A forma do privilégio: renda, acessibilidade e densidade em Natal-RN

The aim of this work is to understand the morphological expression of ground occupation by the higher income population, by focusing on population distribution in accordance with income layers and demographical density, as well as topological accessibility (HILLIER and HANSON, 1984) resulting from the urban grid structure. It endeavors to identify a functional organizing principle regarding the intra-urban space of Natal capital city of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, the research focus. In order to achieve this, census data as well as syntactic data were utilized for mapping and spatial analysis of income patterns, topological accessibility and demographical density using Geographical Information System GIS. The organizing principle was named as the Form of Privilege, a pattern that concentrates or tends to concentrate wealth, topological accessibility and low demographical density. Attempting to assess its extent, beyond Natal, this principle was applied to other Brazilian northeastern capitals such as: Fortaleza, CE; Teresina, PI; Aracaju, SE; Recife, PE; and João Pessoa, PB. Findings point out that although the urban structures of these cities are not immune to the Form of Privilege, Natal is emblematic of this phenomenon, a fact that demonstrates the perverse character of its spatial process, which historically creates privileged areas within the city, by means of the appropriation of accessibility as well as of the many urban benesses that are related to it by higher income groups at the expense of the major part of the population, which though being the people mostly in need of the benefits originating from the urban form are excluded from them

A forma do privilégio: renda, acessibilidade e densidade em Natal-RN

The aim of this work is to understand the morphological expression of ground occupation by the higher income population, by focusing on population distribution in accordance with income layers and demographical density, as well as topological accessibility (HILLIER and HANSON, 1984) resulting from the urban grid structure. It endeavors to identify a functional organizing principle regarding the intra-urban space of Natal capital city of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, the research focus. In order to achieve this, census data as well as syntactic data were utilized for mapping and spatial analysis of income patterns, topological accessibility and demographical density using Geographical Information System GIS. The organizing principle was named as the Form of Privilege, a pattern that concentrates or tends to concentrate wealth, topological accessibility and low demographical density. Attempting to assess its extent, beyond Natal, this principle was applied to other Brazilian northeastern capitals such as: Fortaleza, CE; Teresina, PI; Aracaju, SE; Recife, PE; and João Pessoa, PB. Findings point out that although the urban structures of these cities are not immune to the Form of Privilege, Natal is emblematic of this phenomenon, a fact that demonstrates the perverse character of its spatial process, which historically creates privileged areas within the city, by means of the appropriation of accessibility as well as of the many urban benesses that are related to it by higher income groups at the expense of the major part of the population, which though being the people mostly in need of the benefits originating from the urban form are excluded from them

Desinfecção solar de água para comunidades de baixa renda

The use of solar energy for water disinfection, and is accessible to disadvantaged communities because of its low cost, has the advantage of using disposable materials such as bottles of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). We present a study that used two methods of disinfection: the methodology proposed by the project Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS), which consisted of water disinfection by solar radiation and temperature and the methodology which the temperature of the water for disinfection. In both, we seek to eliminate microorganisms that cause serious diseases such as dysentery, typhoid, cholera, etc. Water samples were collected in the community of Bass, where the population has low income and the incidence of waterborne diseases is high. The experiments were divided into two stages. In step 1 we studied the feasibility of disinfection and in step 2 the feasibility of the pilot plant to obtain adequate levels of disinfection temperatures desired. The results showed the efficiency of the disinfection process, reaching an average of 80 to 100% death of microorganisms, but regrowth was observed in some samples. Finally on the good results of stage 1, is designed and built and tested in an experimental pilot plant, which has shown to be feasible to promote water disinfection through the use of solar energy. The water after treatment is in accordance with the limits established by Brazilian legislation for clean water, maintaining a positive performance for the disinfection and acceptable levels of bacterial regrowth

Desenvolvendo e gerenciando compostagem de resíduos sólidos urbanos: para geração de renda e repasse de tecnologia à acrevi

