ABSTRACT
During the next decades the construction will have to face many problems that never had inferred, it must reinvent itself to adapt to the new needs that it currently demands because it consumes too many energetic resources, it generates excess of CO2 emissions, consumption of natural resources and every day the construction is more expensive. The United Nations 2030 Agenda announced the objectives for sustainable development, this to try to mitigate the effects of climate change;The Coronavirus pandemic made humanity reflect on the emergencies that we must face and left us reflecting that we are not prepared for an emergency or crisis;These are key points that we must address to develop the new architecture. If we analyze the history of architecture, we can see that technology and science has always been a catalyst for humanity and has generated great solutions to the problems that befall us, this should motivate us to use technology and software in our favor. Therefore, we must prepare and generate new solutions, innovations and technology that focus on solving the new needs that architecture demands. The question is: how we can solve these problems? The answer is through digital fabrication and parametric design. It is important to emphasize and make it clear, we cannot continue to build as we have been doing in the past century, our practices and approaches must change, and it is urgent to rethink the role of the architecture today.
ABSTRACT
On account of the disruptive nature of the COVID-19 disease, the present paper aims to analyze the main repercussions of the pandemic for the field of education. The objective is twofold: (1) To describe the process of digitalization and digital transformation of educational institutions, (2) To analyze students' insights regarding the implementation of hybrid methodologies of learning and identify potential differences in perception across university degrees. A structured literature review on the resonance of the COVID-19 pandemic for education is performed. From this, the concept of the Digital Divide has risen to prominence, as education digitalization has managed to broaden global social inequalities. In this context, the prevailing E-learning methodologies are detailed, outlining the differences between asynchronous and synchronous format. The topic of Blended Learning is put forward, detailing the diverse hybrid education models present in the actual paradigm of education. In order to analyze and measure the perception of students regarding education digitalization, a survey based on validated scales is conducted among 305 university students in Spain. A statistical analysis reveals that the most frequently implemented teaching model within the COVID-19 scenario is the mixture of in-person and synchronous remote lessons. In addition to this, overall satisfaction, perception of workload and confidence in the professional future differs across branches of study. Finally, several implications for educational framework are presented.
ABSTRACT
Background/Case Studies: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has left more than 650.000 diseased worldwide, without a specific treatment nor vaccine, leaving patients with risk factors, like cancer or severe illness, without therapeutic options. Convalescent plasma, previously described in viral infections, has proved to be safe and effective. Here, we describe our findings in specific donor population studied. Study Design/Methods: Across social media, a call was made for COVID-19 recovered patients to donate convalescent plasma. There were considered male donors and female donors with and without pregnancy records. Volunteers were tested for IgG anti SARS-CoV-2 antibodies titers, HIV, HCV, HBV, Chagas disease, HTLV I and II, syphilis and were performed NAT for HIV, HBV and HCV. All women and men with blood transfusions records had anti HLA antibodies measured. The characteristics of age, sex, antibody titers, anti HLA antibodies, blood group, and its relationship with the severity of the infection are described. Results/Findings: Data analysis included 864 patients tested. 22,7% had IgG titers less than 1:320, while 31% had titers of 1:320, and 31% had titer at least 1:640. 15,3% was deferred because microbiologic studies (8 donors) or anti HLA antibodies (124 patients). From group with less than 1:320, the average age was 37,5 years, 44,3% were women, and 100% had mild infection requiring no hospitalization, while the 1:320 titers group had an average age of 34 years, with a 50% of women. For group with at least 1:640 titers, average age was 38 years, with a 44% of women. The major proportion of donors with severe illness were fromO (+) factor. From all tested women, a 26,6% had anti HLA (+) antibodies. From 4 male donors with history of transfusion, 1 had anti HLA (+) antibodies. Conclusions: In our population, 73% of potential donors had enough IgG antibodies to be collected. Including women with pregnancy record, makes possible increase the universe of convalescent plasma donors.