51 research outputs found
Medición de las capacidades tecnológicas para la innovación en los sistemas de conocimiento e innovación agrÃcola
Innovation systems’ knowledge and technology generation, diffusion and use functions are associated with technological innovation capabilities (TICs). TICs play a crucial role in the innovating performance of agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKISs). Yet, the perspectives of current methods do not facilitate a dynamical and organizational understanding of TICs and, thus, innovation systems. This paper proposes a method that relates TICs to an organizational behavior model to measure the TIC level. We apply the method through a survey of 256 coffee AKIS firms and 74 avocado AKIS firms in Antioquia, Colombia. The results presented confirm that the measurement of TIC levels and their dynamics over time provides a better understanding of innovation processes to evaluate and identify existing gaps between TICs and these systems’ innovation functions.Las funciones de generación, difusión y uso de conocimiento y tecnologÃa en los sistemas de innovación están asociadas a las capacidades tecnológicas para la innovación (TICs, por su sigla en inglés), las cuales juegan un papel fundamental en el desempeño innovador de los sistemas de conocimiento e innovación agrÃcola (AKIS, por su sigla en inglés). No obstante, las metodologÃas actuales no exhiben perspectivas que faciliten la comprensión dinámica y organizacional de las TICs, lo que dificulta la comprensión de dichos sistemas. Este artÃculo presenta una propuesta metodológica para medir el nivel de las TICs al asociarlas a un modelo de comportamiento organizacional para aplicarlo en una muestra de 256 organizaciones del AKIS del café y 74 organizaciones del AKIS del aguacate en el departamento de Antioquia (Colombia). Los resultados confirman que la medición del nivel de las TICs y de sus variaciones dinámicas en el tiempo permite mejorar la comprensión de los procesos de innovación y evaluar e identificar las brechas existentes entre las TICs y las funciones de innovación de estos sistemas.
 
Complex low volume electronics simulation tool to improve yield and reliability
Assembly of Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) in low volumes
and a high-mix requires a level of manual intervention during
product manufacture, which leads to poor first time yield and
increased production costs. Failures at the component-level
and failures that stem from non-component causes (i.e.
system-level), such as defects in design and manufacturing,
can account for this poor yield. These factors have not been
incorporated in prediction models due to the fact that systemfailure
causes are not driven by well-characterised
deterministic processes. A simulation and analysis support
tool being developed that is based on a suite of interacting
modular components with well defined functionalities and
interfaces is presented in this paper. The CLOVES (Complex
Low Volume Electronics Simulation) tool enables the
characterisation and dynamic simulation of complete design;
manufacturing and business processes (throughout the entire
product life cycle) in terms of their propensity to create
defects that could cause product failure. Details of this system
and how it is being developed to fulfill changing business
needs is presented in this paper. Using historical data and
knowledge of previous printed circuit assemblies (PCA)
design specifications and manufacturing experiences, defect
and yield results can be effectively stored and re-applied for
future problem solving. For example, past PCA design
specifications can be used at design stage to amend designs or
define process options to optimise the product yield and
service reliability
Characterization of printed solder paste excess and bridge related defects
Surface Mount Technology (SMT) involves the
printing of solder paste on to printed circuit board (PCB)
interconnection pads prior to component placement and
reflow soldering. This paper focuses on the solder paste
deposition process. With an approximated cause ratio of
50 – 70% of post assembly defects, solder paste
deposition represents the most significant cause initiator
of the three sub-processes. Paradigmatic cause models,
and associated design rules and effects data are
extrapolated from academic and industrial literature and
formulated into physical models that identify and
integrate the process into three discrete solder paste
deposition events - i.e. (i) stencil / PCB alignment, (ii)
print stroke / aperture filling and (iii) stencil separation /
paste transfer. The project’s industrial partners are
producers of safety-critical products and have recognised
the in-service reliability benefits of electro-mechanical
interface elimination when multiple smaller circuit
designs are assimilated into one larger Printed Circuit
Assembly (PCA). However, increased solder paste
deposition related defect rates have been reported with
larger PCAs and therefore, print process physical models
need to account for size related phenomena
A simulation module for supporting the manufacture of high value added electronics manufacturing
Given the global pressures and demanding
requirements for high value added electronics
manufacturing, it is vital to make the right decisions on
the shop floor. One of the main shop floor level decisions
in the domain is the selection of the most appropriate
scheduling strategy for the available manufacturing
system. Simulation has proved to be a powerful decision
support tool. However, very few studies have used this
potential to support the evaluation of scheduling
strategies in a manufacturing context. A component-based
simulation tool to evaluate the performance of scheduling
strategies on a particular system is presented in this paper.
