Desenvolupament de mètodes de predicció de soroll i anàlisi de l'impacte acústic produït pel trànsit viari i el ferrocarril en la ciutat de Girona

La feina feta en aquest treball de tesis s'ha desenvolupat a partir de tres objectius vertebradors, que fonamentalment són: ·El primer dels objectius d'aquest treball de tesis és presentar un recull dels factors que intervenen en l'acústica urbanística: soroll produït pels diferents vehicles, fórmules de predicció de soroll, geometria dels edificis... , tot estudiant els seus efectes en la ciutat de Girona. ·Un altre objectiu ha estat desenvolupar uns mètodes numèrics propis, contrastats experimentalment i extrapolables a qualsevol entorn urbanístic, que permetin predir els valors de les pertorbacions acústiques produïdes pels diferents vehicles en diferents situacions, entre els que es destaquen: -Fórmula de predicció del soroll en un entorn urbà i la seva aplicació a Girona. -Càlcul de l'increment de soroll en un carrer provocat per les reflexions de les ones sonores en les façanes dels edificis. -Estudi del nivell de soroll en la boca de la cavitat d'un túnel produït pel pas del ferrocarril. -Determinació del soroll provocat pel pas d'un tren sobre un viaducte. -Mètode de distribució i planificació del trànsit urbà per disminuir l'impacte acústic sobre la zona. ·El darrer objectiu consisteix en fer una descripció analítica de les principals fonts de soroll que afecten a la ciutat: el trànsit viari i el ferrocarril. Per realitzar aquests objectius s'ha disposat d'un banc de dades amb més de 2.000 mesures sonores de Girona (nivells equivalents de 10 minuts de durada). La metodologia seguida i els principis en que es fonamenta es detallen a l'inici de cada apartat. La finalitat de tots aquests estudis, no és altre que millorar el confort acústic, i la qualitat de vida, de les ciutats. Gairebé tots els grans nuclis de població del planeta es veuen afectats per una gravíssima problemàtica mediambiental, doncs a l'anomenada contaminació acústica cal afegir uns alts índexs de pol·lució atmosfèrica (altes concentracions de biòxid de carboni, generació d'illes de calor...). Aquesta situació, generalitzada arreu del planeta, ha propiciat l'aparició de mesures dràstiques consistents fonamentalment en restringir l'accés dels vehicles motoritzats als nuclis i zones centrals de les àrees urbanes. Precisament aquesta opció s'ha proposat per les zones interiors de Girona on l'elevada densitat de les edificacions deixa un escàs marge per plantejar la construcció de noves rutes o vies alternatives. Cal esmentar que tots els càlculs i teories que es desenvolupen en aquest treball de tesis reflecteixen la realitat acústica actual provocada pels diferents mitjans de transport. Molt possiblement, en un futur no massa llunyà, els nivells de soroll (dB) enregistrats en situacions de tràfic similar seran força menors. Són molts els factors que poden contribuir a aquesta disminució de la intensitat de les emissions sonores: reducció del fregament mecànic, augment del coeficient aerodinàmic, nous materials pels pneumàtics i l'asfalt ... Sense cap mena de dubte, però, una millora transcendental, i no només pel que fa al confort acústic sinó per l'ecosistema en general, seria potenciar la construcció de motors elèctrics o d'hidrogen. Aquests últims per exemple, a diferència dels motors de combustió, funcionen mitjançant piles de combustible que converteixen, amb molta netedat, el gas hidrogen en electricitat i possibiliten l'existència de vehicles no contaminants propulsats per motors elèctrics menys sorollosos. Així, al haver-hi menys fregament entre les parts mòbils del motor (no hi ha pistons ni cilindres) el soroll generat es reduiria considerablement.

