Ecological response of Cedrus atlantica to climate variability in the Massif of Guetiane (Algeria)

Aim of the study: The study analyzes the long-term response of Atlas cedar, Cedrus atlantica (Manneti), to climate variability. Area of study: Atlas cedar forest of Guetiane (Batna, Algeria).Material and methods: The dendrochronological approach was adopted. An Atlas cedar tree-ring chronology was established from twenty trees. The response of the species to climate variability was assessed through the pointer years (PYs), the common climate signal among the individual chronologies, expressed by the first component (PC1), the mean sensitivity (msx), and response function and correlations analysis involving the tree-ring index and climate data (monthly mean temperature and total precipitation).Results: The highest growth variability was registered from the second half of the 20th century. The lower than the mean PYs, the PC1, and the msx increased markedly during the studied period. Dramatic increases in the PC1 and msx were detected at the end of the 1970s, reflecting a shift towards drier conditions enhancing an increasing trend towards more synchronous response of trees to climate conditions. The response function and correlations analysis showed that tree growth was mainly influenced by precipitation variability.Research highlights: Our findings provide baseline knowledge concerning the ecological response of Atlas cedar to climate variability in in its southern distribution limit, where a high level of tree mortality has been observed during recent decades, coinciding with the driest period Algeria has ever experienced. This information is vital to support ongoing ecosystem management efforts in the region. Keywords: Atlas cedar; annual growth variability; dieback; dendrochronology.

Comportamiento innovador de Importaciones Yelba, en el municipio de Matagalpa, departamento de Matagalpa, periodo 2016

La temática que se aborda en la presente investigación está basada en el comportamiento innovador de las PYMES en el periodo 2016, especialmente en Importaciones Yelba, en el municipio de Matagalpa, departamento de Matagalpa, periodo 2016. El propósito que se persigue con dicha investigación es analizar el comportamiento innovador de Importaciones Yelba, en el municipio de Matagalpa, departamento de Matagalpa, periodo 2016, para poder brindar información relevante sobre la innovación y determinar prácticas que en un futuro le permita a la empresa ser más competitiva, puesto que servirá como una base para la toma de decisiones que concederán cambios positivos en la organización. El comportamiento innovador aplicado en las empresas es de gran importancia, ya que le permite atraer más clientes y mejorar su posición en el mercado, ya sea que implemente estrategias de forma proactiva o reactiva, lo cual le brindará prestigio, aumentará su rentabilidad y facilitará sus procesos de trabajo. Importaciones Yelba está innovando constantemente de forma proactiva en muchos de sus aspectos, así mismo implementando nuevas prácticas que ayudan a mejorar el desempeño en general de la empresa, ya que en su proceso se utiliza la aplicación computarizada e introducción de software de bases de datos, también, su servicio se está mejorando en cuanto a la rapidez y la calidad. Por lo demás, es cierto que está innovando, pero no al máximo, ya que tiene algunas debilidades que se podrían mejorar con un poco de esfuerz

Imposibilidad de hacer vida en común en pandemia como causal de divorcio y su proceso virtual Bellavista, Callao 2020

El trabajo de Investigación lleva como título la Imposibilidad de hacer vida en común en pandemia como causal de divorcio y su proceso virtual Bellavista, Callao 2020, tiene como objetivo establecer la relación que existe en la imposibilidad de hacer vida en común en pandemia como causal de divorcio y su proceso virtual en Bellavista, Callao 2020. La metodología es de enfoque cualitativo, tipo básica, diseño de teoría fundamentada, nivel descriptivo, métodos empleados hermenéutico, inductivo, sistemático e interpretativo; aplicándose los instrumentos como las guías de entrevistas y análisis documental, resaltando la colaboración del sub gerente de DEMUNA Dr. Alexander Gamarra Padilla y del Juez de paz letrado del PJ del Callao Dr. Rafael Inga Mendez. De los resultados por la causal de imposibilidad de hacer vida en común en pandemia, por falta de comprensión, desacuerdos y agresiones entre otros dando lugar al divorcio, es que el PJ vio necesario implementar las plataformas virtuales efectivizando la emisión de resoluciones judiciales logrando la seguridad jurídica en tiempos de COVID; por ello es recomendable que el CEPJ continúe con los TICs y el MAU para informar al público; evitando la continuidad de conductas agresivas que causan daños sociales

