Evaluation of shoreline change using optical satellite images, case study of Progreso, Yucatán

A technique to extract the shoreline from optical satellite images has been developed, evaluated and applied to the case study site of Progreso, Yucatán, México. This site was chosen as it is frequently subject to hurricanes, shows shoreline erosion and has a paucity of coastal data. The area under investigation is an 8 km length of shoreline that faces north into the Gulf of México. A novel method to extract satellite-derived shorelines (SDS) was developed ensuring the maximum contrast between sea and land. The SDS was validated using quasisimultaneous in situ shoreline measurements from one day in two different years (2008 and 2010). The in situ shoreline measurements recorded the instantaneous shorewards extent of the wave run-up when walking along the beach. The validation of SDS revealed that the SDS locates consistently seawards of the in situ shoreline, explained by: a) the water depth that an optical satellite image requires to identify a pixel either as sea or land, and b) the shorewards extent of the wave run-up. At Progreso, the overall distance between SDS and in situ shoreline is 5.6 m on average and standard deviation of 1.37 m (in the horizontal) over 8 km of shoreline. For an accurate location of the mean SDS, estimation of the shorewards extent of the wave run-up, tidal level and inter-tidal beach slope were required. In situ measurements regarding the beach profile, shoreline location and water levels were taken into consideration to achieve this. The shoreline change observed over a 6.5 year period allowed the estimation of intraannual and inter-annual shoreline changes and progressive changes in the shoreline location. The intra-annual shoreline change revealed seasonality in the shoreline position. The shoreline position from late winter (March 20, 2004) was landwards (approx. 5 to 9 m) in relation to the earlier winter shoreline position (November 11, 2003). The assessed SDSs from the hurricane season (June to November) are at the landwards envelope limit during the year, between -30 to 15 m in relation to the estimated mean SDS. The largest landward movement (100 m) is related to Hurricane Ivan, detected 13 days after the hurricane passed by Yucatán. The inter-annual shoreline change highlighted that an approximate length of 6 km of shoreline is retreating at a rate between -2.4 and -1.2 m per year. Such estimates of shoreline change would not be possible using other available coastal information at this site. The results of this research show that optical satellite images can be used to study shoreline change over large spatial scales (> 5 km), as well as in short (< 1 yr) and long (> 5 yrs) temporal scales.CONACy

Students on Truancy

Truancy is an issue that is affecting the overall success of school districts, and in particular the King City High School District. A study was conducted to provide the school evidence on the leading factor of truancy. A survey was distributed to about thirty students who are currently truant to discover the leading cause of truancy, which was lack of motivation. Additionally, a workshop was developed for truant students who lack motivation. A guest speaker was invited to the school to give a motivational speech to promote future success. Several factors have led students to become truant such as lack of motivation, physical health, mental health, and homelessness among others. Unfortunately, truancy is steadily increasing. Truancy is negatively associated with negative outcomes in terms of not completing their education and becoming unemployed or homeless. Students whose families are from low socio-economic status, parents who do not monitor assignments, negative attitudes towards instructors, are all associated with the elevated levels of truancy

Lucid

The PC video game, Lucid, promotes self-reflection and emotional exploration by balancing interactive dream journals with a meditative platform puzzle. Players switch between reflecting on their dreams through dream journals and following the main character’s story as they realize they are in a dream. To finish the platforming portion, the player travels up and around the mountain by completing short puzzles. This is done to deliver the last living flower from the garden to the castle at the top of the mountain. By building personal dream journals into the game, Lucid highlights how games can be used as tools for introspection. The game setting of a mountain with a winding path of obstacles symbolizes the internal journey the player goes on while playing the game. This game is inspired by the idea that playing a game and dreaming are similar. They are both controllable, exploratory, and subjective experiences. Lucid’s mechanics are based on controlling the natural world to symbolize that having dreams, and the emotions reflected or symbolized by those dreams, are a natural part of life that can be navigated and even used advantageously

