National Training Service

This article analyzes the use of assistive technologies in the inclusive learning process, highlighting their importance for promoting educational equity and the effective participation of students with disabilities in the school context. The study aimed to investigate the contributions and challenges related to the use of assistive technologies in the teaching and learning process of students with disabilities in regular education. The methodological procedure adopted was bibliographic research, based on the analysis of scientific articles, books, and theses addressing the topic. The results show that the use of assistive technologies, when planned and articulated with pedagogical practices, promotes autonomy, cognitive development, and social interaction among students, contributing to the consolidation of inclusive educational practices. It was also found that the effective implementation of these resources depends on institutional, pedagogical, and technological factors, such as continuing education for teachers, specialized technical support, and investments in school infrastructure. Despite the advances resulting from public inclusion policies, challenges related to limited resources and insufficient teacher training persist, aspects that still restrict the full use of these technologies. It can be concluded that assistive technologies play a fundamental role in building accessible and equitable education, and it is necessary to strengthen policies and actions that ensure their effective use in regular schools.

In recent decades, robotic locomotion has applied different techniques to emulate central pattern generators (CPGs). The theory of CPG explains the biological functions of motor control in living organisms. This paper presents an unpublished model for coupled nonlinear oscillators. This model employs a canonical nonlinear differential equation system to coordinate joint activity. The analysis, conducted under the criteria of chaos and bifurcation theory, determines that the new model is successful and without the presence of chaos. The new model is compared with other cases, including the Wilson–Cowan, Hopf, and Van Der Pol models, as well as with the operability of different robots. It highlights the new model’s advantages in terms of versatility, simplicity, and processing, as well as the comparisons of metrics of locomotion, such as support factor and symmetry index between hemibody metrics. The new model is applied to the locomotion of two quadruped robots (a crab and a dog) used in research on transitions between types of locomotion, considering both physical and computational limitations.

This paper presents a comparative experimental analysis of horizontal, vertical, and 45° tilt photovoltaic (PV) panel orientations, evaluated with and without load conditions in a tropical environment. Simultaneous measurements of open-circuit voltage (Voc), short-circuit current (Isc), and average power were conducted over three consecutive days to facilitate orientation-specific performance comparisons. Results show that the horizontal orientation demonstrated robust midday performance, achieving 3.65 W with load on one of the test day, but declined sharply in post-noon periods. The vertical orientation consistently produced lower average power outputs, approximately 3.1 W with load. As a reference, the 45° tilt consistently produced the highest output, with average load powers of 3.77 W, 3.41 W, and 3.64 W over the three days. This performance exceeded horizontal orientations by 2–5% and vertical orientations by 15–20%. Both horizontal and tilt orientations consistently surpassed internet of things (IoT) operational thresholds of 3.3–5.0 V and 100–200 mA required for low power sensor nodes, ensuring excess energy for storage. In contrast, the vertical orientation posed a risk of inadequate current in late afternoon periods. Thus, the results indicate that the orientation selection should be environment-driven. Horizontal or tilted orientations are suitable for rural and open-field IoT settings, while vertical orientations are advantageous for space-constrained or dust-prone environments.

En respuesta al deterioro ambiental y la creciente desconexión entre las nuevas generaciones y su entorno natural, este trabajo propone el desarrollo de una aplicación educativa basada en realidad aumentada (RA) que promueva la educación ambiental y la identidad cultural y territorial en La Dorada, Caldas, a través del reconocimiento de la biodiversidad local y su relevancia ecológica, cultural y económica desde contextos educativos diversos. La metodología incluyó el levantamiento de información sobre fauna vertebrada local mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas a los habitantes del municipio, el diseño gráfico de elementos visuales 2D y 3D, la implementación técnica de software y componentes como Unity y ARCore para crear una experiencia inmersiva accesible a través de dispositivos Android, y el uso del lenguaje C# para programar las funcionalidades del aplicativo. Entre los resultados se destaca una experiencia interactiva que combina información científica y cultural, promoviendo el aprendizaje significativo sobre usos tradicionales, los servicios ecosistémicos y los estados de conservación de las especies de fauna silvestre local. La aplicación basada en RA resulta ser una herramienta educativa eficaz para sensibilizar a la comunidad sobre la relevancia de la biodiversidad y estimular actitudes positivas relacionadas con su conservación, ofreciendo un modelo replicable para otras regiones.

La iniciativa se implementó en las asignaturas de Marketing Management y Global Marketing Strategies del Master in International Management (MIM) de Advantere School of Management. Aunque el aprendizaje en estas asignaturas se vehicula con metodología Project Based Learning (Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos) se identificó la necesidad de apuntalar los conceptos de marketing, especialmente en un aula diversa donde muchos estudiantes no tenían formación previa en la materia. Para estas sesiones de refuerzo se aplicó la metodología Peer Instruction, desarrollada por Eric Mazur (Harvard, 1991) que busca mejorar la implicación del alumnado y su comprensión conceptual en entornos de clase invertida. Los resultados demostraron la efectividad de la metodología para conseguir una mayor implicación de los estudiantes con la asignatura y con los contenidos.

