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Purpose: The objective of this paper is to evaluate the quality of the public transportation system service in the city of Morelia, Mexico. Methodology: According to the needs of the study, the expectation-perception SERVQUAL model was adapted, which consists of 5 variables: Tangibility, Reliability, Responsiveness, Security and Empathy, and 25 items. The subjects of the study were users over 15 years old who regularly use the system. Users answered the expectations questionnaire the before getting on the transport vehicle and for the perceptions questionnaire, users answered it after getting off the vehicles. For each questionnaire, the sample was 392, a total of 784 people participated in the study, and their answers where measured using a five-point Likert-type scale. Results: The mean comparison shows that respondents have a high expectation level, with 4 points or above, whereas their perception level is 3, with gaps between 0.5 and 1 points.

Chlorogenic acid (CGA), a high value-added phytochemical used by the pharmaceutical and food industries, is found in residues and byproducts of the coffee industry. This paper presents a methodology to identify the adequate solvents to extract CGA from coffee pulp based on Hansen solubility parameters (HSPs), risk assessment, sustainability evaluation, and an economic analysis. In total, 16 solvents with different physicochemical properties, which are commonly used in the industry for extraction processes, were evaluated. According to the results, the most appropriate solvents are water, methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, acetone, t-Butyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, acetic acid, benzyl alcohol, and phenol. However, water, ethanol, and a mix of them are the most advisable solvents because they have the lowest Ra, their HSPs are near those of CGA, they are easy to handle according to CHEM21’s Risk Assessment guide, they have a lower carbon footprint, and they are less expensive solvents.

Interactive Digital TV (iDTV) enhances viewers’ experience and participation by engaging them with an active role. The development of interactive software requires the employment of usability criteria to provide satisfactory experiences for users. In addition, the diverse characteristics of television programs require efficient processes for interactive software development. In Latin America, the process of implementing DTV is in progress, so the current stage of development of interactive applications is too incipient and immature to support industrial, quality-level development. This paper proposes combining software reuse strategies, specifically, software product lines (SPLs) and user-centered interaction design patterns, to improve productivity and quality. A generic feature model for the automatic generation of iDTV applications and an SPL-iDTV tool that supports the model are presented. The proposal is evaluated with two studies: an experiment that attempts to reproduce real application prototypes that were originally developed manually, through the use of patterns, and an evaluation of the quality of the SPL.

This paper presents “EspiNet V2” a Deep Learning model, based on the region-based detector Faster R-CNN. The model is used for the detection of motorcycles in urban environments, where occlusion is likely. For training, two datasets are used: the Urban Motorbike Dataset (UMD-10K) of 10,000 annotated images, and the new SMMD (Secretaría de Movilidad Motorbike Dataset), of 5,000 images captured from the Traffic Control CCTV System in Medellín (Colombia). Results achieved on the UMD-10K dataset reach 88.8% in average precision (AP) even when 60% motorcycles were occluded, and the images were captured from a low angle and a moving camera. Meanwhile, an AP of 79.5% is reached for SSMD. EspiNet V2 outperforms popular models such as YOLO V3 and Faster R-CNN (VGG16 based) trained end-to-end for those datasets

Based on the results of research papers reflected in the scientific literature, the main examples, methods and perspectives for the development of technical textiles are considered. The focus of this work is to concentrate the results obtained for different textile applications (technical textiles) through the use of biodegradable polymers modified and improved with nanoparticles. The techniques for obtaining polymeric nanocomposites, finishing processes, type and structure of textiles are specified. In general, key aspects are identified for a better understanding of the technical challenges and physicochemical effects of the fibers.

In recent decades, transportation planning researchers have used diverse types of machine learning (ML) algorithms to research a wide range of topics. This review paper starts with a brief explanation of some ML algorithms commonly used for transportation research, specifically Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Decision Trees (DT), Support Vector Machines (SVM) and Cluster Analysis (CA). Then, these different methodologies used by researchers for modeling travel mode choice are collected and compared with the Multinomial Logit Model (MNL) which is the most commonly-used discrete choice model. Finally, the characterization of ML algorithms is discussed and Random Forest (RF), a variant of Decision Tree algorithms, is presented as the best methodology for modeling travel mode choice.

