them.Objective: to analyze the impact of research on sleep quality disorders published in 2021, based on the media, social and scientific attention received.Methods: an altmetric, observational, descriptive-retrospective and cross-sectional study was carried out, since the impact and use of research on effects on sleep quality published in 2021 on social and scientific platforms was analyzed through the use of altmetric indicators.     Results: of the 60 articles with the greatest altmetric attention, 50 were publications in journals, nine in preprint servers, and one monograph. Most of the online attention the posts received was on Twitter (1,685,152 total tweets). The journals that published the most influential articles related to the topic in question are classified in SJR Q3 with relatively high H indices.Conclusions: the research related to Sleep Quality Disorders that most predominated in this study were those published in scientific journals, with the most influential being those published in quartile three  journals. Most of the online attention received by these publications It was done on Twitter.Introducción: el sueño constituye una función biológica de vital importancia para la mayoría de los seres vivos. La cantidad de artículos de investigación publicados relacionados con las alteraciones del sueño y el ritmo sueño-vigilia, no tiene precedentes y muestra los intensos esfuerzos de la comunidad investigadora mundial para comprender los diferentes aspectos de estas patologías y abordarla.Objetivo: analizar el impacto de la investigación sobre trastornos en la calidad del sueño publicada en el año 2021, a partir de la atención mediática, social y científica recibida.Métodos: se realizó un estudio altmétrico, observacional de tipo descriptivo-retrospectivo y de corte transversal, pues se analizó el impacto y uso de investigación sobre afectaciones en la calidad de sueño publicada en 2021 en las plataformas sociales y científicas mediante el empleo de indicadores altmétricos.Resultados: de los 60 artículos con mayor atención altmétrica, 50 fueron publicaciones en revistas, nueve en servidores de preprint y una monografía. La mayor parte de la atención en línea que recibieron las publicaciones se realizó en Twitter (1,685,152 tweets en total). Las revistas que publicaron los artículos más influyentes relacionados con la temática en cuestión se encuentran clasificadas en el Q3 de SJR con índices H relativamente altos.Conclusiones: las investigaciones relacionadas con los Trastornos en la Calidad del Sueño que más predominaron en este estudio fueron aquellas publicadas en revistas científicas, siendo los más influyentes aquellos publicados en revistas de cuartil tres. La mayor parte de la atención en línea que recibieron estas publicaciones se realizó en Twitter

A simplified electrical model of small PEM fuel cell

This research work is devoted to the development of an electrical and mathematical model able to simulate the static and transient phenomena in a small power polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEM) system. At present, there are different electrochemical models available to capture the steady state behavior by estimating the equilibrium voltage for a particular set of operating conditions. However, it is difficult to find models capable of describing transient phenomena. Dynamic models are very interesting from a practical point of view when the loads exhibit large variations. Some examples are powertrains of land-based vehicles or submarines. In that cases, the output power from the fuel cell shows large variations during acceleration and deceleration.The authors would like to thank the support of the Spanish Government under the PROFIT research project CIT-120000-2005-19

Skeletal, facial and dentoalveolar changes produced by treatment with acetate plates and class III elastics in patients with skeletal and dental mesiorelation in early decidous or mixed teething

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to establish the clinical and radiographic changes produced by using bimaxillary acetate plates with Class III elastics during one year for treatment of skeletal Class III in patients with early deciduous or mixed dentition. Methods: a quasi-experimental prospective clinical study was carried out in 26 subjects, ages three to nine years. Lateral cephalometric radiographs and study models were taken at the beginning, six months, and one year of treatment; post-treatment changes were evaluated after three years in five subjects. During the statistical analysis descriptive measures were obtained, and the Anova test for repeated measures was used to determine changes over time; also, the nonparametric Wilcoxon test was used with a significance level of 0.005. Results: favorable skeletal changes were achieved in the mandible, especially at the SNB, facial and gonial angles, the pog distance perpendicular to N, the lower anterior facial height, and the Y axis; dentoalveolarly, there were improvements in both horizontal overbite and Witts, as well as in facial aesthetics, as evidenced by the decrease of the E-plane FH angle and lower lip protrusion. After three years of treatment, stability of the results was observed. Conclusions: acetate plates with Class III elastics demonstrated to be a stable and effective therapy, according to evaluation three years after treatment, for facial improvement of skeletal Class III with anterior crossbite in early primary or mixed dentition.RESUMEN: El propósito fue establecer los cambios clínicos y radiográficos con el uso durante un año de placas de acetato bimaxilares con elásticos de clase III para el tratamiento de la clase III esquelética en pacientes con dentición decidua o mixta temprana. Métodos: se hizo un estudio clínico prospectivo cuasi-experimental en 26 sujetos entre tres y nueve años. Se tomaron radiografías cefálicas laterales y modelos de estudio al inicio, a los seis meses y al año de tratamiento, se evaluaron cambios postratamiento después de tres años en cinco sujetos. En el análisis estadístico se obtuvieron medidas descriptivas y se utilizó la prueba Anova de medidas repetidas para determinar los cambios en el tiempo y se utilizó la prueba no paramétrica de Wilcoxon, con nivel de significancia de 0,005. Resultados: se obtuvieron cambios esqueléticos favorables a nivel mandibular en los ángulos SNB, facial y goníaco, la distancia pog. perpendicular a N, altura facial anterior inferior, y eje Y; dentoalveolarmente una mejoría en la sobremordida horizontal y el Witts, mejoría en la estética facial evidenciada por la disminución del ángulo FH plano E y de la protrusión del labio inferior. Después de tres años de finalizado el tratamiento se encontró estabilidad en los resultados. Conclusiones: las placas de acetato con elásticos de clase III fueron una terapia efectiva y estable a tres años de evaluación postratamiento para el mejoramiento facial, de la clase III esquelética y la mordida cruzada anterior