Abstract Detecting fraudulent trading activities in the FinTech sector presents significant challenges due to the highly dynamic nature of financial markets and the rapid adaptation strategies employed by fraudsters. Conventional machine learning techniques, especially when trained on imbalanced datasets, often exhibit classification bias toward the majority class (legitimate transactions), reducing their ability to identify fraudulent behaviors. To address this limitation, we introduce a hybrid memetic-ABC framework that combines Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) sampling for global exploration with memetic local refinement to generate high-quality synthetic minority-class samples guided by feature importance. ABC ensures broad coverage of potential fraudulent patterns, while the memetic refinement fine-tunes synthetic samples and feature subsets to enhance discriminative power, capturing subtle anomalies in transaction amounts, locations, and timing. The framework further incorporates an anomaly detection module that constructs behavioral profiles for traders using historical transaction data, clustering them based on similar trading patterns. This enables identification of key indicators of potential fraud, such as sudden volume fluctuations, irregular transaction timings, and deviations from behavioral norms. For real-time monitoring and scalable deployment in decentralized environments, the system is extended into a Distributed Intrusion Detection System (DIDS) architecture, simultaneously detecting transactional anomalies and network-level threats, including DDoS attacks and unauthorized access attempts. By correlating anomalous trading patterns with DIDS-generated alerts, the approach achieves enhanced detection accuracy and robustness against complex fraud scenarios. Experimental evaluations demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms state-of-the-art techniques, achieving approximately 10% improvement in accuracy.

<title>Abstract</title> Background Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss in older adults and is commonly treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF agents such as ranibizumab and aflibercept. These therapies are highly effective but expensive, imposing a significant burden on patients and healthcare systems. Biosimilars offer a lower-cost alternative, but concerns remain regarding their clinical equivalence and safety. Purpose To systematically evaluate the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of ranibizumab and aflibercept biosimilars compared with their reference biologics in the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing biosimilar anti-VEGF agents with reference ranibizumab or aflibercept. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library (inception–September 2025) was performed following PRISMA guidelines. Outcomes included change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 12 weeks and study endpoint, ≥ 15-letter responder rates, treatment-emergent anti-drug antibodies (ADAs), and ocular/serious ocular adverse events. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane ROB-2 tool. Results Seventeen phase 3 RCTs including 6,694 patients were analyzed. Pooled results showed no clinically meaningful differences in BCVA improvement at 12 weeks (MD = -0.42, p = 0.17) or at study endpoint (MD =-0.32, p = 0.23) between biosimilars and reference biologics. Responder rates (≥ 15-letter gain) were comparable (RR = 1.06, p = 0.36), as were rates of treatment-emergent ADAs (RR = 0.89, p = 0.40) and ocular adverse events (RR = 0.99, p = 0.86). Subgroup analysis revealed no significant differences for aflibercept biosimilars versus reference aflibercept; however, ranibizumab biosimilars showed slightly reduced BCVA gains at study endpoint (RR = 0.53, p = 0.02). Heterogeneity was generally low to moderate, and no significant publication bias was detected. Conclusion Our analysis showed that ranibizumab and aflibercept biosimilars provide equivalent efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity compared with their reference biologics. Future research should focus on long-term outcomes, real-world switching data, and health-economic analyses to guide sustainable implementation in routine practice.

Este artículo analiza cómo el equipo motor de la Red Maristas Chile conceptualiza el uso y el impacto de una Guía Orientadora de Aprendizaje-Servicio (A+S) en el contexto escolar, en el marco de su expansión como modelo pedagógico transformador en sus 12 colegios a nivel nacional. Aunque el A+S ha sido consolidado como práctica centrada en el estudiantado, las voces docentes y su rol en la co-construcción metodológica siguen siendo escasamente exploradas. Basado en un enfoque cualitativo con fundamentos en la teoría fundamentada constructivista y la fenomenología social, el estudio se desarrolló a través de un grupo focal con seis docentes con amplia trayectoria en A+S escolar. Mediante ciclos iterativos de codificación con NVivo 15, emergieron cuatro categorías centrales vinculadas a la guía, el impacto social, los vínculos comunitarios y las emociones docentes. Las narrativas revelan que el A+S no es solo una metodología aplicable, sino una práctica ética, situada y relacional que tensiona y resignifica la cultura institucional, impulsando transformaciones colectivas desde la experiencia docente.

We present an updated inventory of flower chafers (Cetoniinae, Scarabaeidae) from the Colombian Caribbean, where knowledge of the group remains limited. Our study combines field collections, literature, and reviews of scientific collections, documenting 12 species across the tribes Gymnetini and Cetoniini, representing six genera. We newly report Gymnetis bajula wollastoni Schaum, 1848 from Colombia and first records for the departments of Cesar, La Guajira, Bol&amp;iacute;var, and Atl&amp;aacute;ntico. These results provide updated data on the diversity and distribution of this group in tropical dry forests.

At the high growth temperatures of the PVT method, thermal radiation from the graphite crucible surface to the seed region is the dominant mode of heat transfer. In this study, we propose a newly designed crucible structure with a thinner graphite wall compared to the conventional design for SiC crystal growth. The SiC ingot grown using the conventional crucible exhibited the smallest thickness variation (flat top surface) between the center and the edge of the ingot, accompanied by polytype inclusions, which led to an increase in defect density. In contrast, SiC ingots grown using the newly designed crucibles (Design A and Design B) showed a convex top surface and a significantly lower defect density due to the improved heat transfer efficiency. Thinning the graphite crucible wall helps maintain a relatively higher temperature at the seed edge region, thereby effectively enhancing thermal radiation in the radial direction inside the crucible. These results indicate that thermal radiation in the radial direction can be achieved through appropriate optimization of the graphite wall thickness.