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Fundamentada en los conceptos y resultados del “Catálogo de los tipos de situaciones sinópticas que influyen sobre Cuba”, el cual contiene las series diarias actualizadas y validadas de los tipos de situaciones sinópticas, que influyeron sobre las mitades occidental y oriental de Cuba durante el período de 53 años desde 1970 a 2022, se presenta la descripción regional de las principales características climáticas de cada tipo de situación sinóptica: frecuencias mensuales, marchas estacionales y multianuales, tendencias y puntos de cambios al nivel de confianza del 95 %, así como los comportamientos anómalos con respecto al promedio del período 1981-2010. Se identifican diferencias importantes en la duración de los días de influencia y en las características espacio-temporales de los procesos sinópticos que afectan a ambas mitades del país. Por tanto, la génesis de los cambios cualitativos y cuantitativos que se observan en el clima cubano se asocia a las tendencias observadas en las frecuencias de ocurrencias de algunos procesos extratropicales propios del invierno, y a variaciones relativamente recientes en la influencia del anticiclón subtropical oceánico sobre Cuba, las que pueden estar reflejando los impactos potenciales del calentamiento global sobre los procesos de la circulación atmosférica, que actúan como factores formadores del clima para toda la región del Caribe, incluyendo a Cuba.

Se realiza una actualización de la clasificación de los tipos de situaciones sinópticas que influyen sobre Cuba, considerando ahora las características de su influencia diaria sobre las mitades occidental y oriental del país, durante un largo período de 53 años (1970 a 2022). Se presenta la descripción de las características de los tipos y subtipos de procesos sinópticos influyentes, la estructura que los identifica en los mapas sinópticos de superficie y en el nivel de los 850 hPa, así como, los principios básicos a tener en cuenta durante el proceso de clasificación subjetiva. Se incluyen como elementos novedosos: un método de validación de la clasificación para detectar posible errores o incompatibilidades en la dinámica espacio-temporal de los procesos sinópticos que afectan a ambas regiones del país, y nuevos criterios y recomendaciones para garantizar la homogeneidad y actualización futura de la base datos que contiene el Catálogo, formada por 19,358 casos diarios para las mitades occidental y oriental de Cuba. El objetivo del Catálogo es contribuir a la divulgación general de nuevos conocimientos, actualizados y estandarizados, sobre los tipos de situaciones sinópticas que influyen sobre el país, tanto dentro de las áreas especializadas del Instituto de Meteorología, como en las actividades docentes y en otras instituciones vinculadas con la Meteorología.

Se evalúan las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Psicopatía de Levenson (LSRP) en población mexicana en personas privadas de su libertad (n = 300) y población general (n = 248). Se pusieron a prueba mediante un análisis factorial confirmatorio (AFC) los modelos que se han reportado en estudios previos. El que presentó un mejor ajuste fue el modelo trifactorial de Brinkley, cuyos indicadores resultaron similares a los reportados en estudios previos. Respecto a la confiabilidad se obtuvo un alfa de Cronbach de .766 y un omega de McDonald de .761 para la muestra total de la escala. Los resultados observados brindan soporte teórico y práctico sobre la dimensionalidad del constructo de psicopatía. Se discuten las implicaciones tanto para la investigación como para evaluación de la psicopatía en centros penitenciarios y en la población general.

The learning process can be conceptualized as a dynamic system constantly evolving and adapting in response to a variety of stimuli and inputs. This paper presents a novel approach to competency-based assessment that integrates a dynamic assignment design of personalized activities with the aid of a 3D matrix array structure. This structure, named Topic, Activity, and Competency (TAC) cuboid, provides a detailed view of the student’s progress, enabling the design of tailored curricular strategies to facilitate the development of competencies. Personalized activities serve as control inputs that adapt to each learner’s state, driving a feedforward that promotes proactive improvement. An automation process becomes necessary to cope with the increased data volume from the TAC cuboid and the information complexity. The concept model registers TAC cuboid information, enabling a dynamic analysis to forward an adequate workload when required to facilitate students’ achievement of their expected mathematical competencies. Additionally, the paper discusses the initial application of these models in an educational role-playing game, demonstrating their effectiveness in a gamified learning environment.

To investigate the relationship between gravity and thermodynamics in the case of dynamic systems, we interpret the apparent horizon of the Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) spacetime as a thermodynamic system. We derive the corresponding fundamental equation in the entropy representation and explore the consequences of demanding the fulfillment of the classical laws of thermodynamics. We investigate in detail the case of an FLRW spacetime with and without cosmological constant. We show that the interpretation of the apparent horizon as an isolated thermodynamic system is possible only under certain conditions because the analogy is not always valid for all the values of the parameters entering the dynamics of the horizon and certainly not for its entire evolution. Nevertheless, we show that the generalized second law of thermodynamics remains valid.

