Las áreas académicas más relevantes en las revistas especializadas del campo educativo: análisis comparativo de la escala de Scimago

Scimago es una de las instituciones encargadas de clasificar las revistas científicas más relevantes en la determinación del impacto académico en sus respectivos campos de estudio. Este trabajo busca realizar un análisis comparativo sobre las áreas académicas de las primeras 15 revistas especializadas clasificadas en Scimago para el año 2014 en educación. Este acercamiento comparativo se ubica en la necesidad de ahondar tanto en el conjunto de disciplinas dominantes sobre las cuales se inscriben estos documentos como en la pregunta: ¿Sobre qué se está investigando y publicando en educación?; haciendo indispensable ubicar, comparativamente, también tres revistas de nacionalidad colombiana en el mismo campo educativo. Para el cumplimiento de este propósito se seleccionaron unas variables determinadas (nacionalidad, idioma, área académica por revista y por índice, entre otras). Teniendo estas variables en cuenta se pueden hallar las relaciones y realizar las comparaciones entre los indicadores bibliométricos del campo especificado

Metodología para el monitoreo participativo de la restauración ecológica con estudiantes de primaria en plantaciones de cacao de Mérida, Venezuela

The ecological restoration of cacao plantations represents a chance for combining agriculture with biodiversity conservation. However, the success of a restoration project must be evaluated by a monitoring program. Involving the community in these programs promotes the environmental awareness of society and its active participation in the resolution of environmental problems, and it might promote the long-term monitoring. As a part of an ecological restoration project in cacao farms of Mérida state (Venezuela) aimed to increase the biodiversity, an experimental activity with students aged 9-12 was done to evaluate the changes in biodiversity that may be incorporated to a monitoring program of ecological restoration. Eight species of easily recognizable parasitoid Hymenoptera were selected as indicator group. The students participated on traps assembly, on collecting material and on identification of indicator species. The experience obtained from this project gave some advices for the implementation of a monitoring protocol of ecological restoration with participation of rural primary schools.La restauración ecológica asociada a fincas de cacao se presenta como una oportunidad para compaginar la agricultura y la conservación de la biodiversidad, pero un buen proyecto de restauración debe llevar incluido un programa de monitoreo. Involucrar a la comunidad en dichos programas permite la concienciación de la sociedad hacia los problemas ambientales y su participación activa en la resolución de los mismos, y puede propiciar la continuidad a largo plazo del monitoreo. En el marco de un proyecto de restauración ecológica en fincas de cacao del estado Mérida (Venezuela) para aumentar la biodiversidad de la finca, se realizó una experiencia piloto con un grupo de estudiantes entre nueve y 12 años para evaluar los cambios en la biodiversidad del ecosistema, aplicable en un programa de monitoreo de la restauración ecológica. Se escogieron ocho especies de himenópteros parasitoides de fácil reconocimiento como grupo indicador. Los estudiantes participaron en el montaje de las trampas para la captura de insectos, en la recolección del material y en la identificación de los indicadores. La experiencia generada en este proyecto permitió aportar recomendaciones de cara a la realización de un protocolo de monitoreo de la restauración ecológica con participación de escuelas rurales de educación primaria

Methods of participative monitoring of ecological restoration by primary school students in cacao plantations in Mérida, Venezuela

The ecological restoration of cacao plantations represents a chance for combining agriculture with biodiversity conservation. However, the success of a restoration project must be evaluated by a monitoring program. Involving the community in these programs promotes the environmental awareness of society and its active participation in the resolution of environmental problems, and it might promote the long-term monitoring. As a part of an ecological restoration project in cacao farms of Mérida state (Venezuela) aimed to increase the biodiversity, an experimental activity with students aged 9-12 was done to evaluate the changes in biodiversity that may be incorporated to a monitoring program of ecological restoration. Eight species of easily recognizable parasitoid Hymenoptera were selected as indicator group. The students participated on traps assembly, on collecting material and on identification of indicator species. The experience obtained from this project gave some advices for the implementation of a monitoring protocol of ecological restoration with participation of rural primary schools

Análisis del efecto de algunos parámetros en el proceso de electroformado de piezas cilíndricas de niquel a escala mili

