Antroposfera : aprenentatge col·laboratiu i creativitat en la pràctica projectual del disseny

Aquest estudi de cas recull les reflexions al voltant d’un taller experimental on s’han aplicat estratègies didàctiques basades en el desconfort i la ficció amb els objectius d’avaluar l’eficàcia d’un marc d’aprenentatge construït a partir de la combinació de diferents contextos, considerar el procés projectual com a matèria d’especulació en sí mateix i intensificar la creativitat en la pràctica del disseny. A partir del plantejament estratègic del taller i del control del procés de disseny amb els ítems de ficció i desconfort durant el desenvolupament del taller, s'ha pogut traçar la incidència que cadascun d'ells té en l'assoliment de l'aprenentatge col·laboratiu del projecte

Influence of Laser Modulation Frequency on the Performance of Terahertz Photoconductive Switches on Semi-Insulating GaAs Exhibiting Negative Differential Conductance

[EN]In typical terahertz time-domain spectroscopy systems, the use of the lock-in technique is necessary because of the low current induced at the receiver so that the laser pump beam must be modulated (chopped) at a frequency much lower than the laser repetition rate. This work shows that, in the case of semi-insulating GaAs (SI-GaAs) antennas, this modulation has an important effect on the antenna current and consequently, on the radiated electromagnetic pulse. There exists a threshold bias (whose value depends on the chopping frequency) where an abrupt increase in the current and consequently, in the terahertz emission takes place. The calculated energy of the pulse below and above the threshold shows that the energy doubles. The exact bias voltage at which this occurs changes with the laser modulation frequency when this is below 350 Hz, but at higher frequencies, the threshold remains almost constant. The experiments show that the responsibility for this behavior is the S-shape negative differential conductance exhibited by SI-GaAs originated by a slow field-enhanced charge trapping mechanism, which is also an important source of noise at the receiver of the system.SpanishMINECO and FEDER under Project TEC2017-83910-R and in Junta de Castilla y León and FEDER under Project SA254P1

Application of soil amendments and their effect in the growth of heliconia

The Heliconias have a great potential as a cut flower and for this reason an adequate management of the crop is important. The objective of this research was the application of soil amendments (Biol and superabsorbent polymers - SAP) and the analysis on their effect in the growth of Heliconia psittacorum cv. Tropica. An experiment was established using a completely randomized design with four treatments and five repetitions: SAP (1 g plant-1), biol (20 mL plant-1) + SAP (1 g plant-1), biol (20 mL plant-1) and one control (without application). A 20 cm rhizome was planted per pot and were evaluated the height of the plant, the number of leaves, the leaf area and the number of shoots were measured. The analysis of variance did not show statistical differences (p ≤ 0.05) between treatments for the variables of the height of the plant, the leaf area and the number of shoots, but statistical differences were found for the variable number of leaves (p ≤ 0.05), and the best treatments were Biol, SAP, and Biol + SAP. With the application of the biol and SAP amendments, it was not possible to increase the plant height, the leaf area and the number of Heliconia shoots. Regarding the application of SAP to the not found significant results in Heliconia, it is expected that treatments with SAP show a better effect in the dry season

Diseño de una aplicación móvil para apoyar el proceso de enseñanza para los estudiantes de Ingeniería Industrial de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana en la asignatura de Optimización

El desarrollo y uso de los dispositivos tecnológicos en la última década ha aumentado, afectando la forma en que interactuamos con la información. La presencia de los dispositivos móviles en la vida cotidiana brinda la oportunidad de crear nuevas herramientas y espacios que mejoren el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Lo que permite a las instituciones de educación superior utilizarlas para complementar sus prácticas educativas. Dentro de las aulas, algunos estudiantes no cuentan con métodos de estudios efectivos y constantes que promuevan el proceso de aprendizaje. Es por estas razones que este proyecto se centró en la creación de una aplicación móvil en temas de optimización para los estudiantes del programa de Ingeniería Industrial de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana en la sede de Bogotá. Con esto, se busca brindar un herramienta que contenga temas ludificados con el fin de ayudar a los estudiantes en la comprensión y estudio de estos temas. Esta aplicación se creó a partir de una metodología propia, la cual, se basó en temas cómo aprendizaje experiencial, Game Based Learning, ludificación, creación de producto, diseño de videojuegos y diseño de aplicaciones, así como la verificación del estándar de la norma ISO 25000 para productos de software. Posteriormente se realizó el análisis de la percepción de los estudiantes frente a la aplicación que hayan visto o estuvieran viendo estos temas en el periodo 2017-2. Con esto se busca determinar si la aplicación podría llegar a convertirse en una herramienta de estudio efectiva para los estudiantes.The wide adoption of mobile technology devices over the last decade has affected the way we interact with information. The presence of these mobile devices in everyday life provides the opportunity to create new tools and channels for the teaching-learning process allowing higher education institutions to use them to complement their educational practices. It is for these reasons that this project focused on the creation of a mobile application on optimization topics for the students of the Industrial Engineering program of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana at Bogota. We aim to provide a tool that contains gamified topics in order to help students in the understanding and study of these topics. This application was created from a composite methodology, which consists of three phases: Definition, which is divided in Preliminary Analysis, Content Design and Pedagogical Strategies. Construction, which is comprised by Design and development. And finally the Delivery Phase that is divided in performance and completion tests. The methodology makes use of topics such as experiential learning, Game Based Learning, gamification, product creation, video game design and application design, as well as the verification of the ISO 25000 standard for software products. Subsequently, the perception of students that had seen these topics before the 2018-1 period were analyzed in order to determine if the application could become an effective study tool for students.. conclude that the application had great acceptance by students thanks to the usefulness of the tool as support for their study process, the importance of the exercises’ feedback, the story in which the topics are presented and the interaction with the various mechanics.Ingeniero (a) IndustrialPregrad

