Forest landscape restoration in the drylands of Latin America

Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) involves the ecological restoration of degraded forest landscapes, with the aim of benefiting both biodiversity and human well-being. We first identify four fundamental principles of FLR, based on previous definitions. We then critically evaluate the application of these principles in practice, based on the experience gained during an international, collaborative research project conducted in six dry forest landscapes of Latin America. Research highlighted the potential for FLR; tree species of high socioeconomic value were identified in all study areas, and strong dependence of local communities on forest resources was widely encountered, particularly for fuelwood. We demonstrated that FLR can be achieved through both passive and active restoration approaches, and can be cost-effective if the increased provision of ecosystem services is taken into account. These results therefore highlight the potential for FLR, and the positive contribution that it could make to sustainable development. However, we also encountered a number of challenges to FLR implementation, including the difficulty of achieving strong engagement in FLR activities among local stakeholders, lack of capacity for community-led initiatives, and the lack of an appropriate institutional and regulatory environment to support restoration activities. Successful implementation of FLR will require new collaborative alliances among stakeholders, empowerment and capacity building of local communities to enable them to fully engage with restoration activities, and an enabling public policy context to enable local people to be active participants in the decision making process. © 2012 by the author(s). Published here under license by the Resilience Alliance

Effects of hydrogen and primary air in a commercial partially-premixed atmospheric gas burner by means of optical and supervised machine learning techniques

In order to ascertain the effects of the hydrogen addition and the primary air-fuel ratio on burner performance and emissions, we conduct tests on a commercial atmospheric gas burner using pure methane and a blend of hydrogen/methane. Relevant statistical image features are extracted from a UV–VIS camera equipped with narrow-band optical filters. Radical image results agrees with spectrometric data, showing the relevance of the OH* intensity radiation coming from the outer non-premixed zone. The double-cone flame structure is evident, showing a growing secondary non-premixed cone as the primary air-fuel ratio is decreased. In addition, the direct relationship found between flame radical imaging features and NOx emissions has been used to develop a predictive model by integrating classification techniques and neural networks. The research confirms UV–VIS chemiluminescence imaging techniques as powerful tools aimed at combustion monitoring, with huge prospects of being integrated within advanced emission control techniques for commercial burners

The use of ATLAS.ti in investigating bullying in primary schools in the city of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, México

Based on an apparent increase of bullying cases among primary school students in the city of Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, México, research was conducted to identify the characteristics of the various forms of violence and abuse among children of this age group. The results of this research aided school authorities in implementing a prevention program that increased student awareness of bullying and encouraged them to denounce it in hopes of reducing this phenomenon. The subjects studied in the described research, were 117 fifth-grade boys and girls between the ages of ten and eleven. Subjects were observed to identify the different roles of this phenomenon such as bullies, victims, and bystanders, as well as the cause and effects of their behavior. Additionally, focus group activities were conducted to measure the subjects’ awareness of the bullying phenomenon and sensitize them to it. In this study, both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to gather information about how the students experience this kind of violence between themselves. The instruments used for the qualitative phase were surveys, focus groups and individual interviews, which were digitized and analyzed using ATLAS.ti. The primary documents added to ATLAS.ti consisted of transcripts, video recordings and the survey data as individual documents per case

Reseñas históricas de la medicina en Mantua en el período 1950-2006 / Historical review of Medical Studies in Mantua municipality. 1950-2006

En el presente trabajo se realizó una investigación cualitativa de desarrollo mediante un muestreo intencional inducido con el objetivo de describir la evolución histórica de la Medicina en Mantua durante el período comprendido desde 1950 hasta el año 2006. Para el cumplimiento de este trabajo se elaboró una guía que refiere algunos aspectos generales que se consideraron importantes y determinaron su evolución en la dinámica del trabajo. Se conformó la muestra con veinte informantes clave, con cierto nivel de experiencia utilizando la entrevista semiestructurada con la técnica cara a cara, que se sustenta por el conjunto de aspectos respondiendo a los objetivos de la investigación trazada. Los resultados se analizan a partir de procedimientos lógicos, de inducción, deducción, abstracción y generalización para la precisión y definición del objeto de estudio. Se muestra entre los principales la adversa situación en materia de salud (entre otros aspectos) en el municipio Mantua antes del triunfo de la Revolución, con sólo cuatros médicos, y hoy contamos con servicios de salud gratuitos y suficientes para atender con eficiencia el ciento por ciento de la población. Palabras clave: HISTORIA DE LA MEDICINA, EDUCACIÓN MÉDICA, INVESTIGACIÓN. ABSTRACTA qualitative research was conducted through an induced intentional sample aimed at describing the historical evolution of the medical studies in Mantua during the period of 1950 to 2006. To carry it out , a guide was created considering some general important aspects and determining its evolution in the dynamics of the work. A sample of 20 informants with certain experience was taken, using a face-to-face semistructured interview, which is supported by the objectives of the research. Results were analyzed from the logical procedures of: induction, deduction, abstraction and generalization to perform the precision and definition of the object of study, describing the adverse situation of public health (among other features) in Mantua municipality before the triumph of the Revolution, having only 4 doctors. Nowadays, free, sufficient and efficient medical services are offered to 100% of the population. Key words: HISTORY OF MEDICAL STUDIES, MEDICAL EDUCATION, RESEARCH