The recent neophyte Opuntia aurantiaca Lindl.: distribution and potential invasion in Spain

Trabajo presentado en el XVI Optima Meeting (Organization for the Phyto-Taxonomic Investigation of the Mediterranean Area), celebrado en Atenas (Grecia), del 2 al 5 de octubre de 2019The Cactaceae, and especially its most emblematic genus, Opuntia, have become one of the groups of plants with greater invasion potential in Spain. In fact, this area is considered one of the three global hotspots of invasion of cacti, together with South Africa and Australia. In our country, one of the most recently detected species is Opuntia aurantiaca Lindl, a small cactus with an enormous capacity of dispersion by means of cladodes and (sterile) fruits, which are easily detached and adhere to animals, clothes, and footwear. Probably native to the Southern Cone (Argentina and Uruguay), it behaves as a very aggressive invader in Australia and South Africa. In Europe, it only occurs on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula (Catalonia and Valencian Community). In this study, the geographic range of the species is updated at the peninsular level. Firstly detected at the beginning of the last decade in Navajas (Castellón), it has been subsequently observed in other places of the province of Castellón, but also in Valencia, Tarragona and Barcelona. With all occurrence data, its potential distribution is estimated using the algorithm of maximum entropy implemented in the program MaxEnt. Distribution models are built for the current climatic conditions as well as for different scenarios of global warming. Due to its possible invasive nature, it is necessary to eradicate the existing populations at this initial stage. Legislation should consider the prohibition of trade and transport of this plant to avoid new introductions

Direct actions of dapagliflozin and interactions with LCZ696 and spironolactone on cardiac fibroblasts of patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction

Inhibitors of SGLT2 (SGLT2i) have shown a positive impact in patients with chronic heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Nonetheless, the direct effects of SGLT2i on cardiac cells and how their association with main drugs used for HFrEF affect the behaviour and signalling pathways of myocardial fibroblasts are still unknown. We aimed to determine the effects of dapagliflozin alone and in combination with sacubitril/valsartan (LCZ696) or spironolactone on the function of myocardial fibroblasts of patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).Myocardial fibroblasts isolated from HFrEF patients (n = 5) were treated with dapagliflozin alone (1 nM-1 ?M) or combined with LCZ696 (100 nM) or spironolactone (100 nM). The migratory rate was determined by wound-healing scratch assay. Expression of heart failure (HF) markers and signalling pathways activation were analysed with multiplexed protein array. Commercially available cardiac fibroblasts from healthy donors were used as Control (n = 4). Fibroblasts from HFrEF show higher migratory rate compared with control (P = 0.0036), and increased expression of HF markers [fold-change (Log2): COL1A1-1.3; IL-1b-1.9; IL-6-1.7; FN1-2.9 (P < 0.05)]. Dapagliflozin slowed the migration rate of HFrEF fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner and markedly decreased the expression of IL-1?, IL-6, MMP3, MMP9, GAL3, and FN1. SGLT2i had no effect on control fibroblasts. These effects were associated with decreased phosphorylation of AKT/GSK3 and PYK2 kinases and the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT). A combination of dapagliflozin + LCZ696 further decreased fibroblast migration, although it did not have a significant effect on the regulation of signalling pathways and the expression of biomarkers induced by SGLT2 inhibition alone. In contrast, the combination of dapagliflozin + spironolactone did not change the migration rate of fibroblast but significantly altered SGLT2i responses on MMP9, GAL3, and IL-1b expression, in association with increased phosphorylation of the kinases AKT/GSK3 and ERK1/2.SGLT2i, LCZ696, and spironolactone modulate the function of isolated myocardial fibroblasts from HFrEF patients through the activation of different signalling pathways. The combination of SGLT2i + LCZ696 shows an additive effect on migration, while spironolactone modifies the signalling pathways activated by SGLT2i and its beneficial effects of biomarkers of heart failure.© 2022 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Cardiology