Les fondements de la loi et comment elle se construit chez l’individu

RESUMÉ: Le Droit, en tant que système de constructions institutionnelles de l'humanité, est une échelle symbolique indispensable dans la construction de la subjectivité, puisqu'elle sauvegarde les interdictions fondamentales relatives à l'inceste et aux crimes d'homicide, de parricide, de matricide et d'infanticide, lesquelles constituent des limites nécessaires au langage en tant que phénomène psychosomatique humain. Le système du Droit a la fonction de médiation dans l'économie psychique de la Référence symbolique et fonctionne comme un Tiers dans la logique triadique du langage puisque, en établissant des catégories de filiation et des niveaux de hiérarchie dans la séquence des générations, il rehausse l'importance de la généalogie patriarcale dans l'espèce parlante. Le Droit «institue la vie en instituant la subjectivité» dans l'art de l'interprétation des interdits construits dans les sociétés. C'est le représentant logique transcendantal divin, paternel ou étatique qui soutient chez le sujet l'acceptation de l'interdiction œdipienne et de ses nuances, engendrant alors sa «capacité de jugement singulier». ABSTRACT: The Law, as a system of institutional constructions for mankind, is an essential symbolic scale for the construction of subjectivity, since it saves fundamental injunctions about incest, and crimes like homicide, parricide, matricide and infanticide, all of them constituting the necessary boundaries to language as a human psychosomatic phenomenon. The Law system as the function of mediation for the symbolic Reference in the psyche economy and works as a Third party on the triadic logic of language, because as it establishes affiliation categories and hierarchic levels in the sequence of the generations, it highlights the importance of the patriarchal genealogy in the «speaker species». The Law «institutes life instituting subjectivity» in the art of injunctions interpretation built in societies. It’s the logical transcendental divine representative, fatherly or status apparatus that sustains for the subject the oedipal acceptance and its nuances, creating then its «singular judgment capacity».

Il silenzio e l’umanità autentica : antropologia ed etica fra Montaigne e Heidegger

During the long history of Western thought, silence has always represented the main condition for the development of a deep meditation about the Self. Through this activity, which could seem to be in contrast with social life and philosophical praxis, several thinkers have tried to reach the spiritual nature of human beings. However, when they had to assign a foundation to it, the same meditation, which had started from the same bases, brought them to opposite conclusions. The motive for this divergence is grounded on the fact that materiality is not the only component that constitutes silence, since it has indeed a complex nature and so it consists also of an immaterial part. In addition, this inner and more hidden aspect could only be perceived through a direct contact that is rarely and personally achieved. As a consequence of this complexity, beside an interpretation of silence as a manifestation of God’s voice and a proof of the transcendent peculiarity of human beings, another reading has developed along a parallel path. This interpretation has represented silence as an expression of an utterly immanent spirituality that characterizes humanity. Two authors, in particular, can exhibit this frequently forgotten second stream of Western thought that has unceasingly run from Hellenistic age to contemporary culture: they are Michel de Montaigne and Martin Heidegger. This essay seeks to rebuild this long and complex plot of the history of Western thought through the texts’ recourse. At the same time, it seeks to grasp, in the relationship between men and silence, some fundamental prerequisites that could be considered absolutely necessary in order to design an anthropology and, consequently, an ethics with the characteristics of a recovered authenticity. These two renovated categories, according to the immanent feature of silence, have their own justification exclusively in the voice of human conscience and their purpose lies precisely in the relationship with others.

Uso de la banda 450 MHz con la tecnología de acceso múltiple por división de código; CDMA, en el Ecuador para la ampliación del acceso universal

Es de transcendental importancia el reto de conseguir que las redes de los operadores de servicios de telecomunicaciones brinden el servicio a la mayoría de los sectores de la Patria, dicho concepto es el denominado acceso universal, y constituye el marco teórico del presente estudio. Mediante el presente análisis, se determina la viabilidad técnica del uso de la tecnología de acceso inalámbrico de acceso múltiple por división de código en la banda 450 MHz; CDMA 450, para la ampliación del acceso universal en el Ecuador. Lo indicado debido a sus fortalezas técnicas, en especial por la propagación que brinda la banda de frecuencias 450 MHz. Detalla además, los motivos para su gran aceptación a nivel mundial, particularmente en países latinoamericanos como Argentina y Perú. A la fecha, el Consejo Nacional de Telecomunicaciones; CONATEL, Organismo Rector de las Telecomunicaciones en el Ecuador, ha emitido Resoluciones que faciliten el uso de esta tecnología por parte de la Corporación Nacional de Telecomunicaciones; CNT, empresa estatal de telefonía fija, las cuales son recogidas en la presente investigación. Dichas Resoluciones fueron adoptadas, tomando como referencia los resultados obtenidos con el uso de la tecnología CDMA 470, que brinda la empresa ETAPA en el cantón Cuenca, de la provincia del Azuay. Con estos antecedentes y a fin de validar la investigación realizada, se realizaron estudios teóricos de propagación, en las Provincias de Cotopaxi y Galápagos, obteniéndose la viabilidad técnica para su uso únicamente en Galápagos. Finalmente, se debe señalar que este estudio no pretende plantear a la tecnología CDMA 450 como única herramienta válida para conseguir lo indicado, sino que recomienda la investigación de nuevas tecnologías que permitan que las telecomunicaciones sean una herramienta que faciliten el desarrollo de la población.

