Ciudad región eje cafetero: hacia un desarrollo urbano sostenible

Se presenta una consideración conceptual y teórica sobre la ciudad-región y sus especificidades en el caso particular del Eje cafetero colombiano; se reflexiona sobre los procesos de metropolización en general y se llama la atención hacia los procesos metropolitanos de Pereira, Manizales y Armenia; se describe y se analiza la red de ciudades en el contexto de la ecorregión Eje Cafetero; se aportan consideraciones desde lo urbano-regional sobre el proyecto de ley orgánica de ordenamiento territorial; se sintetizan los principales progresos, limitaciones y retos en la construcción de esta ciudad-región y, por último, se ofrecen unas recomendaciones para fortalecer su proceso de construcción colectiva.-----A conceptual and theoretical consideration about the city region and its specifications are presented for the particular case of the Colombian Coffee Region; general metropolitan processes are carefully thought, and the attention is drawn over Pereira, Manizales and Armenia metropolitan dynamics; the city net is analyzed within coffee Eco-region context, considerations about territorial organization law project are given from the urban-regional point of view; main progresses, limitations and challenges from this City Region are summarized, and finally some recommendations are given in order to strengthen its collective construction process.

Effects of cottonseed cake-based diets supplemented with blood meal, alone or with lysine, on the growth of pigs

An experiment was carried out to establish the effect on the growth of pigs of including blood meal or lysine in diets containing gossypol from cottenseed cake. Forty Landrace x Large White pigs (20 of each sex) were randomly allocated to 5 treatments of 8 pigs each in a 2x2 factorial design with two levels of lysine or two levels of blood meal in the diets plus a control diet. The pigs were fed different diets and slaughtered at 75.0+/-2.0 kg live weight for carcase analysis. Supplementing the diets with blood meal resulted in higher live weight gains (p<0.001) and improved feed conversion ratios (p<0.001) than supplementing with lysine. Pigs fed the higher level of cottonseed cake showed a significant (p<0.001) depression in live weight gain and feed conversion ratio compared to those fed a low level of the cake. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in intake in the pigs fed diets with cottonseed cake including blood meal or synthetic lysine. The kidney and liver weights of the pigs fed the diets with a higher level of cottonseed cake were significantly greater (p<0.001) than in those fed the lower level, but when the diets containing cottonseed cake were supplemented with blood meal or lysine at the same level there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the weights of these organs. Lysine or other factors derived from blood meal appear to be more efficient than synthetic lysine in reducing the adverse effects of gossypol.

Effects of presenting the baseline risk when communicating absolute and relative risk reductions

This study compares relative and absolute forms of presenting risk information about influenza and the need for vaccination. It investigates whether differences in people's risk estimates and their evaluations of risk information, as a result of the different presentation formats, are still apparent when they are provided with information about the baseline level of risk. The results showed that, in the absence of baseline information, the relative risk format resulted in higher ratings of satisfaction, perceived effectiveness of vaccination, and likelihood of being vaccinated. However, these differences were not apparent when baseline information was presented. Overall, provision of baseline information resulted in more accurate risk estimates and more positive evaluations of the risk messages. It is recommended that, in order to facilitate shared and fully informed decision making, information about baseline level of risk should be included in all health communications specifying risk reductions, irrespective of the particular format adopted.

Communicating risk of medication side effects: an empirical evaluation of EU recommended terminology

Two experiments compared people's interpretation of verbal and numerical descriptions of the risk of medication side effects occurring. The verbal descriptors were selected from those recommended for use by the European Union (very common, common, uncommon, rare, very rare). Both experiments used a controlled empirical methodology, in which nearly 500 members of the general population were presented with a fictitious (but realistic) scenario about visiting the doctor and being prescribed medication, together with information about the medicine's side effects and their probability of occurrence. Experiment 1 found that, in all three age groups tested (18 - 40, 41 - 60 and over 60), participants given a verbal descriptor (very common) estimated side effect risk to be considerably higher than those given a comparable numerical description. Furthermore, the differences in interpretation were reflected in their judgements of side effect severity, risk to health, and intention to comply. Experiment 2 confirmed these findings using two different verbal descriptors (common and rare) and in scenarios which described either relatively severe or relatively mild side effects. Strikingly, only 7 out of 180 participants in this study gave a probability estimate which fell within the EU assigned numerical range. Thus, large scale use of the descriptors could have serious negative consequences for individual and public health. We therefore recommend that the EU and National authorities suspend their recommendations regarding these descriptors until a more substantial evidence base is available to support their appropriate use.

Interpreting information about medication side effects: differences in risk perception and intention to comply when medicines are prescribed for adults or young children

This study investigates whether, and how, people's perception of risk and intended health behaviours are affected by whether a medicine is prescribed for themselves or for a young child. The question is relevant to the issue of whether it is beneficial to produce medicines information that is tailored to particular subgroups of the population, such as parents of young children. In the experiment, participants read scenarios which referred either to themselves or their (imagined) 1-year-old child, and were required to make a number of risk judgements. The results showed that both parents and non-parents were less satisfied, perceived side effects to be more severe and more likely to occur, risk to health to be higher, and said that they would be less likely to take (or give) the medicine when the recipient was the child. On the basis of the findings, it is suggested that it may well be beneficial to tailor materials to broader classes of patient type.

