La migració de dones estrangeres al medi rural català en el context de la transformació econòmica i social de les comunitats rurals

Aquesta recerca analitza l’impacte de l’arribada de població immigrada estrangera a zones rurals catalanes des d’una perspectiva de gènere. Observa les tendències demogràfiques i caracteritza la població estrangera que ha arribat als municipis de menys de 2.000 habitants de Catalunya, incidint especialment en els territoris on s’ha dut a terme el treball de camp i les entrevistes en profunditat: Terres de l'Ebre, Camp de Tarragona, Ponent i el Pirineu-Aran. L'estudi mostra que la immigració estrangera ha interromput la tendència al despoblament de les àrees rurals catalanes, tot i que el percentatge d’estrangers que viuen als pobles és lleugerament inferior al del conjunt de Catalunya i que la contribució al rejoveniment de les poblacions rurals és relativa. Respecte a la definició de les àrees rurals on arriben els immigrants, la recerca s’aproxima a la definició de les dinàmiques socials i econòmiques que caracteritzen les ruralitats actuals, les quals dibuixen un escenari divers i complex que va des de la continuïtat de l'activitat agrària, fins a la terciarització, la urbanització o la industrialització. En aquesta ruralitat diversa es produeix l’arribada d’una població immigrant que amb el seu treball, contribueix de manera important a la reproducció de les comunitats rurals. La recerca aprofundeix en l’anàlisi de les singularitat de les migracions femenines a les zones rurals: primer, en la visibilitat de la cadena migratòria; segon, en la recerca intencionada de l’oferta laboral de la ruralitat; tercer, en l’especificitat de la formació i funció de les xarxes migratòries en la societat d’arribada; i, quart, la debilitat de la incorporació de les dones migrants en la societat local. L’atenció i cura de la població envellida dels pobles, és una activitat laboral que ocupa a les dones estrangeres en tots els pobles estudiats on supleix l’absència d’equipaments especialitzats. La presència de les dones immigrades ha estat aprofitada per crear un sistema d’atenció informal que no transgredeix la consigna local tradicional d’envellir a casa i que demanda més afecte que professionalitat.

An analysis of the metabolic patterns of two rural communities affected by soy expansion in the North of Argentina

The soy expansion model in Argentina generates structural changes in traditional lifestyles that can be associated with different biophysical and socioeconomic impacts. To explore this issue, we apply an innovative method for integrated assessment - the Multi Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) framework - to characterize two communities in the Chaco Region, Province of Formosa, North of Argentina. These communities have recently experienced the expansion of soy production, altering their economic activity, energy consumption patterns, land use, and human time allocation. The integrated characterization presented in the paper illustrates the differences (biophysical, socioeconomic, and historical) between the two communities that can be associated with different responses. The analysis of the factors behind these differences has important policy implications for the sustainable development of local communities in the area.

Right coronary artery flow velocity and volume assessment with spiral K-space sampled breathhold velocity-encoded MRI at 3 tesla: accuracy and reproducibility.

PURPOSE: To evaluate accuracy and reproducibility of flow velocity and volume measurements in a phantom and in human coronary arteries using breathhold velocity-encoded (VE) MRI with spiral k-space sampling at 3 Tesla. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Flow velocity assessment was performed using VE MRI with spiral k-space sampling. Accuracy of VE MRI was tested in vitro at five constant flow rates. Reproducibility was investigated in 19 healthy subjects (mean age 25.4 +/- 1.2 years, 11 men) by repeated acquisition in the right coronary artery (RCA). RESULTS: MRI-measured flow rates correlated strongly with volumetric collection (Pearson correlation r = 0.99; P < 0.01). Due to limited sample resolution, VE MRI overestimated the flow rate by 47% on average when nonconstricted region-of-interest segmentation was used. Using constricted region-of-interest segmentation with lumen size equal to ground-truth luminal size, less than 13% error in flow rate was found. In vivo RCA flow velocity assessment was successful in 82% of the applied studies. High interscan, intra- and inter-observer agreement was found for almost all indices describing coronary flow velocity. Reproducibility for repeated acquisitions varied by less than 16% for peak velocity values and by less than 24% for flow volumes. CONCLUSION: 3T breathhold VE MRI with spiral k-space sampling enables accurate and reproducible assessment of RCA flow velocity.