La responsabilidad estatal en la Constitución del Ecuador de 2008 (Tema Central)

La Constitución ecuatoriana promulgada el 20 de octubre de 2008 prescribe en el art. 11.9 que la responsabilidad estatal consiste en la reparación de las violaciones a los derechos por la falta o deficiente prestación de servicios públicos o por acciones u omisiones en el ejercicio de potestades públicas, reparación que es integral conforme el principio garantista de protección los derechos previsto en el art. 86.3. El presente estudio aborda aspectos generales de la naturaleza jurídica de la responsabilidad estatal –de la irresponsabilidad a la responsabilidad estatal–, su evolución –de la concepción civil indemnizatoria a la concepción reparadora integral–, y los denominados títulos jurídicos de imputación objetiva –falla del servicio, desequilibrio de las cargas públicas–, que serán de trascendental importancia para la comprensión de nuevo régimen, y cuyos aspectos específicos ameritarían un examen más amplio.

La formación de las identidades y los imaginarios nacionales en Cuba a inicios del siglo XIX (Estudios)

Este trabajo analiza el proceso de nacimiento y formación de la conciencia nacional cubana desde la perspectiva del imaginario icónico, en el que tuvieron un destacado papel las imágenes que plasmaron pintores y grabadores europeos. Ese imaginario, trasladado al viejo continente, juega, aún hoy, un transcendente papel en la visión que tenemos del mundo americano y de forma concreta del mundo cubano. Más aun, veremos cómo ese imaginario se adoptó por aquel mundo y entró a formar parte de la conciencia e identidad nacional isleña.

Efectos del principio de no confiscatoriedad en el régimen tributario ecuatoriano

En el presente trabajo de investigación se ha hecho un esfuerzo por revalorizar el contenido del principio de No Confiscatoriedad, como un principio de carácter transcendental dentro del Régimen Tributario ecuatoriano, entendiéndolo a la vez como un derecho que tienen los contribuyentes y como una regla a respetarse por parte de los poderes del Estado, en particular del poder tributario. En tal virtud, el principio de No Confiscatoriedad tiene sus diferentes campos de aplicación, siendo uno de ellos el del respeto al mínimo exento, beneficio fiscal que tiene que ser protegido como prerrogativa de una vida digna, tanto en impuestos directos e indirectos. Por tal razón se ha procedido a realizar un análisis de supuestos de confiscatoriedad que pueden presentarse en algunos impuestos de recaudación nacional (renta, IVA e ICE), para lo cual hemos estudiado la naturaleza de estos impuestos para llegar a tales supuestos o escenarios. De todo lo anteriormente analizado ha resultado crucial el tema de la presión tributaria, pero ya no analizado solo como un mero dato macroeconómico, sino, como un criterio básico de investigación aplicado a situaciones concretas (personas, empresas o comunidades), para esto es fundamental el análisis de índices de pobreza de desigualdad, de desempleo para utilizarlo como parámetros tanto en la formación (capacidad contributiva abstracta) como en la gestión de tributos (capacidad contributiva concreta). Se trata de conciliar por medio del principio de No Conficatoriedad, al principio de igualdad con eficiencia, la equidad y suficiencia recaudatoria, en fin conciliar derecho y economía.

Altered anterior insula activation during anticipation and experience of painful stimuli in expert meditators.