La costa norte de la mitad oriental de Cuba está considerada como la zona promisoria para el aprovechamiento del recurso eólico en Cuba. Para caracterizar, desde un enfoque sinóptico-climatológico, la rapidez media del viento en esa región del país, se emplearon las series de datos de la clasificación de tipos de situaciones sinópticas (TSS), así como, de la rapidez media del viento (RMV) en estaciones meteorológicas seleccionadas para el periodo 1978-2017. El resultado presenta los valores de frecuencias observados en la RMV para cada localidad estudiada, que muestran una estructura coherente sobre la región climática, además, identifica los TSS predominantes en los diferentes periodos estacionales del año sobre la mitad oriental de Cuba y demuestra que la variabilidad anual de la rapidez media del viento en la costa norte de la mitad oriental de Cuba está asociada a los cambios en las frecuencias de ocurrencia de estas situaciones sinópticas. También, se establecen relaciones estadísticas con valores de frecuencias igual o mayor a 5 %, que explican algunos comportamientos climáticos predominantes de la RMV en las estaciones meteorológicas seleccionadas. Finalmente, queda demostrado que la influencia del flujo anticiclónico oceánico extendido (TSS II) es la situación sinóptica predominante en la mitad oriental de Cuba, y presenta relaciones con frecuencias máximas para las clases con valores bajos de la RMV; mientras que, los valores elevados de la RMV ocurren más frecuentemente bajo la influencia del anticiclón continental migratorio (TSS VIII), principalmente en el extremo oriental.

This research aims to explore the potential impact of the ChatGPT on b-learning methodologies in engineering education, specifically in mathematics. The study focuses on how the use of these artificial intelligence tools can affect the acquisition of critical thinking, problem-solving, and group work skills among students. The research also analyzes the students’ perception of the reliability, usefulness, and importance of these tools in academia. The study collected data through a survey of 110 students enrolled in a Mathematics I course in BEng Aerospace Engineering where a blended methodology, including flipped teaching, escape room gamification, problem-solving, and laboratory sessions and exams with a computer algebraic system were used. The data collected were analyzed using statistical methods and tests for significance. Results indicate students have quickly adopted ChatGPT tool, exhibiting high confidence in their responses (3.4/5) and general usage in the learning process (3.61/5), alongside a positive evaluation. However, concerns arose regarding the potential impact on developing lateral competencies essential for future engineers (2.8/5). The study concludes that the use of ChatGPT in blended learning methodologies poses new challenges for education in engineering, which requires the adaptation of teaching strategies and methodologies to ensure the development of essential skills for future engineers.

Given an unbounded non-decreasing positive function φ, we studied what the relations are between the growth order of any solution of a complex linear differential–difference equation whose coefficients are entire or meromorphic functions of finite φ-order. Our findings extend some earlier well-known results.

In general, food processing and its conditions affect nutrients, bioactive compounds, and sensory characteristics of food products. This research aims to use a non-targeted metabolomics approach based on UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS to determine how fruit processing can affect the metabolic profile of fruits and, through a comprehensive metabolic analysis, identify possible markers to assess their degree of processing. The present study uses a real case from the food industry to evaluate markers of the processing of strawberry and apple purees industrially elaborated with different processing techniques and conditions. The results from the multivariate analysis revealed that samples were grouped according to the type of processing, evidencing changes in their metabolic profiles and an apparent temperature-dependent effect. These metabolic profiles showed changes according to the relevance of thermal conditions but also according to the exclusively cold treatment, in the case of strawberry puree, and the pressure treatment, in the case of apple puree. After data analysis, seven metabolites were identified and proposed as processing markers: pyroglutamic acid, pteroyl-D-glutamic acid, 2-hydroxy-5-methoxy benzoic acid, and 2-hydroxybenzoic acid β-d-glucoside in strawberry and di-hydroxycinnamic acid glucuronide, caffeic acid and lysoPE(18:3(9Z,12Z,15Z)/0:0) in apple purees. The use of these markers may potentially help to objectively measure the degree of food processing and help to clarify the controversial narrative on ultra-processed foods.