On fast-decodable space-time block codes

We focus on full-rate, fast-decodable space–time block codes (STBCs) for 2 x 2 and 4 x 2 multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission. We first derive conditions and design criteria for reduced-complexity maximum-likelihood (ML) decodable 2 x 2 STBCs, and we apply them to two families of codes that were recently discovered. Next, we derive a novel reduced-complexity 4 x 2 STBC, and show that it outperforms all previously known codes with certain constellations.

On high-rate full-diversity 2x2 space-time codes with low-complexity optimum detection

The 2×2 MIMO profiles included in Mobile WiMAX specifications are Alamouti’s space-time code (STC) fortransmit diversity and spatial multiplexing (SM). The former hasfull diversity and the latter has full rate, but neither of them hasboth of these desired features. An alternative 2×2 STC, which is both full rate and full diversity, is the Golden code. It is the best known 2×2 STC, but it has a high decoding complexity. Recently, the attention was turned to the decoder complexity, this issue wasincluded in the STC design criteria, and different STCs wereproposed. In this paper, we first present a full-rate full-diversity2×2 STC design leading to substantially lower complexity ofthe optimum detector compared to the Golden code with only a slight performance loss. We provide the general optimized form of this STC and show that this scheme achieves the diversitymultiplexing frontier for square QAM signal constellations. Then, we present a variant of the proposed STC, which provides a further decrease in the detection complexity with a rate reduction of 25% and show that this provides an interesting trade-off between the Alamouti scheme and SM.

A comparison of full-rate full-diversity 2x2 space-time codes for WiMAX systems

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques have become an essential part of broadband wireless communications systems. For example, the recently developed IEEE 802.16e specifications for broadband wireless access include three MIMOprofiles employing 2×2 space-time codes (STCs), and two of these MIMO schemes are mandatory on the downlink of Mobile WiMAX systems. One of these has full rate, and the other has full diversity, but neither of them has both of the desired features. The third profile, namely, Matrix C, which is not mandatory, is both a full rate and a full diversity code, but it has a high decoder complexity. Recently, the attention was turned to the decodercomplexity issue and including this in the design criteria, several full-rate STCs were proposed as alternatives to Matrix C. In this paper, we review these different alternatives and compare them to Matrix C in terms of performances and the correspondingreceiver complexities.

Report on Special Investigation of the Rural Iowa Waste Management Association for the Period July 1st, 1999 through October 15th, 2004

Other Audit Reports - Special Investigation

Rural Iowa Waste Management Association Independent Auditor's Reports Finanical Statement and Required Supplementary Information Schedule of Findings for the period ending June 30, 2004.

Rural Iowa Waste Management Association Independent Auditor's Reports, Financial Statement, Required Supplementary Information and Schedule of Findings for the Period Ending June 30, 2004.

Silver space-time trellis-coded modulation

Silver Code (SilC) was originally discovered in [1–4] for 2×2 multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission. It has non-vanishing minimum determinant 1/7, slightly lower than Golden code, but is fast-decodable, i.e., it allows reduced-complexity maximum likelihood decoding [5–7]. In this paper, we present a multidimensional trellis-coded modulation scheme for MIMO systems [11] based on set partitioning of the Silver Code, named Silver Space-Time Trellis Coded Modulation (SST-TCM). This lattice set partitioning is designed specifically to increase the minimum determinant. The branches of the outer trellis code are labeled with these partitions. Viterbi algorithm is applied for trellis decoding, while the branch metrics are computed by using a sphere-decoding algorithm. It is shown that the proposed SST-TCM performs very closely to the Golden Space-Time Trellis Coded Modulation (GST-TCM) scheme, yetwith a much reduced decoding complexity thanks to its fast-decoding property.

A new hybrid summarizer based on vector Space model, statistical physics and linguistics

In this article we present a hybrid approach for automatic summarization of Spanish medical texts. There are a lot of systems for automatic summarization using statistics or linguistics, but only a few of them combining both techniques. Our idea is that to reach a good summary we need to use linguistic aspects of texts, but as well we should benefit of the advantages of statistical techniques. We have integrated the Cortex (Vector Space Model) and Enertex (statistical physics) systems coupled with the Yate term extractor, and the Disicosum system (linguistics). We have compared these systems and afterwards we have integrated them in a hybrid approach. Finally, we have applied this hybrid system over a corpora of medical articles and we have evaluated their performances obtaining good results.

