Producción científica y académica

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Propósito de vida en el embarazo adolescente y factores asociados

Hernández Bustamante, Olga Leonor | 2021

Las cifras de embarazo adolescente del departamento de Sucre (Colombia), dan cuenta de la frecuencia con que estos casos se presentan y revelan la vulnerabilidad de muchas mujeres en esa etapa de desarrollo. El embarazo adolescente ha sido abordado como una problemática y se mencionan habitualmente las transformaciones que dicha vivencia genera en los aspectos académicos, familiares y socioeconómicos; concluyendo a su vez, que dichos cambios modifican o alteran el proyecto de vida. La presente investigación tiene como objetivo describir el sentido de vida de mujeres adolescentes desde los 3 factores que evalúa la parte A del PIL TEST (Sentido desde la capacidad de establecer metas, Sentido desde el componente hedónico de la vida y Sentido desde la sensación de logro). Es un estudio descriptivo, de corte transversal. Fue desarrollado en la ciudad de Sincelejo (Sucre-Colombia), participaron 547 mujeres adolescentes que fueron divididas en dos grupos: EA (embarazo actual) y HN (hijo nacido), el muestreo fue intencional. Se concluye que tanto para sentido meta, hedónico y logro, las medias son más altas para el grupo HN en la mayoría de las variables evidenciándose que esas diferencias son estadísticamente significativas para ambos grupos

Herramientas bioclimáticas de análisis y comunicación en la enseñanza/aprendizaje del proyecto arquitectónico

Rodríguez Potes, Lizeth | 2021-06-11

Este trabajo revisa el uso de cinco tipos de herramientas utilizadas para el análisis bioclimático del proyecto arquitectónico a través de prácticas pedagógicas orientadas desde la investigación. Las herramientas analizadas fueron: dispositivos de simulación, aparatos de medición especializados y encuestas de percepción térmica, índices de confort, diagramas o cartas y software de simulación bioclimática. La muestra se extrajo de dos cursos universitarios de segundo año con énfasis en arquitectura bioclimática. Los resultados evidenciaron que las herramientas gráficas y de cálculo fueron las más aceptadas por los estudiantes. La utilización del software supuso algunas dificultades, mientras que la interpretación y la comunicación de los resultados en el proyecto evidenció mayores obstáculos por superar. En síntesis, el uso de estas herramientas es fundamental en la enseñanza de la arquitectura y se espera que este ejercicio permita guiar la construcción de metodologías para su aprendizaje

Crisis empresarial, factores que influyen y alteran la gestión de las empresas en Colombia

Olis-Barreto, Irma-Maria | 2021

Este artículo indaga los factores que intervienen en la crisis empresarial, los modelos y tipos de crisis que afectan y limitan las intervenciones de las empresas colombianas en su entorno. El tipo de metodología es la de un estudio exploratorio cualitativo interpretativo acerca de la crisis constituida por un choque simultáneo de oferta y demanda que afectó a todos los sectores sociales, en particular a los más vulnerables. Se realizó un estudio exploratorio a manera de fase inicial por razones de recursos, en particular el recurso tiempo. El estudio exploró las causas que llevaron a la crisis, tomando como muestra a ocho empresas colombianas, su proceso de resurgimiento y estrategias para su continuidad. Fueron realizadas entrevistas a cuadros medios y gerentes de empresas de servicios de logística y de educación, y 155 encuestas a empresarios y personal administrativo. Los hallazgos sostienen que existen factores como la gestión financiera, eficiencia en procesos y gestión integral que marcan un horizonte con escenarios comprometedores para el futuro empresarial. Se concluye, que es significativo para la empresa captar las señales de alerta, determinar su procedencia y conocer sus problemáticas para permitir el pronóstico de una crisis empresarial, evitando llegar al punto de no retorno.

Videojuegos y subjetividades: una reflexión desde Hispanoamérica

Acevedo Merlano, Alvaro | 2021

Los videojuegos como productos culturales, encierran toda una potencialidad en clave de significados y otorgan posibilidades de manifestar posiciones enunciativas divergentes por parte de colectividades no hegemónicas. El objetivo de este ensayo es analizar la relación que existe entre el consumo cultural de videojuegos y la construcción de subjetividades en los jugadores hispanoamericanos. Se trata de una investigación documental a partir de la búsqueda de publicaciones científicas, a fin de seleccionar los artículos con mayores índices de impacto, que abordaron la temática en cuestión. Se observó que prevalecen los géneros de videojuegos de acción y aventura, de disparos en primera y tercera persona con narrativas mítico-heroicas para que los usuarios trasciendan en una situación épica en el marco resistencia - poder entre jugadores norteamericanos angloparlantes y latinoamericanos hispanohablantes generando dinámicas de exclusión migratoria en el espacio virtual. Se concluye, que las subjetividades de los video-jugadores se construyen mediante las interrelaciones que se producen entre los sujetos y la dinámica en la que se desarrolla el juego, incorporando a su constructo tanto valores como sentimientos y significados.