Physical exercise for the health of man

La actividad física ha sido ciertamente un modo de comportamiento prehistórico del hombre., que siempre ha tenido la necesidad de movimiento.  Ejercicio físico, es el conjunto de acciones motoras musculares y esqueléticas. Comúnmente se refiere a cualquier actividad física que mejora y mantiene la aptitud física, la salud y el bienestar de la persona. Por eso el objetivo de este trabajo no es más que argumentar la importancia del ejercicio físico para la salud del hombre mediante la recolección de datos en fuentes de información ya sea digitales o en cualquier otro formato para así demostrar su relevancia en la salud humana. Se darán respuesta a varias interrogantes como: ¿Qué tipo de ejercicio debo realizar?,¿Cuál es la intensidad adecuada? entre otras. El deporte tiene una gran influencia en la prevención de muchas enfermedades como la obesidad, la hipertensión y la diabetes.  Prolongan el tiempo socialmente útil de la persona; al mejorar su capacidad física, cardiovascular, ósea y muscular eleva sus niveles productivos, por lo que retarda los cambios propios de la vejez. Asegura una mayor capacidad de trabajo y asegura la longevidad al favorecer la eliminación de toxinas y oxidantes. Mejora el aspecto físico de la persona.The physical activity has been certainly a way of the man's prehistoric behavior. That has always had the movement necessity.  Physical exercise is the group of actions muscular and skeletal motorboats. Commonly he/she refers to any physical activity that improves and it maintains the physical aptitude, the health and the person's well-being. For that reason the objective of this work is not more than to argue the importance of the physical exercise for the man's health by means of the gathering of data in sources of information either digital or in any other format it stops this way to demonstrate its relevance in the human health. They will be given answer to several queries like: What exercise type should I carry out?, Which is the appropriate intensity? among others. The sport has a great influence in the prevention of many illnesses like the obesity, the hypertension and the diabetes.  They prolong the person's socially useful time; when improving their physical, cardiovascular, bony and muscular capacity it elevates their productive levels, for what slows the changes characteristic of the age. It assures a bigger work capacity and it assures the longevity when favoring the elimination of toxins and oxidizers. It improves the person's physical aspect

Clinical Determinants and Prognosis of Left Ventricular Reverse Remodelling in Non-Ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Aims: Non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) is characterized by left ventricular (LV) chamber enlargement and systolic dysfunction in the absence of coronary artery disease. Left ventricular reverse remodelling (LVRR) is the ability of a dilated ventricle to restore its normal size, shape and function. We sought to determine the frequency, clinical predictors and prognostic implications of LVRR, in a cohort of heart failure (HF) patients with NIDCM. Methods: We conducted a multicentre observational, retrospective cohort study of patients with NIDCM, with prospective serial echocardiography evaluations. LVRR was defined as an increase of >= 15% in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) or as a LVEF increase >= 10% plus reduction of LV end-systolic diameter index >= 20%. We used multivariable logistic regression analyses to identify the baseline clinical predictors of LVRR and evaluate the prognostic impact of LVRR. Results: LVRR was achieved in 42.5% of 527 patients with NIDCM during the first year of follow-up (median LVEF 49%, median change +22%), Alcoholic aetiology, HF duration, baseline LVEF and the absence of LBBB (plus NT-proBNP levels when in the model), were the strongest predictors of LVRR. During a median follow-up of 47 months, 134 patients died (25.4%) and 7 patients (1.3%) received a heart transplant. Patients with LVRR presented better outcomes, regardless of other clinical conditions. Conclusions: In patients with NIDCM, LVRR was frequent and was associated with improved prognosis. Major clinical predictors of LVRR were alcoholic cardiomyopathy, absence of LBBB, shorter HF duration, and lower baseline LVEF and NT-proBNP levels. Our study advocates for clinical phenotyping of non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy and intense gold-standard treatment optimization of patients according to current guidelines and recommendations in specialized HF units