One of the main challenges for the Colombian post-conflict is to develop sustainable proposals for peasant families that were affected by the armed conflict. With the purpose of analyzing this challenge, after the introduction, the second part of the paper presents the land possession dynamics in Colombia, criticizes the Green Revolution approach and discusses theoretical concerns about agroecology. The third section highlights the importance of combined microfinance in comparison to financialized microfinance, for financing rural projects and agroecology. Furthermore, this part argues that the combination of agroecology and combined microfinance is a powerful tool to make scenarios sustainable for small producers. Finally, the fourth section concludes.

There is a solid growth of quantum theory in that there is quantum physics, quantum chemistry, quantum biology, and a robust technology based on quantum behaviors and effects - to name but the most solid examples of the development and enhancement of quantum science. Quantum science is by and large the most robust theory, ever. However, to date there is a gap between quantum physics and the social sciences, for very little has been said about their interplay. This paper discusses the importance of a relationship between quantum science and the social sciences, and the entailment of such a relation. It offers a brief state-of-the-art, and discusses the very significance of quantum social science.

Pseudonym change schemes have been studied in VANETs to guarantee the property of untraceability of the vehicles. This paper proposes a new condition based on the assumption that if there are no malicious vehicles around when a synchronous change triggers, there is no risk of tracking, and the pseudonym change defers until a time threshold. Thus, our proposal based on a synchronous strategy to increase the anonymity set, adds to the change condition, the checking of the reputation status of the neighbouring vehicles. The reputation status is the result of discretizing the reputation score of the vehicles and it is part of the periodically broadcast beacon messages. The proposal was evaluated through simulations using a real scenario. The results showed an optimization in the use of pseudonyms maintaining similar anonymity levels with other schemes.

The development of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in surgical patients is a serious public health problem since it increases morbidity and mortality rates, as well as the costs associated with in-hospital care for this population. Notwithstanding the above, and although their effectiveness has been demonstrated, prophylactic measures are not properly used in these patients in Colombia. A possible cause of this situation is the poor adherence of health professionals to clinical practice guidelines (CPG) addressing the prevention of VTE. In this regard, several methodological approaches to achieve an adequate implementation of thromboprophylaxis by transforming physicians' behaviors have been described. However, to accomplish this, it is necessary to comprehensively consider the multifactorial barriers and sociological conditions that underlie this problem. Better adherence to VTE prophylaxis CPGs is known to lead to better clinical practice. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to carry out a reflective analysis of the causes and possible solutions to the low adherence of Colombian health professionals to these guidelines.

Fungi, with all their biological and enzymatic qualities, could have great potential being implemented in industrial processes. In this study, filamentous fungi from Sonsón-Antioquia region were isolated and characterized. A morphological characterization was carried out using taxonomic keys and additionally a biochemical characterization qualitatively evaluated the amylolytic, cellulolytic, lipolytic, proteolytic, catalase, peroxidase, and laccase capacity of the strains. Furthermore, isolated fungi were molecularly identified using the LSU region of the rDNA (28S). Among the strains identified, Trichoderma sp., Penicillium sp., Mucor sp. Aspergillus sp. and Lecythophora sp. genera were found and it was observed that the analyzed fungi present at least one of the seven enzymatic activities evaluated and some genera such as Trichoderma sp. and Aspergillus sp. present even six of them. Therefore, the isolated strains show desirable characteristics in food, paper, cosmetic, and textile industries, and in areas such as bioremediation and biological control.

This paper analyses the regional economic differences in the impact of lockdown measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 ordered by Colombia’s national gov­ernment. Using an input-output model, we estimate regional economic losses by extracting a group of formal and informal workers from different sectors of the economy. Results show regional differences in the impact of lockdown measures on their labour markets, local economies, and productive sectors. We also find that peripheral regions consolidate a higher number of informal workers in isolation than the interior regions. Regarding the economic impact, regional losses range between 5,4% of the GDP (Amazonia) and 6,3% (the Coffee Area and Antioquia).

This paper presents a detailed implementation of a current source inverter using unipolar sinusoidal pulse width modulation. This method is uncommon in these types of inverters and the semiconductor devices, integrated circuits, sensors, and filters used in conjunction with the TMS320F28379D microcontroller will be discussed. The inverter was tested in both an open and closed loop with a proportional resonant controller. Satisfactory results in terms of the harmonic distortion factor at the voltage output and the regulation indices for lineal loads were obtained. The response circuit demonstrated its viability for the subsequent connection to an electrical distribution network.