A hybrid energy solution for the sustainable electricity supply of an irrigation system in a rural area of zona bananera, Colombia

Barrera Hernández, Juan Camilo | 2021

A hybrid energy system allows the integration of various technologies to meet energy demands competitively. These systems are widely used in rural areas with connection problems in the conventional electrical grid due to their economic and environmental advantages. Thus, this paper presents the design and simulation of a hybrid energy system that evaluates the suitability of using various generation sources such as photovoltaic energy, biomass, diesel generation and connection to the conventional electrical grid, in order to establish scenarios competitive to supply energy in an irrigation system of the Palmar de la Sierra experimental field, located in the municipality of Zona Bananera, Magdalena, Colombia. The sizing of the system was performed with Homer Pro software, with which technical, economic and environmental aspects of the studied scenarios were evaluated. The data of solar irradiance and the characteristics of the oil palm fruit peel, used for generation with biomass, were provided by the Cenipalma company. The results obtained show that the hybrid system (photovoltaic, biomass, diesel) can satisfy the demand of 2200 kWh/day of the irrigation system under study, using a connection to the electricity grid that allows the purchase and sale of energy.

Coal energy and environmental impacts: Introduction

Silva, Luis F. O | 2022

Within the last decade, the importance of integrating the environment, people, and climate has transitioned from being an academic concern (e.g., WEF, 2011) into a broadly societal concern as the forecasted realities of environmental deterioration and global climate change come to pass, creating urgent public and environmental health issues. Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director of UN Environment Programme, stated, “The science is clear. The health and prosperity of humanity is directly tied with the state of our environment” (UN News, 2019). The sheer magnitude and complexity of these issues, particularly within the broader narrative of a ballooning world population and unsustainable consumption patterns, requires a coordinated, transdisciplinary, and international effort to increase public awareness, and develop and implement an effective response. Scientists, governments, global leaders, policy makers, intergovernmental organizations, stakeholders, and even concerned citizens have coalesced around an urgent need to address the profound, and enduring impacts, that human activities pose to the environment as the projected consequences of inaction threatens the health – and very existence – of the human population. Central to these discussions is developing policy/energy usage strategies within the context of climate change, where a growing (and some would argue “overwhelming”) body of evidence links global environmental change and ecosystem responses with the extraction and utilization of fossil fuels, particularly coal. Coal, the “largest source of solid fuel in the world” (Miller, 2011), has been universally (and indiscriminately) embraced by civilizations across the entire globe for thousands of years, playing a pivotal role in the creation and advancement of the industrial revolution(s), and the development of modern technologies. Unfortunately, this success comes at a price, as the consequences of long-term usage on air, water, soil, ecosystems, animal and human health are significant. The removal of coal from the global energy mix has been internationally prioritized as governments seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and restrict the development of coal mines, power plants, and associated infrastructure (Brown and Speigel, 2019). In this special issue of Energy Geoscience, “Coal Energy and Environmental Impacts”, we explore the profound impact and influence (positive and negative) that this important energy resource has at the water-energy-food-health nexus and offer insight into the various facets of coal science, the environmental and human health impacts of coal, and the development of energy resources. The introductory article by Hower and Groppo (2021) uses electron microscopy to investigate the modes of occurrence, and distribution, of rare earth element (REE) minerals in fly ash. Given the critical importance of REE within industrial applications, the recovery of REE from coal combustion by-products may offer a promising solution within a global context of supply and demand.

Coal as an energy source and its impacts on human health

Gasparotto, Juciano | 2021

Attempts to secure more energy, food, and infrastructure leave a trail of environmental contamination and human health hazards. Coal is a fossil fuel and nonrenewable energy source that is combusted and used to generate electricity. A coal-fired power plant is a prodigious generator of environmental pollution, releasing large quantities of particles as aerosols in the atmosphere. The inhalation of hazardous substances such as coal micro-particles, nanoparticles, and its by-products constitutes an invisible risk to human health. Although coal is predominantly composed of carbon, there are many other constituents including sulfur, nitrogen, organometallic compounds, and minerals, that contribute to the formation of extremely toxic secondary compounds that come in contact with the atmosphere. The continuous inhalation of these hazardous substances triggers many diseases such respiratory and cardiovascular disease, systemic inflammation, and neurodegeneration. Due to coal heterogeneity, it is extremely complex to establish all the effects of the molecules in the organism. Each cell can undergo different modifications depending on the stressing molecule. On that account, inhaling air contaminated with these particles can be highly dangerous and unpredictable. This review covers the impact of coal inhalation on the lungs, immune system, heart, reproductive system, brain, DNA, and, in general, the human health. For this review, Medline and Scopus databases were accessed, including human epidemiological, review studies, and coal characterization studies over the years. Coal as an energy source must be utilized with appropriate measures of environmental protection and to safeguard human health.

