Beliefs and Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence in a Group of Young Puerto Ricans

In this paper we aim to describe the beliefs and attitudes young people in Puerto Rico have toward intimate partner violence (IPV). Although Puerto Rico has a high rate of IPV, little empirical research has been conducted about the beliefs and attitudes people have regarding this issue. We conducted 20 in-depth qualitative interviews with young men and women. Data was analyzed using the qualitative content analysis approach. Participants expressed that men are more violent than women because of testosterone, machismo, and alcohol and other drug use. Both male and female participants stated that they believe they have the same rights to make decisions. Participants did not express directly stereotypical attitudes and beliefs that justify IPV. However, there remains a desire in some participants to have control over where their partner is and what he or she is doing. Preventive interventions are urgently needed to promote healthier relationships among young people

Análisis De La Vulnerabilidad Social Y Propuesta Para Lograr La Equidad Social De Los Estudiantes Del Ceba "José Gálvez" De Cajabamba - 2014

La presente tesis de investigación tuvo por objetivo analizar la situación de vulnerabilidad social en el sentido de conocer las condiciones en las que viven, estudian, trabajan y se desenvuelven los estudiantes del Centro de Educación Básica Alternativa “José Gálvez” de Cajabamba, tomando como base los informes hechos por el INEI desde el año 2009 al año 2014, así como reportes hechos por UNICEF, UNESCO, OCDE, Banco Mundial y otros organismos que se preocupan por la vulnerabilidad de los derechos de la persona. La tesis es de tipo aplicada, de diseño no experimental de corte transversal, la muestra fue de 70 estudiantes, se utilizó la técnica de la encuesta tomando como base la ENAHO 2013. Los resultados fueron que los alumnos de Educación Básica Alternativa (EBA) del CEBA “José Gálvez” (turno noche) de Cajabamba, tienen una alta vulnerabilidad, dado que reciben un servicio educativo con las mínimas condiciones sin mayor apoyo del Estado, laboran más de 8 horas diarias en trabajos informales, no tienen beneficios sociales ni CTS, no reciben las mismas atenciones que tienen los estudiantes de EBR, sintiéndose marginados y excluidos por la misma sociedad, siendo éstos procedentes de los sectores de extrema pobreza. Dada estas condiciones, el presente estudio presenta una propuesta factible que permita lograr la equidad social, alcanzando así una sociedad, más justa y equitativa.Tesi

Accountability en Chile : un estudio sociocrítico sobre innovación educativa y control de la docencia

El objetivo de este artículo es conocer, desde una perspectiva teórica basada en el conflicto y el poder, cómo los procesos de accountability en Chile tensionan a los docentes para adherirse al currículum central, y de qué manera afectan los procesos de innovación educativa. Hemos conducido un estudio desde un paradigma sociocrítico, con herramientas cualitativas y participativas, construyendo producciones narrativas con nueve docentes en la zona central de Chile. Los resultados muestran que los docentes se sienten atados a un sistema educativo de estándares muy rígidos, con un currículum central demasiado exhaustivo y un sistema de accountability que limita sus posibilidades de acción y, por lo tanto, sus posibilidades de realizar innovaciones educativas profundas. También muestran que este sistema ha permeado en un contexto discursivo, delimitando tanto la interpretación de los indicadores como las expectativas que se tienen sobre los docentes y, por lo tanto, su propia motivación a hacer cosas diferentes a las ya establecidas. Concluimos que la homogeneización de la tarea docente bajo propuestas neoliberales de organización de los centros educativos y desarrollo curricular supone no sólo una reducción notable de la autonomía docente, sino que limita la posibilidad de desarrollar procesos creativos en los centros educativos y, consecuentemente, dificulta la aparición de innovaciones que podrían llevar a mejoras educativas significativas. A su vez, se manifiesta la necesidad de que los docentes se empoderen, especialmente del currículum educativo, para retomar el control de su trabajo pedagógico.This article starts from a theoretical perspective based on conflict and power. The main goal is to know how Chilean educational accountability processes push teachers to stick to the national curriculum, and how they affect educational innovation processes inside their schools. We conducted a study from a sociocritic paradigm, with qualitative and participative tools. We constructed narrative productions with nine teachers from Chile. Results show that teachers feel tied to an educational system with rigid standards, an extremely exhaustive national curriculum and a stressful accountability system. These elements limit teacher's actions and possibilities to do deep educational innovations. At the same time, teachers from non-evaluated disciplines in this accountability system feel abandoned by their institutions, so they cannot take advantage of their freedom because of the lack of support to make their innovations sustainable. As well, results show that this system has permeated into a discursive context, delimiting the indicators interpretations, the social expectations over teachers and, therefore, their motivation to do things other than those stablished. We conclude that homogenization of teachers' tasks under neoliberal models reduce teachers' autonomy and limit creative process. This hinders the creation and adaptation of educational innovations that could bring the school to meaningful improvements. However, teachers need to empower themselves and their relationship with curriculum and take control of their own pedagogical work

Operation and control of MMCs using cells with power transfer capability

Cells in conventional Modular Multilevel Converters (MMC) designs use a capacitor for energy storage. This means that the net power balance for each cell (neglecting losses) needs to be equal to zero, the MCC realizing therefore a power transfer between its DC and AC sides. This paper analyzes the design, operation and control of MMCs in which the cells have the capability to transfer (inject or drain) power. The use of such cells opens several new functionalities and uses for the MMC. On one hand, it would allow integrating elements like distributed energy storage (e.g. batteries), low-voltage/low power sources (e.g. PV) and loads at the cell level. Cells with power transfer capability can also be used connect the medium/high voltage DC and AC ports intrinsic to the MMC, with low voltage DC/AC ports at the cell level. This would result in multiport power converters, potential applications of this topology including solid state transformers (SST