Compromising between European and US allergen immunotherapy schools: Discussions from GUIMIT, the Mexican immunotherapy guidelines

Background: Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) has a longstanding history and still remains the only disease-changing treatment for allergic rhinitis and asthma. Over the years 2 different schools have developed their strategies: the United States (US) and the European. Allergen extracts available in these regions are adapted to local practice. In other parts of the world, extracts from both regions and local ones are commercialized, as in Mexico. Here, local experts developed a national AIT guideline (GUIMIT 2019) searching for compromises between both schools. Methods: Using ADAPTE methodology for transculturizing guidelines and AGREE-II for evaluating guideline quality, GUIMIT selected 3 high-quality Main Reference Guidelines (MRGs): the European Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (EAACI) guideines, the S2k guideline of various German-speaking medical societies (2014), and the US Practice Parameters on Allergen Immunotherapy 2011. We formulated clinical questions and based responses on the fused evidence available in the MRGs, combined with local possibilities, patient's preference, and costs. We came across several issues on which the MRGs disagreed. These are presented here along with arguments of GUIMIT members to resolve them. GUIMIT (for a complete English version, see Supplementary data) concluded the following: Results: Related to the diagnosis of IgE-mediated respiratory allergy, apart from skin prick testing complementary tests (challenges, in vitro testing and molecular such as species-specific allergens) might be useful in selected cases to inform AIT composition. AIT is indicated in allergic rhinitis and suggested in allergic asthma (once controlled) and IgE-mediated atopic dermatitis. Concerning the correct subcutaneous AIT dose for compounding vials according to the US school: dosing tables and formula are given; up to 4 non-related allergens can be mixed, refraining from mixing high with low protease extracts. When using European extracts: the manufacturer's indications should be followed; in multi-allergic patients 2 simultaneous injections can be given (100% consensus); mixing is discouraged. In Mexico only allergoid tablets are available; based on doses used in all sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) publications referenced in MRGs, GUIMIT suggests a probable effective dose related to subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) might be: 50–200% of the monthly SCIT dose given daily, maximum mixing 4 allergens. Also, a table with practical suggestions on non-evidence-existing issues, developed with a simplified Delphi method, is added. Finally, dissemination and implementation of guidelines is briefly discussed, explaining how we used online tools for this in Mexico. Conclusions: Countries where European and American AIT extracts are available should adjust AIT according to which school is followed

Resolving the homology-function relationship through comparative genomics of membrane-trafficking machinery and parasite cell biology

With advances in DNA sequencing technology, it is increasingly common and tractable to informatically look for genes of interest in the genomic databases of parasitic organisms and infer cellular states. Assignment of a putative gene function based on homology to functionally characterized genes in other organisms, though powerful, relies on the implicit assumption of functional homology, i.e. that orthology indicates conserved function. Eukaryotes reveal a dazzling array of cellular features and structural organization, suggesting a concomitant diversity in their underlying molecular machinery. Significantly, examples of novel functions for pre-existing or new paralogues are not uncommon. Do these examples undermine the basic assumption of functional homology, especially in parasitic protists, which are often highly derived? Here we examine the extent to which functional homology exists between organisms spanning the eukaryotic lineage. By comparing membrane trafficking proteins between parasitic protists and traditional model organisms, where direct functional evidence is available, we find that function is indeed largely conserved between orthologues, albeit with significant adaptation arising from the unique biological features within each lineage

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Multidifferential study of identified charged hadron distributions in ZZ-tagged jets in proton-proton collisions at s=\sqrt{s}=13 TeV

Jet fragmentation functions are measured for the first time in proton-proton collisions for charged pions, kaons, and protons within jets recoiling against a $Z$ boson. The charged-hadron distributions are studied longitudinally and transversely to the jet direction for jets with transverse momentum 20 $< p_{\textrm{T}} < 100$ GeV and in the pseudorapidity range $2.5 < \eta < 4$. The data sample was collected with the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.64 fb$^{-1}$. Triple differential distributions as a function of the hadron longitudinal momentum fraction, hadron transverse momentum, and jet transverse momentum are also measured for the first time. This helps constrain transverse-momentum-dependent fragmentation functions. Differences in the shapes and magnitudes of the measured distributions for the different hadron species provide insights into the hadronization process for jets predominantly initiated by light quarks.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-013.html (LHCb public pages