Detection of bisphenol a and four analogues in atmospheric emissions in petrochemical complexes producing polypropylene in South America

Hernández Fernández, Joaquín | 2022-07-28

Because of its toxicity and impacts on the environment and human health, bisphenol A (BPA) has been controlled in numerous industrialized nations, increasing demand for bisphenol analogues (BP) for its replacement. However, the consequences of these chemicals on the environment and the health of persons exposed to their emissions are still being researched. The emissions from polypropylene manufacturing facilities in Colombia and Brazil were evaluated in this study, and the presence of bisphenol A and four BPs was detected among the gaseous compounds released, with total concentrations of BPs (∑BP) between 92 and 1565 ng g−1. As the melt flow index (MFI) of the polymer rises, so does the quantity of volatiles in its matrix that are eliminated during deodorization, indicating that the MFI and the amount of bisphenol released have a directly proportional connection.

Granular subbase improvement with recycled concrete aggregates in tropical areas

Vega Araujo, Daniela | 2022

Use of Recycled Concrete Aggregate (RCA) for Granular Subbase (GSB) in the tropical area is evaluated in this work. Among the materials widely studied as replacements in granular and surface layers is RCA. Its mechanical behavior in granular layers has mainly been evaluated with tests such as California Bearing Ratio (CBR). However, abrasion is also a determining property in the strength of these materials. In this study, the performance of Natural Aggregates (NA) with replacement of RCA was evaluated for use as GSB in a tropical area. Even though several laboratory tests were performed, the focus of the article lies on the performance in the Los Angeles (LA) abrasion test. Two replacement percentages of coarse RCA were considered: 10 and 15 % by weight of aggregates. The RCA and NA were characterized according to different laboratory tests: Granulometry, Absorption, Atterberg Limits test, Plasticity, Specific Gravity, and LA abrasion. In turn, all results were compared with Colombian specifications for a typical GSB in the area. In addition, a simple Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was included to evaluate the environmental impacts of the base and alternative scenarios. The results show that GSB with 10% RCA present a higher abrasion resistance than the GSB with 15% RCA. Even better results are obtained with 10% RCA than with natural GSB. Specifically, average LA abrasion test losses of 30.86, 29.80 and 32.07% were obtained for NA, 10% RCA and 15% RCA, respectively. The LCA results show an increase of 50% and 75% in energy consumption by comparing the base scenario with 10 and 15% RCA replacement, respectively. This leads to an increase of 40 and 80% in carbon monoxide (CO) emissions for 10 and 15% RCA replacement respectively, and 100% in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for both alternative scenarios.

Impact of acute blood loss on clinical, hematological, biochemical, and oxidative stress variables in sheep

Santos Sousa, Rejane | 2022-05-11

Blood loss in sheep can have different causes and may result in anemia. We aimed to evaluate the clinical, hematological, and biochemical alterations and the oxidative stress generated by acute blood loss. Eighteen healthy sheep underwent phlebotomy to remove 40% of the blood volume and were evaluated clinically and by laboratory tests for clinical, biochemical, and blood gas variables and to assess oxidative stress before induction (T0), 30 min (T30 min), and 6 (T6 h), 12 (T12 h), and 24 h (T24 h) after blood loss. The sheep showed tachycardia from T30 min until T24 h, reduction in the hematocrit, number of erythrocytes, and hemoglobin concentration, with lower values at T24 h and increase in the number of leukocytes from T12 h on. There was a reduction in blood pH and oxygen pressure at T30 min, increased lactate concentration and reduced blood bicarbonate at this time. There was an increase in urea concentration from T6 h until the end of the study, with no change in creatinine levels. The animals did not show changes in the concentration of malonaldehyde, and in the activity of the enzymes superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase, but there was a reduction in the concentration of reduced glutathione at T24 h. The acute loss of 40% of blood volume is capable of promoting relevant clinical, hematological, blood gas, and biochemical alterations, and contributed to the appearance of oxidative stress with reduced glutathione concentration, suggesting that this process generated free radicals in sufficient quantity to diminish the action of antioxidants.

