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Gamification in education has received significant attention for its potential to enhance student engagement and motivation. However, challenges arise from the excessive use of reward-oriented game elements, which are assumed to have negative effects on learning outcomes in many cases. In contrast, while the literature argues immersion-based gamification holds great potential, there is little research on how such an approach affects learning experiences. The Sensation game element, for instance, might contribute to students' experiences by providing sensory queues, such as auditory feedback based on background music, to foster concentration, engagement, and immersive learning experiences. Nevertheless, past studies have not sufficiently investigated how the Sensation game element affects gamified learning experiences. Therefore, this paper implements the Sensation game element in two studies: Study 1 introduced background music during a reading activity, while Study 2 implemented multiple background music tracks aligned with different learning stages to drive students' experiences. Accordingly, we evaluated this game element through usability tests, based on high-fidelity prototypes of online learning environments, followed by semi-structured interviews that were analyzed through thematic analysis with the help of ChatGPT. Overall, we found that Sensation, particularly instrumental music, positively influenced concentration but requires careful design to maintain engagement. The findings highlight the importance of tailoring Sensation's implementation to consider individual preferences and contextual factors and the need for thoughtful selection and management of sensory queues to optimize learning environments effectively. Additionally, we provide evidence emphasizing the value of using tools like ChatGPT to optimize qualitative data analysis, although human oversight remains prominent to ensure robust research outcomes. Overall, this study contributes insights for designing personalized and effective gamified learning experiences based on the Sensation game element in enhancing learning experiences.

Abstract The still growing share of intermittent renewable sources in the electric energy matrix is a factor that greatly increases the complexity of modelling electrical power systems. Although its exploitation is conditioned to the geographic location where the natural resource emerges itself, when this location coincides with the grid‐edge of the system, close to the consumer, the composite reliability assessment is exposed to the combination of two problems: (i) representation of the intermittent energy availability of generators; and (ii) failure event rarity. To address the first problem, a fast Monte Carlo tool capable of representing chronological aspects can be used. For the second problem, an efficient variance reduction technique that adapts well to the composite problem of generation and transmission must be established. Therefore, a quasi‐sequential Monte Carlo simulation tool aided by importance sampling via the cross‐entropy method is proposed as an efficient and robust procedure for evaluating the composite reliability of systems with renewable participation at grid‐edge. The method is evaluated through a modified version of the IEEE Reliability Test System ‐ 1996, which presents renewable generation in consumer load buses and rarity in the composite failure.

Phytochemical study of Psychotria schlechtendaliana (Rubiaceae) aerial parts resulted in the isolation of alkaloids 4 N oxide harmane (1) and strictosidinic acid (2), and the terpenoids sitosterol, estigmasterol, α-amyrin, β-amyrin and betulinic acid. The crude extract (CE), its fractions (hexane FH, chloroform FC, ethyl acetate FEA, hydromethanolic FHM, alkaloidal chloroform FCOH, alkaloidal aqueous FAq) and majority alkaloid (1) were investigated for their antiproliferative potential against nine human tumor cells lines and one non-tumoral human cell line (HaCat). CE, FH and FEA fractions exhibited strong growth inhibition for ovary cells (OVCAR-3, GI50 = 5.89; 1.36 and 6.59 μg mL-1, respectively) and FC, FH and FAq fractions showed potent activity on the growth of leukemia cell lines (K562, GI50 = 1.92; 7.23 and 8.81 μg mL-1, respectively). Compound 1 exhibited selective antiproliferative activity to breast cancer (MCF-7, GI50 = 32.7 μg mL-1) and was non-toxic to HaCat cells. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect, models of ear edema induced by croton oil and the enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO) were used. FH and FC fractions exhibited anti-inflammatory effect and reduce ear edema compared to the control group. These fractions showed results superior to those exhibited by indomethacin (75.1%), FH (97.5%) and FC (95.5%) fractions.

In this paper, we consider a method of constructing isothermic surfaces in S3 based on Ribaucour transformations. By applying the theory to the flat torus, we obtain two family of complete isothermic surfaces in S3. One four-parameter family of complete isothermic surfaces that contains n-bubble surfaces inside and outside of the torus. We also get another four-parameter of complete isothermic surfaces which are Dupin surfaces. As aplication we obtain explicit solutions of the Calapso equation.