The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant has become one of the greatest public health challenges worldwide since, after being first identified in India in December 2020, it has spread rapidly, affecting mainly countries with low vaccination rates and those that have relaxed the public health and social measures implemented to control the COVID-19 pandemic. The Delta variant has a higher replication capacity and is associated with viral loads up to 1 260 times higher than those of infections caused by the original strain, which may be associated with an increased likelihood of hospitalization, ICU admission, need for oxygen therapy, pneumonia, or even death. Fully vaccinated individuals have almost similar protection against both Delta and Alpha variants. Given the impact of Delta in countries where it is the dominant variant, it is necessary for all countries to develop systematic action plans focused on implementing strict public health and social measures in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and on increasing vaccination coverage. Bearing this in mind, the objective of this reflection paper is to describe the main characteristics of the Delta variant, its impact on the dynamics of the pandemic in some of the countries where it has been detected, the effectiveness of vaccines against this variant, and its implications for public health in Colombia.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a strong impact on education, forcing the implementation of distance learning methodologies using information and communication technologies (ICT). The digital textbook is a didactic resource used to guide the training process of students; besides, its interactivity allows systematic work, favoring metacognition and the construction of self-learning. The aim of this paper is to describe, through a descriptive cross-sectional design, the design, review, digitalization and implementation phases of a digital textbook about physical agents as a learning resource to support distance education in the training process of physical therapy students enrolled in the physical agents course offered by Universidad Andres Bello in Santiago, Chile, in the context of the human mobility restriction measures implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The textbook consists of thirteen thematic sections and once it was reviewed and validated by peers and by the editorial committee of the university it was digitalized and indexed into the digital resource database of the university, where it was made available to the entire cohort of students enrolled in the physical agents course during the first semester of 2020 (n=115).The digital textbook was successfully implemented as a didactic resource to guide the autonomous and distance learning of students during the time human mobility restriction measures were established in Chile due to the pandemic. Future studies should focus on reporting the students’ satisfaction and perception of this tool and its effect on learning outcomes in order to obtain effective feedback.

This paper analyses the dynamics related to the representation of African Americans and Hispanics in every level of economics within U.S. post-secondary institutions from 1995 to 2019. I show that there is underrepresentation of Hispanics and African Americans in economics and evaluate some of the possible reasons for the persistence of socioeconomic barriers, including discrimination and attitudes of self-isolation, which block minorities from advancing in academia and professional areas. I discuss some of the advances in economics that address the discrimination problem and some models that try to explain its existence. I present ways in which each member of the economics community could help to alleviate the underrepresentation of minorities in the field and relate some of the posible effects of this problem to non-U.S. institutions that teach economics. Finally, I discuss why addressing underrepresentation and discrimination in economics is important.

In this paper, we study the underrepresentation of women in economics in Brazil by analysing the evolution of their academic careers and their participation in two leading national economics conferences. To depict the path of women in the profession, we use novel data collected from annual surveys carried out by the Brazilian Women in Economics research group, data from the ANPEC exam, the unified admission exam for graduate programmes in economics and secondary data provided by the two main economics associations in Brazil. We find that it is more difficult for women to progress to tenure, and, therefore, there are “leaks in the academic career pipeline”. There are also persistent gender differences in the choice of research fields, as women mostly research on applied microeconomics.

There is a socially constructed perception that people with mental illnesses do not have the resilience to endure the pressures of the capitalist model of work. Solidarity economy (SE) appears as an alternative for the inclusion of mentally ill people in the realm of work and productivity, enabling them to (re)produce their subjectivities. In this study, we develop a critical reflection on the possibilities of entrepreneuring, solidarity economy, and financial/accounting literacy as tools towards a health promotion strategy that empowers and allows the emancipation of the individuals, so that they may (re)write their stories and give society an account of themselves other than their mental illness. This paper starts from the analysis of the experience of two Brazilian se ventures engaged in mental health promotion, in which we proposed and conducted a financial education program aimed at providing SE worker-members with tools to actively participate in discussions about financial and accounting-related decisions. Afterwards, we engaged in an action research exercise, building on lessons learned: the importance of abandoning preconceived ideas of mental illness and relying on sharing experiences and participation; and how real-life struggles are a source of knowledge, as discussed through the concept of “learning by doing.”

