A Novel Approach for the Assessment of Cities through Ecosystem Integrity

To tackle urban heterogeneity and complexity, several indices have been proposed, commonly aiming to provide information for decision-makers. In this study, we propose a novel and customizable procedure for quantifying urban ecosystem integrity. Based on a citywide approach, we developed an easy-to-use index that contrasts physical and biological variables of urban ecosystems with a given reference system. The Urban Ecosystem Integrity Index (UEII) is the sum of the averages from the variables that make up its intensity of urbanization and biological components. We applied the UEII in a Mexican tropical city using land surface temperature, built cover, and the richness of native plants and birds. The overall ecosystem integrity of the city, having montane cloud, tropical dry, and temperate forests as reference systems, was low (−0.34 ± SD 0.32), showing that, beyond its biodiverse greenspace network, the built-up structure highly differs from the ecosystems of reference. The UEII showed to be a flexible and easy-to-calculate tool to evaluate ecosystem integrity for cities, allowing for comparisons between or among cities, as well as the sectors/regions within cities. If used properly, the index could become a useful tool for decision making and resource allocation at a city level

A Novel Approach for the Assessment of Cities through Ecosystem Integrity

To tackle urban heterogeneity and complexity, several indices have been proposed, commonly aiming to provide information for decision-makers. In this study, we propose a novel and customizable procedure for quantifying urban ecosystem integrity. Based on a citywide approach, we developed an easy-to-use index that contrasts physical and biological variables of urban ecosystems with a given reference system. The Urban Ecosystem Integrity Index (UEII) is the sum of the averages from the variables that make up its intensity of urbanization and biological components. We applied the UEII in a Mexican tropical city using land surface temperature, built cover, and the richness of native plants and birds. The overall ecosystem integrity of the city, having montane cloud, tropical dry, and temperate forests as reference systems, was low (−0.34 ± SD 0.32), showing that, beyond its biodiverse greenspace network, the built-up structure highly differs from the ecosystems of reference. The UEII showed to be a flexible and easy-to-calculate tool to evaluate ecosystem integrity for cities, allowing for comparisons between or among cities, as well as the sectors/regions within cities. If used properly, the index could become a useful tool for decision making and resource allocation at a city level

NIVELES DE CONCENTRACIÓN DE MATERIAL PARTICULADO PM SUSPENDIDO EN EL AIRE DURANTE 17 AÑOS DE MEDICIÓN, EN EL CAMPUS CENTRAL DE LA UNIVERSIDAD DE PANAMÁ

Se analizaron las concentraciones diarias de material particulado en el aire (PM) en la azotea de la Rectoría de la Universidad de Panamá, con una aspiradora ubicada a 90 metros sobre el nivel del mar.  Se recolectaron y analizaron muestras diarias desde enero de 2006 hasta diciembre de 2022, sumando un total de 6 209 datos. La curva de la concentración del material particulado (PM) versus el día del año es indicativa de una alta contaminación atmosférica diaria por partículas en suspensión.  La concentración diaria de PM, influenciada por factores meteorológicos, sugiere una clasificación en cuatro etapas anuales con comportamiento estacional, aunque con variabilidad significativa. Estas etapas son, la estación seca con comportamiento alotrópico, la de transición con decrecimiento diario lineal, dos etapas lluviosas una moderada y la otra intensa, las cuales, juntas poseen una variación senoidal.  Se encontró una alta correlación inversa de PM con la Humedad Relativa y con la precipitación y una correlación directa alta con la temperatura y la rapidez del viento y ningún tipo de correlación con la presión y la dirección del viento.  Esas altas correlaciones entre PM y la meteorología son indicadoras que las PM contribuyen al cambio climático

Positive self-evaluation versus negative other-evaluation in the political genre of pre-election debates.

The present study explores the language of evaluation in a sub-genre of political discourse, pre-electoral debates, and its potential persuasive function for gaining voters via a contraposition of positive self-evaluation and negative evaluation of the other candidate. A further aim of this research is to check whether the candidate¿s ideology has a bearing on the entities that get evaluated. After a brief examination of the characteristics of the sub-genre at hand, specifically in the Spanish context, we present the results of an evaluation analysis carried out in a corpus of 19,849 words, which is the extension of the most recent pre-electoral debate held in Spain between the candidates of the two main political parties. Taking into account Van Dijk¿s CDA framework (2005) for parliamentary debates as global semantic strategies of positive self-presentation and negative other-presentation, Martin and White¿s (2005) method was adopted as an analytical tool. The results showed that, although each candidate had different preferences in the choice of evaluative devices, they both used them as a strategy to win electoral votes while deprecating the opposing party and, therefore, minimizing their chances of winning the elections. On the other hand, and despite their opposing ideology, they both seem to defend those policies that are more widely accepted in order not to risk losing voters: public services and egalitarian social policies