In this paper, we provide a class of surfaces called ϵ-isothermic surface in the pseudo-Euclidean 3-space and we introduce the pseudo-Calapso equation. We prove that for each ϵ-isothermic surface, we can associate two solutions to the pseudo-Calapso equation. In particular, we associate solutions to the Calapso, Zoomeron and Davey-Stewartson III equations. In sequence, we classify the Dupin surfaces in pseudo-Euclidean 3-space having distinct principal curvatures and provide explicit coordinates for such surfaces. As application of the theory, we obtain explicit solutions to the pseudo-Calapso equation and from these solutions, we provide new explicit solutions of the Zoomeron and Davey-Stewartson III equations. Moreover, we also provide explicit solutions to these equations that depend on ϵ2−holomorphic functions.

Background/Objectives: The purpose of this study is to update results of Portuguese's Report Card on Physical activity (PA) for Children and Adolescents. Methods: The grades were assigned by results derived from the PA and Fitness in Portugal 2021 Portuguese Report Card and corresponds to the third report for the Portuguese children and adolescents. It includes indicators of PA and sedentary behavior (SB) that are common to the GLOBAL matrix 4.0: Overall Physical Activity, Organized Sport and Physical Activity, Active Play, Active Transportation, Sedentary Behaviors, Family and Peers, School, Community and the Environment, Government and Physical Fitness. The search focused on published national evidence/data sources (academia, NGO, governmental) from end 2018 onwards excluding data obtained during the covid-19 pandemic. Results: The grades were assigned as follows: Overall PA (D−), Organized Sport Participation (C−), Active Play (D+), Active Transportation (D−), Sedentary behaviors (C+), Physical Fitness (C), Family and Peers (B), School (A), Community and Environment (B), and Government (B). Conclusion: In line with previous Portuguese Report Cards, a large proportion of Portuguese children and adolescents are not sufficiently active nor fit enough setting urgency for effective strategies. Particular attention should be given to Active play, Active transport and Organized Sports Participation has their grades have decreased. Some actions in selected indicators as Governmental and policy seems promising however results weren't seen yet. Despite the strong support of schools with mandatory curricula in PE no correspondent change is observed in fitness or PA, so more research is needed to find why.

Postural adaptation is a prominent feature in horses affected by laminitis. Laminitis induces intense pain, especially in the forelimbs, prompting affected horses to assume a caudally displaced trunk posture, resulting in the hyperflexion of the thoracolumbar spine. This study assessed the nature and prevalence of thoracolumbar injuries in horses with chronic laminitis compared to horses without it. Sixty horses were used (thirty laminitic and thirty non-laminitic) of different athletic purposes and ages (2–20 years). The experimental protocol entailed a single assessment of horses’ thoracolumbar spines, utilizing physical examination by MACCTORE, a scoring system developed specifically for this study. Additional evaluations included the Grimace Equine Pain Scale (HGS) and ultrasound exams. Statistical tests were used to compare values (Mann–Whitney or t-test) and lesions prevalences (Fisher) between groups (p < 0.05). The results showed a higher pain manifestation (HGS and heart rate, p < 0.0001) and thoracolumbar-spine-injury levels in chronic laminitis horses, both in MACCTORE clinical examinations (11.7 ± 4.8 vs. 4.2 ± 3.3, p < 0.0001) and general ultrasonographic indices (39.6 ± 12.0 vs. 20.7 ± 7.1, p < 0.0001), including specific examination approaches for various spinal elements. Horses with laminitis presented with a 14-fold higher prevalence of ultrasound-relevant lesions in the thoracolumbar spine (CI: 4.4 to 50.6, p < 0.0001) compared to controls. These findings constitute new evidence of an association between chronic laminitis and the presence of thoracolumbar spine injuries in horses, which may be confirmed by more sophisticated study designs.