La experiencia de ser cuidadora de un anciano con enfermedad crónica

Revista electrónicaObjetivo: conocer la construcción de la experiencia de ser cuidador de un anciano con enfermedad crónico-degenerativa en mujeres de San Cristóbal Ecatepec, México. Método: investigación de corte cualitativo, con cuatro personas de sexo femenino todas ellas cuidadoras de ancianos con enfermedades crónico-degenerativas. Se utilizó la entrevista a profundidad como técnica para la recolección de datos. Los datos se analizaron a partir de ubicar categorías de análisis desde una orientación fenomenológica. La investigación se llevó a cabo en la ciudad de San Cristóbal Ecatepec, Estado de México, México, entre marzo y junio del 2008. Resultados: el rol de cuidador está asignado a las mujeres. La categoría que aquí se describe se refiere a la cotidianidad del cuidado. Los discursos nos permiten develar el conflicto al que se enfrentan las cuidadoras: la responsabilidad moral del cuidado al adulto mayor y la necesidad de desarrollar un proyecto de vida autónomo. Conclusiones: la experiencia de ser cuidadora se asume como una responsabilidad y un compromiso moral que tiene que cumplirse por encima del cuidado personal. Tiene relación con la cultura mexicana respecto a la construcción de género y familia.Sin financiamient

GUÍA PEDAGÓGICA: METODOLOGÍA PARA EL DISEÑO

GUÍA PEDAGÓGIC

Knowledge and innovation in local production systems of ceramic tiles and the new challenges of the international competition

Este trabalho tem como objetivo contribuir para a compreensão das novas dinâmicas de geração de conhecimento e inovação em sistemas locais de produção a partir dos desafios da concorrência internacional, por meio da realização de estudos em dois sistemas locais da indústria de cerâmica de revestimento no Brasil, um localizado em Santa Gertrudes/SP e outro em Criciúma/SC. O estudo mostrou que os principais movimentos que caracterizaram o cenário competitivo global no período recente foram a expansão da China no mercado internacional; a expansão da indústria espanhola, fortemente calcada na interação com seus fornecedores de colorifícios; e a perda de participação da indústria italiana, a despeito da forte presença da indústria de máquinas e equipamentos. Mesmo com esse contexto de acirramento da concorrência internacional, a indústria brasileira atravessou um período de expansão, com o crescimento concomitante do mercado doméstico e das exportações. Esse crescimento traduziu-se em um elevado dinamismo da indústria, que contou tanto com a expansão da oferta de revestimentos cerâmicos como com mudanças expressivas nos parâmetros técnico-produtivos das empresas, motivadas em grande parte por um conjunto de benefícios decorrentes da aglomeração das empresas.This paper aims to contribute for the understanding of the new dynamics of knowledge and innovation in local production systems from the strengthening of the international rivalry in the ceramic tile industry, by studying two local systems in the Brazilian ceramic tile industry, one located in Santa Gertrudes/SP and the other in Criciuma/SC. The research shows that the current international competitive scenario is being characterized by the China's expansion in the world market; the Spanish expansion embedded in the interaction among their glaze suppliers; and the Italian decreasing market share, despite the strong presence of machinery goods industry. In spite of this global rivalry scenario the Brazilian ceramic tile industry had a expansion period with an increase domestic and exports markets. This increasing can be seem in the huge growth of the domestic industry, not only in the expansion of the supply of ceramic tiles but also in important changes in the techno-productive parameters of the firms, motivated by some benefits that came from the clustering of firms

Neutrino mixing and masses from long baseline and atmospheric oscillation experiments

We argue that regardless of the outcome of future Long Baseline experiments, additional information will be needed to unambiguously decide among the different scenarios of neutrino mixing. We use, for this purpose, a simple test of underground data: an asymmetry between downward and upward going events. Such an asymmetry, in which matter effects can be crucial, tests electron and muon neutrino data separately and can be compared with the theoretical prediction without relying on any simulation program.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures (eps

Cultura escolar: un elemento indispensable para comprender los procesos de inclusión educativa

Revista electrónicaEl artículo de cuenta de un estudio etnográfico sobre la cultura escolar de los servicios de Educación Especial, denominados Unidades de Servicios de Apoyo a la Educación Regular (USAER), y su relación con la educación inclusiva llevado a cabo en San Miguel Teotongo, Iztapalapa, México. La metodología empleada fue de carácter cualitativo. Se establecieron tres categorías de análisis: individualismo, colaboración y balcanización, que mostraron tener poder explicativo para adentrarse a la vida cotidiana de las USAER. Los resultados indican que en los servicios de educación especial persiste una tendencia a mantener un trabajo aislado y que la colaboración entre USAER y educación regular es superficial, lo que supone una colegialidad artificial. Se concluye que la formación de subgrupos tiende a ser un patrón en la organización de los servicios educativos, lo que dificulta la concreción de las premisas inclusivas.Sin financiamient