A Serious Gaming Approach For Serious Stakeholder Participation

Serious games are a category of games which are designed for a specific purpose other than for pure entertainment. It is not a new concept but serious games using real data, coupled with real time modelling and combining model results with social and economic factors opens up a new paradigm for active stakeholder participation. DHI and UNEP-DHI Centre initiated a project called Aqua Republica where a virtual world is developed which allows participants to develop a river basin and visualise the consequences of their decisions. The aim of this project is to raise awareness of the interconnectivity of water and educate on integrated water resources management. Aqua Republica combines a game layer with a water allocation model, MIKE BASIN, to create an interactive, realistic virtual environment where players play the role of a catchment manager of an undeveloped river catchment. Their main objective is to develop the river catchment to be as prosperous as it can be. To achieve that, they will need to generate a good economy in the catchment to provide the funds needed for development, have a steady food supply for their population and enough energy and water for the catchment. Through these actions by the player, a meaningful play is established to engage players and to educate them about the complex relationships between developmental actions in a river basin and the natural environment as well as their consequences. The game layer also consists of a reward system to encourage learning. People can play and replay the game, get rewarded from performing the right principles and penalised from failures in the game. This abstract will explain the concept of the game and how it has been used in a stakeholder participation environment.

Decision Support Systems And Promoting Socially Just Environmental Management

The Mauri Model DMF is unique in its approach to the management of water resources as the framework offers a transparent and inclusive approach to considering the environmental, economic, social and cultural aspects of the decisions being contemplated. The Mauri Model DMF is unique because it is capable of including multiple-worldviews and adopts mauri (intrinsic value or well-being) in the place of the more common monetised assessments of pseudo sustainability using Cost Benefit Analysis. The Mauri Model DMF uses a two stage process that first identifies participants’ worldviews and inherent bias regarding water resource management, and then facilitates transparent assessment of selected sustainability performance indicators. The assessment can then be contemplated as the separate environmental, economic, social and cultural dimensions of the decision, and collectively as an overall result; or the priorities associated with different worldviews can be applied to determine the sensitivity of the result to different cultural contexts or worldviews.

O uso de derivativos e gerenciamento de riscos em empresas brasileiras não-financeiras

Este artigo apresenta os resultados de uma pesquisa sobre uso de derivativos junto a 50 empresas não-financeiras brasileiras. A proporção de empresas que usam derivativos no Brasil não é significativamente diferente da de outros países que foram objeto de pesquisa, com exceção dos EUA. A exemplo do que foi verificado internacionalmente, as evidências sugerem que os gestores de empresas não-financeiras brasileiras usam derivativos principalmente com o propósito de gerenciar risco, e não com fins especulativos. O uso de derivativos por classes de risco no Brasil segue os padrões internacionais, ou seja, o tipo de exposição mais comumente gerenciada com derivativos é a cambial, seguido pelo risco de taxas de juros, de commodities e de patrimônio. Apesar da alta volatilidade dos mercados brasileiros, as preocupações principais dos gestores de risco brasileiros parecem estar mais ligadas às questões do arcabouço legal e institucional do que aos aspectos econômico-financeiros diferentemente do encontrado em outros países.

Empresários brasileiros em Boston

O trabalho teve como objeto de estudo as pequenas empresas criadas pelos brasileiros que emigraram para Boston a partir de meados da década de 80. Foi feito um levantamento e uma caracterização das firmas, assim como de seus proprietários. Entretanto, o foco da análise incorporou outras dimensões, e não apenas aquelas de caráter econômico/empresarial. Ou seja, também foi analisada a dimensão sócio-cultural do papel desempenhado por estas empresas e que, do ponto de vista conceitual, caracteriza a chamada "economia étnica" organizada pelos grupos imigrantes daquele país.

