Potencialidades de desarrollo y movilización local: un estudio SIAL en Santa Cruz de Turrialba

El queso fresco blanco, conocido como queso Turrialba en Costa Rica, es un producto de mucho valor económico  y social, que ha despertado un interés particular en el análisis de sus estructuras de producción y las redes interrelaciónales entre los diferentes actores involucrados en su elaboración y comercio local y regional.  Se comprobó la existencia de un SIAL en Santa Cruz de Turrialba que cuenta con organizaciones con objetivos y metas comunes que han dado origen a acciones colectivas operativas. Este SIAL ha generado también acciones operativas individuales que han diversificado, entre otras, la comercialización de su producto. En el plano colectivo, la planificación y priorización de sus proyecciones futuras están afectando no solamente el área de la producción agroindustrial sino también otros campos como el turismo agroecológico.   ABSTRACT The fresh White cheese in Costa Rica is well known as “Turrialba cheese”. This cheese has high economic and social value and its production structure and its local and regional relations networks became a very interesting fact of analysis. It has been proved the occurrence of a local Agrofood System (SIAL) in Santa Cruz of Turrialba, where organizations with specific common purposes and goals were present. This situation originated individual operative action  as in order to diversity their products and markets. On the collective side, the planification and priorization of their future projects and ideas, have influenced not only the production, but also another fields like the development of agro ecological tourism in the region.

Dinâmica espaço-temporal em uma guilda de borboletas frugívoras no limite norte da Floresta Atlântica Nordestina

The extent of the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest, a global biodiversity hotspot, has been reduced to less than 7% of its original range. Yet, it contains one of the richest butterfly fauna in the world. Butterflies are commonly used as environmental indicators, mostly because of their strict association with host plants, microclimate and resource availability. This research describes diversity, composition and species richness of frugivorous butterflies in a forest fragment in the Brazilian Northeast. It compares communities in different physiognomies and seasons. The climate in the study area is classified as tropical rainy, with two well defined seasons. Butterfly captures were made with 60 Van Someren-Rydon traps, randomly located within six different habitat units (10 traps per unit) that varied from very open (e.g. coconut plantation) to forest interior. Sampling was made between January and December 2008, for five days each month. I captured 12090 individuals from 32 species. The most abundant species were Taygetis laches, Opsiphanes invirae and Hamadryas februa, which accounted for 70% of all captures. Similarity analysis identified two main groups, one of species associated with open or disturbed areas and a second by species associated with shaded areas. There was a strong seasonal component in species composition, with less species and lower abundance in the dry season and more species and higher abundance in the rainy season. K-means analysis indicates that choice of habitat units overestimated faunal perceptions, suggesting less distinct units. The species Taygetis virgilia, Hamadryas chloe, Callicore pygas e Morpho achilles were associated with less disturbed habitats, while Yphthimoides sp, Historis odius, H. acheronta, Hamadryas feronia e Siderone marthesia likey indicate open or disturbed habitats. This research brings important information for conservation of frugivorous butterflies, and will serve as baseline for future projects in environmental monitoring

EVALUATING THE OIL SANDS RECLAMATION PROCESS: ASSESSING POLICY CAPACITY AND STAKEHOLDER ACCESS FOR GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING IN ALBERTA’S OIL SANDS