AI Watch: Assessing Technology Readiness Levels for Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers the potential to transform our lives in radical ways. However, the main unanswered questions about this foreseen transformation are when and how this is going to happen. Not only do we lack the tools to determine what achievements will be attained in the near future, but we even underestimate what various technologies in AI are capable of today. Many so-called breakthroughs in AI are simply associated with highly-cited research papers or good performance on some particular benchmarks. Certainly, the translation from papers and benchmark performance to products is faster in AI than in other non-digital sectors. However, it is still the case that research breakthroughs do not directly translate to a technology that is ready to use in real-world environments. This document describes an exemplar-based methodology to categorise and assess several AI research and development technologies, by mapping them into Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) (e.g., maturity and availability levels). We first interpret the nine TRLs in the context of AI and identify different categories in AI to which they can be assigned. We then introduce new bidimensional plots, called readiness-vs-generality charts, where we see that higher TRLs are achievable for low-generality technologies focusing on narrow or specific abilities, while low TRLs are still out of reach for more general capabilities. We include numerous examples of AI technologies in a variety of fields, and show their readiness-vs-generality charts, serving as exemplars. Finally, we use the dynamics of several AI technology exemplars at different generality layers and moments of time to forecast some short-term and mid-term trends for AI.JRC.B.6-Digital Econom

AI Watch: Methodology to Monitor the Evolution of AI Technologies

In this report, we present a methodology to assess the evolution of AI technologies in the context of the AI WATCH initiative. The methodology is centred on building the AIcollaboratory, a data-driven framework to collect and explore data about AI results, progress and ultimately capabilities. From the collaborator framework we later extract qualitative information related to the state of the art, challenges and trends of AI research and development. This report first describes the administrative context of study, followed by the proposed methodology to build the AIcollaboratory framework and exploit it for qualitative assessment. In addition, we present some preliminary results of this monitoring process and some conclusions and suggestions for future work. This document is an internal report of the AI WATCH initiative, to be agreed for future work on Task 2 of the administrative arrangement between the Joint Research Centre and DG CNECT.JRC.B.6-Digital Econom

Curvas de dispersión aplicadas a la propagación de ondas guiadas en estructuras de sección circular hueca

The use of long tubular structures, such as fluid transmission pipes or structural support (civil area), are common in many industries (oil, petrochemical, power plants). These structures must guarantee reliability and absence of defects, requiring an adequate inspection method to ensure this. Its inspection, using conventional non-destructive tests, is expensive, difficult and sometimes impossible due to its length, inaccessibility to complete structures and dependence on the exact evaluation of defects; This is why many researchers consider the use of guided waves as an inspection method because it allows the use of waves with different properties for the detection of defects. These waves provide an attractive solution to this problem because they can be excited in one place in the structure and travel many meters. However, this method is made difficult by the presence of many possible wave modes, the majority being dispersive. In the present work, the characteristics of guided wave propagation in metallic structures of hollow circular section are studied, calculating the dispersion curves obtained by two work methodologies using finite elements, obtaining dispersion curves for a cylindrical section. Keywords: guided waves, nondestructive testing, dispersion curves.El uso de estructuras tubulares largas, como cañerías de transmisión de fluidos o soporte estructural (área civil), son habituales en muchas industrias (petroleras, petroquímicas, plantas de energía). Estas estructuras deben garantizar fiabilidad y ausencia de defectos, necesitando un método de inspección adecuado para asegurarlo. Su inspección, empleando ensayos no destructivos convencionales es costosa, difícil y a veces imposible por la longitud, inaccesibilidad a las estructuras completas y dependencia de la evaluación exacta de los defectos; motivo por el cual muchos investigadores consideran el uso de ondas guiadas como método de inspección porque permite utilizar ondas con diferentes propiedades para la detección de defectos. Estas ondas proporcionan una solución atractiva a este problema porque pueden excitarse en un lugar de la estructura y propagarse a muchos metros. Sin embargo, este método se dificulta por la presencia de muchos modos de onda posibles, siendo la mayoría dispersivos. En el presente trabajo se estudian las características de propagación de ondas guiadas en estructuras metálicas de sección circular hueca, calculando las curvas de dispersión obtenidas por dos metodologías de trabajo empleando elementos finitos, obteniéndose curvas de dispersión para una sección cilíndrica. Palabras clave: ondas guiadas, ensayo no destructivo, curvas de dispersión

CAS: Centre for advanced studies

An introduction to the Centre for Advanced Studies.JRC.A.5-Scientific Developmen

Plan de responsabilidad social empresarial productos alimenticios de la finca S.A.S.