This paper investigates the dynamics of complexity and expertise in the context of compensation committees (ccs). Drawing on semi-structured interviews, mostly with cc members and consultants, we bring to light two axes of subordination that impact the mindset of corporate governance participants, and may ultimately undermine directors’ degree of accountability to shareholders. The first axis involves cc members’ subordination to consultant expertise, which tends to be considered as an indispensable ally in dealing appropriately with the webs of complexity that allegedly characterize executive compensation. Nourished partially by the first axis, the second implies subservience to these webs of complexity, which are widely presumed and naturalized by cc members and the consulting experts they employ. One of our main contributory statements is to question the ascendancy of complexity in the boardroom, casting doubt on one of the key assumptions upon which practices and expertise in contemporary corporate governance institutions are built and promoted. We also question the extent of epistemic dependency in many compensation committees, where much of the knowledge necessary to properly operate the repertoire of practices (deemed necessary to address the problem of executive compensation determination) is not primarily in the hands of cc members, but rather in those of consultants.

Plants have mechanisms to perceive and transmit information between their organs and tissues to respond quickly to abiotic and biotic external stimuli from the environment, producing different electrical potential types. It is reported on the generation and conduction of electrochemical impulses within different tissues and organs of the plant, which have been acquired using different methods to use them in various applications in the improvement of the agro-industrial sector and the development of different types of phytosensors. In this review paper, the various studies that have been carried out since Pfeffer, Burdon-Sanderson, Darwin, Haberlandt, and Bose discovered electrical activity in plants until today are reported. Plants provide mechanisms to perform biosensors based on responding to environmental changes, opening a great path for the design of low-cost and highly sensitive sensors and sensor networks, the current trend is towards experimental analysis using various stimuli.

This paper corresponds to the results of an experimental research that to led to the design of a useful prototype for quality control of measurements in the field of tonometry to diagnose and check glaucoma. All tonometry techniques are based on Goldmann ́s tonometers (GT) and the Imbert-Fick principle. Taking into account the principles and techniques of industrial metrology, the prototype could be used as a standard to calibrate the pressure readings of this class of tonometers. The developed protoype eliminates the indirect measurement that is required with current standards and facilitates a greater control of the sources of error in the measurement. The model is based on the integration of a sensor to a hydraulic model to measure pressures from 0 to 80 mmHg range, whose precision was validated through R&R studies. The precision of the prototype was validated according to the Rigel UNI-SIM standard and was complemented by calibrating 15 tonometers.

Infrastructure development is a common feature of emerging countries. As a result, the design and construction of complex structures susceptible to damage is becoming increasingly common. Over the years, multiple advances in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) haven allowed researchers and engineers to detect, locate, and quantify structural damage in critical components of civil engineering structures. Frequency-based methods have demonstrated their reliability in multiple numerical and experimental applications. This study presents a brief chronological literature review of methodologies based on frequency analysis that have been used in the detection ofstructural damage over the last forty years. It is worth noting that the paper focuses on computer-aided techniques such as artificial neuronal networks (ANN), genetic algorithms (GAs), and metaheuristics that have been employed to solve the inverse damage detection problem.

This paper investigates the influence of the fractional distillation on the yield and quality of biofuels obtained in a laboratory unit (Vigreux column) at atmospheric pressure, producing three distilled fractions: (1) green gasoline, (2) green aviation kerosene, and (3) green diesel. The quality of the distilled fractions was evaluated through physical-chemical analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, and GC-MS analysis. The fractional distillation of the crude biofuel provided biofuels in the form of distilled fractions with most values of physical-chemical properties within the limits established by national and international regulatory agencies and with experimental distillation curves similar to standard distillation curves. GC-MS analysis showed that the three distilled fractions had higher contents of hydrocarbons than oxygenated compounds and contained hydrocarbons characteristic of petroleum derivatives such as gasoline, aviation kerosene, and diesel.

Currently, the list of most violent cities in the world is dominated by Latin American cities. In 2015, Cali registered 65 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. In Bogotá, the rate was 17 per 100,000 inhabitants. However, crime is not homogeneously distributed within the urban area, and literature indicates that the local response to crime affects the housing market. The objective of this paper is to estimate the relationship between housing prices and homicide rates in two Colombian cities: Cali and Bogotá. With the use of diverse sources of information and different econometric methodologies, we found that a 10% increase in homicide rates provokes a 2% decrease in housing prices in Cali and 1.8% in Bogotá.