By employing interpretive policy analysis this thesis aims to assess, measure, and explain policy capacity for government and non-government organizations involved in reclaiming Alberta's oil sands. Using this type of analysis to assess policy capacity is a novel approach for understanding reclamation policy; and therefore, this research will provide a unique contribution to the literature surrounding reclamation policy. The oil sands region in northeast Alberta, Canada is an area of interest for a few reasons; primarily because of the vast reserves of bitumen and the environmental cost associated with developing this resource. An increase in global oil demand has established incentive for industry to seek out and develop new reserves. Alberta's oil sands are one of the largest remaining reserves in the world, and there is significant interest in increasing production in this region. Furthermore, tensions in several oil exporting nations in the Middle East remain unresolved, and this has garnered additional support for a supply side solution to North American oil demands. This solution relies upon the development of reserves in both the United States and Canada. These compounding factors have contributed to the increased development in the oil sands of northeastern Alberta. Essentially, a rapid expansion of oil sands operations is ongoing, and is the source of significant disturbance across the region. This disturbance, and the promises of reclamation, is a source of contentious debates amongst stakeholders and continues to be highly visible in the media. If oil sands operations are to retain their social license to operate, it is critical that reclamation efforts be effective. One concern non-governmental organizations (NGOs) expressed criticizes the current monitoring and enforcement of regulatory programs in the oil sands. Alberta's NGOs have suggested the data made available to them originates from industrial sources, and is generally unchecked by government. In an effort to discern the overall status of reclamation in the oil sands this study explores several factors essential to policy capacity: work environment, training, employee attitudes, perceived capacity, policy tools, evidence based work, and networking. Data was collected through key informant interviews with senior policy professionals in government and non-government agencies in Alberta. The following are agencies of interest in this research: Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP); Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (AESRD); Alberta Energy Regulator (AER); Cumulative Environmental Management Association (CEMA); Alberta Environment Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting Agency (AEMERA); Wood Buffalo Environmental Association (WBEA). The aim of this research is to explain how and why reclamation policy is conducted in Alberta's oil sands. This will illuminate government capacity, NGO capacity, and the interaction of these two agency typologies. In addition to answering research questions, another goal of this project is to show interpretive analysis of policy capacity can be used to measure and predict policy effectiveness. The oil sands of Alberta will be the focus of this project, however, future projects could focus on any government policy scenario utilizing evidence-based approaches.

A Ideia de “Quarteirão” na Regeneração Urbana do Centro Histórico do Porto

As intervenções de regeneração urbana quando realizadas através da unidade do quarteirão, tornam-se desafios e oportunidades únicas na preservação da identidade e na valorização dos recursos históricos. Esta escala de abordagem nas intervenções permite não só a renovação arquitetónica dos espaços mas também a inclusão de preocupações de carácter cultural, social, económico e ambiental neste processo, que se considera aqui enquanto princípios base para um desenvolvimento sustentável. Esta investigação tem como objetivo aprofundar conhecimentos acerca da ideia de “quarteirão” e da sua relevância no processo de regeneração urbana no contexto das recentes transformações urbanas no centro histórico do Porto, e tendo em vista a necessidade de um desenvolvimento sustentável, salientando a importância do reforço da identidade como um dos seus principais princípios de atuação. De forma a sustentar o estudo destas temáticas centradas numa abordagem limitada à área da Zona de Intervenção Prioritária (ZIP), são analisados dois casos de estudos de intervenções existentes/a decorrer bem como um terceiro caso desenvolvido no âmbito da presente dissertação. Com base na análise dos casos de estudo, da bibliografia e da documentação relativa ao tema verificou-se que para reforçar a identidade do centro histórico do Porto, a fim de preservar as suas dinâmicas sociais e culturais, os projetos devem evitar intervenções à escala do quarteirão, que desrespeitem as características originais dos edifícios tal como os seus limites. Propõe-se assim o desenvolvimento de uma estratégia de intervenção global que respeitando a singularidade e os desafios arquitetónicos e socioculturais de cada parcela e edifício não deixe nunca de perder uma visão mais alargada sobre a complexidade do território.

Student Independent Projects Environmental Studies: Energizing the Future: Meeting Future Power Needs of Grenfell College

In this paper I pose the Questions: Is it feasible to install a large wind turbine(S) at Grenfell College as a pilot project, and what will the benefits of the installation be to Grenfell if the project goes ahead? My answers are based on a literature review, data analysis from previous experiments, and a SWOT analysis. I will conclude by recommending a course of action for Grenfell that will move it toward using more renewable energy, and becoming a local resource for alternative energy solutions.

