Mathematical modelling of zika virus in Brazil

In this paper we study some deterministic mathematical models that seek to explain the expansion of zika virus, as a viral epidemic, using published data for Brazil. SIR type models are proposed and validated using the epidemic data found, considering several aspects in the spread of the disease. Finally, we confirmed that the crucial epidemic parameter such as $R_0$ is consistent with those previously reported in the literature for other areas. We also explored variations of the parameters within Brazil for different federal entities. We concluded that a parsimonious model that includes both human and vector populations best describe the epidemic parameters

Cambios en la expresión del receptor D2 de dopamina durante la adicción a la comida grasa en ratones.

Introducción. La obesidad es un problema de salud a nivel mundial El desarrollo de la obesidad está asocia a un incremento en la ingesta de alimentos hipercalóricos en parte a que la comida puede tener propiedades "adictivas". El desarrollo de la adicción involucra cambios aberrantes en la plasticidad sináptica del cerebro, entre los que destacan alteraciones en el sistema dopaminérgico. Diversos estudios indican que la conducta de adicción a las drogas produce una disminución del contenido del receptor de dopamina 2 (DRD2) en el estriado. Sin embargo, se desconoce de estar presente durante el desarrollo de la adicción a la comida hipercalórica en fases tempranas al desarrollo de la obesidad. En este contexto, el objetivo principal de la presente es la determinación de la integridad de la comida hipercalórica, la presentación de las propiedades adictivas, la conducta conductual de preferencia del lugar. Adicionalmente, se analizó si la conducta adictiva se asociaba con el decremento del contenido del DRD2 en el estriado empleando PCR en tiempo rcal. Los resultados indican que los ratones están preparados para el consumo de comida en grasa en comparación con la comida control. Además, la ingesta de comida alta en la grasa ejerce un cambio de prefrencia de lugar hacia el compartimento menos favorable. corroborando su efecto adictivo. No obstante, esta conducta adictiva no correlaciona con las camionetas en el nivel de expresión del DRID2 en el estriado. Nucstros resultados indican que la comida hipercalórica es un poderoso inductor de conducta adictiva y no está asociada con camio en la expresión del DRD2 en el estriado

TimeSeq: sequences with normalized time information for Seq2Seq translation task

During last years, researchers have focused on developing Deep Learning models to translate natural language questions to SQL structured queries, what is known as the "text-to-sql" translation task. By 2020, DL models have reached outstanding results in WikiSQL and Spider challenges. However, there are still some challenges they have not addressed. Time normalization and small size of training samples stand out among these challenges. Nowadays, state-of-the-art models for text-to-sql task are not able to deal with common questions like, "what were the average sales for last three Christmas?" or "how much did I sell in every weekend of the last quarter of previous year?". On the other hand, models are trained with relatively small number of samples compared to the number of parameters in the deep learning models and collecting more questions and annotate the dataset is not easy. For these reasons, we propose TimeSeq, a new standard for annotating temporal information as normalized token sequences (time sequences), which can take advantage of DL models that perform seq-to-seq translation for automatically normalizing relative time information contained in common questions about business databases. Currently this standard applies to the context of questions made about the content of a transactional database; but could grow to other domains. We demonstrated with our experiments that deep learning models can learn to summarize the temporal information contained in a natural language question into a time sequence. We developed a process for data augmentation to increase the examples of pairs of questions and time sequences, based in the substitution of paraphrases corresponding to 3 ontologies we integrated: (1) Ontology of Paraphrases for Temporal Expressions, (2) Ontology of Paraphrases for General Business Database Querying, and (3) Ontology of Paraphrases for Specific Industry Domain, and an algorithm to perform the data augmentation, by creating new pairs of questions and time sequences without affecting the fidelity of the temporal information, as result of controlled combinations of paraphrases substituted at original pairs and at the new pairs generated. Our experiments also demonstrate the usefulness of paraphrases substitution for providing data to train models in the translation from questions to time sequences, that can generalize part of the learning to unseen datasets (0.65 accuracy in validation and test sets vs. 0.48 accuracy when training without data augmentation). However, training variability is not enough to represent the whole variability of unseen data, i.e., the models generalize what they can with the variability present in the data they were trained. Although our data augmentation method based in paraphrases substitution still needs to improve, it provides a relevant contribution for developing new data augmentation methods that enable the use of DL models in cases where the number of examples is too few for training

Cross-cultural validity of the “Classroom Motivational Climate Questionnaire”: comparison between French and Spanish students

