Finite-size scaling of heavy-light mesons

We study the finite-size scaling of heavy-light mesons in the static limit. The most relevant effects are due to the pseudo-Goldstone boson cloud. In the HMChPT framework we compute two-point functions of left current densitities as well as pseudoscalar densitites for the cases in which some or all of them lay in the epsilon-regime. As expected, finite volume dependence turns out to be significant in this regime and can be predicted in the effective theory in terms of the infinite-volume low-energy couplings. These results might be relevant for extraction of heavy-light meson properties from lattice simulations.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, Contributed to 27th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, Beijing, China, 26 - 31 Jul 200

Urban Density and Accessibility: A methodological approach

The built environment’s impact on human behaviour is well-documented. Still, quantitative research on the topic usually focuses on a large scale, with few studies at the neighbourhood level. This study presents a method investigating the correlation between the local built environment densities and accessibility. We propose a three-step approach using kindergartens in the Stavanger region, Norway, as a case. First, through GIS, we estimate the kindergartens’ serviceability as a function of accessibility using 10-minute walking isochrones. Second, we statistically compare the results with density quantifications to explore the relationship between the built environment and kindergarten access. Third, through field observations, we record the travel modes used to access five kindergartens in areas representing the region’s built environment diversity. The results demonstrate that populations in denser areas are more likely to walk with their children. However, the research reveals that over 12% of the region’s residents live beyond a 10-minute walking distance to kindergartens, making them reliant on cars to access this service. This study aims to provide an adaptable and replicable method to evaluate accessibility to a range of crucial facilities in cities. The findings from such analyses can help optimise the built environment and the provision of services in more sustainable ways.publishedVersio

Time, the other dimension of urban form: Measuring the relationship between urban density and accessibility to grocery shops in the 10-minute city

Compact settlements take advantage of economies of scale by sustaining a system of high-quality socio-economic services at close proximities. Urban density with a balanced mix of uses also benefits walking and cycling as mobility modes that provide sufficient access to urban amenities, especially when combined with effective public transport. Indeed, walking and cycling can decrease the use of cars for short-distance trips. From this perspective, urban density can help to reduce pollution, optimise energy consumption and decrease infrastructural expenditures while contributing to more attractive urban environments. These ideas have induced a new wave of time geography planning concepts, such as the ‘10-minute city’, to enhance urban sustainability. For these concepts to move beyond visionary narratives, they must be expressed in specific empirical frameworks. Thus, the current research focuses on accessibility to grocery shops, as an essential urban service, in the Stavanger metropolitan area (Norway) using 10 minutes isochrones for walking and cycling. The study integrates open data, GIS network analyses, statistical regressions and bivariate representations of the results. The research estimates the level of serviceability by quantifying the number of shops that are accessible for each location and interrelates this estimation with spatial and population densities. The paper also presents a method to detect spatial inequalities by visualising over/under-serviced areas. This visualisation can become a tool to support strategies to rebalance such imbalances. Moreover, this study offers a practical approach towards the ‘10-minute city’ concept, as it can be adjusted to different isochrones at different spatial scales. In general, this approach can serve both to analyse existing contexts and to model strategies to support sustainability policies, such as urban densification and the promotion of environmental-friendly transport.publishedVersio

Elaboración de proyectos para la semi-industrialización del sector caficultor de Santander según la metodología PMI

Objetivo: Analizar la relevancia de elaborar proyectos de semi-industrialización del sector cafetero en el departamento de Santander a partir de la metodología PMI. Contexto del problema: Diferentes veredas del departamento del Santander han incursionado en la producción de café, variedad especial, actividad que los ha llevado a gestionar proyectos de mejora de los diferentes procesos productivos involucrados en la cadena de procesamiento de café. Esta monografía rescata la importancia de los proyectos basados en estándares PMI para la semi- industrialización del café, donde sobresale particularmente la inclusión de los procesos de planeación, ejecución, control, evaluación. Metodología: propuesta metodológica de tipo aplicada y explicativa, que incluye aspectos cualitativos a partir de un diseño no experimental, que emplea análisis de tipo deductivo y transversal. Resultados: se definieron 7 estrategias para promover la elaboración de los proyectos del sector caficultor en Santander con la metodología PMI. Conclusiones: A) Existen diferentes autores que presentan las ventajas de la metodología PMI para la formulación de proyectos, B) Las características de la metodología PMI sirven para abordar los retos actuales del sector cafetero dado que se alinea a los requerimientos nacionales y mundiales y C) La definición de estrategias para fomentar el uso de la metodología PMI en el sector cafetero impulsaría el crecimiento de la caficultura y sería un punto de partida para alinear la estrategia de la FNC con el trabajo realizado por los pequeños y medianos caficultores. Palabras clave: PMI, producción de café, café, direccionamiento, industrialización, gestión de proyectos.Objective: Analyze the relevance of developing semi-industrialization projects for the coffee sector in the department of Santander based on the PMI methodology. Context of the problem: Different villages in the department of Santander have ventured into the production of coffee, a special variety, an activity that has led them to manage projects to improve the different production processes involved in the coffee processing chain. This monograph highlights the importance of projects based on PMI standards for the semi-industrialization of coffee, where the inclusion of planning, execution, control and evaluation processes stands out particularly. Methodology: applied and explanatory methodological proposal, which includes qualitative aspects based on a non-experimental design, which uses deductive and cross-sectional analysis. Results: 7 strategies were defined to promote the development of projects in the coffee sector in Santander with the PMI methodology. Conclusions: A) There are different authors who present the advantages of the PMI methodology for the formulation of projects, B) The characteristics of the PMI methodology serve to address the current challenges of the coffee sector since it is aligned with national and global requirements and C ) The definition of strategies to promote the use of the PMI methodology in the coffee sector would boost the growth of coffee growing and would be a starting point to align the FNC strategy with the work carried out by small and medium coffee growers. Keywords: PMI, coffee production, coffee, management, industrialization, project management