En este trabajo se caracterizaron piezas cilíndricas de níquel electroformadas a partir de un baño Watts con corriente directa en moldes de acrílico. Se evaluó la influencia de la densidad de corriente, la relación de aspecto y el régimen de flujo sobre las características de las piezas. La caracterización incluyó: conformación externa e interna, análisis de microestructura y análisis de microdureza. Bajo todas las condiciones de operación se lograron piezas con un buen acabado superficial y adecuada reproducción del molde acrílico. El análisis conformacional reveló que los defectos se ubican preferentemente en la parte interna y hacia el último tercio del crecimiento. Las piezas más homogéneas y con menos defectos fueron las depositadas con densidad de corriente de 10 A dm-2 y velocidad de flujo 10 mm s-1 en un molde de 0.4 mm de diámetro. Los valores de dureza se ubicaron alrededor de 250 HV, pero se encontraron valores de hasta 400 HV

Benefits of Leucaena diversifolia in grazing steer’s diet: performance, methane and fatty acids

Leucaena diversifolia (Ld) is a legume species that has received little attention in terms of its nutritive value, methane (CH4) emissions, and impact on meat quality. To address this gap, a study was conducted to compare the performance, CH4 emissions, and fatty acid content of steers grazing on a monoculture of tropical grass Urochloa hybrid cv. Cayman versus a combination of Cayman and Ld. Over a period of 15 months, 14 Angus crossbred steers weighing an average of 374±7.5 kg were used in the study, with half of them grazing only Cayman grass and the other half grazing on a combination of Cayman and Ld at a ratio of 74:26. Live weight gain was recorded and CH4 emissions were measured after the animal productivity test. Meat quality and fatty acid profiles were measured after the steers were slaughtered. The results showed that steers grazing on a combination of Cayman and Ld consumed more dry matter, crude protein, and energy per day than those grazing on grass alone, and this difference was still evident when digestibility was considered (P≤0.05). Moreover, animals grazing on a combination of Cayman and Ld weighed an average of 63 kg more at the end of the experiment compared to those grazing only Cayman (466 vs. 403 kg; P≤0.05). Interestingly, animals that consumed only Cayman grass emitted more CH4 than those that included Ld in their diet (168 vs. 144 g/d; P≥0.05). The total polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and saturated fatty acid concentrations in the meat did not differ between the two groups (P≥0.05). In conclusion, incorporating Ld in the diet of grazing steers can increase nutrient intake (protein and energy) and animal productivity without affecting daily net CH4 emissions or fatty acid concentrations in the meat. This study sheds light on the potential benefits of legume inclusion in animal diets and highlights the need for further research in this area

A Regional Red List of Montane Tree Species of the Tropical Andes: Trees at the top of the world

Andean montane forests are a major global conservation priority owing to their biological richness and high level of species endemism. Botanically the Andes are very rich in species but they remain relatively unstudied. In common with montane forests elsewhere in the world, Andean forests are of great value for the provision of ecosystem services relating to water supply, regulation of regional climate and the capture and storage of carbon. The forests and their component species are however under threat. This report summarises information drawn from a wide variety of sources to provide a regional Red List of trees of Andean tropical montane forests. The species evaluation process has drawn on published national red lists of threatened species, botanical literature, specimen databases, forestry information and expert knowledge. The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria have been used for the evaluation and a component of Natalia?s PhD study has been to evaluate their use for species with limited and dispersed data. Understanding the geographical distribution of the species is very important in conservation assessment. The maps produced for this study are a valuable starting point for the Red Listing and a baseline for monitoring impacts of climate change. In this assessment 70 species are recorded as globally threatened based on the IUCN Red List of Categories and Criteria out of 127 tree species evaluated. In addition 165 national endemic trees of the region have previously been evaluated as globally threatened based on the same IUCN process. In total therefore 235 tree species are currently considered to be threatened with extinction within the Andean montane forests.Fil: Tejedor Garavito , Natalia. Bournemouth University; Reino UnidoFil: Álvarez Dávila, Esteban. Jardín Botánico de Medellín; ColombiaFil: Caro, Sandra Arango. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados UnidosFil: Murakami, Alejandro Araujo. Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado; BoliviaFil: Baldeón, Severo. Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; PerúFil: Beltrán, Hamilton. Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; PerúFil: Blundo, Cecilia Mabel. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Laboratorio de Investigaciones Ecológicas de las Yungas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; ArgentinaFil: Boza Espinoza, Tatiana Erika. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados UnidosFil: Fuentes Claros, Alfredo. Herbario Nacional de Bolivia; BoliviaFil: Gaviria, Juan. Universidad de Los Andes; VenezuelaFil: Gutiérrez, Néstor. Universidad de Los Andes; VenezuelaFil: Khela, Sonia. Botanic Gardens Conservation International; Reino UnidoFil: León, Blanca. University of Texas at Austin; Estados UnidosFil: la Torre Cuadros, Maria De Los Angeles. Universidad Nacional Agraria; PerúFil: López Camacho, René. Universidad Distrital; ColombiaFil: Malizia, Lucio Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Centro de Estudios Ambientales Territoriales y Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Millán, Betty. Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; PerúFil: Moraes R., Mónica. Herbario Nacional de Bolivia; BoliviaFil: Newton, Adrian C.. Bournemouth University; Reino UnidoFil: Pacheco, Silvia. Fundación Proyungas; ArgentinaFil: Reynel, Carlos. Universidad Nacional Agraria; PerúFil: Ulloa Ulloa, Carmen. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados UnidosFil: Vacas Cruz,Omar. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador; Ecuado