The component based structure of the simulation tool
allows the main problem requirements to be addressed.
An example, based on a real company, illustrates the
nature of the simulation results and the kind of support
that can be obtaine
Heavy Metal Tolerance of Microorganisms Isolated from Coastal Marine Sediments and Their Lead Removal Potential
In this study, 338 microorganisms, comprising 271 bacteria and 67 fungi, were isolated from sediment samples collected from underexplored Pacific and Caribbean regions of Colombia. Screening trials were conducted on selected strains (n = 276) to assess their tolerance to cadmium (Cd2+), lead (Pb2+), and zinc (Zn2+), leading to the identification of six bacteria capable of withstanding 750 mg·L−1 of each heavy metal ion. Three promising microorganisms, identified as Enterobacter sp. INV PRT213, Pseudomonas sp. INV PRT215, and Stenotrophomonas sp. INV PRT216 were selected for lead removal experiments using LB broth medium supplemented with 400 mg·L−1 Pb2+. Among these, Pseudomonas sp. INV PRT215 exhibited significant potential, removing 49% of initial Pb2+ after 240 min of exposure (16.7 g wet biomass·L−1, pH 5, 30 °C). Infrared spectra of Pb-exposed biomass showed changes in functional groups, including carbonyl groups of amides, carboxylate, phosphate, hydroxyl, and amine groups, compared to the not-exposed control. These changes suggested interactions between the metal and functional groups in the biomass. The findings of this study highlight the potential of microorganisms derived from coastal marine environments as promising candidates for future applications in bioremediation of polluted environments contaminated with heavy metals
Aportes a la educación ambiental para la conservación de tortugas marinas
Sea turtles are in danger of extinction due to anthropic actions. Today's society demands to think about environmental education as a tool that strengthens critical thinking and environmental awareness. Consequently, this documentary investigation was carried out, which consisted of two moments. First, the review of various sources on environmental education aimed at the conservation of sea turtles, at the national and international level (1987-2018) and the choice of four thematic nuclei (target audience, educational strategy, purpose of the proposal, level of deepening) to carry out the analysis. Second, the design of an educational proposal that takes up the main contributions identified in the literature review. 70 materials of various types were found: books, web pages, articles, reports, wich were published in 17 countries. The largest number of material correspond to Colombia and the United States. For the most part, the materials are aimed at the Local Community, being the conservation of sea turtles their main purpose. Additionally, different Didactic Strategies are implemented. The most used is Experiences Experiences. In the documents found, the biological component prevails over the educational-environmental one, therefore, it is expected that the didactic proposal will contribute to future experiences and contribute to the conservation of turtles from a more integrative perspectiveLas tortugas marinas se encuentran en vÃa de extinción debido las acciones antrópicas. La sociedad actual exige pensar en la educación ambiental como herramienta que fortalece el pensamiento crÃtico y la conciencia ambiental. Por consiguiente, se realizó esta investigación documental que consistió en dos momentos. Primero, la revisión de diversas fuentes sobre educación ambiental dirigidas a la conservación de tortugas marinas, en el ámbito nacional e internacional (1987-2018) y la elección de cuatro núcleos temáticos (público objetivo, estrategia educativa, objetivo de la propuesta, nivel de profundización) para llevar a cabo el análisis. Segundo, el diseño de una propuesta educativa que retoma los principales aportes identificados en la revisión de literatura. Se encontraron 70 materiales de diversos tipos: libros, páginas web, artÃculos e informes, que fueron publicados en 17 paÃses. El mayor número de hallazgos de material corresponden a Colombia y Estados Unidos. En su mayorÃa, los materiales tienen como objetivo la Comunidad Local, siendo la conservación de las tortugas marinas su propósito principal. Adicionalmente, se implementan distintas estrategias didácticas, siendo la más usada, experiencias vivenciales. En los documentos encontrados prevalece el componente biológico sobre el educativo-ambiental; por ello, se espera que la propuesta didáctica contribuya a futuras experiencias y aporte a la conservación de las tortugas desde una mirada más integradora
Complex Low Volume Electronics Simulation Tool to Improve Yield and Reliability
Assembly of Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) in low volumes
and a high-mix requires a level of manual intervention during
product manufacture, which leads to poor first time yield and
increased production costs. Failures at the component-level
and failures that stem from non-component causes (i.e.