ABSTRACTThe use of convalescent plasma (CP) for hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection might be a useful option in certain settings. Soon after the outbreak of COVID-19, the National Ministry of Health of Argentina recommended the use of CP transfusion for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 disease. Between 1 June and 3 October 2020, 480 patients, excluding those on invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), received at least one CP infusion in the province of Santa Fe. We aimed to find factors associated with mortality among this cohort of patients. The median age was 60 years (interquartile range: 49–69 years) and 320 (66.7%) were males. Most of these patients (93.75%) received a single CP infusion, 82.1% and 95.6% before day 4 and day 7 of hospitalization, respectively. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 titers were determined in the CP units administered using Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S assay. At 28 days of follow-up, 250 patients were discharged (52.1%), 131 (27.3%) remained hospitalized without and 16 (3.3%) with oxygen requirement, 27 (5.6%) were on IMV, and 56 (11.7%) had died. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the factors significantly associated with 28-day mortality were (i) requirement of IMV, (ii) the administration of CP after the third day of hospitalization, (iii) age, and (iv) number of comorbidities. The qualitative and quantitative analyses of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in the infused CP were not associated with mortality. Our findings may imply a seemingly favorable effect of CP administration among patients with severe COVID-19 disease when infused sooner after hospitalization.IMPORTANCEThe use of convalescent plasma (CP) could be an option for patients with severe COVID-19, especially in poor-resource countries where direct antiviral drugs are not commercially available. Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration limits the CP administration for outpatients and inpatients with COVID-19 who are immunocompromised and only if high levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies are confirmed in the CP unit. Although most of the randomized clinical trials failed to show a clear-cut benefit of CP in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19, other studies have shown that if given early in the course of the disease, it might be a useful therapeutic option. In this retrospective study, we demonstrated that early treatment (within 3 days of hospitalization) was significantly associated with reduced 28-day mortality compared with those patients treated beyond day 3. The results from our study add up to the scientific evidence on the use of CP as a relatively safe, cheap, and possibly effective therapy in certain patients suffering from severe SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Abstract Gamification refers to the attempt to transform different kinds of systems to be able to better invoke positive experiences such as the flow state. However, the ability of such intervention to invoke flow state is commonly believed to depend on several moderating factors including the user’s traits. Currently, there is a dearth of research on the effect of user traits on the results of gamification. Gamer types (personality traits related to gaming styles and preferences) are considered some of the most relevant factors affecting the individual’s susceptibility to gamification. Therefore, in this study we investigate how gamer types from the BrainHex taxonomy (achiever, conqueror, daredevil, mastermind, seeker, socializer and survivor) moderate the effects of personalized/non-personalized gamification on users’ flow experience (challenge-skill balance, merging of action and awareness, clear goals, feedback, concentration, control, loss of self-consciousness and autotelic experience), enjoyment, perception of gamification and motivation. We conducted a mixed factorial within-subject experiment involving 121 elementary school students comparing a personalized version against a non-personalized version of a gamified education system. There were no main effects between personalization and students’ flow experience, perception of gamification and motivation, and enjoyment. Our results also indicate patterns of characteristics that can lead students to the high flow experience (e.g., those who prefer to play multiplayer have a high flow experience in both personalized and non-personalized versions). Based on our results, we provided recommendations to advance the design of gamifed educational systems.

Abstract There are many claims that gamification (i.e., using game elements outside games) impact decreases over time (i.e., the novelty effect). Most studies analyzing this effect focused on extrinsic game elements, while fictional and collaborative competition have been recently recommended. Additionally, to the best of our knowledge, no long-term research has been carried out with STEM learners from introductory programming courses (CS1), a context that demands encouraging practice and mitigating motivation throughout the semester. Therefore, the main goal of this work is to better understand how the impact of a gamification design, featuring fictional and competitive-collaborative elements, changes over a 14-week period of time, when applied to CS1 courses taken by STEM students (N = 756). In an ecological setting, we followed a 2x7 quasi-experimental design, where Brazilian STEM students completed assignments in either a gamified or non-gamified version of the same system, which provided the measures (number of attempts, usage time, and system access) to assess user behavior at seven points in time. Results indicate changes in gamification’s impact that appear to follow a U-shaped pattern. Supporting the novelty effect, the gamification’s effect started to decrease after four weeks, decrease that lasted between two to six weeks. Interestingly, the gamification’s impact shifted to an uptrend between six and 10 weeks after the start of the intervention, partially recovering its contribution naturally. Thus, we found empirical evidence supporting that gamification likely suffers from the novelty effect, but also benefits from the familiarization effect, which contributes to an overall positive impact on students. These findings may provide some guidelines to inform practitioners about how long the initial contributions of gamification last, and how long they take to recover after some reduction in benefits. It can also help researchers to realize when to apply/evaluate interventions that use gamification by taking into consideration the novelty effect and, thereby, better understand the real impact of gamification on students’ behavior in the long run.