Using remote sensing to assess the relationship between crime and the urban layout

[EN] The link between place and crime is at the base of social ecology theories of crime that focus in the relationship of the characteristics of geographical areas and crime rates. The broken windows theory states that visible cues of physical and social disorder in a neighborhood can lead to an increase in more serious crime. The crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) planning approach seeks to deter criminal behavior by creating defensible spaces. Based on the premise that a settlement's appearance is a reflection of the society, we ask whether a neighborhood's design has a quantifiable imprint when seen from space using urban fabric descriptors computed from very high spatial-resolution imagery. We tested which land cover, structure and texture descriptors were significantly related to intra-urban homicide rates in Medellin, Colombia, while controlling for socioeconomic confounders. The percentage of impervious surfaces other than clay roofs, the fraction of clay roofs to impervious surfaces, two structure descriptors related to the homogeneity of the urban layout, and the uniformity texture descriptor were all statistically significant. Areas with higher homicide rates tended to have higher local variation and less general homogeneity; that is, the urban layouts were more crowded and cluttered, with small dwellings with different roofing materials located in close proximity to one another, and these regions often lacked other homogeneous surfaces such as open green spaces, wide roads, or large facilities. These results seem to be in agreement with the broken windows theory and CPTED in the sense that more heterogeneous and disordered urban layouts are associated with higher homicide rates.This research was made possible by funding from EAFIT University (EAFIT-435-000060) and the Medellin City Hall EnlazaMundos program. The authors thank the anonymous reviewers and Hermilson Velazquez, Andr es Ramírez Hassan and Gustavo Canavire for their insightful observations and suggestions during the different stages of this projectPatiño Quinchía, JE.; Duque, JC.; Pardo Pascual, JE.; Ruiz Fernández, LÁ. (2014). Using remote sensing to assess the relationship between crime and the urban layout. Applied Geography. 55:48-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2014.08.016S48605

Traditional Excluding Forces: A Review of the Quantitative Literature on the Economic Situation of Indigenous Peoples, Afro-Descendants, and People Living with Disability

Unequal income distribution in Latin America and the Caribbean is linked to unequal distributions of (human and physical) assets and differential access to markets and services. These circumstances, and the accompanying social tensions, need to be understood in terms of traditional fragmenting forces; the sectors of the population who experience unfavorable outcomes are also recognized by characteristics such as ethnicity, race, gender and physical disability. In addition to reviewing the general literature on social exclusion, this paper surveys several more specific topics: i) relative deprivation (in land and housing, physical infrastructure, health and income); ii) labor market issues, including access to labor markets in general, as well as informality, segregation and discrimination; iii) the transaction points of political representation, social protection and violence; and iv) areas where analysis remains weak and avenues for further research in the region

Second GHEP-ISFG exercise for DVI: “DNA-led” victims’ identification in a simulated air crash