Introduction: Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is one of the regions most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, there is scarce literature addressing the research strategies developed in LAC to face COVID-19. Objective: To quantify and assess the production of scientific publications about COVID-19 in 32 countries of LAC between January 1 and July 31, 2020. Materials and methods: Bibliometric study. Scientific papers on COVID-19 conducted in LAC or reporting data pertaining to LAC and published between January 1 to July 31, 2020, were searched in the Scopus, PubMed, and LILACS databases. A subgroup analysis including only original research articles was performed to determine the contribution of LAC countries to research on COVID-19, and standardization measures (# of articles per million people) were applied to compare the country-specific production of this type of articles. Results: A total of 1 291 publications were retrieved. Overall, most of them were non-original research articles (81.72%), and the countries with the highest scientific production were Brazil (43.91%) and Mexico (9.14%). However, after applying the standardization measures, Chile was the country with the highest production of original articles (0.58 per million inhabitants). Regarding original studies (n=236), cross-sectional design was the most common (25.84%). Diagnosis and treatment of the disease was the main research focus (n=354; 27.42%). However, in the subgroup analysis (n=236), epidemiology and surveillance were the most prevalent research focus (n=57; 24.15%). Conclusions: During the study period, non-original research articles were predominant in the scientific production of the LAC region, and interventional studies were scarce among original articles, while the cross-sectional design predominated. Further research with a better quality of evidence should be performed in these countries to contribute to the making of health policies aimed at easing the burden of COVID-19 in the region and preparing for future pandemics.

Of the many discourses on nutrition and food, two opposing perspectives stand out. On the one hand, "nutritionism" emerged strongly in the last decades, reducing the concept of food to the presence or absence of nutrients and the concept of health to the absence of diseases, a discourse that has influenced modern nutritional and food sciences, as well as the conceptualization of the current corporate food regime. On the other hand, "healthy, supportive, and sustainable food" is a re-emerging perspective associated with the traditional ancestral food system and is founded on the principle of common good since millennia ago. This paper presents a reflection on these two perspectives, taking into account the historical scenario and the socio-political context that characterize them, in order to contribute to the recognition of a food paradigm consistent with the Millennium Development Goals and the human right to food. In addition, this reflection aims to assess the progress that has been made in Colombia to achieve healthy, supportive, and sustainable eating practices in the general population.

We greatly appreciate the comments made by Rojas-Botero et al.1 on our paper entitled “Critical reflections on the Municipal Epidemiological Resilience Index used for public policy decision-making regarding the control of the COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia”.2 We acknowledge that public health, understood as the well-being of the community, should be the focus of all our efforts as health professionals. In this sense, decision-making amid a major emergency, such as the one we are currently experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, requires a balanced and calm judgment that considers both the general context and local specificities, as well as the best available scientific evidence, that is, evidence that not only supports decisions, but also prioritizes benefits over risks.

This paper aimed to propose the development of a digital irrigimeter, in order to assist in water sizing, to be used in the sprinkler irrigation process, in different cultures. From the realization of a market research, it was verified the existence of a gap represented by individuals who have difficulty in dimensioning the water, to be used in irrigation. Thus, it was used the Hargreaves-Samani methodology, for the realization of calculations of the optimum amount of water to be precipitated, per square meter of planted area, weighted by crop coefficients and local soil. So, customer requirements, such as flexibility and response speed were translated into technical characteristics of the final product. Thus, the cost of the final product is directly associated with the level of technology adopted in each component of the product.

This paper presents the results of the characterization of alumina ball size distribution in the mill of a crushing and grinding plant. The mill was unloaded and the balls were sieved. Then, the results were adjusted to three kinds of models; two of them are the traditional models of Rosin-Rammler and Gates-Gaudin-Schumann. The third model applied was the Swebrec distribution function, which has been successfully used on fragmented rock size distribution. The best adjustment for the ball size distribution was obtained by the Swebrec function, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9984.

