Research and Development of Immersive Computational Thinking Tools using Virtual Reality, Natural Hazards Data, and Scientific Visualization to Engage K-12 Students in Scientific Computing and Engineering Education

The NHERI DesignSafe-CI Research Experience for Teachers (RET) supplement recruits two high school teachers to work alongside faculty, researchers, and staff of the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin. Teachers participate in graduate-level research within the fields of computing and engineering with a particular emphasis on the intersection of natural hazards data, virtual reality, and scientific visualization. The research focus in 2019 was the use of NHERI data, A Frame and WebVR framework, and TACC visualization resources to create natural hazards design features in a virtual reality environment. Professional development and training from TACC supported research deliverables, including a lesson plan aligned with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) state standards, and a live demo to support TACC's education and outreach activities for K-12 and the general public. This poster will present the research process, highlighting TACC resources used, challenges and successes, and dissemination efforts.Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC

Multichannel Distribution Strategies in Latin America

The process of designing and selecting distribution channels is challenging and it demands an in-depth understanding of the market. Leading firms competing in Latin America are exploring creative ways to effectively reach and efficiently serve each segment of the market. This paper characterizes the key drivers that shape the design and selection of sales and distribution channels. Based on a series of workshops and in-depth analyses from 14 enterprises and 35 distinct distribution schemes we identify key factors and propose a framework that characterize drivers currently used by Latin American companies to design distribution channel strategies

Analysis of regularities in the publication of environmental issues: the case of the State of Chihuahua, Mexico

El Estado de Chihuahua, México hace frontera con Estados Unidos de América con quien comparte fuentes de agua y cuencas atmosféricas. Como cualquier región cuenta con situaciones particulares en cuestiones de medio ambiente. En este estudio se identificaron las publicaciones realizadas sobre temáticas de medio ambiente del Estado de Chihuahua por medio del análisis en Scimago Journal Ranking (SJR), el Atlas de la Ciencia Mexicana (ACM), el software Publish or Perish y en la Biblioteca Virtual Ambiental del Estado de Chihuahua (BVA), la cual contiene información especializada de medio ambiente del Estado de Chihuahua y que se encuentra clasificada en las temáticas de Agua, Aire, Suelo, Biodiversidad, Energía, Residuos, Salud Ambiental y Otros. Se encontró que en el país de México como en el Estado de Chihuahua el mayor interés es sobre estudios del Agua. Observando además la importancia de utilizar herramientas como la BVA, que contienen información especializada en una región para un análisis de publicaciones de un área en concreto como el Estado de Chihuahua.The State of Chihuahua, Mexico shares a border with the United States of America who shares water sources and air basins. Like any region has a particular situations in environmental issues. In this study we identified publications on environmental themes in the State of Chihuahua by analyzing in Scimago Journal Ranking (SJR), the Atlas of Mexican Science (ACM), the software Publish or Perish and the Environmental Virtual Library of Chihuahua State (BVA), which contains specialized information on environment issues of the state of Chihuahua and is classified in the themes of Water, Air, Land, Biodiversity, Energy, Waste, Environmental Health and Other. Was found in the country of Mexico and the State of Chihuahua the most interest is on Water studies. It was also noted the importance of using tools like BVA, providing specialized information on a region to an analysis of publications of a specific area as the state of Chihuahua

Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Large Steel Forgings for Applications in the Energy Sector

