The Pontifical Bolivarian University (Spanish: Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana), also referred to as UPB, is a private university in Colombia with its main campus in Medellín, where it was founded in 1936. Currently, the university has campuses in other Colombian cities, such as Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Montería and Palmira. As of January 2021, the university estimated its nationwide student population at 26,000 The university offers 74 undergraduate programs, 68 master programs and 10 doctorate programs nationwide. The university groups its educational programs under the schools of Architecture And Urbanism, Design, Engineering, Health Sciences, Law and Political Sciences, Strategic Sciences (Management), Social Sciences, Education and Teaching, and Theology, Philosophy and Humanities. The university also operates elementary and high school programs under its educational umbrella.The university has several distinguished alumni such as Former President of Colombia Belisario Betancur Cuartas, and Former First Lady of Colombia Lina María Moreno Mejía.Juanes the Latin Pop Star is an alumnus of the UPB.Belisario Betancur, Expresident of Colombia (1982-1986).María Emma Mejía, Politician, and ex-ambassador to the UN (2014-2018).Piedad Córdoba, Senator of the Republic of Colombia (1994-2010).
Fibromyalgia is a widespread chronic pain condition affecting quality of life. Emotional distress and loneliness are factors commonly related to pain and suffering. However, no study has analyzed how all these variables interplay in individuals living with fibromyalgia. The study objective was to empirically test the relationships among loneliness, anxiety, depression, pain, and suffering in this population. Descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess the relationships between loneliness, anxiety, and depression to the experience of pain and suffering in 317 fibromyalgia patients who attended a specialized pain management facility. Loneliness was positively associated with anxiety, pain, depression, and suffering. Moreover, in our sample, anxiety, depression, suffering, and pain demonstrated significant covariation. We also found that depression is positively related to pain and suffering. Our study demonstrates that loneliness in fibromyalgia is closely linked to anxiety, depression, pain, and suffering. Regular, comprehensive interventions that incorporate social support strategies may help reduce this burden.
BACKGROUND The incidence of fragility hip fractures (FHF) is increasing in older adults, and delirium often follows physical stress such as FHF. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) is the reference standard for diagnosing delirium in Thailand but requires specialized expertise. The Delirium Diagnostic Tool-Provisional (DDT-Pro) - a reliable and valid alternative that does not require specialist training - has not been evaluated in older Thai patients with FHF. This study aimed to translate and cross-culturally adapt the DDT-Pro to create a Thai version (DDT-Pro-TH), then determine its validity and reliability. MATERIAL AND METHODS A multidisciplinary team of nonpsychiatrists (orthopedists, geriatricians, anesthesiologists, physiatrists) and 2 DDT-Pro psychiatry experts performed forward and backward translation. Patients with FHF were informed about and consented to participation in this cross-sectional validation study. The DDT-Pro-TH and DSM-5 were independently utilized for delirium assessment before surgery and on postoperative days 1 and 2. Delirium diagnosed by DSM-5 served as the reference standard; DDT-Pro-TH positivity was defined as a score of 6 or lower. Validity was assessed with the area under the curve (AUC); reliability was measured using Cronbach's alpha and Cohen's kappa statistics. RESULTS One hundred ten patients with FHF participated. Internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.819 (95% CI, 0.783-0.851). Inter-rater reliability (Cohen's kappa) was 0.974 (95% CI, 0.962-0.982). Concurrent validity (AUC vs Thai DSM-5) was 0.959 (95% CI, 0.903-0.987). CONCLUSIONS The Thai version of the DDT-Pro is a highly reliable and valid instrument for diagnosing delirium in older patients with FHF.
This study investigates the influence of build direction in Ti6Al4V substrates manufactured by Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (EB-PBF) on the performance of Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) coatings. Because of the inherent anisotropy of additively manufactured alloys, arising from differences in thermal history between the build and transverse directions, surface treatments and coating behavior may vary. To explore this, coatings were produced in a silicate–phosphate (Si–P) electrolyte under different current densities and treatment times. The resulting coatings were characterized in terms of morphology, crystalline phase composition, and corrosion performance. The results show that, although build direction affects the initial voltage response during PEO treatment, its influence on coating thickness and porosity is minimal. X-ray diffraction revealed the presence of both anatase and rutile TiO₂ phases, with anatase formation favored at lower current densities. Importantly, PEO treatment eliminated the corrosion anisotropy observed in uncoated Ti6Al4V manufactured by EB-PBF, leading to uniform protective behavior regardless of build direction. Overall, these findings demonstrate the potential of PEO to enhance the functional performance of additively manufactured titanium alloys for biomedical and aerospace applications. In addition, they underscore the importance of electrolyte composition and process optimization in tailoring surface properties.
This article deals with phenomena that tend to remain slightly unnoticed and that also have a clear interaction when carefully reviewed. Apart from a global pandemic, a financial crisis, a world war, extreme poverty, or climate change (CC), it is shown here, how complex it is to give a positive connotation in the face of the efforts that are not made today to combat the lack of ecological vision and not exclusively of species and, all the more than calling a spade a spade, it seeks to show how disinterest in an ecosystem dialogue between sciences and humanities can represent a real perspective of human extinction
Multimodal electric transport systems demand substantial active and reactive energy, making power-quality management essential for ensuring efficient and reliable operation. This paper analyses reactive-energy transport in mass-transit networks and introduces a unified current-based framework that enables a consistent interpretation of the conventional power factor under harmonic distortion, fundamental unbalance, and short-term load fluctuation, without modifying its original definition. The framework enables a consistent assessment of compensation needs, independent of billing schemes, and is aligned with the way modern compensation equipment is specified and controlled. Applied to the Metro de Medellín system, field measurements and digital simulations show that traditional reactive-energy limits fail to distinguish between harmful and beneficial operating conditions, leading to disproportionate charges under the former Colombian regulation. Beyond this case, the proposed framework is directly applicable to other electric-mobility systems—including railways, trams, trolleybuses, and electric-bus networks—providing clearer technical signals for compensation planning and offering a comprehensive basis for future regulatory approaches that integrate multiple power-quality phenomena.