The introduction of game-based learning techniques has significantly swayed learning, motivation, and information processing in both traditional and digital learning environments. This paper studies the footprint that the implementation of ten short-duration digital escape rooms has had on the creation of an environment of positive emotions in the educational field. The digital escape rooms were created by employing the Genial.ly platform and RPG Maker MZ software. A feelings/satisfaction questionnaire has been conducted to study what emotions students have experienced, as well as the students’ opinions about essential elements of digital escape rooms, to study whether positive feelings predominate in the performance of these activities. Results show a high incidence of positive emotions, and a very favorable opinion on the tools employed and the positive feelings on the acquisition of knowledge and skills.

Empleando los métodos de la climatología sinóptica, con un enfoque de circulación atmosférica a medio ambiente en superficie, se establecen las relaciones entre las situaciones sinópticas que influyen sobre la mitad occidental de Cuba y la rapidez media diaria del viento en la estación meteorológica de La Fe, Isla de la Juventud, utilizando periodos decenales entre 1971 y 2017. El resultado demuestra que la variabilidad multianual de la rapidez media del viento en La Fe está asociada a los cambios en las frecuencias de ocurrencia de las situaciones sinópticas, según los periodos que componen la actual época de circulación atmosférica global, así como, que en la marcha anual existen relaciones estadísticas entre algunos tipos específicos de situaciones sinópticas que influyen sobre la mitad occidental de Cuba y la rapidez media diaria del viento en la estación meteorológica de La Fe. También, se define un periodo único en el año con valores extremos de rapidez media diaria del viento por encima de 10 m/s que ocurre entre las decenas 22 y 31 del año (agosto-inicios de noviembre), donde el 65% de ellos está asociado a los ciclones tropicales. Finalmente, se establece un periodo de 22 decenas consecutivas en el año, donde la influencia del anticiclón continental migratorio, como situación sinóptica predominante, determina la existencia y estacionalidad del potencial eólico en la Isla de la Juventud

Let A be an algebra of subsets of a set Ω and ba(A) the Banach space of bounded finitely additive scalar-valued measures on A endowed with the variation norm. A subset B of A is a Nikodým set for ba(A) if each countable B-pointwise bounded subset M of ba(A) is norm bounded. A subset B of A is a Grothendieck set for ba(A) if for each bounded sequence μnn=1∞ in ba(A) the B-pointwise convergence on ba(A) implies its ba(A)*-pointwise convergence on ba(A). A subset B of an algebra A is a strong-Nikodým (Grothendieck) set for ba(A) if in each increasing covering {Bn:n∈N} of B there exists Bm which is a Nikodým (Grothendieck) set for ba(A). The answer of the following open question for an algebra A of subsets of a set Ω, proposed by Valdivia in 2013, has not yet been found: Is it true that if A is a Nikodým set for ba(A) then A is a strong Nikodým set for ba(A)? In this paper we surveyed some results related to this Valdivia’s open question, as well as the corresponding problem for strong Grothendieck sets. The new Propositions 1 and 3 provide more simplified proofs, particularly in their application to Theorems 1 and 2, which were the main results surveyed. Moreover, the proofs of almost all other propositions are wholly or partially original.

Para establecer la relación entre los mecanismos elementales de circulación en América del Norte y las situaciones sinópticas que influyen sobre la mitad occidental de Cuba, se emplearon datos diarios de la clasificación de Dzerdzeevskii y de los tipos de situaciones sinópticas que influyen sobre Cuba durante el periodo 1971-2017. El resultado demuestra la estacionalidad de las relaciones establecidas, donde predominan las circulaciones longitudinales y los tipos de situaciones anticiclónicas, con variaciones en la frecuencia de ocurrencia según cada estación climática del año; el invierno (diciembre-febrero) marcado por las circulaciones longitudinales del norte que están relacionadas con las situaciones anticiclónicas migratorias y el verano (junio-agosto) por las circulaciones longitudinales del sur que se relacionan con las situaciones anticiclónicas oceánicas; así como, dos periodos de transición entre esas estaciones donde ocurren los cambios de los tipos de circulaciones longitudinales y es alta la variabilidad de las situaciones sinópticas. Finalmente, se establecieron las tendencias para los tipos de situaciones sinópticas, según su relación con las características de la circulación atmosférica predominante, longitudinal del norte y longitudinal del sur.