This paper describes the application of computational modeling and computer-aided design (CAD) for the conceptual design and structural analysis of the maintenance process of Klimov TV3-117 engines at an approved Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Colombia. The main issue is that these engines are difficult to roll and manipulate due to their weight, which ranges between 250 and 350 kg, which causes time and cost overruns for the operator, and delays in the scheduled maintenance times. The solution proposed by this study is the conceptualization and structural feasibility of a prototype of ground support equipment for handling and maintenance of Turboshaft engines, implementation of which could save up to 100 person-hours, which translates into about USD 10,000, since the current process requires four specialists and two inspectors, whereas the modified process would only require one of each

It is increasingly becoming evident that the current model of “development” has led the world to the brink of a climate disaster, as the very fundamentals of the natural systems on which the world’s current economic structure is predicated upon stand compromised. Vast tracts of lands have become poisoned and barren, and the rising seas are threatening coastal cities and ecosystems. As people begin to make sense of this rapidly devolving situation, some serious and well-considered attempts are being made to craft an alternative model of human existence. In India, Vikalp Sangam or the “Confluence of Alternatives” is an emerging platform, which is leading this exploration through a blend of modern progressive thinking, and ancient wisdom of indigenous peoples and other traditional community worldviews. It is empowering these ideas as well as the practice of alternatives to reach a large audience and become viable for discussion, analysis and eventual replication in other places. This paper analyzes the opinions, facts, theories and data emerging out of the Vikalp Sangam process to understand the evolution of “alternatives” thinking in India, and how it can influence the process of recalibrating the larger idea of development in the country. It focuses on the process by which a fundamental and transformative systemic change could be introduced into the society for the construction of a new political-economy that moves beyond both corporate capitalism and state socialism and towards the creation of “Radical Ecological Democracy”, based on climate justice, environmental sustainability and socio-economic equality.

Introduction: Since the first COVID-19 cases were reported, the disease’s clinical and epidemiological characteristics have continuously been studied, although they have not been yet defined. Objective: To estimate the epidemiological profile of pediatric patients with COVID-19, as well as their clinical, laboratory and radiological characteristics. Materials and methods: A living systemic review was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus and SciELO databases. Observational studies describing clinical, radiological, and laboratory characteristics of pediatric patients with COVID-19 and published between January 1, 2020, and July 20, 2020, were considered for the search; there were no language restrictions. Government, epidemiological, and pre-print papers were also considered. Meta-analyses of single proportion (frequentist approach) and two proportions (Bayesian method) were carried out. The study registration and protocol are available at https://osf.io/y43wm and https://osf.io/r8ktv, respectively. Results: 13 studies, with a total of 9 152 patients, were retrieved. The Bayesian meta-analysis reported that males are more affected by the disease: OR 1.24 (HDI95%: 1.09-1.4). The proportion results calculated by means of the frequentist meta-analysis are: 52% cough (95%CI: 50-55), 0% death (95%CI: 0-0.1), 16% high aspartate transaminase levels (95%CI: 13-19), and 60% lung changes observed in chest X-ray (95%CI: 57-64). Conclusions: Based on the current data, it is not possible to describe accurately the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in the pediatric population. However, evidence suggests that males are more affected by the disease and that lung alterations in imaging studies are more frequent than clinical signs such as cough and fever. Laboratory test results are not conclusive and show that different organs and systems of the human body may be affected by SARS-CoV-2. The results reported here must be compared to prospective controlled studies conducted in larger samples and a more rigorous design.

The aim of this article is to reflect on the contextual factors that influence medical education, in order to provide some recommendations about the challenges that physicians face. A literature review was conducted to write this reflection paper, and it was found that the education of health professionals has undergone significant changes that are based on the development of biomedical sciences, technology, and pedagogy, and are influenced by the needs of the general population, the requirements of the health systems of each country, and scientific progress. These changes have given rise to challenges inherent to the special characteristics of each country and related to the quantity, quality, and relevance of the training of physicians. In this regard, it has been suggested that, in the face of such changes, it is necessary to design curricula that integrate all aspects of health care, consider the supply and demand of medical services, emphasize professionalism, take into account the pedagogical training of health sciences teachers, comply with quality standards, assist students in selecting undergraduate programs adequately (in this case Medicine), and ensure relevant clinical practice scenarios. It should also be noted that medical education has not adapted adequately to the aforementioned changes in many countries and, therefore, the development of teaching and learning strategies has lagged behind and physicians in such countries do not have the capacity to provide the health care required by the general population in a proper manner.

