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Context: modeling of atmospheric pollutants is an useful tool for air quality monitoring and management. In this study the dispersion of three atmospheric pollutants (SO2, NO2 and Total Suspended Particles - TSP) emitted by a boiler from a paper factory at Valle del Cauca department was estimated and its potential impact on the population settlements located at 5Km around the stationary source was identified. Method: the study was structured in three stages: (i) compiling and processing of meteorological, topographic and isokinetic sampling data; (ii) modeling the dispersion of pollutants using AERMOD ViewTM; and (iii) determination of the impact on surrounding populations. Results: the pollution plume is dispersed towards predominant directions of wind and the trajectory is affected by mountainous topography. The maximum concentrations of pollutants found (0,012 μg SO2/m3, 1,42 μg NO2/m3 and 0,109 μgTSP/m3) were lower than the Colombian air quality standards. Conclusions: the emission-control systems used by the studied paper industry ensures compliance with the air quality standard and generates a low impact on exposed populations. In addition, the atmospheric instability conditions favored the dilution of the contaminants discharged to the atmosphere. Although the AERMOD model was useful in the modeling of pollutants under atmospheric instability conditions and short length (

Context: The increase in rural electrification projects has led to the emergence of technologies that allow operating local distribution networks such as isolated microgrids. However, the successful implementation of these isolated microgrids requires that their planning, operation, monitoring, and control consider a framework that allows maintaining technical, economic, and environmental sustainability over an extended time horizon. Therefore, this paper proposes a model that allows identifying the main technical, economic, regulatory, and environmental variables that should be considered for the successful planning of Colombian rural electrification solutions. Methodology: This paper proposes the use of System Dynamics to create a model that allows describing the causal relationships between the different variables essential for the design and operation of isolated microgrids. To this effect, the identification of the related variables and their corresponding classification are presented, together with a model of theoretical expectations about their relationships. Results: A model that integrates and describes the behavior of the main variables involved in the operation of microgrids was formulated to analyze the possible implementation of policies that guarantee the sustainability of these solutions and enhance the use of renewable energy resources while improving the continuity of the electric energy supply. Conclusions: It was possible to show that operation by means of isolated microgrids with the integration of Distributed Energy Resources is a sustainable solution for rural electrification in Colombia, given that it enhances the use of generation resources with a reduced carbon footprint that are present in the territories under study. These microgrids have the potential to improve the living conditions of users by reducing unsatisfied basic needs. Funding: Universidad Nacional de Colombia – Sede Manizales.

Objective: This paper presents a qualitative comparison of different recently proposed network protection schemes that are based on the distance function. From this comparison, possible opportunities are identified to develop strategies oriented towards protecting active distribution systems. Methodology: This research is carried out in two parts: the first is to identify the fundamental theoretical aspects of distance protection, its main problems, and a description of the most important aspects of the relevant strategies proposed in recent years. The second part consists of selecting aspects and elaborating a qualitative comparison of the different protection schemes analyzed. This comparison makes it possible to establish the advantages and disadvantages of each of the relevant proposals used in conventional electrical networks or active distribution networks. Results: As a result of this research, the most important aspects to consider in the protection design are identified, which therefore strongly affect its performance. These are summarized in a comparative table, which supports future research related to distance protection in active distribution networks. Conclusions: From this research, it can be stated that the solutions analyzed, despite being relevant within the scope of distance protection applied to active distribution networks, have problems to solve. None of these strategies protects the network for all types of failures in a selective, sensitive, reliable, and cost-effective way while guaranteeing minimum supply interruption to consumers. Funding: This paper is a result from projects 6-20-6 funded by Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira and contract 774-2020 (Integra2023) funded by Minciencias, Colombia.

In times of geocultural subalternization of knowledge and education, English language teaching (ELT) is torn between subalternizing policies and subjectivating practices. Within this context, ELT teacher educators face policies and discourses aimed at framing their teaching practices, professional lives, and research agendas. However, at the same time, they are expected to engage in practices and processes that allow for personal adaptation and social change. Amid this ambivalence, this reflection paper makes a call to decolonize ELT in Colombia. To this effect, this paper reviews some basic epistemological perspectives such as colonialism and decolonial studies. Then, it proposes the decolonization of ELT, along with a grammar of decoloniality based on discursive alternatives about power, knowledge, and being with the potential of bringing about a transformative teacher subjectivation. The main conclusion is that the Colombian ELT community needs to first deconstruct dominant structures and strategies that enact epistemic and cultural dominance of the global north, and then construct alternative discourses and practices that acknowledge and disseminate the singularities of its knowledge and culture.

Influenced by certain factors and motives, some educated Nigerian English speakers use high-sounding expressions, as well as dense, windy, and complex syntactic structures. This paper examines this linguistic habit in Nigerian English to show how entrenched it has become; explain the sociolinguistic, historical, and idiosyncratic factors that influence it; show its effect on its audience and readers; and determine its implications for teaching and learning English in English as a second language (ESL) settings. The paper adopted the qualitative research method, and data were extracted from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were extracted from well-known Nigerian ‘bombast bombardiers’ (users of bombast). Secondary data were gleaned from historical events and published and creative works. The study established that the use of ‘language explosives’ (high-sounding lexical items) is a common linguistic habit in ESL. Some educated Nigerians, for instance, use the habit to show off learning and their mastery of the language, estrange others in communication, create humor, and gain popularity. Although the paper avers that the habit in its unguided form hampers effective communication, it submits that it possesses certain socio-political and pedagogical utilities in ESL settings.

IIn his groundbreaking work, Abstraction and Empathy, Wilhelm Worringer delved into the intri-cacies of various abstract and figurative artworks, contending that they evoke distinct impulses in the human audience—specifically, the urges towards abstraction and empathy. This article asserts the presence of empirical evidence supporting the extension of Worringer’s concepts beyond the realm of art appreciation to the domain of art-mak-ing. Consequently, it posits that abstraction and empathy serve as foundational principles guiding the production of both abstract and figurative art. This holds particular significance in the 21st century, where artificial intelligence (AI) assumes a creative role that was absent during Worringer’s initial formulation of his theory. Thus, this paper postulates that AI inherently harbors a predisposi-tion for the generation of abstract art, owing to its non-living and inorganic origins and functioning

Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is a dual focus educational approach widely used in European primary, secondary and tertiary education institutions in which content subjects included in the mainstream curriculum are taught through a foreign language, usually English. This paper presents a systematic review on relevant existing literature on the application of the CLIL approach in university classrooms. A total of 22 studies were identified and chosen for further analysis; the categories emerged from the analysis itself. These studies, which focused on language and methodological features, were explored to determine the research trends in terms of location, methodology, participants, data collection instruments, focus, teaching methodology and language focus. The results of the review show a trend to examine classroom discourses and the development of pragmatic competence in CLIL classrooms. As a result of the review, the paper offers suggestions for future research on the CLIL approach in university classrooms as more tertiary education institutions around the globe are adopting English as the language of instruction.

This research paper studies the perception of parental ties in the late adolescent sub-stage. A sample of 281 young residents’ people has been participated in the city of Bogotá. For this, the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) was used in its version adapted for the Colombian population by Gómez, Vallejo, and Zambrano in 2007. This study pretend to provide information that allows intervention in areas of education and health related to family dynamics and paternal function. The results obtained presents a prevalence of perception of control-type bond without affection of 38,9% for each of the age range groups and statistically significant differences for sex, with a higher level of perception of paternal and maternal bond for the females. These data are like those found in previous research, both in prevalence and in differences according to established variables.