Control strategies for MMC using cells with power transfer capability

IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, ECCE 2015 (2015. Montréal)Conventional MMCs use cells which typically consist of a half-bridge and a capacitor. Due to their limited energy storage capability, the net power balance of the cells is zero (neglecting losses), the MMC therefore realizing a bidirectional power transfer between its DC and AC ports. It is possible however to provide the MMC with the capability to transfer power at the cell level. The use of such cells opens new functionalities and uses for the MMC, including integration at the cell level of distributed energy storage (e.g. batteries), low-voltage/low power sources/loads, and its operation as a multiport power converter, combining high and low voltage AC and DC ports. Existing control strategies for MMCs assume that all the cells have an identical design and operate identically. However, use of cells with power transfer capability can result in imbalances in their operation, provided that not all the cells transfer power, or that they do not transfer the same amount of power. This paper addresses the design and control of MMCs using cells with power transfer capability, with special focus on the design of suitable control strategies and on the definition of their limits of operatio

Open and Flexible Embedded System Applied to Positioning and Telecontrol

This paper presents the development and testing of an open and flexible embedded system applied to positioning and telecontrol (OFESAPO) for outdoor applications. The system is composed of a control center (CC) and a set of remote terminal units (RTUs); the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60870-5 series has been chosen for communication among them. This is a standard protocol of real-time telecontrol applications. The CC is a personal computer, and the RTUs are based on open hardware and software. The RTU hardware is an embedded system, i.e., a system-on-chip-type design using fieldprogrammable gate array that has been programmed with the open-core LEON running Linux operating system. For prototyping, the GR-XC3S-1500 board has been used. As there is no open source code available for the IEC standard protocols, an open source code has also been implemented. Hence, both the hardware and the software are open source in OFESAPO. Several tests have been made to show the system’s limitations and the suitability for real-time applications. A prototype has also been tested in a real environment, where the real position of two moving RTUs was shown by a CC using Google Map.Junta de Andalucía p08-TIC-363

Sun protection for preventing basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers

Background'Keratinocyte cancer' is now the preferred term for the most commonly identified skin cancers basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and cutaneoussquamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), which were previously commonly categorised as non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC). Keratinocytecancer (KC) represents about 95% of malignant skin tumours. Lifestyle changes have led to increased exposure to the sun, which has,in turn, led to a significant increase of new cases of KC, with a worldwide annual incidence of between 3% and 8%. The successful useof preventive measures could mean a significant reduction in the resources used by health systems, compared with the high cost of thetreatment of these conditions. At present, there is no information about the quality of the evidence for the use of these sun protectionstrategies with an assessment of their benefits and risks.ObjectivesTo assess the effects of sun protection strategies (i.e. sunscreen and barrier methods) for preventing keratinocyte cancer (that is, basal cellcarcinoma (BCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) of the skin) in the general population.Search methodsWe searched the following databases up to May 2016: the Cochrane Skin Group Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, andLILACS. We also searched five trial registries and the bibliographies of included studies for further references to relevant trials.Selection criteriaWe included randomised controlled clinical trials (RCTs) of preventive strategies for keratinocyte cancer, such as physical barriers andsunscreens, in the general population (children and adults), which may provide information about benefits and adverse events related tothe use of solar protection measures. We did not include trials focused on educational strategies to prevent KC or preventive strategiesin high-risk groups. Our prespecified primary outcomes were BCC or cSCC confirmed clinically or by histopathology at any follow-up andadverse events

Improvement of electrocatalytic effect in voltammetric sensors based on phthalocyanines

Producción CientíficaVoltammetric sensors based on phthalocyanines have been used to detect a variety of compounds. In this paper, the state of the art of sensors prepared using classical techniques will be revised. Then, new strategies to improve the performance of the sensors will be described using as example sensors chemically modified with lutetium bisphthalocyanine (LuPc2) dedicated to the detection of phenols of interest in the food industry. Classical LuPc2 carbon paste electrodes can detect phenols such as catechol, caffeic acid or pyrogallol with limits of detection in the range of 10-4–10-5 M. The performance can be improved by using nanostructured Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) or Layer by Layer (LbL) films. The enhanced surface to volume ratio produce an increase in the sensitivity of the sensors. Limits of detection of 10-5–10-7 M are attained, which are one order of magnitude lower than those obtained using conventional carbon paste electrodes. Moreover, these techniques can be used to coimmobilize two electrocatalytic materials in the same device. The limits of detection obtained in LB sensors combining LuPc2/AuNPs or LuPc2/CNT are further improved. Finally, the LB technique has been used to prepare biosensors where a phenol oxydase (such as tyrosinase or lacasse) is immobilized in a biomimetic environment that preserves the enzymatic activity. Moreover, LuPc2 can be co-immobilized with the enzyme in a lipidc film formed by arachidic acid (AA). LuPc2 can act as an electron mediator facilitating the electron transfer. These biomimetic sensors formed by LuPc2/AA/enzyme show Limits of detection of 10-8 M and an enhanced selectivity.CM-P agradece a la Universidad de Valladolid por su beca PIF-UVa y CG-H por su contrato pre-doctoral JCYL (BOCYL-D-24112015-9).Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad – FEDER (Grant CICYT AGL2012-33535)Junta de Castilla y León (programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación - Ref. VA-032U13