Poor adherence to treatment is a common problem in patients with chronic diseases since, given their nature, they involve long-term therapeutic regimens, hence the importance of permanent follow-up. In general, it is known that adherence to treatment is necessary to achieve better health outcomes, improve quality of life, and reduce health care-related costs. The growth of eHealth, particularly telemedicine and mobile health (mHealth), has resulted in a real benefit of technological platforms in the therapeutic adherence of these patients. With this in mind, the aim of this reflection paper is to briefly describe the current state of eHealth strategies and the impact they may have on adherence to treatment in patients with chronic diseases.

This paper presents an experimental study carried out in an industrial furnace for frits production using different configurations of burners based on different combustion techniques such as enriched air combustion, flat-flame oxy-combustion and preheater air combustion. The residence time of combustion gases inside the furnace also was modified. Several combustion configurations were tested and its effects on productivity and thermal energy specific consumption and efficiency were determined. The results show that higher residence time of the combustion gases can decrease significantly the specific consumption of fuel, while the change of the burners and combustion techniques did not show significant effects on decreasing the energy consumption. However, it is highlighted that the oxy-combustion flat-flame burners produced the lowest specific consumption of fuel. Even though the experiments were conducted in a furnace for frit production, the corresponding results can also be applied to guide or improve other industrial high temperature processes.

Carbonate sand is characterized by the presence of fragile grains, which may influence their mechanical response due to the imposed loading; especially cyclic loading. The shear wave velocity (VS) provides relevant information for the design of foundation inserted in this type of soil, which can be obtained from laboratory tests with the use of bender elements (BE). This paper aims to evaluate the VS value of a carbonate sand from triaxial tests with BE using three methods in the time domain. The influence of loading, unloading and cycling on VS is also evaluated. The results confirmed that the confining stress affects the dynamic parameters. At higher stress levels, the signals are more susceptible to the near field effects and the dynamic parameters are less influenced by cycling.

The dynamic load test is currently an important and usual tool for design, control, and quality assurance of deep foundations. The objective of this paper is to compare the expected geotechnical load capacity through empirical and semi-empirical Brazilian methods with the ultimate pile load obtained from the interpretation of Dynamic Load Tests (DLT; PDA). The stress-settlement curve was constructed from CAPWAP analysis with blows of different drop heights of increasing energy – test procedure proposed by Aoki (1989). Continuous flight augering (CFA) Franki and Root piles were evaluated in this study. These piles were tested in different cities in Brazil. Additionally, DLT results were compared with static load tests, and a good correlation was found with these field tests. The article aims to provide comparative background to guide foundation designers, as well as those who routinely develop these projects in Brazil.

This paper show on impact of temperature decrease applied in Building Integrate Photovoltaics (BIPV) dimensioned on a photovoltaic solar tile with a superimposed photovoltaic arrangement model, in conditions of simulation of Standard Test Conditions for 1000 W/m2 irradiation, for maximum and minimum summer temperatures of Foz do Iguaçu city during 2017-2018. The simulation (Comsol Multiphysics®) uses different types for material tiles (concrete, polypropylene and PVC) and compares the system considering the influence of the materials in the civil-structural characteristics of the roof. The results showed that the efficiency behavior with temperature variations, produce a decrease of linear efficiency. While the, tile designs proposal has a 16% efficiency value in the datasheet in the same conditions. The results shows a decrease of efficiency and power with the increase temperature in the same conditions of the study, obtaining the respectively value of 0.05%/°C and 0.24%/°C.

This paper addresses the optimal location and sizing of photovoltaic (PV) sources in isolated direct current (DC) electrical networks, considering time-varying load and renewable generation curves. The mathematical formulation of this problem corresponds to mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP), which is reformulated via mixed-integer convex optimization: This ensures the global optimum solving the resulting optimization model via branch & bound and interior-point methods. The main idea of including PV sources in the DC grid is to minimize the daily energy losses and greenhouse emissions produced by diesel generators in isolated areas. The GAMS package is employed to solve the MINLP model, using mixed and integer variables; also, the CVX and MOSEK solvers are used to obtain solutions from the proposed mixed-integer convex model in the MATLAB. Numerical results demonstrate important reductions in the daily energy losses and the harmful gas emissions when PV sources are optimally integrated into DC grid.