The present work focus was developing a system for early automatic detection of smoke plumes in visible-light images. The system used a realistic dataset gathered in 274 different days from a total of nine real surveillance cameras, with most smoke plumes being viewed from afar and 85% of them occupying less than 5% of the image area. We employed the innovative strategy of using the whole image for classification but “asking” the neural networks to indicate, in a multidimensional output, which image regions contained a smoke plume. The multidimensional output helped to focus the detector on the smoke regions. At the same time, the use of the whole image prevented wrong image classification caused by a constrained view of the landscape under analysis. Another strategy used was to rectify the detection results using a visual explanation algorithm, Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM), to ensure that detections corresponded to the smoke regions in an image. The detection algorithms tested were residual neural networks (ResNet) and EfficientNet of various sizes because these two types have given good results in the past in multiple domains. The training was done using transfer learning. Our dataset contained a total of 14125 and 21203 images with and without smoke, respectively, making it, to the best of the author’s knowledge, one of the largest or even the largest reported dataset in the scientific literature in terms of the number of images with smoke collected from large distances of various kilometers. This dataset was fundamental to achieve realistic results concerning smoke detection efficiency. Our best result in the test set was an Area Under Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.949 obtained with an EfficientNet-B0.

This work creates a fish species identification tool combining a low-cost, custom-made multispectral camera called MultiCam and a trained classification algorithm for application in the fishing industry. The objective is to assess, non-destructively and using reflectance spectroscopy, the possibility of classifying the spectra of small fish neighborhoods instead of the whole fish for situations where fish are not completely visible, and use the classification to estimate the percentage of each fish species captured. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first work to study this possibility. The multispectral imaging device records images from 10 horse mackerel, 10 Atlantic mackerel, and 30 sardines, the three most abundant fish species in Portugal. This results in 48,741 spectra of 5 × 5 pixel regions for analysis. The recording occurs in twelve wavelength bands from 390 nm to 970 nm. The bands correspond to filters with the peculiarity of being highpass to keep the camera cost low. Using a Teflon tape white reference is also relevant to control the overall cost. The tested machine learning algorithms are k-nearest neighbors, multilayer perceptrons, and support vector machines. In general, the results are better than random guessing. The best classification comes from support vector machines, with a balanced accuracy of 63.8%. The use of Teflon does not seem to be detrimental to this result. It seems possible to obtain an equivalent accuracy with ten cameras instead of twelve.

In this work, we define the hypersurfaces of the spherical type degenerated (in short DST-hypersurfaces), these hypersurfaces has the geometric property that the middle spheres pass through the origin of the Euclidean space. We present a representation for these hypersurfaces in the case where the stereographic projection of the Gauss map N is given by the identity application. We characterize the DST-hypersurfaces through a differential equation and we give an explicit example of a two-parameter family of DST-hypersurfaces with planar lines of curvature foliated by (n-1)-dimensional spheres. Moreover, we classify the DST hypersurfaces of rotation.

In this work, we study biharmonic surfaces that are parameterized by biharmonic coordinate functions. We study a class of biharmonic surfaces called graph-type biharmonic surfaces. Also, we define a class of surfaces associated to two harmonic functions (FH2A-surfaces), these surfaces satisfy a relation between the Gaussian curvature, the projection of the Gauss map on a fixed plane and two harmonic functions. We show that a particular class of graph-type biharmonic surfaces are FH2A-surfaces. Finally, we classify the FH2A-surfaces of rotation.

Presentado en sesión de 27 de octubre de 1943

Presentado en sesión de 10 de noviembre de 1943

Presentado en la Sesión del 6 de Agosto de 1941.

Presentado a la Sesión 1 Octubre de 1941.

Presentado en la Sesión del 2 de Julio de 1941.

Presentado en sesión de 1o de julio de 1942

Presentado a la Sesión del 25 de Setiembre de 1940.

Presentado en sesión de 26 de abril de 1939

Presentado en la sesión del 4 de Junio de 1941.

Presentado en sesi´ón de 12 de agosto de 1938

Presentado en sesión de 13 de mayo de 1942

Sesión del 21 de Abril de 1938.

Presentado en sesión de 25 de junio de 1937, relator Prof D. Prat

Abstract Gamification has been widely employed in the educational domain over the past eight years when the term became a trend. However, the literature states that gamification still lacks formal definitions to support the design and analysis of gamified strategies. This paper analysed the game elements employed in gamified learning environments through a previously proposed and evaluated taxonomy while detailing and expanding this taxonomy. In the current paper, we describe our taxonomy in-depth as well as expand it. Our new structured results demonstrate an extension of the proposed taxonomy which results from this process, is divided into five dimensions, related to the learner and the learning environment. Our main contribution is the detailed taxonomy that can be used to design and evaluate gamification design in learning environments.