Rapid diagnosis in pediatric infectious diseases: The past, the present and the future

The focus of rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases of children in the last decade has shifted from variations of the conventional laboratory techniques of antigen detection, microscopy and culture to that of molecular diagnosis of infectious agents. Pediatricians will need to be able to interpret the use, limitations and results of molecular diagnostic techniques as they are increasingly integrated into routine clinical microbiology laboratory protocols. PCR is the best known and most successfully implemented diagnostic molecular technology to date. It can detect specific infectious agents and determine their virulence and antimicrobial genotypes with greater speed, sensitivity and specificity than conventional microbiology methods. Inherent technical limitations of PCR are present, although they are reduced in laboratories that follow suitable validation and quality control procedures. Variations of PCR together with advances in nucleic acid amplification technology have broadened its diagnostic capabilities in clinical infectious disease to now rival and even surpass traditional methods in some situations. Automation of all components of PCR is now possible. The completion of the genome sequencing projects for significant microbial pathogens, in combination with PCR and DNA chip technology, will revolutionize the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases.

DEWI - Wirelessly into the Future

Euromicro Conference on Digital System Design (DSD2015), EPDSD - 3rd European Projects in Digital System Design, Funchal, Portugal.

Structured business solution for infrastructure projects

Companies seeking to continue growing and developing need to consider the possibility of international expansion and what that represents to their future. To tackle this challenge it becomes necessary to establish the company’s interests and priorities as well as defining and assessing the foreign market opportunities of a specific industry. This directed research internship proposes and conducts a simulation of the preliminary foreign market assessment and selection within the Juncker Plan: country filtering and ranking having as a frame of reference the second largest construction company in Brazil, Andrade Gutierrez.

Advances and future challenges in printed batteries

There is an increasing interest in thin and flexible energy storage devices to meet modern society needs for applications such as, radio frequency sensing, interactive packaging and other consumer products. Printed batteries comply these requirements and are an excellent alternative to conventional batteries for many applications. Flexible and micro-batteries are also included in the area of printed batteries whenever fabricated by printing technologies. The main characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, developments, and printing techniques of printed batteries are presented and discussed in this review. The state-of-art takes into account both the research and industrial levels. In the academic one, the research progress of printed batteries is summarized divided in lithium-ion battery (Li-ion), zinc-manganese dioxide (Zn-MnO2), and other battery types with emphasis on the different materials for anode, cathode and separator as well as in the battery design. With respect to the industrial state-of-art, materials, device formulations and manufacturing techniques are presented. Finally, the prospects and challenges of printed batteries are discussed.

Polymer composites and blends for battery separators: State of the art, challenges and future trends

In lithium ion battery systems, the separator plays a key role with respect to device performance. Polymer composites and polymer blends have been frequently used as battery separators due to their suitable properties. This review presents the main issues, developments and characteristics of these polymer composites and blends for battery separator membrane applications. This review is divided into two sections regarding the composition of the materials: polymer composite materials, subdivided according to filler type, and polymer blend materials. For each category the electrolyte solutions, ionic conductivity and other relevant physical-chemical characteristics are described. This review shows the recent advances and opportunities in this area and identifies future trends and challenges.

The Appraisal of projects with environmental impacts. Efficiency and Sustainability

It is usually assumed that the appraisal of the impacts experienced by present generations does not entail any difficulty. However, this is not true. Moreover, there is not a widely accepted methodology for taking these impacts into account. Some of the controversial issues are: the appropriate value for the discount rate, the choice of the units for expressing the impacts, physical or monetary units -income, consumption or investment- and the valuation of tangible and intangible goods. When approaching the problem of very long term impacts, there is also the problem of valuing the impacts experienced by future generations, through e.g., the use of an intergenerational discount rate. However, if this were the case, the present generation perspective would prevail, as if all the property rights on the resources were owned by them. Therefore, the sustainability requirement should also be incorporated into the analysis. We will analyze these problems in this article and show some possible solutions.