Competitividade Brasil: uma análise face às nações BRICs

Este estudo objetiva uma contextualização, no cenário global, do papel representado por quatro grandes países emergentes: Brasil, Rússia, índia China. Ainda que haja muito se discutir respeito da ligação entre estas economias quanto guarda de parceria e quanto de concorrência fato que, recentemente, elas passaram ser tratadas como participantes de um mesmo fenômeno; constituem epicentro de uma mudança que poderá alterar quadro mundial de forças em um futuro não muito distante. conceito de "competitividade das nações" norteia estudo. análise do desempenho de cada país tem por substrato definição de prosperidade como integração multifatorial em grande escala, envolvendo economia, política, sociedade, meio-ambiente, instituições públicas, performance da classe empresária, capacidade de inovação dos meios científicos cultura. trabalho revelou, especificamente com relação estrutura econômica brasileira, sérias assimetrias que limitam as possibilidades de crescimento do país. Percebe-se que os fundamentos sócio-econômicos políticos apresentam lacunas importantes, que deixam descoberto setores como qualificação profissional, gestão pública e a regulação das atividades produtivas. Não obstante, foi possível ao Brasil alcançar altos níveis de desenvolvimento em várias áreas, partir da atuação de agentes privados que conseguem fazer frente um ambiente de negócios temerário. Neste ponto formaliza-se uma dicotomia entre papel tíbio ou ineficaz dos entes públicos, que não conseguem qualificar gestão institucional, uma notável capacidade empresarial para desenvolver processos sofisticados inovadores gerar resultados positivos. Faz-se urgente reparo desse desequilíbrio, com vistas participação eqüitativa de todos os setores da sociedade no desenvolvimento do potencial competitivo do país.

Um Banco Central do Brasil independente: à procura de uma estrutura administrativa autônoma e descentralizada

o tema sobre a estrutura administrativa mais adequada para um Banco Central do Brasil, que procura sua autonomia, se desenrola a partir da situação administrativa do BACEN, que se apresenta no dias de hoje, e os questionamentos a respeito de sua independência, nos Capítulos 1 e 2, passando por modelos teóricos de estrutura administrativa e por modelos funcionais de Bancos Centrais independentes, comparados entre si e com o modelo brasileiro, nos Capítulos 3 e 4. Em seguida, são demonstrados os empenhos que se efetivam em realidade para que o BACEN chegue à sua autonomia, através de projetos que tramitam no Congresso Nacional e do Plano de Ação Estratégica para o BACEN, referidos nos Capítulos 5 e 6, até se chegar às opiniões de especialistas, no Capítulo 7, que serviram para reforçar a conclusão de que a mudança organizacional em busca da autonomia do Banco Central do Brasil não é apenas em decorrência do levantamento de aspectos técnicos, políticos e econômicos e, sim, uma consequência de um processo maior de integração entre estes e os aspectos comportamentais e administrativos dessa organização.

Critérios de decisão para investimentos em treinamento e desenvolvimento de recursos humanos

A importância dos aspectos econômicos da atividade de treinamento e desenvolvimento de recursos humanos é o ponto focal deste trabalho, através da utilização dos conceitos da "teoria do capital humano" e da mudança de enfoque da eficiência para a eficácia do treinamento. Desta análise surge um modelo que descreve os critérios de decisão que levam as empresas a investir valores maiores ou menores no treinamento, bem como um conjunto de indicações práticas destina das a melhor orientar o profissional de treinamento.

O ouro branco abre caminho: o algodão e a modernização do espaço urbano da Cidade da Parahyba (1850-1924)