Accurate reference data to validate burned area (BA) products are crucial to obtaining reliable accuracy metrics for such products. However, the accuracy of reference data can be affected by numerous factors; hence, we can expect some degree of deviation with respect to real ground conditions. Since reference data are usually produced by semi-automatic methods, where human-based image interpretation is an important part of the process, in this study, we analyze the impact of the interpreter on the accuracy of the reference data. Here, we compare the accuracy metrics of the FireCCI51 BA product obtained from reference datasets that were produced by different analysts over 60 sites located in tropical regions of South America. Additionally, fire severity, tree cover percentage, and canopy height were selected as explanatory sources of discrepancies between interpreters’ reference BA classifications. We found significant differences between the FireCCI51 accuracy metrics obtained with the different reference datasets. The highest accuracies (highest Dice coefficient) were obtained with the reference dataset produced by the most experienced interpreter. The results indicated that fire severity is the main source of discrepancy between interpreters. Disagreement between interpreters was more likely to occur in areas with low fire severity. We conclude that the training and experience of the interpreter play a crucial role in guaranteeing the quality of the reference data.

Vessel traffic is one of the major sources of underwater anthropogenic noise. Dolphins can modify their vocal repertoire, especially whistles, in presence of vessels to facilitate their communication. Acoustic data were collected (sampling rate 96 kHz) in La Paz Bay, Gulf of California, Mexico. Whistle rate and parameters of the coastal and oceanic ecotypes of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were measured in absence of vessels and in presence of moving small vessels (size 5–10 m). The peak noise difference was calculated between the two frequency bands dominated by the whistles (2000–20,000 Hz) and the small vessel (500–2000 Hz). In presence of vessels the oceanic ecotype decreased whistle frequencies while the coastal ecotype increased them. Both ecotypes raised whistle frequencies with the decreasing of the peak noise difference. The differences in habitat and group structure could have driven the two ecotypes to react in a different way to the vessel presence.

Personalized gamification aims to address shortcomings of the one-size-fits-all (OSFA) approach in improving students' motivations throughout the learning process. However, studies still focus on personalizing to a single user dimension, ignoring multiple individual and contextual factors that affect user motivation. Unlike prior research, we address this issue by exploring multidimensional personalization compared to OSFA based on a multi-institution sample. Thus, we conducted a controlled experiment in three institutions, comparing gamification designs ("OSFA" and "Personalized" to the learning task and users' gaming habits/preferences and demographics) in terms of 58 students' motivations to complete assessments for learning. Our results suggest no significant differences among OSFA and Personalized designs, despite suggesting user motivation depended on fewer user characteristics when using personalization. Additionally, exploratory analyses suggest personalization was positive for females and those holding a technical degree, but negative for those who prefer adventure games and those who prefer single-playing. Our contribution benefits designers, suggesting how personalization works; practitioners, demonstrating to whom the personalization strategy was more or less suitable; and researchers, providing future research directions.

One of the main goals of gamification in educational settings is to increase student motivation and engagement. To facilitate the design of gamified educational systems, in recent years, studies have proposed various approaches (e.g., methodologies, frameworks and models). One of the main problems, however, is that most of these approaches are theoretical, and do not provide a proof-of-concept. This paper advances the state of the art by providing a practical way to help implement this kind of system. In this study, we present, for the first time, how one can apply gamification elements in a learning system using the Design Sprint method, to guide designers and developers on replicating this process. Additionally, as starting point, we use a taxonomy composed of 21 game elements, proposed to be used within learning environments, organised into five game element categories, according to their goal/usage. Our main contribution is to present how to systematically implement the gamification elements focused on educational ends, which is of special value to practitioners, designers and developers.

En el presente trabajo se presenta la implementación de un sistema de detección de menaje para aplicaciones de calentamiento por inducción electromagnética en la cocción de los alimentos. Son analizadas las características de los materiales utilizados en los recipientes, definiéndose cuales son las fundamentales para un calentamiento óptimo. Son estudiados los métodos de detección más empleados en cocinas de una zona de cocción y el comportamiento de diferentes menajes ante un estímulo determinado. Es propuesto un sistema de detección de menaje basado en la técnica de respuesta en el dominio del tiempo, empleando un microcontrolador de propósito general del fabricante Microchip, mediante el desarrollo de una instalación experimental con este propósito. Los resultados prácticos alcanzados ante diferentes estados de cargas son presentados, demostrando el correcto funcionamiento del sistema de detección, haciendo uso de instrumentos de medición profesionales como es el caso del osciloscopio digital TEKTRONIX TPS 2024B.