Este trabajo comprende una propuesta de elaboración de un plan de responsabilidad social empresarial para la empresa “productos Alimenticios de la Finca S.A.S., donde redactamos el código de conducta de esta empresa, para que se aplique a todo el personal, además realizamos un video de contextualización del RSE y el marketing social, donde expusimos las diferencias de estos dos conceptos, se diseñó el mapa genérico de los stakeholders, y la matriz influencia- impacto donde identificamos los actores que tienen que ver con el buen desempeño de la organización y sus principales aliados y competidores, y por ultimo desarrollamos el plan de responsabilidad social para los stakeholders de la empresa seleccionada y el plan de comunicaciones a todos sus actores.This work includes a proposal for the development of a corporate social responsibility plan for the company "Productos Alimenticios de la Finca SAS, where we wrote the code of conduct of this company, so that it applies to all staff, in addition we made a contextualization video of the CSR and social marketing, where we explained the differences of these two concepts, the generic map of the stakeholders was designed, and the influence-impact matrix where we identify the actors that have to do with the good performance of the organization and its main allies and competitors, and finally we develop the social responsibility plan for the stakeholders of the selected company and the communications plan for all its stakeholders

Global Kidney Exchange: Analysis and Background Papers from the Perspective of the Right to Health

Global Kidney Exchange (GKE) is a program aimed at facilitating trans-national kidney donation. Although its proponents aim at reducing the unmet demand of kidneys in the United States through the trans-nationalization of kidney exchange programs, the World Health Organization (WHO) and The Transplantation Society (TTS) have expressed concerns about its potential effect on black markets of organs and transnational organ trafficking, as well as on low- or middle-income countries health systems. For GKE to be implemented, it would need to be permitted to operate in at least some low- or middle-income countries. What are the right to health implications of GKE’s implementation? With the aim of answering this question, the eighteen University of Denver students in the First Year Seminar course I taught in autumn 2017 with the title “The Right to Health in Theory and Practice”, identified and researched the different aspects that would affect this issue, and produced the analysis we present in this report. Based on our analysis, the potential right to health implications of GKE are: First, the program may improve timely access to organ donation primarily to patients with health insurance in the United States. Second, a large-scale implementation of the program may have a positive impact on health costs savings, which potentially could benefit the United States health system. Third, on a global health level, the program relies on existing health inequalities among countries in terms of funding, human resources, and health system strengthening, and it is likely to exacerbate those inequalities. Fourth, the program has the potential of negatively affecting the efforts that low- and middle-income countries are already doing to address end-stage renal failure, including the improvement of their own organ donation systems. Finally, given what we have learned about the current situation of organ trafficking, it is easy to think that GKE would unintentionally end up being linked to chains of organ trade. The only way how a program like GKE could have a positive impact from a right to health perspective is if it establishes local partnerships that have the effect of decreasing health inequalities. Additionally, we identified some issues of concern that are beyond the level of influence of local authorities: the unmet demand of kidneys in high-income countries is a reality that incentivizes organ trade and transplant tourism, and this is a problem in need of solutions; transnational organ trafficking as well as human trafficking with the purpose of organ donation are problems that need more visibility; for a global exchange of organs to be implemented, it would need to rely on supranational or transnational regulation and oversight; and the global epidemic of chronic kidney disease needs to be addressed through a public health perspective that emphasizes prevention

Old World megadroughts and pluvials during the Common Era

Climate model projections suggest widespread drying in the Mediterranean Basin and wetting in Fennoscandia in the coming decades largely as a consequence of greenhouse gas forcing of climate. To place these and other “Old World” climate projections into historical perspective based on more complete estimates of natural hydroclimatic variability, we have developed the “Old World Drought Atlas” (OWDA), a set of year-to-year maps of tree-ring reconstructed summer wetness and dryness over Europe and the Mediterranean Basin during the Common Era. The OWDA matches historical accounts of severe drought and wetness with a spatial completeness not previously available. In addition, megadroughts reconstructed over north-central Europe in the 11th and mid-15th centuries reinforce other evidence from North America and Asia that droughts were more severe, extensive, and prolonged over Northern Hemisphere land areas before the 20th century, with an inadequate understanding of their causes. The OWDA provides new data to determine the causes of Old World drought and wetness and attribute past climate variability to forced and/or internal variability