INCIDENCIA DEL RADÓN-222 EN LA RADIACTIVIDAD DE FONDO EN ALGUNAS VIVIENDAS DE EL VALLE DE ANTÓN, PANAMÁ

Este trabajo se enmarcó en el programa que desarrolla la Estación RN50 para caracterizar el origen de la radiactividad de fondo, a nivel de la República de Panamá.  El Radón-222 es un gas que proviene de la cadena natural de desintegración del 238U que se encuentra, mayormente, en rocas volcánicas profundas.  De acuerdo con las características del suelo volcánico, el radón puede emanar en mayor o menor cantidad del suelo, en esas zonas.  Las mediciones se realizaron durante 2021 y 2022, en El Valle de Antón, que es la zona volcánica más accesible de las cuatro identificadas en Panamá.   Para medir las concentraciones de Rn-222, se utilizó el equipo RAD7.  Por la incidencia del agua en la propagación del Rn-222 en suelos, se midió en los periodos lluvioso, intermedio o de transición y seco.  En la estación seca, la mejor captación en los suelos exteriores de las viviendas se obtuvo durante el mes de marzo .  Durante los meses de octubre y mayo, se registraron las dosis más altas de radiactividad equivalente en el interior de las viviendas   En conclusión, la contribución a la radiactividad de esta región volcánica es pequeña, por lo que se recomienda mantener una buena ventilación en las viviendas.    

Crisis económica: una perspectiva feminista desde América Latina

ÍNDICE PRÓLOGO / 13 INTRODUCCIÓN / 17 PRIMERA PARTE: CARACTERIZACIÓN DE LA CRISIS Alicia Girón / 31 CIRCUITOS DE LA CRISIS: RESQUEBRAJAMIENTO DEL MODELO ECONÓMICO Y PERSPECTIVA FEMINISTA Alba Carosio / 53 FRENTE A LA CRISIS ECONÓMICA Y CIVILIZATORIA: UN NUEVO CONTRATO SOCIALISTA Y FEMINISTA Magdalena Valdivieso / 77 MUJERES, DESARROLLO Y CRISIS Eugenia Correa / 97 CRISIS DE LA PRIVATIZACIÓN DE LOS FONDOS DE PENSION: ESPECULACIÓN FINANCIERA Y DESAMPARO SOCIAL SEGUNDA PARTE: AMÉRICA LATINA, INEQUIDAD DE GÉNERO Y VIOLENCIA Silvia Berger / 115 AMÉRICA LATINA, LA CRISIS Y EL FEMINISMO. PENSANDO JUNTO CON NANCY FRASER Patricia Rodríguez / 139 REFORMAS FINANCIERAS, PRIVATIZACIÓN DE LOS SISTEMAS DE PENSIONES Y LA INEQUIDAD DE GÉNERO EN AMÉRICA LATINA Blanca Pedroza / 161 DISCRIMINACIÓN Y VIOLENCIA DE GÉNERO Y CRISIS ECONÓMICA EN AMÉRICA LATINA Alejandra Arroyo / 181 EMPODERAMIENTO: ALTERNATIVA PARA LOGRAR DESARROLLO CON EQUIDAD TERCERA PARTE: COLOMBIA, MÉXICO Y BRASIL Consuelo Ahumada / 205 POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS Y GÉNERO EN COLOMBIA: ENTRE EL AJUSTE FISCAL Y EL CONFLICTO ARMADO María Luisa González Marín / 225 CRISIS FINANCIERA Y MIGRACIÓN FEMENINA DE MÉXICO Maria Cristina Cacciamali / 247 CRISIS ECONÓMICA EN BRASIL Y DISCRIMINACIÓN FEMENINA EN EL MERCADO DE TRABAJ

Neanderthals on the Lower Danube: Middle Palaeolithic evidence in the Danube Gorges of the Balkans

The article presents evidence about the Middle Palaeolithic and Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition interval in the karst area of the Danube Gorges in the Lower Danube Basin. We review the extant data and present new evidence from two recently investigated sites found on the Serbian side of the Danube River – Tabula Traiana and Dubočka-Kozja caves. The two sites have yielded layers dating to both the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic and have been investigated by the application of modern standards of excavation and recovery along with a suite of state-of-the-art analytical procedures. The presentation focuses on micromorphological analyses of the caves’ sediments, characterisation of cryptotephra, a suite of new radiometric dates (accelerator mass spectrometry and optically stimulated luminescence) as well as proteomics (zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry) and stable isotope data in discerning patterns of human occupation of these locales over the long term

Neanderthals on the Lower Danube: Middle Palaeolithic evidence in the Danube Gorges of the Balkans

The article presents evidence about the Middle Palaeolithic and Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition interval in the karst area of the Danube Gorges in the Lower Danube Basin. We review the extant data and present new evidence from two recently investigated sites found on the Serbian side of the Danube River – Tabula Traiana and Dubočka-Kozja caves. The two sites have yielded layers dating to both the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic and have been investigated by the application of modern standards of excavation and recovery along with a suite of state-of-the-art analytical procedures. The presentation focuses on micromorphological analyses of the caves’ sediments, characterisation of cryptotephra, a suite of new radiometric dates (accelerator mass spectrometry and optically stimulated luminescence) as well as proteomics (zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry) and stable isotope data in discerning patterns of human occupation of these locales over the long term