Evaluating competencies achieved by students within a subject and its different topics is a multivariable and complex task whose outcome should provide actual information on their evolution. A relevant feature when a continuous assessment (CA) rules this evaluation is to track their learning process so that pertinent feedforward may be harnessed to proactively promote improvement when required. As this process is performed via a number of activities, such as lectures, problem solving, and lab practice, different competencies are developed, depending on the recurrence and type of conducted activity. Measuring and registering their achievement is the leitmotif of competency-based assessment. In this paper, we assemble topic, activity and competency data into a 3D matrix array to form what we call a TAC cuboid. This cuboid showcases a detailed account of each student evolution, aiding instructors and students to design and follow, respectively, an individualized curricular strategy within a continuous and aligned assessment methodology, which facilitates each student to adequately modify his/her level of development of each competency. In addition, we compare the TAC cuboids’ usage in grading a mathematics subject versus a traditional CA method as well as when a dynamical continuous assessment approach is considered to measure the achievement of mathematical competencies.

Reduced bone quality or mineral density predict susceptibility to fracture and also attenuate subsequent repair. Bone regrowth is also compromised by bacterial infection, which exacerbates fracture site inflammation. Because of the cellular complexity of fracture repair, as well as genetic and environmental influences, there is a need for models that permit visualisation of the fracture repair process under clinically relevant conditions. To characterise the process of fracture repair in zebrafish, we employed a crush fracture of fin rays, coupled with histological and transgenic labelling of cellular responses; the results demonstrate a strong similarity to the phased response in humans. We applied our analysis to a zebrafish model of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), which shows reduced bone quality, spontaneous fractures and propensity for non-unions. We found deficiencies in the formation of a bone callus during fracture repair in our OI model and showed that clinically employed antiresorptive bisphosphonates can reduce spontaneous fractures in OI fish and also measurably reduce fracture callus remodelling in wild-type fish. The csf1ra mutant, which has reduced osteoclast numbers, also showed reduced callus remodelling. Exposure to excessive bisphosphonate, however, disrupted callus repair. Intriguingly, neutrophils initially colonised the fracture site, but were later completely excluded. However, when fractures were infected with Staphylococcus aureus, neutrophils were retained and compromised repair. This work elevates the zebrafish bone fracture model and indicates its utility in assessing conditions of relevance to an orthopaedic setting with medium throughput. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Agricultural practices affect the bacterial community structure, but how they determine the response of the bacterial community to drought, is still largely unknown. Conventional cultivated soil, i.e., inorganic fertilization, tillage, crop residue removal and maize (Zea mays L.) monoculture, and traditional organic farmed soil “milpa,” i.e., minimum tillage, rotation of maize, pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and organic fertilization were sampled. Both soils from the central highlands of Mexico were characterized and incubated aerobically at 5% field capacity (5%FC) and 100% field capacity (FC) for 45 days, while the C and N mineralization, enzyme activity and the bacterial community structure were monitored. After applying the different agricultural practices 3 years, the organic C content was 1.8-times larger in the milpa than in the conventional cultivated soil, the microbial biomass C 1.3-times, and C and N mineralization 2.0-times (mean for soil incubated at 5%FC and FC). The dehydrogenase, activity was significantly higher in the conventional cultivated soil than in the milpa soil when incubated at 5%FC, but not when incubated at FC. The relative abundance of Gemmatimonadetes was larger in the conventional cultivated soil than in the milpa soil in soil both at 5%FC and FC, while that of Bacteroidetes showed an opposite trend. The relative abundance of other groups, such as Nitrospirae and Proteobacteria, was affected by cultivation technique, but controlled by soil water content. The relative abundance of other groups, e.g., FBP, Gemmatimonadetes and Proteobacteria, was affected by water content, but the effect depended on agricultural practice. For soil incubated at FC, the xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism related functions were higher in the milpa soil than in the conventional cultivated soil, and carbohydrate metabolism showed an opposite trend. It was found that agricultural practices and soil water content had a strong effect on soil characteristics, C and N mineralization, enzyme activity, and the bacterial community structure and its functionality. Decreases or increases in the relative abundance of bacterial groups when the soil water content decreased, i.e., from FC to 5%FC, was defined often by the cultivation technique, and the larger organic matter content in the milpa soil did not prevent large changes in the bacterial community structure when the soil was dried.

We consider a class of discrete differential operators acting on multidimensional Haar wavelet basis with the aim of finding wavelet approximate solutions of partial differential problems. Although these operators depend on the interpolating method used for the Haar wavelets regularization and the scale dimension space, they can be easily used to define the space of approximate wavelet solutions.

Cauchy principal value is a standard method applied in mathematical applications by which an improper, and possibly divergent, integral is measured in a balanced way around singularities or at infinity. On the other hand, entropy prediction of systems behavior from a thermodynamic perspective commonly involves contour integrals. With the aim of facilitating the calculus of such integrals in this entropic scenario, we revisit the generalization of Cauchy principal value to complex contour integral, formalize its definition and—by using residue theory techniques—provide an useful way to evaluate them.