When studying porous media transport properties, it is crucial to ascertain tortuosity (τ) and its variation with porosity (𝜙𝜙). In this work, numerical methods were used to investigate this relationship. First, a digital representation of media was derived, and thereby implement an algorithm for calculating tortuosity. The program allows deriving several statistics of the paths present within the pores. The results complement the theoretical studies that suggest the existence of a scaling law in disordered media. However, this paper proposes that the relationship between τ and 𝜙𝜙 depends on the average fractal dimension instead of the fractal dimensionality of the optimal path. It was also confirmed that the geometry of the latter can be considered in the same universality class as those described by loopless compressible invasion percolation

Supply Chain Management (scm) is a nearly new discipline of management that can be seen in different ways. However, only a strategic approach of scm that leads to subsequent tactical decisions and operational implementation will provide the benefits that scm promises. A presentation of the evolution of scm from its beginnings as part of Operations Management (om) to an independent field in management has the objective of determining its correct scope. Therefore, we examined papers where the research agenda of both om and scm —from the beginnings of these disciplines to these days— has been discussed in order to show the evolution of scm as a field of high relevance in om. We emphasize the strategic nature of scm and the importance to be considered in this way. We argue that is a narrow view thinking of scm as directly related to logistics as its main focus, since this logistic vision creates a bias that limits the real scope of scm. In order for this strategic vision of the scm to be implemented correctly, it is crucial to know both how the role and the profile of sc managers should be.

Competency-based medical education (CBME) is currently the most common type of curriculum used worldwide. However, its limitations include fragmented learning and difficulties to use properly the knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired using this educational model. Having this in mind, Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA) emerge as a tool to mediate the transfer of the competency-based curriculum into physicians’ professional practice in graduate medical education. Therefore, based on a narrative review of the existing literature on EPA and the authors’ experience in teaching community-based health care integration services, the aim of this paper is to reflect on the possible use of these activities in undergraduate medical education for the development of a CBME model integrated with primary health care and community medicine. The reflections presented here allow suggesting that, although it is a challenging process, incorporating EPA into undergraduate medical education is appropriate to improve the provision of primary health care to individuals, families, and communities in general.

This paper uses the National Health Survey to analyze the relationship between education and risky health behaviors, namely smoking, heavy drinking, obesity, and unsafe sexual behavior, by estimating the education gradient. We also provide evidence on the effect of education, socio-economic and knowledge variables on these health behaviors by gender and area of residence. The results indicate that there is a negative and significant effect of years of schooling on the probability of smoking, whereas the probability of heavy drinking and unsafe sexual behaviors increase with education, highlighting the importance of social and cultural factors.

Advances in information technologies are revolutionizing social relations, including taxi drivers, through software programs. These programs are allowing any driver to transport people, putting taxi drivers in a new position in society and giving them new strategies for making a living. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the degree of entrepreneurship by means of the General Enterprising Tendency model (GET) proposed by Caird (1991). The methodology used was quantitative and exploratory, and included the participation of 147 taxi drivers from a taxi cooperative. The results indicate that in none of the constructs analyzed did taxi drivers get the average score to be classified as entrepreneurs; the "need for achievement" construct was the only item that scored farthest from average; and the "autonomy" construct was the closest to the average score. These results suggest that taxi drivers are dedicated to this profession only as an alternative to unemployment. At the same time, it suggests that a public policy for supporting this important actor is required.

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) has the advantage of generating sound welds on materials that generally present low weldability by traditional fusion welding processes, such as 2xxx and 7xxx aluminum alloys. Force measurement in FSW provides significant information about the process, the machine requirements, the effect of selected parameters, and weld soundness. In this paper, an axial force measuring device was designed, built, and tested to be used in a CNC adapted system. All tests were performed using AA 7075-T6 and a butt joint configuration. The forces obtained by the device match, in profile, key values, and trends, the ones found in literature which allows to conclude that this is a functional and sufficient device for the application.

This paper describes a case study carried out on the behaviour of an eccentric pulley transmission system housed in a manually operated abdominal-intestinal assistant device for human use. The aim is to establish a systemic framework that serves as a validation tool for mechanical systems in the initial stages of the product design processes. The proposed study system describes the device transmission process as a function of the input angle variation (dα), the height of the user’s feet (HF) and the pulley curvature function (C), resulting from the variation of its radius (dR) over time (dt). In order to explore and compare the different behaviours and identify possible solutions four different configurations of curvatures were proposed. Causal diagrams and differential equations describe the simulation scenario. The resulting application model supports the use of a systemic frame and methods as a pre-response to the validation of design proposals.