Impact of mobility restrictions on the dynamics of transmission of COVID-19 in Colombian cities

Paternina-Caicedo, Angel | 2022

Our aim was to study the association between case rates and reductions in urban mobility in state capitals of Colombia. We designed an ecological time-series study to correlate the Colombian incidence rate with reductions in mobility trends of retail stores. The meta-analysis of β coefficients describing the association between case rates and reductions in mobility trends of retail stores resulted in a mean estimate of 0.0637 (95% confidence interval 0.027 to 0.101; p<0.001) with nearly 100% heterogeneity. We recommend continuing to consider mobility restrictions when the number of cases starts to climb in each local jurisdiction.

Impact of quarantine due to COVID-19 pandemic on health and lifestyle conditions in older adults from Centro American countries

Mendoza Ruvalcaba, Neyda Ma | 2022-05-11

The impact of quarantine in older adults have been reported in several studies with contradictory results, reporting from negative effects to no significant outcomes or even beneficial consequences. Heterogeneity in aging plays a role in each region, the aim of this study is to analyze the impact of quarantine on health conditions (physical and mental) and lifestyle in older adults in five Centro American countries during COVID-19 pandemic. In this cross-sectional study, n = 712 older adults 60 years and older from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica were assessed by telephone. Sociodemographic data, physical and mental health, lifestyle and quarantine conditions were asked previous informed consent. In general, mean of days in quarantine at the moment of the study was 142 days (approximately four months and three weeks). In the analysis of the impact of the days in quarantine effects were found on the frequency of falls, functional ability in Activities of Daily Living (ADL), general cognitive function, memory, orientation, language, frequency of drinking alcohol, having a balanced diet, and being active cognitively. Some differences were found between countries. Effects of quarantine on older adults in Centro America, requires attention of governments and healthcare to prevent long term morbidity and disability, and to promote healthy aging.

Multinomial cross-sectional regression models to estimate and predict the determinants of academic performance: the case of auditor accountant of the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso

de la Fuente-Mella, Hanns | 2022-07-28

The debate on the primary cross-curricular skills or fundamental competencies that must be improved in higher education has increased in the last few years. This is especially important in the new distant learning environments, which bring new challenges to the educational process. Econometric models have been designed to explain the students’ academic performance, which has been measured using their qualifications average, the number of failed subjects, passed subjects, and withdrawn subjects, and the level of progress, among other indicators, to try to understand the influence of variables such as students’ self-esteem, reading comprehension, English proficiency level, and performance in a mathematics-related subject on the students of accountant auditor program from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaiso. Students were asked to fill in a questionnaire to collect data on the psychological and pedagogical variables, while the socio-economic and socio-demographic data were collected from the university. The results have shown that the most significant variables in the development level of this skill type are socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics. Some of the psychological and pedagogical variables that have, to a lesser degree, some influences are self-regulation in the learning process and the self-perception of anxiety levels. Lastly, some recommendations to intervene in the students’ learning process are presented with the objective of achieving a higher level of development in this type of competences.

Optimizing the multi-level location-assignment problem in queue networks using a multi-objective optimization approach

Syah, Rahmad | 2022

Using hubs in distribution networks is an efficient approach. In this paper, a model for the location-allocation problem is designed within the framework of the queuing network in which services have several levels, and customers must go through these levels to complete the service. The purpose of the model is to locate an appropriate number of facilities among potential locations and allocate customers. The model is presented as a multi-objective nonlinear mixed-integer programming model. The objective functions include the summation of the customer and the waiting time in the system and the waiting time in the system and minimizing the maximum possibility of unemployment in the facility. To solve the model, the technique of accurate solution of the epsilon constraint method is used for multi-objective optimization, and Pareto solutions of the problem will be calculated. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis of the problem is performed, and the results demonstrate sensitivity to customer demand rate. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the proposed model is able to greatly summate the customer and the waiting time in the system and reduce the maximum probability of unemployment at several levels of all facilities. The model can also be further developed by choosing vehicles for each customer.