The present research deals with the modernization process of the Cidade da Parahyba2, between 1850 and 1924, and its relation with the cotton economy, which represented the main source of wealth accumulation for both the private and the public sectors throughout the First Republic. This study on urban history was developed by focusing on the understanding of the city s spatial formation, and despite its emphasis on the economic aspects involved, other factors that also contribute to the development of the social life were not put aside. The modernization process of the Cidade da Parahyba was also analyzed during the period established for the study according to a chronological and thematic approach that established comparisons with the financial situation of the State, whenever this was necessary, with special attention to the contribution of the cotton economy to the State´s revenues. It was possible to detect a lack of financial help and loans from the federal and municipal administrations for finishing several public works already underway in the capital, since the federal funds allocated to the State of Parahyba do Norte were rather employed in emergency works against droughts and in agricultural development. One can then conclude that the financial resources required for the urban interventions were withdrawn from the State s treasury itself, resources that were collected mainly from activities such as cotton exportation and cotton trading. Another factor shows the interdependence between the urban remodeling and the cotton economy: during the years marked by great droughts or by hard plagues on the cotton plantations, cotton production decreased, as well as the State s finances. The first measures taken by the State s administrators were to halt all projects of urban remodeling in progress in the Cidade da Parahyba, which was, clearly, the most privileged city by the State s presidents during the period analyzed. 2 The city of João Pessoa was named Cidade da Parahyba, a designation that remained until September 1930, when it received its present-day name in order to pay homage to the president of the State, João Pessoa Cavalcanti de Albuquerque, murdered in the city of Recife in August of that same year. At that time, the State of Paraíba was known as Parahyba do Norte. Since this work is limited to a period of time comprised within the First Republic, the names employed respect the terms used in those days

Comportamento adaptativo de Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) às áreas urbanas da cidade de Teresina-PI.

The sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) is currently appointed as the main vector of visceral leishmaniasis in the Americas. The growth of cities in areas originally endemics to American Visceral Leishmaniasis (AVL) resulted in the spread of the disease at the same time that observed the adaptation of this species to the urban environment.Changes in behavior of L.longipalpis that enabled the adapt to increasing losings of biodiversity, as well as the frequent exposure of the vector to insecticides evident in urban areas, could justify the increasing population of the species and consequently the spread of disease for these environments .Thus, we selected sixty houses spread among three areas with increasing stages of occupation of an area endemic for AVL in Teresina-PI. We evaluated the correlation between the density of L.longipalpis captured and different aspects, such as population density of animals, vegetation cover and socio-economic aspects in each house. In addition to the correlations, the feeding preference of the vector between the predominant plant species in the neighborhoods, as well as the presence of metabolic mechanisms of resistance among the captured insects were tested. The results showed that over the growing occupations, represented by three areas, L.longipalpis demonstrate its adaptive nature through an apparent opportunistic behavior in relation to sources of carbohydrates and blood. On the evolutionary point of view, this behavior may have favored its vector competence in urban areas among the limited presence of food sources, as well as in various environments encountered.

Rodando a bolsinha: dinheiro e relações de prostituição

In this work a series of discussions is made on the relationship between money and prostitution in a way of overcoming its merely economic aspects, in the perception of both being social, cultural and historical phenomena, and taking them as symbols, whose study aids to unveil the reality. In this context it is looked for revealing its forms and contents to make it possible to understand them beyond the rationality, calculability and mathematical elements presents in them; beyond apparentness, taking them in their complexity. The discussions encompass theoretical elements, based especially on Georg Simmel s theoretical analyses, allied to a specific empirical frame that regards the life experience of the women of Praia do Meio, pedaço of the city of Natal-RN-Brazil, where the data were collected from. Fundamentally, prostitution is perceived as an exchange activity, which is not depleted in the economic elements, but, contrarily, starts on them and surpasses them in diverse aspects. It deals about a money-mediated relationship between human beings that possesses in itself a full complexity, which demands an accurate and keen attention to be comprehended. Since money has transformed the world and the men and women in it, the discussions in the text are conducted in a direction to attempt to encircle and understand the relationship between money and prostitution. Prostitution, in turn, aids to understand such a transformation as it is also a symbol of our times and it makes us to face the true essence of our society: the transformation of human beings into merchandise, into negotiable objects. In the money-based society it is possible to picture the phenomenon of double prostitution: negotiation of the human being, through labor, and negotiation of sex, the last being dramatically stigmatized and the former strongly encouraged. This may be demonstrating that the paid sex is, in the money-ruled society, a limit of commercialization, widely accepted provided it is camouflaged and surrounded by an aura of sensuality and legitimacy