Reseñas históricas de la medicina en Mantua en el período 1950-2006 / Historical review of Medical Studies in Mantua municipality. 1950-2006

En el presente trabajo se realizó una investigación cualitativa de desarrollo mediante un muestreo intencional inducido con el objetivo de describir la evolución histórica de la Medicina en Mantua durante el período comprendido desde 1950 hasta el año 2006. Para el cumplimiento de este trabajo se elaboró una guía que refiere algunos aspectos generales que se consideraron importantes y determinaron su evolución en la dinámica del trabajo. Se conformó la muestra con veinte informantes clave, con cierto nivel de experiencia utilizando la entrevista semiestructurada con la técnica cara a cara, que se sustenta por el conjunto de aspectos respondiendo a los objetivos de la investigación trazada. Los resultados se analizan a partir de procedimientos lógicos, de inducción, deducción, abstracción y generalización para la precisión y definición del objeto de estudio. Se muestra entre los principales la adversa situación en materia de salud (entre otros aspectos) en el municipio Mantua antes del triunfo de la Revolución, con sólo cuatros médicos, y hoy contamos con servicios de salud gratuitos y suficientes para atender con eficiencia el ciento por ciento de la población. Palabras clave: HISTORIA DE LA MEDICINA, EDUCACIÓN MÉDICA, INVESTIGACIÓN. ABSTRACTA qualitative research was conducted through an induced intentional sample aimed at describing the historical evolution of the medical studies in Mantua during the period of 1950 to 2006. To carry it out , a guide was created considering some general important aspects and determining its evolution in the dynamics of the work. A sample of 20 informants with certain experience was taken, using a face-to-face semistructured interview, which is supported by the objectives of the research. Results were analyzed from the logical procedures of: induction, deduction, abstraction and generalization to perform the precision and definition of the object of study, describing the adverse situation of public health (among other features) in Mantua municipality before the triumph of the Revolution, having only 4 doctors. Nowadays, free, sufficient and efficient medical services are offered to 100% of the population. Key words: HISTORY OF MEDICAL STUDIES, MEDICAL EDUCATION, RESEARCH

Characterization of AGN and their hosts in the Extended Groth Strip: a multiwavelength analysis

We have employed a reliable technique of classification of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) based on the fit of well-sampled spectral energy distributions (SEDs) with a complete set of AGN and starburst galaxy templates. We have compiled ultraviolet, optical, and infrared data for a sample of 116 AGN originally selected for their X-ray and mid-infrared emissions (96 with single detections and 20 with double optical counterparts). This is the most complete compilation of multiwavelength data for such a big sample of AGN in the Extended Groth Strip (EGS). Through these SEDs, we are able to obtain highly reliable photometric redshifts and to distinguish between pure and host-dominated AGN. For the objects with unique detection we find that they can be separated into five main groups, namely: Starburst-dominated AGN (24 % of the sample), Starburst-contaminated AGN (7 %), Type-1 AGN (21 %), Type-2 AGN (24 %), and Normal galaxy hosting AGN (24 %). We find these groups concentrated at different redshifts: Type-2 AGN and Normal galaxy hosting AGN are concentrated at low redshifts, whereas Starburst-dominated AGN and Type-1 AGN show a larger span. Correlations between hard/soft X-ray and ultraviolet, optical and infrared luminosities, respectively, are reported for the first time for such a sample of AGN spanning a wide range of redshifts. For the 20 objects with double detection the percentage of Starburst-dominated AGN increases up to 48%.Comment: 38 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables. Accepted by A

Modelo dinámico del comportamiento de la producción mercantil en Camagüey, Cuba

Se determinó un modelo dinámico entre los indicadores internos conducentes del crecimiento para obtener un vector autorregresivo (VAR). Se aplicaron métodos cuantitativos (estadísticos y econométricos) para expresar una concepción dinámica del comportamiento de la producción mercantil sobre la base de ciertos indicadores conducentes. El proceso de obtención del modelo ofreció las variables causales de la producción mercantil: gasto de materiales, salarios y rendimiento agrícola de cultivos temporales. Por otra parte, las elasticidades parciales (0,419; 0,390 y 0,258, respectivamente) ofrecen la variación porcentual en la producción mercantil para una variación porcentual en dichas variables, con un nivel de significación del 5 %. El VAR, a través de la función de impulso-respuesta, expresa cómo varía porcentualmente la PM desde el periodo comprendido entre 2007 y 2009 para una desviación de 0,124 % del gasto material