Guidleines for Removal of Traffic Control Devices in Rural Areas, October 2005

It is commonly regarded that the overuse of traffic control devices desensitizes drivers and leads to disrespect, especially for low-volume secondary roads with limited enforcement. The maintenance of traffic signs is also a tort liability concern, exacerbated by unnecessary signs. The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and the Institute of Transportation Engineer’s (ITE) Traffic Control Devices Handbook provide guidance for the implementation of STOP signs based on expected compliance with right-of-way rules, provision of through traffic flow, context (proximity to other controlled intersections), speed, sight distance, and crash history. The approach(es) to stop is left to engineering judgment and is usually dependent on traffic volume or functional class/continuity of system. Although presently being considered by the National Committee on Traffic Control Devices, traffic volume itself is not given as a criterion for implementation in the MUTCD. STOP signs have been installed at many locations for various reasons which no longer (or perhaps never) met engineering needs. If in fact the presence of STOP signs does not increase safety, removal should be considered. To date, however, no guidance exists for the removal of STOP signs at two-way stop-controlled intersections. The scope of this research is ultra-low-volume (< 150 daily entering vehicles) unpaved intersections in rural agricultural areas of Iowa, where each of the 99 counties may have as many as 300 or more STOP sign pairs. Overall safety performance is examined as a function of a county excessive use factor, developed specifically for this study and based on various volume ranges and terrain as a proxy for sight distance. Four conclusions are supported: (1) there is no statistical difference in the safety performance of ultra-low-volume stop-controlled and uncontrolled intersections for all drivers or for younger and older drivers (although interestingly, older drivers are underrepresented at both types of intersections); (2) compliance with stop control (as indicated by crash performance) does not appear to be affected by the use or excessive use of STOP signs, even when adjusted for volume and a sight distance proxy; (3) crash performance does not appear to be improved by the liberal use of stop control; (4) safety performance of uncontrolled intersections appears to decline relative to stop-controlled intersections above about 150 daily entering vehicles. Subject to adequate sight distance, traffic professionals may wish to consider removal of control below this threshold. The report concludes with a section on methods and legal considerations for safe removal of stop control.

Rural Iowa Waste Management Association, Independent Auditor's Reports, Financial Statement and Required Supplementary Information, Schedule of Findings, June 30, 2005

Other Audit Reports - 28E Organizations

Detection of Optimal Models in Parameter Space with Support Vector Machines

The paper proposes an approach aimed at detecting optimal model parameter combinations to achieve the most representative description of uncertainty in the model performance. A classification problem is posed to find the regions of good fitting models according to the values of a cost function. Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification in the parameter space is applied to decide if a forward model simulation is to be computed for a particular generated model. SVM is particularly designed to tackle classification problems in high-dimensional space in a non-parametric and non-linear way. SVM decision boundaries determine the regions that are subject to the largest uncertainty in the cost function classification, and, therefore, provide guidelines for further iterative exploration of the model space. The proposed approach is illustrated by a synthetic example of fluid flow through porous media, which features highly variable response due to the parameter values' combination.

Morbidades e qualidade de vida de idosos com diabetes mellitus residentes nas zonas rural e urbana

Este estudo objetivou descrever as variáveis sociodemográficas e comparar as morbidades e a qualidade de vida (QV) dos idosos com diabetes mellitus (DM) residentes nas zonas urbana e rural. A amostra foi composta de 271 idosos da zona urbana e 104 da rural que autorreferiram DM. Utilizou-se análise descritiva e, na comparação das localidades, realizou-se ajuste para a idade por meio de regressão logística e linear múltipla (p < 0,05). Os idosos da zona rural eram mais jovens, casados e possuíam maior escolaridade e renda em relação àqueles da área urbana. Além disso, apresentaram maior escore de QV nos domínios físico e relações sociais e nas facetas autonomia, atividades passadas, presentes e futuras e intimidade, em relação aos do espaço urbano, nos quais se verificou maior número de comorbidades. Os idosos com DM da zona rural apresentaram, de forma geral, melhores condições de saúde em comparação aos que residiam na área urbana.