Experientially opening oneself to pain rather than avoiding it is said to reduce the mind's tendency toward avoidance or anxiety which can further exacerbate the experience of pain. This is a central feature of mindfulness-based therapies. Little is known about the neural mechanisms of mindfulness on pain. During a meditation practice similar to mindfulness, functional magnetic resonance imaging was used in expert meditators (> 10,000 h of practice) to dissociate neural activation patterns associated with pain, its anticipation, and habituation. Compared to novices, expert meditators reported equal pain intensity, but less unpleasantness. This difference was associated with enhanced activity in the dorsal anterior insula (aI), and the anterior mid-cingulate (aMCC) the so-called ‘salience network’, for experts during pain. This enhanced activity during pain was associated with reduced baseline activity before pain in these regions and the amygdala for experts only. The reduced baseline activation in left aI correlated with lifetime meditation experience. This pattern of low baseline activity coupled with high response in aIns and aMCC was associated with enhanced neural habituation in amygdala and pain-related regions before painful stimulation and in the pain-related regions during painful stimulation. These findings suggest that cultivating experiential openness down-regulates anticipatory representation of aversive events, and increases the recruitment of attentional resources during pain, which is associated with faster neural habituation.

Why cancer patients choose in-patient complementary therapy in palliative care: a qualitative study at Arokhayasala Hospice in Thailand

Cancer patients often choose complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in palliative care, often in addition to conventional treatment and without medical advice or approval. Herbal medicines (HM) are the most commonly used type of CAM, but rarely available on an in-patient basis for palliative care. The motivations which lead very ill patients to travel far to receive such therapies are not clear. A qualitative study was therefore carried out to investigate influences on choosing to attend a CAM herbal hospice, to identify cancer patients’ main concerns about end-of-life care. Semi-structured interviews with 32 patients were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. Patients were recruited from Arokhayasala, a Buddhist cancer hospice in Thailand which provides CAM, in the form of HM, a restricted diet, Thai yoga, deep-breathing exercises, meditation, chanting, Dhamma, laughter and music therapy, free-of-charge. The main factors influencing decision-making were a positive attitude towards HMs and previous use of them, dissatisfaction with conventional treatment, the home environment and their relationships with hospital doctors. Patients’ own perceptions and experiences were more important in making the decision to use CAM, and especially HM, in palliative cancer care than referral by healthcare professionals or scientific evidence of efficacy. Patients were prepared to travel far and live away from home to receive such care, especially as it was cost-free. In view of patients’ previously stated satisfaction with the regime at the Arokhayasala, these findings may be relevant to the provision of in-patient cancer palliative care to other patients.

Sympathetic nerve activity is decreased during device-guided slow breathing

It is known that slow breathing (<10 breaths min(-1)) reduces blood pressure ( BP), but the mechanisms involved in this phenomenon are not completely clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute responses of the muscle sympathetic nerve activity, BP and heart rate (HR), using device-guided slow breathing ( breathe with interactive music (BIM)) or calm music. In all, 27 treated mild hypertensives were enrolled. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity, BP and HR were measured for 5min before the use of the device (n=14) or while subjects listened to calm music (n=13), it was measured again for 15 min while in use and finally, 5min after the interventions. BIM device reduced respiratory rate from 16 +/- 3 beats per minute (b.p.m) to 5.5 +/- 1.8 b.p.m (P<0.05), calm music did not affect this variable. Both interventions reduced systolic (-6 and -4mmHg for both) and diastolic BPs (-4mmHg and -3mmHg, respectively) and did not affect the HR (-1 and -2 b.p.m respectively). Only the BIM device reduced the sympathetic nerve activity of the sample (-8bursts min(-1)). In conclusion, both device-guided slow breathing and listening to calm music have decreased BP but only the device-guided slow breathing was able to reduce the peripheral sympathetic nerve activity. Hypertension Research ( 2010) 33, 708-712; doi: 10.1038/hr.2010.74; published online 3 June 2010