Economias de escala em bancos comerciais brasileiros

Devido crescente importância assumida pelos estudos de viabilidade economico-finariceiros, tem-se observado nos últimos anos, principalmente no Brasil, um interesse relevante pela matéria, muito particularmente pelos estudos de viabilidade de projetos de transporte, destinados a captarem recursos das diversas entidades internacionais de financianento. O desenvolvimento do presente estudo visa, não apenas apresentar as técnicas usuais de análise, como também criticá-las e oferecer alternativas para sua reformulação. O trabalho resultou da experiência adquirida durante elaboração do Plano diretor de Transportes pelo GEIPCT, sendo maioria dos exemplos numéricos elaborados com base nas diversas Diretrizes emitidas nas duas fases de pesquisa. Muito embora se observe um aparente conflito entre alguns itens, tal resulta em grande parte, por estarem as novas técnicas de análise ainda em fase de pesquisa comprovação para serem utilizadas na revisão do Plano Diretor, sendo tais conflitos aparentes considerados portanto, bastante naturais em se tratando de um trabalho de reformulação.

Oxygen Diffusion in Ti-20Mo Alloys, used as Biomaterial, Measured by Mechanical Spectroscopy

Titanium alloys are favorable implant materials for orthopedic applications, due to their desirable properties such as good corrosion resistance, low elasticity modulus, and excellent biocornpatibility. The research on titanium alloys is concentrated in the beta type, as the Ti-20Mo alloys and the addition of interstitial elements in these metals cause changes in their mechanical properties. The mechanical spectroscopy measurements have been frequently used in order to verify the behavior of these interstitials atoms in metallic alloys. This paper presents the study of oxygen diffusion in Ti-20Mo alloys using mechanical spectroscopy measurements. A thermally activated relaxation structure was observed in the sample after oxygen doping. It was associated with the interstitial diffusion of oxygen atoms in a solid solution in the alloy. The diffusion coefficient for the oxygen diffusion in the alloy was obtained by the frequency dependence of the peak temperature and by using a simple mathematical treatment of the relaxation structure and the Arrhenius law.

The State and regional income disparities in Latin America

Includes bibliography

Impactos Ambientais da Mineração de Argila para Cerâmica Vermelha Na Sub-bacia do Ribeirão Jacutinga – Rio Claro e Corumbataí (SP)

O presente estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar os impactos decorridos da mineração de argila para cerâmica vermelha por 10 produtores localizados na Sub-bacia do Ribeirão Jacutinga. A extração da matéria-prima proveniente do manto de alteração da Formação Corumbataí constitui uma forma de mineração de pequeno porte, a qual acumula impactos por um longo período. Para caracterização dos impactos fez-se uso de Sistema de Informação Geográfica para análise de imagens orbitais (TM-Landsat) e dados obtidos em base 1:10.000 e observação in situ. Os principais impactos detectados foram: abertura de cavas em locais de várzea, formação de lagos em cavas abandonadas, modificação da paisagem, falta de ações de recuperação de áreas lavradas e corte de vegetação nativa. Foram identificadas as áreas de maior fragilidade ambiental na sub-bacia, as quais estão associadas a zonas de maior declividade ou a locais de extração. A exploração mineral trouxe significativas alterações no quadro natural desta sub-bacia e o conhecimento sobre as limitações ambientais, aptidões para exploração e formas de mitigação dos impactos, mostram-se de extrema necessidade para uma ocupação mais racional do espaço, respeitando as limitações impostas pelo meio físico e prezando por ações sustentáveis.

The pain and pleasure of being what one is: Viewpoints of health professionals and patients about being overweight/obese

The objective of this article is to discuss the meanings that health professionals and patients in treatment attribute to obesity. The research consisted of a qualitative survey in health, based on in-depth interviews with patients and professionals at an out-patient clinic at the University Hospital in Barcelona, Spain. Here, we discuss the concept of obesity, the meanings of diagnoses, the singularities involved in managing treatment, and the process of becoming ill, all in the light of the anthropology of health that has a sociocultural orientation. Obesity is usually seen by the professionals as a risk-factor disease. For patients, the incorporation of this rationality is procedural and is mixed in with other meanings attributed to being overweight/obese that have been gradually developed throughout life. A patient's autonomy in choosing to be fat, or obese, and to adhere to treatment, is defined as a process that requires support in order to come to joint proposals in caring for these problems.

Solid-state 2-methoxybenzoates of light trivalent lanthanides : SSSynthesis, characterization and thermal behaviour

Solid-state LnL(3) compounds, where L is 2-metboxybenzoate and Ln is light trivalent lanthanides, have been synthesized. Thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetty (DSC), X-ray powder diffractometry, infrared spectroscopy and elementary analysis were used to characterize and to study the thermal behaviour of these compounds. The results led to information on the composition, dehydration, thermal stability and thermal decomposition of the isolated compounds. on heating these complexes decompose in three (Ce, Pr) or five (La, Nd, Sm) steps with the formation of the respective oxide: CeO2, Pr6O11 and Ln(2)O(3) (Ln=La, Nd, Sm) as final residues. The theoretical and experimental spectroscopic study suggests predominantly the ionic bond between the ligand and metallic center.

Tuning remoto di filtering, pre-processing e buffering per scenari internet of things

La tesi propone una soluzione middleware per scenari in cui i sensori producono un numero elevato di dati che è necessario gestire ed elaborare attraverso operazioni di preprocessing, filtering e buffering al fine di migliorare l'efficienza di comunicazione e del consumo di banda nel rispetto di vincoli energetici e computazionali. E'possibile effettuare l'ottimizzazione di questi componenti attraverso operazioni di tuning remoto.