A grave crise de saúde pública mundial causada pela atual pandemia de COVID-19 teve impactos diretos na sociedade brasileira, evidenciando a necessária participação colaborativa de toda a comunidade científica. Neste contexto, o Instituto Militar de Engenharia - IME foi instado a fortalecer suas parcerias e a oferecer sua capacidade imediata de assessoramento, disponibilizando sua vocação para a pesquisa na busca das soluções de engenharia demandadas.

ABSTRACT Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) envelope glycoproteins traffic to assembly sites through the secretory pathway, while nonglycosylated proteins M and N are present in HRSV inclusion bodies but must reach the plasma membrane, where HRSV assembly happens. Little is known about how nonglycosylated HRSV proteins reach assembly sites. Here, we show that HRSV M and N proteins partially colocalize with the Golgi marker giantin, and the glycosylated F and nonglycosylated N proteins are closely located in the trans-Golgi, suggesting their interaction in that compartment. Brefeldin A compromised the trafficking of HRSV F and N proteins and inclusion body sizes, indicating that the Golgi is important for both glycosylated and nonglycosylated HRSV protein traffic. HRSV N and M proteins colocalized and interacted with sorting nexin 2 (SNX2), a retromer component that shapes endosomes in tubular structures. Glycosylated F and nonglycosylated N HRSV proteins are detected in SNX2-laden aggregates with intracellular filaments projecting from their outer surfaces, and VPS26, another retromer component, was also found in inclusion bodies and filament-shaped structures. Similar to SNX2, TGN46 also colocalized with HRSV M and N proteins in filamentous structures at the plasma membrane. Cell fractionation showed enrichment of SNX2 in fractions containing HRSV M and N proteins. Silencing of SNX1 and 2 was associated with reduction in viral proteins, HRSV inclusion body size, syncytium formation, and progeny production. The results indicate that HRSV structural proteins M and N are in the secretory pathway, and SNX2 plays an important role in the traffic of HRSV structural proteins toward assembly sites. IMPORTANCE The present study contributes new knowledge to understand HRSV assembly by providing evidence that nonglycosylated structural proteins M and N interact with elements of the secretory pathway, shedding light on their intracellular traffic. To the best of our knowledge, the present contribution is important given the scarcity of studies about the traffic of HRSV nonglycosylated proteins, especially by pointing to the involvement of SNX2, a retromer component, in the HRSV assembly process.

Background With the hypothesis that equine dorsal lamellar tissue can be desensitized by anesthesia injection into distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ), the objective was to assess the mechanical nociceptive threshold of hoof dorsal lamellae following intra-articular (IA) administration of lidocaine into this joint. Methods The DIPJ of the forelimbs of six adult healthy horses were injected with either 5 mL of lidocaine, or 5 mL of lactated Ringer’s solution. Treatments were randomly distributed, with each forelimb undergoing a single treatment. The hooves were evaluated pre- and post-injection at pre-selected times over 4 h, using a pressure algometry model. Mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) were recorded for the sole (dorsal, palmarolateral, and palmaromedial regions), coronary band (medial, lateral, and dorsal regions), heel bulbs (medial and lateral), and dorsal lamellar region (2 cm and 4 cm distal to the coronary band). The MNT means were compared over time using the Friedman test and between treatments using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, with values of P

Baseline knowledge of spatial and temporal distribution patterns is essential for cetacean management and conservation. Such knowledge is particularly important in areas where gillnet fishing occurs, as the Upper Gulf of California, which increases the probability of bycatch of cetaceans. In this area, the vaquita porpoise (Phocoena sinus) has been widely studied, but the knowledge of other cetaceans is scarce and based on traditional visual survey methods. We used data collected by an array of acoustic click detectors (C-PODs) during the summers 2011 to 2015 to analyze the distribution of dolphins in the Vaquita Refuge in the Upper Gulf of California. We recorded 120,038 echolocation click trains of dolphins during 12,371 days of recording effort at 46 sampling sites. Based on simultaneous visual and acoustic data, we estimated a false positive acoustic detection rate of 19.4%. Dolphin acoustic activity varied among sites, with higher activity in the east of the Vaquita Refuge. Acoustic activity was higher at night than during the day. We used negative binomial generalized linear models to study the count of clicks of dolphins in relation to spatial, temporal, physical, biological and anthropogenic explanatory variables. The best model selected for the response variable included sampling site, day-night condition, and vertical component of tide speed. Patterns in the spatial distribution of predicted acoustic activity of dolphins were similar to the acoustic activity observed per sampling season. Higher acoustic activity was predicted at night, but the tide speed variable was not relevant under this condition. Acoustic activity patterns could be related to the availability of prey resources since echolocation click trains are associated with foraging activities of dolphins. This is the first study of the distribution of dolphins in Mexico using medium-term systematic passive acoustic monitoring, and the results can contribute to better management to the natural protected area located in the Upper Gulf of California.