A eficiência do gasto e da qualidade da saúde pública: uma análise nos municípios do estado do Rio Grande do Norte (2004 e 2008)

The overall objective of this study is to analyze the efficiency in the use of resources and the quality of public health in the municipalities of Rio Grande do Norte, from 2004 to 2008. It also seeks to identify the determinants of municipal inefficiency and measure the productivity of public spending on health. To this end, three methods of analysis are used: the DEA, the Malmquist index and the Tobit regression model. Among other findings, it appears that municipalities considered more inefficient in the measurement of expenditure on health make the largest expense in this function. On the other hand, from 2004 to 2008, only 13 municipalities showed an increase in the productivity of public spending. It is also noted that municipalities considered efficient in quality of health, although having more physical and human resources, offer fewer health services to the population. In all, the major determinants of health spending inefficiencies are the variables: age of the mayor, coalition, population density, literacy race and budget revenues. Regarding the inefficiency of the health quality, variables such as: coalition, literacy race have strong influence on this behavior. Thereby, the hypotheses proposed by the study have been fully accepted. In other words, for the efficiency of the quality and health spending it is needed more than resources, i.e., the expenditure shows itself as essential, but not enough, for political and economic aspects also interfere with the performance of spent and in the quality of health care offered to the population

A novel intelligent system to nitrogen content prediction in plants using indirect chlorophyll measurements

The accurate identification of the nitrogen content in plants is extremely important since it involves economic aspects and environmental impacts, Several experimental tests have been carried out to obtain characteristics and parameters associated with the health of plants and its growing. The nitrogen content identification in plants involves a lot of non-linear parameters and complexes mathematical models. This paper describes a novel approach for identification of nitrogen content thought SPAD index using artificial neural networks (ANN). The network acts as identifier of relationships among, crop varieties, fertilizer treatments, type of leaf and nitrogen content in the plants (target). So, nitrogen content can be generalized and estimated and from an input parameter set. This approach can form the basis for development of an accurate real time system to predict nitrogen content in plants.

Nitrogen content identification in crop plants using spectral reflectance and artificial neural networks

The accurate identification of the nitrogen content in crop plants is extremely important since it involves economic aspects and environmental impacts. Several experimental tests have been carried out to obtain characteristics and parameters associated with the health of plants and its growing. The nitrogen content identification involves a lot of nonlinear parametes and complexes mathematical models. This paper describes a novel approach for identification of nitrogen content thought spectral reflectance of plant leaves using artificial neural networks. The network acts as identifier of relationships among pH of soil, fertilizer treatment, spectral reflectance and nitrogen content in the plants. So, nitrogen content can be estimated and generalized from an input parameter set. This approach can be form the basis for development of an accurate real time nitrogen applicator.

A contribution for thermoeconomic modelling: A methodology proposal

This work presents a thermoeconomic optimization methodology for the analysis and design of energy systems. This methodology involves economic aspects related to the exergy conception, in order to develop a tool to assist the equipment selection, operation mode choice as well as to optimize the thermal plants design. It also presents the concepts related to exergy in a general scope and in thermoeconomics which combines the thermal sciences principles (thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics) and the economic engineering in order to rationalize energy systems investment decisions, development and operation. Even in this paper, it develops a thermoeconomic methodology through the use of a simple mathematical model, involving thermodynamics parameters and costs evaluation, also defining the objective function as the exergetic production cost. The optimization problem evaluation is developed for two energy systems. First is applied to a steam compression refrigeration system and then to a cogeneration system using backpressure steam turbine. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reactive Control for Transmission Overload Relief Based on Sensitivity Analysis and Cooperative Game Theory

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