Essentialism i religionsundervisningen : Ett religionsdidaktiskt problem

Essentialist concepts of religion are common in the teaching of religion in schools and to a certain extent also in the academic discipline of religious studies. In this article, a number of problems with essentialist perceptions of religion are discussed. In the first part of the article a thesis is maintained, according to which essentialist conceptions of religion or specific religions are too limited to be of value in the teaching of religion. This is done through examples of essentialist expressions about religion. The examples are grouped according to a typology of different kinds of essentialism. Two main categories, each with two sub-categories are identified. Thus, the category of essentialism regarding the substance of religion is divided into transcendental or theological essentialism (which presupposes the existence of a sacred power of some kind, the experience of which is the basis for religion), and core essentialism (where it is presupposed that certain ideas or concepts constitute religion as a general category or specific religions). Likewise, the category of essentialism regarding the function of religion has two sub-categories: positive and negative essentialism. These kinds of essentialism presuppose that religion or specific religions are inherently good or harmful respectively to human beings. Examples from each of these categories are given and discussed. In the second part of the article, Benson Saler’s open concept of religion is presented as an alternative to essentialist or bounded perceptions. It is based on Ludwig Wittgenstein’s idea of family resemblances and on prototype theory. In connection with this, it is argued that a certain kind of conscious ethnocentrism is needed as a point of departure in the study and teaching of religion. The metaphor of education as a journey from the familiar out into the unfamiliar and back again is suggested as a possible pattern for such teaching. Finally,some examples of non-essentialist ways to introduce religions are offered.

Film och mening : En receptionsstudie om spelfilm, filmpublik och existentiella frågor

In what ways and under what circumstances can a movie be a resource for individuals and their thoughts about existential matters? This central research question has been investigated using a both quantitative and qualitative approach. First, a questionnaire was distributed amongst 179 Swedish students to provide a preliminary overview of film habits. The questionnaire was also used as a tool for selecting respondents to individual interviews. Second, thirteen interviews were conducted, with viewers choosing their favourite movie of all time. In the study socio-cognitive theory and a schema-based theoretical tool is adopted to analyze how different viewers make use of movies as cultural products in an interplay between culture and cognition in three contexts; a socio-historic process, a socio-cultural interaction with the world and inner psychological processes. Summarizing the interviews some existential matters dominated. Matters of immanent orientation were in the foreground. Transcendental questions received much less attention. Summarizing the schema-based theoretical question, assessing which cognitive schema structures the narratives were processed through, the study found an emphasis on a combination of two main cognitive structures, person schema and self schema. Detailed person schematic cognitive processes about fictitious characters on the screen and their role model behaviour were combined by the respondents with dynamic cross-references to detailed self schematic introspections about their own characteristics, related to existential matters at some very specific moments in their lives. The viewers in the study seem to be inspired by movies as a mediated cultural resource, promoting the development of a personal moral framework with references to values deeply fostered by a humanistic tradition. It is argued that these findings support theories discussing individualised meaning making, developing ‘self-expression values’ and ‘altruistic individualism’ in contemporary western society.

Push or pull? : The relationship between quality of care and use of complementary and alternative medicine among patients with lung cancer in Sweden

Little is known about relationships between quality of care (QoC) and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among patients with lung cancer (LC). Purpose: This study examines CAM-use among patients with LC in Sweden, associations between QoC and CAM-use among these patients, and reported aspects of LC-care perceived as particularly positive and negative by patients, as well as suggestions for improving QoC. Methods: Survey data from 94 patient members of the Swedish LC patient organization about CAM-use and QoC as measured by the instrument “Quality from the patient’s perspective” were analyzed. Results: Fifty (53%) LC-patients used CAM, with 40 of the CAM-users reporting that CAM helped them. The most common CAMs used were dietary supplements and natural remedies, followed by prayer. Significantly more patients reported using prayer and meditation for cure than was the case for other types of CAM used. Less than half the CAM-users reported having spoken with staff from the biomedical health care system about their CAM-use. Patients provided numerous suggestions for improving LC-care in a variety of areas, aiming at a more effective and cohesive care trajectory. No differences in QoC were found between CAM-users and non-CAM-users, but differences in CAM-use i.e. type of CAM, reasons for using CAM, and CAM-provider consulted could be associated with different experiences of care. Conclusions: It is important to recognize that CAM-users are not a homogeneous group but might seek different types of CAMs and CAM-providers in different situations depending on experiences of care.

A Meeting of East and West: Can Eastern-Influenced Therapies be Effective in the Treatment of Stress and Mood Disorders?