The Spanish and Portuguese-Speaking Working Group of the International Society for Forensic Genetics (GHEP-ISFG) has organized a second collaborative exercise on a simulated case of Disaster Victim Identification (DVI), with the participation of eighteen laboratories. The exercise focused on the analysis of a simulated plane crash case of medium-size resulting in 66 victims with varying degrees of fragmentation of the bodies (with commingled remains). As an additional difficulty, this second exercise included 21 related victims belonging to 6 families among the 66 missings to be identified. A total number of 228 post-mortem samples were represented with aSTR and mtDNA profiles, with a proportion of partial aSTR profiles simulating charred remains. To perform the exercise, participants were provided with aSTR and mtDNA data of 51 reference pedigrees —some of which deficient—including 128 donors for identification purposes. The exercise consisted firstly in the comparison of the post-mortem genetic profiles in order to re-associate fragmented remains to the same individual and secondly in the identification of the re-associated remains by comparing aSTR and mtDNA profiles with reference pedigrees using pre-established thresholds to report a positive identification. Regarding the results of the post-mortem samples re-associations, only a small number of discrepancies among participants were detected, all of which were from just a few labs. However, in the identification process by kinship analysis with family references, there were more discrepancies in comparison to the correct results. The identification results of single victims yielded fewer problems than the identification of multiple related victims within the same family groups. Several reasons for the discrepant results were detected: a) the identity/non-identity hypotheses were sometimes wrongly expressed in the likelihood ratio calculations, b) some laboratories failed to use all family references to report the DNA match, c) In families with several related victims, some laboratories firstly identified some victims and then unnecessarily used their genetic information to identify the remaining victims within the family, d) some laboratories did not correctly use “prior odds” values for the Bayesian treatment of the episode for both post-mortem/post-mortem re-associations as well as the ante-mortem/post-mortem comparisons to evaluate the probability of identity. For some of the above reasons, certain laboratories failed to identify some victims. This simulated “DNA-led” identification exercise may help forensic genetic laboratories to gain experience and expertize for DVI or MPI in using genetic data and comparing their own results with the ones in this collaborative exercise.This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.Peer reviewe

Association between convalescent plasma treatment and mortality in COVID-19: a collaborative systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Funder: laura and john arnold foundationBACKGROUND: Convalescent plasma has been widely used to treat COVID-19 and is under investigation in numerous randomized clinical trials, but results are publicly available only for a small number of trials. The objective of this study was to assess the benefits of convalescent plasma treatment compared to placebo or no treatment and all-cause mortality in patients with COVID-19, using data from all available randomized clinical trials, including unpublished and ongoing trials (Open Science Framework, https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/GEHFX ). METHODS: In this collaborative systematic review and meta-analysis, clinical trial registries (ClinicalTrials.gov, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform), the Cochrane COVID-19 register, the LOVE database, and PubMed were searched until April 8, 2021. Investigators of trials registered by March 1, 2021, without published results were contacted via email. Eligible were ongoing, discontinued and completed randomized clinical trials that compared convalescent plasma with placebo or no treatment in COVID-19 patients, regardless of setting or treatment schedule. Aggregated mortality data were extracted from publications or provided by investigators of unpublished trials and combined using the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman random effects model. We investigated the contribution of unpublished trials to the overall evidence. RESULTS: A total of 16,477 patients were included in 33 trials (20 unpublished with 3190 patients, 13 published with 13,287 patients). 32 trials enrolled only hospitalized patients (including 3 with only intensive care unit patients). Risk of bias was low for 29/33 trials. Of 8495 patients who received convalescent plasma, 1997 died (23%), and of 7982 control patients, 1952 died (24%). The combined risk ratio for all-cause mortality was 0.97 (95% confidence interval: 0.92; 1.02) with between-study heterogeneity not beyond chance (I2 = 0%). The RECOVERY trial had 69.8% and the unpublished evidence 25.3% of the weight in the meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Convalescent plasma treatment of patients with COVID-19 did not reduce all-cause mortality. These results provide strong evidence that convalescent plasma treatment for patients with COVID-19 should not be used outside of randomized trials. Evidence synthesis from collaborations among trial investigators can inform both evidence generation and evidence application in patient care