En el presente trabajo se realiza el diseño e implementación de un inversor medio puente, para que sea utilizado en aplicaciones de calentamiento por inducción electromagnética. La etapa de control del convertidor de potencia está basada en un microcontrolador PIC de propósito general. Se estudian los principios físicos de la inducción electromagnética y las características de los materiales utilizados para estos fines. Es explicado el método utilizado en la identificación de recipientes y modelado de la carga eléctrica. Es propuesto un diagrama en bloques de potencia y control para lograr el calentamiento por inducción en recipientes ferromagnéticos. Es presentado un programa en MATLAB para que se utilice como interfaz de usuario, brindando control total sobre la frecuencia de operación del inversor. Las simulaciones de las etapas de potencia fueron validadas mediante los resultados prácticos alcanzados, demostrando el correcto funcionamiento de todas las etapas de potencia y control.

Controller area network (CAN) is a widely-used bus protocol in automotive distributed embedded systems, but its limited communication bandwidth (up to 1 Mbps) and payload size (up to 8 Bytes) limit its applicability in today's increasingly complex automotive electrical/electronic systems. CAN with flexible data rate (CAN-FD) is an improved CAN-based communication protocol, with higher communication bandwidth (up to 8 Mbps for the payload) and increased payload size (up to 64 Bytes). In this paper, we perform analytical and experimental performance comparisons of CAN-FD bus with conventional CAN bus. We consider a message set obtained by reverse-engineering a real CAN -based system, with additional high-priority interference messages for stress-testing the system with different bus loads. We also consider a networked control system based on the message set, and analyze the control system performance measured by step responses under different bus loads. Experimental results validate the performance advantages of CAN-FD over conventional CAN bus.

In this work, we present explicit parameterizations of hypersurfaces parameterized by lines of curvature with prescribed Gauss map and we characterize the hypersurfaces with planar curvature lines. As an application we obtain a classification of isothermic surfaces with respect to the third fundamental form with two planar curvature lines. Also, we present a class of surfaces with one family of planar curvature lines and generalize these results to present classes of hypersurfaces with families of planar curvature lines.

En este trabajo, usando la teoría de invariantes de Laplace damos otra demostración del siguiente resultado: Una hipersupercie de Dupin própia Mn para n ≥ 4 en Rn+1 con n curvaturas principales distintas y curvatura de Mobius constante, no puede ser parametrizada por líneas de curvatura. También, estudiamos clases especiales de hipersupercies Mn; n ≥ 3; en Rn+1, parametrizadas por líneas de curvatura con n curvaturas principales distintas y obtenemos una relación geométrica cuando los invariantes de Laplace son nulos, mostramos que las foliaciones de Mn son hipersupercies umbílicas si y solamente si mijk = 0. Además, las foliaciones de Mn son hipersupercies de Dupin si y solamente si mij = 0.

Presentado en sesión de noviembre de 1944

Observación presentada en la sesión del 25 de setiembre de 1940.

The vaquita (Phocoena sinus) is a small porpoise endemic to Mexico. It is listed by IUCN as Critically Endangered because of unsustainable levels of bycatch in gillnets. The population has been monitored with passive acoustic detectors every summer from 2011 to 2018; here we report results for 2017 and 2018. We combine the acoustic trends with an independent estimate of population size from 2015, and visual observations of at least seven animals in 2017 and six in 2018. Despite adoption of an emergency gillnet ban in May 2015, the estimated rate of decline remains extremely high: 48% decline in 2017 (95% Bayesian credible interval (CRI) 78% decline to 9% increase) and 47% in 2018 (95% CRI 80% decline to 13% increase). Estimated total population decline since 2011 is 98.6%, with greater than 99% probability the decline is greater than 33% yr−1. We estimate fewer than 19 vaquitas remained as of summer 2018 (posterior mean 9, median 8, 95% CRI 6–19). From March 2016 to March 2019, 10 dead vaquitas killed in gillnets were found. The ongoing presence of illegal gillnets despite the emergency ban continues to drive the vaquita towards extinction. Immediate management action is required if the species is to be saved.

