On the nesting biology of eumenine wasps yet again: Minixi brasilianum (de Saussure) is a builder and a renter... at the same time! (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae)

Our understanding of eumenine nesting biology is still elusive. The use of two nesting strategies, namely renting and building, are reported concomitantly for the first time for Minixi brasilianum (de Saussure, 1875). Ecological factors such as resource availability and protection against potential enemies may play an important role in eumenine nesting biology.

Housing in metropolitan areas : renter financial characteristics.

Mode of access: Internet.

Demonstration in support of gay man about to be evicted from his apartment. Original renter, his lover, died from AIDS

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.

The causal relationship between Individual’s choice behavior and self-reported satisfaction: the case of residential mobility in the EU

One of the most persistent and lasting debates in economic research refers to whether the answers to subjective questions can be used to explain individuals’ economic behavior. Using panel data for twelve EU countries, in the present study we analyze the causal relationship between self-reported housing satisfaction and residential mobility. Our results indicate that: i) households unsatisfied with their current housing situation are more likely to move; ii) housing satisfaction raises after a move, and; iii) housing satisfaction increases with the transition from being a renter to becoming a homeowner. Some interesting cross-country differences are observed. Our findings provide evidence in favor of use of subjective indicators of satisfaction with certain life domains in the analysis of individuals’ economic conduct.

La angustia de vivir en Comala : entre la a??oranza y el desamparo

Resumen tomado del autor. Resumen tambi??n en franc??s e ingl??s

Utilidades pedag??gicas del programa Clic

El proyecto pretende que todo el profesorado del centro se familiarice con los ordenadores del aula de inform??tica, para que puedan preparar material y actividades personalizadas en el ??rea de Lengua para los alumnos. Los objetivos son fomentar el gusto por el ??rea de Lengua mediante el uso de una metodolog??a activa y personalizada; introducir la inform??tica en la programaci??n general y curricular; conocer las posibilidades pedag??gicas de la inform??tica; utilizar medios tecnol??gicos para difundir los trabajos; hacer participar al mayor n??mero posible de miembros de la comunidad educativa; y elaborar una aplicaci??n did??ctica en soporte inform??tico para trabajar aspectos del ??rea de Lengua como tradici??n oral, creaci??n de textos, vocabulario y ortograf??a, y comprensi??n lectora. En cuanto a la metodolog??a, se forma un Seminario permanente para que los profesores conozcan todas las posibilidades del aula de inform??tica, a trav??s de un curso de formaci??n inicial en ordenadores y un curso sobre el programa Clic. A continuaci??n, los alumnos comienzan a utilizar el aula de inform??tica. Se elabora una aplicaci??n did??ctica en soporte inform??tico, de la que se incluyen fotocopias de las actividades en el anexo: rompecabezas-puzzles, asociaciones texto-texto, asociaciones texto-imagen, asociaciones texto-imagen-sonido, sopas de letras, y actividades con textos. Se incluye disquete con la memoria del proyecto..

Algoritmos científicos

The Scientific Algorithms are a new metaheuristics inspired in the scientific research process. The new method introduces the idea of theme to search the solution space of hard problems. The inspiration for this class of algorithms comes from the act of researching that comprises thinking, knowledge sharing and disclosing new ideas. The ideas of the new method are illustrated in the Traveling Salesman Problem. A computational experiment applies the proposed approach to a new variant of the Traveling Salesman Problem named Car Renter Salesman Problem. The results are compared to state-of-the-art algorithms for the latter problem

O problema do caixeiro alugador com coleta de bonus: um estudo algoritmico

This paper introduces a new variant of the Traveling Car Renter Problem, named Prizecollecting Traveling Car Renter Problem. In this problem, a set of vertices, each associated with a bonus, and a set of vehicles are given. The objective is to determine a cycle that visits some vertices collecting, at least, a pre-defined bonus, and minimizing the cost of the tour that can be traveled with different vehicles. A mathematical formulation is presented and implemented in a solver to produce results for sixty-two instances. The proposed problem is also subject of an experimental study based on the algorithmic application of four metaheuristics representing the best adaptations of the state of the art of the heuristic programming.We also provide new local search operators which exploit the neighborhoods of the problem, construction procedures and adjustments, created specifically for the addressed problem. Comparative computational experiments and performance tests are performed on a sample of 80 instances, aiming to offer a competitive algorithm to the problem. We conclude that memetic algorithms, computational transgenetic and a hybrid evolutive algorithm are competitive in tests performed

A geographic information science (GIS) approach to conducting comparative area-level community assessments in the Texas CORD Study

This study assessed and compared sociodemographic and income characteristics along with food and physical activity assets (i.e. grocery stores, fast food restaurants, and park areas) in the Texas Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration (CORD) Study intervention and comparison catchment areas in Houston and Austin, Texas. The Texas CORD Study used a quasi-experimental study design, so it is necessary to establish the interval validity of the study characteristics by confirming that the intervention and comparison catchment areas are statistically comparable. In this ecological study, ArcGIS and Esri Business Analyst were used to spatially relate U.S. Census Bureau and other business listing data to the specific school attendance zones within the catchment areas. T-tests were used to compare percentages of sociodemographic and income characteristics and densities of food and physical activity assets between the intervention and comparison catchment areas.^ Only five variables were found to have significant differences between the intervention and comparison catchment areas: Age groups 0-4 and 35-64, the percentage of owner-occupied and renter-occupied households, and the percentage of Asian and Pacific Islander residents. All other variables showed no significant differences between the two groups. This study shows that the methodology used to select intervention and comparison catchment areas for the Texas CORD Study was effective and can be used in future studies. The results of this study can be used in future Texas CORD studies to confirm the comparability of the intervention and comparison catchment areas. In addition, this study demonstrates a methodology for describing detailed characteristics about a geographic area that practitioners, researchers, and educators can use.^