Given that the human brain is plastic and that structural alterations have been seen in monks who meditate on a regular basis, the question arises of whether these two facts are actually related. Furthermore, if this is in fact the case, would it be possible to apply these findings to the public? In this paper I will present the different conditions that induce neuroplasticity as well as give an overview of meditation and the ways that it is practiced nowadays. To this end I will argue that if monks are able to alter the structure of their brains and the brain is naturally inclined to heal itself then incorporating eastern practices, such as mindfulness and imagery, into western therapies could benefit patients suffering from mood disorders and, in particular, stress.

Que corpo é esse? : o corpo na família, mídia, escola, saúde ...

Esta Tese iniciou com a realização do Curso “Uma releitura da dicotomia corpo/organismo” oferecido para professores/as de biologia do Ensino Médio da Rede de Educação Pública da cidade de Porto Alegre, RS. Nela, problematizo as pedagogias empregadas no estudo do corpo visto como um fenômeno “puramente” biológico. Tenho como propósitos interrogar a concepção disciplinar do corpo como a-histórico ou fixo, pré-determinado na herança, genética e/ou histórica, ou como pura anatomia e fisiologia, sem relação com o meio onde vive e as maneiras como vive, como, também, chamar a atenção para o papel de algumas práticas discursivas presentes na família, na mídia e nas práticas escolares vinculadas ao campo da disciplina biológica que se entrelaçam no meio social fabricando os corpos. O entendimento de que os sentidos que atribuímos ao corpo são produzidos nos processos de significação cultural levou-me a estabelecer aproximações com algumas proposições do campo dos Estudos Culturais nas suas versões pós-estruturalistas e de Foucault. O Curso foi gravado em fitas de videocassete que foram transcritas descritas e analisadas. A estratégia de análise compreendeu examinar nas falas e em outras produções – os cartazes – como o corpo foi narrado por esses/as professores/as de biologia e, também, nas cenas das atividades, como foram criados determinados significados ao corpo. Numa tentativa de empreender uma análise articulada às circunstâncias em que a pesquisa se processava, fui estabelecendo conexões entre o que ia emergindo no estudo e as anotações que eu havia feito no transcorrer do Curso, com autores/as de distintas disciplinas. No Curso foram desenvolvidas atividades com os propósitos de pensar e de discutir sobre as implicações de algumas práticas habituais na constituição do corpo e da vida das pessoas. Dentre essas atividades, três compõem esta Tese que foi organizada na forma de artigos. A atividade intitulada Histórias dos nomes, em que discuto as implicações de alguns marcadores sociais, especialmente os nomes, na constituição das identidades das pessoas. A atividade denominada Com quem sou parecido/a? Como é ser parecido/a?, em que discuto como algumas práticas que atuam nas famílias constróem as parecenças atribuídas às pessoas e aos grupos familiares, instituindo os pertencimentos/as exclusões. A atividade intitulada Implicações da disciplina biológica e das mídias na constituição do corpo e da vida, em que discuto os efeitos das práticas discursivas veiculadas na mídia e existentes nas práticas escolares ligadas ao ensino de biologia que, ao se correlacionam no meio social, constróem os significados que atribuímos ao nosso corpo e à nossa vida. Analisar as narrativas desses/as professores/as sobre suas experiências relativamente a distintas instituições sociais, as famílias, a mídia, a educação escolarizada e, nela, a disciplina biológica, possibilitou-me entender os corpos e as vidas como configurados nas práticas de significação que os inscrevem cotidianamente. Tais sistemas de significação, que codificam, moldam e regulam as percepções, os gestos, os sentimentos, os hábitos, as maneiras de agir das pessoas em relação a elas mesmas e aos demais, fabricam os corpos e governam a vida das pessoas. Essas compreensões permitiram-me, também, interrogar a pretensa existência do corpo como dotado de essências universais biológica, histórica e/ou transcendental, de um corpo fixo, estável e universal. E, ainda, problematizar as práticas discursivas da disciplina biológica presentes na educação escolarizada, uma vez que elas engendram uma maneira particular do que e como ver o corpo humano. Os pressupostos que regem as estratégias disciplinares, ao assumirem uma posição dominante nas salas de aula, vêm excluindo as vozes e as experiências dos/as estudantes em relação ao seu corpo e à sua vida, o que têm dificultado conexões com os seus saberes e práticas. Dessa forma, as disciplinas vêm atuando mais no controle dos corpos do que na produção de saberes relevantes às vidas dos/as alunos/as.