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This article analyzes Reverse Logistics (RL) practices associated with the concept of Circular Economy (CE), comparing studies conducted before and after the implementation of the National Solid Waste Policy (NSWP) in Brazil. Data from companies in the Sul Fluminense region were analyzed using the Analytic Hierarchy Process to prioritize RL practices and identify those related to CE. The research included companies from nine Brazilian economic sectors that engage in some form of RL. The comparison of results aimed to evaluate the influence of the NSWP on these practices, with data analyzed using the Super Decisions software (version 3.2) to establish priorities and aggregate them using the Aggregating Individual Priorities method. It was observed that the implementation of the NSWP in 2010 emphasized the importance of sustainability. Although the concept of CE is recent, its operationalization is based on consolidated RL practices such as recycling, remanufacturing, and material reuse. The study provides insights to optimize and expand these practices, facilitating the transition from a linear economy to a circular one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging tractography is a non-invasive technique that produces a collection of streamlines representing the main white matter bundle trajectories. Methods, such as fiber clustering algorithms, are important in computational neuroscience and have been the basis of several white matter analysis methods and studies. Nevertheless, these clustering methods face the challenge of the absence of ground truth of white matter fibers, making their evaluation difficult. As an alternative solution, we present an innovative brain fiber bundle simulator that uses spline curves for fiber representation. The methodology uses a tubular model for the bundle simulation based on a bundle centroid and five radii along the bundle. The algorithm was tested by simulating 28 Deep White Matter atlas bundles, leading to low inter-bundle distances and high intersection percentages between the original and simulated bundles. To prove the utility of the simulator, we created three whole-brain datasets containing different numbers of fiber bundles to assess the quality performance of QuickBundles and Fast Fiber Clustering algorithms using five clustering metrics. Our results indicate that QuickBundles tends to split less and Fast Fiber Clustering tends to merge less, which is consistent with their expected behavior. The performance of both algorithms decreases when the number of bundles is increased due to higher bundle crossings. Additionally, the two algorithms exhibit robust behavior with input data permutation. To our knowledge, this is the first whole-brain fiber bundle simulator capable of assessing fiber clustering algorithms with realistic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthcare professionals' education is evolving to meet people's needs towards a more comprehensive, collaborative and interdisciplinary training. In medical education in Argentina, in the context of international discussions around competence-based education (CBE), competence frameworks are being developed for undergraduate and postgraduate education, constituting agreed criteria that lead to the design of training programs and work as key tools to ensure educational quality. The Tuning Project and other international frameworks account for this process towards a common definition of standards beyond geographic and disciplinary boundaries. Generic competences (GCs) have acquired increased relevance in CBE discussions, whereas in medical education they involve key skills for patient safety -- yet clarity in their implementation still has to be accomplished. In competence-based medical education (CBME), some changes are being hindered by the absence of a common language as well as diverging ideologies and theories. The purpose of this work was to explore conceptions and the terms used when referring to GCs by people in charge of educational planning and design of Human Resources (HR) training policies in Argentina. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted based on semi-structured interviews to key informants from different levels and fields in medical education. Interviews were conducted by one interviewer and analysed by two independent researchers. Results showed that medical educational planners have different conceptions regarding GCs and fail to share a common language to enunciate them. They acknowledge their relevance for patient safety and agree with the notion that, at this time of educational transformation, it would be useful to enunciate them separately from specific competences, although they realise that this involves potential risks in curricular design. From all terms used in this regard, "generic competence" was identified as a contradiction in itself. Consensus on denomination, meaning and visibility in curricula is mandatory.

We present a Python library (Phybers) for analyzing brain tractography data. Tractography datasets contain streamlines (also called fibers) composed of 3D points representing the main white matter pathways. Several algorithms have been proposed to analyze this data, including clustering, segmentation, and visualization methods. The manipulation of tractography data is not straightforward due to the geometrical complexity of the streamlines, the file format, and the size of the datasets, which may contain millions of fibers. Hence, we collected and structured state-of-the-art methods for the analysis of tractography and packed them into a Python library, to integrate and share tools for tractography analysis. Due to the high computational requirements, themost demanding modules were implemented in C/C++. Available functions include brain Bundle Segmentation (FiberSeg), Hierarchical Fiber Clustering (HClust), Fast Fiber Clustering (FFClust), normalization to a reference coordinate system, fiber sampling, calculation of intersection between sets of brain fibers, tools for cluster filtering, calculation of measures from clusters, and fiber visualization. The library tools were structured into four principal modules: Segmentation, Clustering, Utils, and Visualization (Fibervis). Phybers is freely available on a GitHub repository under the GNU public license for non-commercial use and open-source development, which provides sample data and extensive documentation. In addition, the library can be easily installed on both Windows and Ubuntu operating systems through the pip library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015, the Ministry of Labor published the Single Regulatory Decree of the Labor Sector with the provisions for the implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System and in 2019 Resolution 0312 that defines the minimum limits to achieve it. The objective was designed a regulatory compliance matrix for companies that link people with disabilities and that are protected by the General occupational safety and health system. A specific normative documentary review was carried out for workers with disabilities. 308 current norms among decrees, laws, norms related to working conditions for people with disabilities with limitations for Colombian companies were analyzed. For the analysis, 3 guide tables were constructed and a compliance matrix was designed, made up of 9 sheets that allow companies to evaluate the working conditions of workers with disabilities and the conditions of the General occupational safety and health system. A specific normative documentary review was carried out for workers with disabilities. 308 current norms among decrees, laws, norms related to working conditions for people with disabilities with limitations for Colombian companies were analyzed. For the analysis, 3 guide tables were constructed and a compliance matrix was designed, made up of 9 sheets that allow companies to evaluate the working conditions of workers with disabilities and the conditions of the General occupational safety and health system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The social representation of scientific publication among university professors remains unknown. Objective: To explore the social representation of publication in Scopus-indexed scientific journals among faculty members of health faculties in higher education institutions in Cali, Colombia. Method: Qualitative research about a social representation approach was conducted. Data collection instruments included free word listing and pile sorting. Prototypical, processual analysis, and distance index were performed. Results: Sixty-six faculty members from three higher education institutions in Cali participated, with 47.8% of them not having published in Scopus journals. Predominant categories included manuscript quality (39.1%), work commitments (20.2%), and perceived barriers to publication (16.2%). Two thematic groups were identified: one related to writing difficulty, time, and academic commitments, and another focused on research rigor and quality. Conclusions: Scientific production in Colombia faces significant challenges, such as lack of writing skills, language barriers, and academic pressure. Overcoming these obstacles requires institutional support and the implementation of training programs to enhance researchers' competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The OGC API standards are being developed to provide geospatial data on the web, free and open geospatial data through web services, which are designed to make it easy for anyone. These standards build on the legacy of OGC Web Services standards (WMS, WFS, WCS, WPS, etc.), based on resource APIs that take advantage modern web development practices as the OpenAPI. With the purpose of being at the forefront of new technologies and standards, the API services have been published by the Autonomous Body National Centre for Geographic Information (CNIG) for the data available from both the National Cartographic System and the Spanish National Geographic Institute. This work based on APIs which are the new OGC standards has begun in March 2022, with the aim of providing geospatial data, improved availability and without limitations on access to the service. The Centre for Geographic Information (CNIG) published the URLs by type of OGC API service in 2023. Currently, the OGC API Features, Maps and Processes standards have been implemented and these works continues to improve on the efficient implementation of the OGC API Coverages and Tiles standards. It is expected that these new services will be able to replace previous standards in the near future, providing new functionalities and applications, with improved interoperability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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