system-level), such as defects in design and manufacturing,
can account for this poor yield. These factors have not been
incorporated in prediction models due to the fact that systemfailure
causes are not driven by well-characterised
deterministic processes. A simulation and analysis support
tool being developed that is based on a suite of interacting
modular components with well defined functionalities and
interfaces is presented in this paper. The CLOVES (Complex
Low Volume Electronics Simulation) tool enables the
characterisation and dynamic simulation of complete design;
manufacturing and business processes (throughout the entire
product life cycle) in terms of their propensity to create
defects that could cause product failure. Details of this system
and how it is being developed to fulfill changing business
needs is presented in this paper. Using historical data and
knowledge of previous printed circuit assemblies (PCA)
design specifications and manufacturing experiences, defect
and yield results can be effectively stored and re-applied for
future problem solving. For example, past PCA design
specifications can be used at design stage to amend designs or
define process options to optimise the product yield and
service reliability
A simulation module for supporting the manufacture of high value added electronics manufacturing
Given the global pressures and demanding
requirements for high value added electronics
manufacturing, it is vital to make the right decisions on
the shop floor. One of the main shop floor level decisions
in the domain is the selection of the most appropriate
scheduling strategy for the available manufacturing
system. Simulation has proved to be a powerful decision
support tool. However, very few studies have used this
potential to support the evaluation of scheduling
strategies in a manufacturing context. A component-based
simulation tool to evaluate the performance of scheduling
strategies on a particular system is presented in this paper.
The component based structure of the simulation tool
allows the main problem requirements to be addressed.
An example, based on a real company, illustrates the
nature of the simulation results and the kind of support
that can be obtaine
Pilot Study of an Integrative New Tool for Studying Clinical Outcome Discrimination in Acute Leukemia
Acute leukemia is a heterogeneous set of diseases affecting children and adults. Current prognostic factors are not accurate predictors of the clinical outcome of adult patients and the stratification of risk groups remains insufficient. For that reason, this study proposes a multifactorial analysis which integrates clinical parameters, ex vivo tumor characterization and behavioral in vivo analysis in zebrafish. This model represents a new approach to understand leukemic primary cells behavior and features associated with aggressiveness and metastatic potential. Xenotransplantation of primary samples from patients newly diagnosed with acute leukemia in zebrafish embryos at 48 hpf was used to asses survival rate, dissemination pattern, and metastatic potential. Seven samples from young adults classified in adverse, favorable or intermediate risk group were characterized. Tumor heterogeneity defined by Leukemic stem cell (LSC) proportion, was performed by metabolic and cell membrane biomarkers characterization. Thus, our work combines all these parameters with a robust quantification strategy that provides important information about leukemia biology, their relationship with specific niches and the existent inter and intra-tumor heterogeneity in acute leukemia. In regard to prognostic factors, leukemic stem cell proportion and Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) migration into zebrafish were the variables with highest weights for the prediction analysis. Higher ALDH activity, less differentiated cells and a broader and random migration pattern are related with worse clinical outcome after induction chemotherapy. This model also recapitulates multiple aspects of human acute leukemia and therefore is a promising tool to be employed not only for preclinical studies but also supposes a new tool with a higher resolution compared to traditional methods for an accurate stratification of patients into worse or favorable clinical outcome
Characterization of printed solder paste excess and bridge related defects
Surface Mount Technology (SMT) involves the
printing of solder paste on to printed circuit board (PCB)
interconnection pads prior to component placement and
reflow soldering. This paper focuses on the solder paste
deposition process. With an approximated cause ratio of
50 – 70% of post assembly defects, solder paste
deposition represents the most significant cause initiator
of the three sub-processes. Paradigmatic cause models,
and associated design rules and effects data are
extrapolated from academic and industrial literature and
formulated into physical models that identify and
integrate the process into three discrete solder paste
deposition events - i.e. (i) stencil / PCB alignment, (ii)
print stroke / aperture filling and (iii) stencil separation /
paste transfer. The project’s industrial partners are
producers of safety-critical products and have recognised
the in-service reliability benefits of electro-mechanical
interface elimination when multiple smaller circuit
designs are assimilated into one larger Printed Circuit
Assembly (PCA). However, increased solder paste
deposition related defect rates have been reported with
larger PCAs and therefore, print process physical models
need to account for size related phenomena
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