Due to its optimal balance of strength and toughness, AISI 8630M low alloy steel forgings are extensively used as structural components for subsea applications in the oil and gas energy sector. However, considering the high pressures and low temperatures conditions in deep water environments the oil and gas industry has continuously been demanding higher reliability levels on the structural integrity of large steel forgings in order to avoid in-service premature failures. In particular, special attention has been given to the CTOD fracture toughness as a critical parameter for structural design. Heat treatment is the last stage in the manufacturing sequence of large forgings and to certain extent, defines the metallurgical characteristics of final component. The cooling rate during industrial quenching treatment represents one of the most important processing parameters controlling the microstructure before tempering treatment. The research programme involved industrial-scale experimental heat treatments in which largescale forged segments with two different cross-sections (100 and 250 mm) were separately subjected to water, aqueous polymer solution and vegetable oil quenching and then tempered at 590°C, to evaluate the influence of cooling rate on the microstructure and mechanical properties produced under industrial conditions. Tensile, CVN and CTOD fracture toughness properties were measured at RT, -30 °C and 0°C respectively as per specification requirements. Microstructural evolution and fracture surfaces were evaluated by high resolution scanning electron microscopy. A CCT diagram was constructed by means of quenching dilatometry in order to validate the microstructural changes produced during industrial quenching. In summary, the present investigation, showed that irrespective of the cross section, the faster, intermediate, and slower cooling times between 800°C and 500°C (λ, t 8/5) were obtained by water, polymer and vegetable oil respectively. Kinematic viscosity may be the main variable controlling the cooling performance of the different cooling media evaluated due to changes in the thermophysical properties of the quenchants. In addition, the predominant microstructures for the different thickness-quenchant conditions were found to be associated with mixtures of tempered bainite and tempered martensite. This was evidenced by the fact that the majority ofthe industrial cooling curves fell within a similar microstructural region of the CCT (0.03 - 1˚C/s) dilatometric diagram which consisted of mixtures of martensite and bainite. Accordingly, the mechanical properties evaluated were similar among the different thickness quenchant conditions investigated. In this sense, all conditions evaluated showed strength and impact toughness properties well above the material specification limit for the selected forged component. It can be argued that the strength and impact toughness are controlled by changes in the distribution and size of carbide precipitates and packet substructure associated with the different fractions of tempered martensite and tempered bainite generated by changes in cooling rate. Accordingly, the higher strength and impact toughness values were observed at mixtures of tempered martensite (TM) and tempered bainite (TB) with proportions of 85% (TM) -15% (TB). The above due to partitioning effect of the acicular lower bainite on the austenitic grains in association with tempered martensite. Regarding the fracture toughness assessment, it can be argued that the yield strength variation between the selected specimens, along with the carbide size variation observed between tempered martensite and tempered bainite, were not large enough to induce significant changes leading to negligible variation in the final CTOD properties. Construction of CCT diagrams by means of quenching dilatometry has proven to be an effective technique to predict the microstructures industrially produced at the central part of large forgings, although the unavoidable effect of macro segregation must be considered for comprehensive analyses. Finally, in spite of the fact that vegetable oil provided slow quench rate compared with those of water or aqueous polymer quenchants, it is true that the mechanical properties produced by this bio-quenchant were similar to those produced by water and polymer quenching. As such, this finding indicates the possibility of implementing vegetable oil as an alternative quenchant in material specifications used in the production of large scale forgings made of low alloy steels, in particular when a balance between mechanical properties, dimensional stability (distortion) and reduced crack susceptibility is desired after quenching and tempering

Quick and Inexpensive Method to Elaborate Tissue Punches Useful in Paraffin Tissue Microarrays

The tissue microarrays (TMAs) were first called multitumor block. In 1998 was described the current technique, that uses an innovated sampling method for more than 1,000 cylindrical paraffin tissue core biopsies in a single paraffin block. TMAs are now considered as a useful powerful research tool in Histology and Pathology laboratories, for the standardization of immunohistochemical techniques along with in situ hybridization. However, one disadvantage to its widespread use is the high cost of professional paraffin tissue punches, and the complexity in the development of homemade devices previously described in other studies. This study describes a step by step process to develop four different home-made devices made with materials that are common in hospitals and offices. These devices are useful in Histopathology laboratories to obtain paraffin blocks with until 360 samples of tissue, investing from two to fifteen dollars in the development of each device described

Factores Asociados Con La Falta De Éxito En La Implementación De La Planeación Estratégica (IPE) En Empresarios Y Directivos Del Centro Empresarial De Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México 2014-2015

El ejercicio de la Planeación Estratégica (PE) en las organizaciones es fundamental en la toma de decisiones para la elección de mejores alternativas y asignación óptima de recursos para alcanzar una visión de futuro. Las readecuaciones de la PE se originan entre su diseño y su implementación, por lo que es importante analizar la brecha formada entre donde culmina la planeación y cuando comienza a implementarse. La Implementación de la Planeación Estratégica (IPE) está asociada a diversos factores que generan el éxito o fracaso para el cumplimiento de la visión de las organizaciones empresariales. Los factores cambian en función del contexto en el proceso de la IPE. El desarrollo del trabajo es identificar los factores que contribuyen al éxito o fracaso de la IPE para establecer un modelo de readecuación de la Planeación Estratégica. En este trabajo se encuestaron a 85 empresarios y/o directivos participantes directos e indirectos del Centro Empresarial COPARMEX Juárez, México. En el grupo de estudio se obtuvieron hallazgos que determinan que las variables: visión compartida, liderazgo y comunicación están asociadas con la falta de éxito o fracaso de la PE. The exercise of Strategic Planning (SP) in organizations is essential for decision making in order to choose better alternatives and optimal resource display to achieve a future-focus vision. Readjustments in SP are originated between its design and its implementation, therefore is important to analyze the formed gap between where planning ends and where implementation begins. The Establishment of Strategic Planning (ESP) is associated to many factors that causes success or failure in fulfilling the vision of business organizations. Those factors change in relation of the ESP process context. The development of this study is to identify those factors that contribute to ESP’s, in order to establish an SP readjustment model. This research surveyed 85 entrepreneurs and/or directors that direct or indirectly participate with the Entrepreneurial Center COPARMEX Juarez, Mexico. In the study group, findings were obtained that show that variables: shared vision, leadership and communication are associated with the SP’s lack of success or failure