Increasing the efficiency of a control system for detecting the type and amount of oil product passing through pipelines based on gamma-ray attenuation, time domain feature extraction, and artificial neural networks

Mayet, Abdulilah | 2022-07-13

Instantaneously determining the type and amount of oil product passing through pipelines is one of the most critical operations in the oil, polymer and petrochemical industries. In this research, a detection system is proposed in order to monitor oil pipelines. The system uses a dual-energy gamma source of americium-241 and barium-133, a test pipe, and a NaI detector. This structure is implemented in the Monte Carlo N Particle (MCNP) code. It should be noted that the results of this simulation have been validated with a laboratory structure. In the test pipe, four oil products—ethylene glycol, crude oil, gasoil, and gasoline—were simulated two by two at various volume percentages. After receiving the signal from the detector, the feature extraction operation was started in order to provide suitable inputs for training the neural network. Four time characteristics—variance, fourth order moment, skewness, and kurtosis—were extracted from the received signal and used as the inputs of four Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural networks. The implemented neural networks were able to predict the volume ratio of each product with great accuracy. High accuracy, low cost in implementing the proposed system, and lower computational cost than previous detection methods are among the advantages of this research that increases its applicability in the oil industry. It is worth mentioning that although the presented system in this study is for monitoring of petroleum fluids, it can be easily used for other types of fluids such as polymeric fluids.

Nuevos enfoques en derechos humanos, irenología y métodos de solución de conflictos

ARRIETA-LÓPEZ, Milton | 2022

El objeto de la presente publicación consiste en ofrecer reflexiones científicas sobre los progresos en nuevos enfoques doctrinarios los cuales sirvan de base para analizar la situación actual, así como diversas perspectivas en los derechos humanos, la irenología y los métodos de solución de conflictos. Los problemas respecto a las temáticas planteadas usualmente abordados desde el dualismo reduccionista de lo que es y lo que debe ser, en la presente obra son extendidos a partir del análisis científico e interdisciplinario, y sustentado en diversas perspectivas de abordaje a las problemáticas sociales para interpretarlas y darles solución en la mecánica y funcionamiento de nuevas situaciones y realidades emergentes. Esta obra ha sido edificada de forma colectiva y gira en torno a tres ejes temáticos conexos, los cuales son los derechos humanos, la irenología y los métodos de solución de conflictos, cada eje temático se encuentra construido por tres capítulos en los que trabajaron diecisiete investigadores adscritos a la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León de México, la Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila de México, la Universidad de la Costa de Colombia y la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos de España.

Determinants of open innovation in low-tech SMEs: the influence of the top management team and employees’ human capital

VEGA-JURADO, JAIDER | 2022

This article aims to analyze the influence of top management team (TMT) characteristics and employees’ human capital on the adoption of open innovation practices in low-tech SMEs. The empirical study is based on the use of structural equations from the data derived from a questionnaire applied to 95 companies in the agro-industrial sector located in the northeastern region of Colombia. The results indicate that both the TMT’s diversity and coordination have a significant and positive influence on the adoption of open innovation practices. On the other hand, regarding human capital, the results indicate that the experience of the employees is a more decisive feature when implementing open innovation strategies than their level of education and training. This paper contributes to the literature by providing part of the missing microfoundations of open innovation and more strongly connecting open innovation, human capital, and TMT configuration.

A new class of degenerate Apostol-type Hermite polynomials and applications

Cesarano, Clemente | 2022-04

In this article, a new class of the degenerate Apostol–type Hermite polynomials is introduced. Certain algebraic and differential properties of there polynomials are derived. Most of the results are proved by using generating function methods.

Weakly ω-continuous functions in bitopological spaces

Carpintero, C. | 2022

In this paper, as a generalization of u-ω-continuous functions, we introduce the notion of weakly ω-continuous functions in bitopological spaces and obtain several characterizations and some of its properties.

Behavioural, odontological and physical activity patterns of hypertense and control population

Carreira Míguez, María | 2022-08-01

Behavioural and multifactorial factors such as odontological and physical activity habits are controlling factors in hypertension. The aim of the present study was to analyze differences in behavioral, odontological and physical activity patterns of hypertense and control population. Fifty participants with hypertension (57.5±13.6 years) and 100 participants as control group with no hypertension disease (48.9±7.9 years) were interviewed via online questionnaire. Multifactorial items in oral behavioral, health habits and physical activity profile were analyzed by a compendium of questionnaires. Result showed how control group showed significantly lower age, weight, body mass index, TV hours per day, gastritis or heartburn, dental sensibility, and sick days last year, and significantly higher level of academic education, quality of sleep and daily toothbrushing than hypertension group. In conclusion our results showed that hypertense patients presented higher levels of overweight, poor sleep quality and sedentary behaviors than control participants. In addition, hypertense patients also presented poor odontological health, showing higher indices of gastritis, dental sensibility, and sick days per year. Both groups presented a low physical activity pattern. This information allows to better understand of a multifactorial disease, as well to the creation of protocols for intervention and prevention of this disease at the behavioral level and lifestyle