Whether benign or malignant, laryngeal and neck masses may involve the upper airway and obstruct breathing. While surgically-resectable malignancies are generally extirpated with adequate margins of normal tissue, benign lesions are usually excised conservatively. However, even benign masses may behave malignantly, necessitating more aggressive surgical resection. We present one such case. CASE REPORT A 35-year-old man from Cotabato City consulted due to difficulty of breathing. He had a six-year history of progressively enlarging anterior neck mass with intermittent dyspnea, foreign body sensation, progressive dysphagia and hoarseness over the last three months. Physical examination revealed a well-defined, 5 x 6 cm smooth, firm, non-tender anterior neck mass that moved with deglutition. Rigid endoscopy showed a right supraglottic mass with bulging of the right glottic and subglottic area, with a less than 10% airway opening. (Figure 1A) Both arytenoids were visibly mobile, but glottic closure was impaired. (Figure 1B) Tracheostomy and suspension laryngoscopy with biopsy yielded inconclusive results (fibromuscular tissue) and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the anterior neck mass only revealed blood and colloid. Contrast computed tomography of the neck showed a well-marginated, hypodense, thick-walled, heterogeneously enhancing mass in the right laryngeal fossa measuring 2.86 x 1.78 cm with a larger extension anteriorly measuring 4.66 x 2.52 cm. Effacement of the epiglottis and aryepiglottic fold was noted. The hyoid and thyroid cartilage were intact, and the thyroid gland was normal. (Figure 2A, B) Because of inconclusive histopathological and cytological results, an incision biopsy of the anterior neck mass was performed. Histopathological evaluation revealed spindle cell mesenchymal proliferation, and immunohistochemical stains showed positive immunoreactivity for CD34, with a weakly positive S-100 and negative SMA, favoring a solitary fibrous tumor.

In the last 30 years agricultural areas have occupied a larger proportion of cultivable zone in the Pampa Plain, generating the movement of livestock activities to the margins of waterways. These changes in land use can cause hydrological, morphological, physicochemical and biological alterations in the lotic systems of this region. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of different types of land use on the structure of the fish community in streams of the middle basin of Areco River. To do this, monthly samplings were realized during the summer of 2014 in four tributaries of the Areco River. Two of these sections were associated with an unfenced livestock use on the bank stream, while the other two sites had an agricultural use with preserved riparian zone. In each sampling site the structure of the riparian zone was evaluated by applying a quality index of the banks. On each sampling date physicochemical and hydrological parameters were surveyed and the fish community was sampled. The quality of the banks in places exposed to livestock was lower than in those dedicated to agricultural use. In the latter, the values of suspended solids were lower while the total coverage of macrophytes was higher. Moreover, the total fish biomass was higher in the sites with higher level of preservation of the riparian zone. Significant differences were also observed in the fish species composition among sites with contrasting land use. There were strong positive correlations between the proportion of piscivores and the integrity of the bank. These results show a consistent relationship between the land use and the quality of the bank, which ultimately have an impact on the structure of the fish community in the lotic systems of the Pampa Plain.

Worldwide, cancer represents one of the main causes of mortality and morbidity, with breast cancer being the most diagnosed and the main cause of mortality among women. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of chia seed oil on cell viability in the breast cancer line MCF-7. Tumor cells were treated to various concentrations of chia seed oil (12.5–400 μg/mL), then cellular viability was evaluated by (3-(4,5-dimethyl thiazole-2yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) MTT assay. Cellular viability was increased in the highest concentration group. Chia seed oil in high concentrations could potentially increase the viability of breast cancer cells.

Background: Childhood obesity is one of the most critical global health challenges. Poor knee extensor strength is associated with disability and difficulties with physical function in obese patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of peak torque and total work in concentric flexion and concentric extension in obese children. Methods: 25 obese children aged between 6 and 11 years performed 3F maximal unilateral isokinetic repetitions with the knee extensors/flexors performing concentric actions at 60°/s. Peak torque (Nm), total work (J), and the ratio antagonist/agonist were recorded and normalized by total and lean mass. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and smallest real difference (SRD) were computed. Results: Reliability was excellent for almost all variables. The highest ICC values were observed when work or peak torque were not divided by any other variable. However, SEM (%) and SRD (%) were lower when peak torque and work were divided by the total mass or lean mass. The antagonist/agonist ratio showed an ICC value of 0.873. Conclusion: Peak torque, total work, and the antagonist/agonist ratio are reliable in obese children.