The objective of this study was to obtain evidence about the cross-cultural validity of the “Classroom Motivational Climate Questionnaire” (CMCQ), developed recently for Secondary and High-School students. With this purpose, French and Spanish Secondary and High School students’ results were compared. A total of 749 French students formed the group to be compared with the original Spanish sample. To validate the CMCQ, confirmatory factor analyses, reliability and correlation and regression analyses were made. The results showed that CMCQ is a reliable and valid instrument to measure motivational climate in France as in Spain. It allows detecting which learning patterns can to be changed for improvement, and predicts to a large extent the satisfaction level with the teacher. Likewise it showed some existing differences between Spanish and French students in the motivational role attributed to some teacher’s strategies, differences whose theoretical and practical implications are discussed.El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la validez transcultural del “Cuestionario de Clima Motivacional de Clase” (CMCQ), desarrollado recientemente para alumnos de Secundaria y Bachillerato. Con este fin se han comparado los resultados de alumnos franceses y españoles de educación secundaria y bachillerato. Un total de 749 alumnos franceses se comparó con la muestra original española. Para validar el CMCQ se llevaron a cabo análisis factoriales confirmatorios y análisis de fiabilidad, correlación y regresión. Los resultados han demostrado que el CMCQ es un instrumento fiable y válido para medir el clima motivacional lo mismo en Francia que en España. Permite detectar qué patrones de enseñanza podemos cambiar si queremos mejorar, y predice en alto grado el nivel de satisfacción con el profesor. Asimismo, se han manifestado algunas diferencias existentes en el valor motivador que los alumnos atribuyen a algunas estrategias del profesor, diferencias cuyas implicaciones teóricas y prácticas se analizan.This work was carried out with funding from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Project EDU2012-37382)

Evaluación de la resiliencia subjetiva: validez transcultural e implicaciones educativas del ‘Cuestionario de Resiliencia Subjetiva’ (SRQ)

The objective of this study was to obtain evidence about the crosscultural validity of the ‘Subjective Resilience Questionnaire’ (SRQ), comparing French and Spanish Secondary and High School students’ results. A total of 750 French students formed the sample. To validate the SRQ, confirmatory factor analyses, reliability and correlation and regression analyses were made. The validation process included the analysis of the generalizability of factor structure, and of relationships of resilience scores with different kinds of protective and vulnerability factors — success expectancies and learningoriented classroom motivational climate (CMC). French results were similar to Spanish results, underlying the importance of considering variations in resilience as a function of the kinds of adversity experienced. Nevertheless, some differences between French and Spanish students were found in the degree they recognize to act in a resilient way in some of the situations covered by SRQ, differences whose theoretical and practical implications for education are discussed.Este estudio busca obtener evidencia sobre la validez transcultural del ‘Cuestionario de Resiliencia Subjetiva’ (Subjective Resilience Questionnaire, SRQ) comparando los resultados obtenidos a partir de alumnos franceses con los de alumnos españoles de Secundaria y bachillerato. Un total de 750 alumnos franceses integraron la muestra. Para validar el SRQ se realizaron análisis factoriales confirmatorios, de fiabilidad, de correlaciones y de regresión. El proceso de validación incluyó el análisis de la generalizabilidad de la estructura factorial y el de la relación de las puntuaciones en resiliencia con diferentes tipos de factores protectores y de vulnerabilidad — expectativas de éxito y clima motivacional de clase orientado al aprendizaje (CMC). Los resultados de Francia fueron similares a los de España. No obstante, se encontraron diferencias en el grado en que los alumnos reconocen actuar de forma resiliente en algunas situaciones cubiertas por el SRQ, diferencias cuyo significado teórico y práctico se comenta

CEVIT: A Useful Analysis to Address the Current EV Chargers on KSU Marietta Campus

Currently there is only one Electric Vehicle Charging Station at Kennesaw State University Marietta campus. With demand for Electric Vehicles only increasing year by year Implementing EV chargers will prepare KSU with future Electric Vehicle drivers, show that KSU is cutting back on its carbon footprint, and can potentially incite potential students to come to KSU. CEVIT aims to show the costs associated with Installing EV chargers, optimal locations to place EV chargers, and compares the different types of chargers KSU could install

Indicadores adelantados y coincidentes

La temprana detección de los periodos de fluctuación de los ciclos económicos ha sido la mayor preocupación de los inversionistas, hombres de negocios y los generadores de política económica. Una de las formas de realizar esta detección, es mediante los indicadores coincidentes que son en su mayoría diseñados para detectar cambios direccionales en el agregado de la actividad económica y también por medio de los indicadores adelantados que se anticipan ante los movimientos de los ciclos económicos, y sirven como una señal preventiva de próximos declives o avances en los ciclos