Lean emergency medical operations

The fundamental responsibilities of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) systems are to provide urgent medical care, such as pre-hospital care, and to transport the patient to the hospital if needed. The agility and efficiency of EMS systems are major public concerns. Since the EMS process involved is fundamentally a transportation process, the Lean Transportation approach is a viable option for improving Emergency Medical Service (EMS) operations performance. The identification of waste during the ambulance cycle time is the basis for designing an operations improvement strategy. The scheme utilized uses modified versions of the Transportation Value Stream Map (TVSM) and The Operational Vehicle Effectiveness (TOVE) Index. Thus, availability, performance and quality wastes are identified to define the improvement strategy. Results of the application for the Monterrey metropolitan operations of the Mexican Red Cross are provided.N/

Congenital medulloblastoma presented in the neonatal period

Congenital medulloblastoma is a rare brain tumor that appears in less than 1% of pediatric patients. Congenital medulloblastoma has a poor prognosis and should be suspected in patients with clinical manifestations of hyporeactivity, slow suction reflexes, and the presence of hydrocephalus. Herein we present the case of a 12-day-old female newborn who developed non-communicative hydrocephalus, hyporeactivity, and hyporeflexia. Magnetic resonance imaging of her brain showed a heterogeneous and cystic mass on the posterior cranial fossa. A suboccipital craniotomy was performed. The histopathologic analysis reported a congenital medulloblastoma. She remained in hospital until her death at 112 days old. This is one of the first case reports with clinical-radiological and pathological documentation. Awareness of this diagnosis can allow prenatal intervention, rendering a better prognosis. This case report exemplifies the importance of good prenatal follow-up

Medical Students’ Perception Towards the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico: Distance Learning, Assisting Hospitals, and Vaccination

Background: Mexico has been one of the most affected countries by the COVID-19 pandemic. Its health workers are playing a substantial role, but they are suffering from a high mortality rate, which highlights the need of vaccinating them before any other population. Medical interns have reduced their practices, some continue to assist clinical rotations without the protective equipment, and they are not being considered for vaccination. We wanted to determine the attitude of medical students and interns towards distance learning, assisting hospitals, and vaccination. Methods: We conducted a paired survey of a cohort of medical students who were evaluated twice, in June 2020 and in December 2020, using an online survey (32-online questions) to assess their perception of the pandemic. Results: We collected the response of 384 students in the summer period and 331 in the winter period; the majority were women from non-clinical semesters, and the median age of response was 21 years old (IQR 19 – 22). We found that the percentage of acceptance for vaccination was 95.6% in the summer and 93.7% in the winter, a remarkable acceptance in both periods. The percentage of students who manifested having someone close to them with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 was 38.5% in the summer, showing an increase to 77.6% in the winter. Conclusion: We observed that medical students had a positive attitude towards vaccination and that the probable COVID-19 cases among them have increased in just a few months

Venta de boletos

El objetivo de nuestro proyecto es optimizarlo para obtener mejores resultados, dentro de la venta de boletos en línea tiene la ventaja de evitar las filas en taquilla y al tener un folio único el acceso al evento es más fácil al ser visualizado por el staff del evento. Para la optimización del sitio web en cuestión se realizó un login el cual registra al usuario con un nombre único en la base de datos para después poder iniciar sesión en el sitio y así adquirir los boletos al evento deseado. Las herramientas que se utilizó para la realización de la optimización en el proyecto del sitio web. Debido a su desarrollo fue basado en los lenguajes PHP, HTML, CSS, y JavaScript. En la parte de la base de datos se usó el lenguaje MySQL junto con la herramienta phpMyAdmin para manejar la base de datos, desde creación de tablas y programar Querys para la muestra de las tablas en el sitio web