Nowadays, as well as in the past decades, the dumping of biodegradable organic waste in landfill is common practice in Brazil, as well as in most parts of the world. Nevertheless due to its rapid decomposition and release of odors, this practice hamper’s the operation and implementation of a recycling system. These facts encouraged our research to find an efficient system for the management of organic waste, not only for the use of official workers responsible for managing these wastes, but also for non-governmental institutions. The Recycling for Life Community Association – ACREVI (Associação Comunitária Reciclando para a Vida), together with the municipal authorities of Mossoró-RN, Brazil, have assumed the social role of collecting and recycling solid waste produced by most of the local population. However, it was observed that the organic waste it collected was not receiving any treatment. This present work aims to make compost with mixed waste (green waste and organic household), and then do chemical analysis of the material in view to use the waste as organic fertilizer. The objective being: to share the knowledge acquired by putting it into a very simple language accessible to people with little education. The experiment was conducted at ACREVI, Mossoró (RN), and the compost was obtained following the method "windrow", forming three cells (I, II, III) with conical shape, dimensions of 1.6 meters and 2.0 meters in diameter for cells I and II, and 1.0 meters high and 2.0 meters in diameter for cell III. The process was accompanied by analysis: CHN elemental, a variation of cell temperature, humidity, pH, TKN, bulk density, nutrients and heavy metals. Stabilized organic compounds reached the C/N ratio of 10.4/1 cell I and 10.4/1 in the cell II in the cell, showing how good soil conditions, with potential to improve the physical properties of any soil and pH acid soils, has presented the cell III at the end of the process the C/N 26/1, is a high ratio may be associated with the stack size III, thus changing the optimal conditions for the occurrence of the process. The levels of heavy metals in the analyzed compounds were lower than those established by the SDA normative instruction, Nº 27, of 5 June, 2006. The use of pruning trees and grass are used in small-scale composting, while generating a quality compost in the final process, it also created an important condition for a correct sizing of the composting piles. Under the studied conditions it is not advisable to use cells with a height of 1.00 m in height and 2.00 m in diameter, as these do not prevent the rapid dissipation of heat and thus can not be a good product at the end of composting. The composting process in the shed of the association and the preparation of the primer enabled the development of an alternative technology to generate income for members of ACREVI.

Contribuições ao estudo de modelagem de equações estruturais na avaliação da satisfação do cliente de serviços de comunicações móveis

No mercado de telecomunicações as transformações tecnológicas das últimas décadas aliaram-se a um cenário formado por empresas de alta tecnologia que caracterizam o setor de comunicações móveis pessoais em todo mundo. Neste contexto, as empresas deste setor preocupam-se cada vez mais com a competitividade, oferta de serviços, área de atendimento, demanda reprimida e a lealdade do cliente. Estudos de comportamento do consumidor pesquisam a satisfação e lealdade de clientes como fatores básicos para relações bem sucedidas e duradouras com as empresas. A complexidade das relações entre variáveis na avaliação da satisfação do cliente em comunicações móveis pode ser adequadamente pesquisada com a utilização de métodos estatísticos multivariados. Essa tese analisou as relações causais envolvendo os antecedentes e consequentes associados à satisfação do cliente, no segmento de comunicações móveis, bem como desenvolveu e validou um modelo comportamental do cliente no uso deste serviço, buscando explicar as relações entre os construtos envolvidos: satisfação, qualidade dos serviços, valor percebido, imagem da marca, lealdade e reclamação. Foi estabelecida uma ampla base teórica para avaliar a importância estratégica do modelo que relaciona a influência na satisfação do serviço com as percepções dos clientes e avaliada a precisão deste modelo, por meio de uma análise comparativa a utilização de três métodos de estimação dos seus parâmetros, MLE, GLS, e ULS, com o emprego de modelagem de equações estruturais. Foram feitas aplicações em análises de dados, sendo testada e avaliada empiricamente, a influência do gênero na satisfação do cliente deste setor, além de uma segmentação de mercado utilizando mapas auto-organizáveis e a correspondente validação deste processo, com modelagem de equações estruturais.Os resultados do estudo empírico produziram uma boa qualidade de ajustamento para o modelo teórico proposto, com evidências do estabelecimento de uma adequada capacidade explicativa e preditiva, destacando-se a relevância da relação causal entre a satisfação e lealdade, em consonância com diversos estudos realizados para os mercados de comunicações móveis.