Contingências de reforçamento positivo e punição negativa na correspondência verbal

O estabelecimento da correspondência verbal tem sido objeto de estudo de pesquisadores por algum tempo. A literatura aponta a punição como mais fácil e com efeitos mais imediatos do que o reforço no estabelecimento de comportamentos desejáveis, mas alerta para os efeitos colaterais negativos da punição. Devido a sua importância para muitos contextos, como a clínica psicoterápica, a presente pesquisa objetiva verificar se a correspondência verbal é mais provável reforçando-se positivamente relatos precisos ou punindo-se negativamente relatos imprecisos. Para isso, dezesseis participantes foram submetidos a um experimento que se tratou de uma situação lúdica computadorizada (jogo de cartas), no qual distorcer o relato poderia aumentar a probabilidade de se ganhar pontos. No entanto, estímulos reforçadores positivos e punidores negativos foram intermitentemente apresentados contingentes a relatos precisos e imprecisos, respectivamente, conforme a condição experimental. Os resultados permitiram fazer análises em relação à função discriminativa dos estímulos antecedentes para a correspondência verbal. Foi sugerido que determinados estímulos, como mandos e regras, podem alterar a probabilidade de emissões de relatos precisos. Efeitos relacionados à ordem de exposição às condições experimentais podem ter influenciado nos resultados, mas de uma maneira geral, as condições de reforçamento positivo e punição negativa produziram efeitos similares. Portanto, sugere-se que o reforço pode ser uma alternativa igualmente eficaz e com menos efeitos colaterais que a punição no estabelecimento da correspondência verbal

Leitura compartilhada de contos com prompts baseados nas funções da narrativa : efeitos sobre a compreensão textual

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Psicologia, Departamento de Processos Psicológicos Básicos, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências do Comportamento, 2015.Leitura compartilhada pode ser definida como a leitura de um texto literário em voz alta por um adulto para uma ou mais crianças. Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar os efeitos da leitura compartilhada intercalada com prompts baseados nas funções da narrativa sobre a compreensão de contos. Vinte e dois contos dos Irmãos Grimm foram lidos a três crianças com idades entre 8 e 13, um por sessão. Na condição Leitura Simples, o texto era lido sem intervenções adicionais. Na condição Leitura Dialógica, a contadora de histórias interrompia a leitura em pontos pré-determinados do texto para fazer perguntas abertas e reforçar diferencialmente respostas verbais das crianças sob controle de funções narrativas importantes. Todos os participantes iniciaram o experimento na condição Leitura Simples seguida da condição Leitura Dialógica, em um delineamento de linha de base múltipla por participante. A compreensão dos textos foi avaliada a partir da porcentagem de eventos e funções da narrativa verbalizadas durante tarefas de recontação livre e recontação dirigida por perguntas. De maneira geral, a correspondência entre as histórias e as recontações foi superior na condição Leitura Dialógica em comparação com a condição Leitura Simples, porém mais para as funções da narrativa do que para eventos específicos. Todas as crianças apresentaram desempenho superior nas recontações dirigidas do que nas recontações livres, especialmente na condição Leitura Dialógica (na recontação livre o desempenho tendia a ser semelhante entre as duas condições). Discute-se o papel dos textos, dos prompts e do reforçamento diferencial nos efeitos encontrados.Shared reading is the act of reading books aloud to a child or a group of children. This study assessed the effects of shared reading interspersed with prompts based on narrative functions on story comprehension. Twenty-two Brothers Grimm´s fairy tales, one per session, were read to three children aged 8 to 13. In the simple reading condition, stories were read aloud without any additional interventions. In the dialogic reading condition, the storyteller interrupted reading at predetermined moments in the story to ask open-ended questions and differentially reinforce verbal responses under control of important narrative functions. All participants initiated the experiment in the simple reading condition followed by the dialogic reading condition, using a multiple-baseline across-subjects design. Comprehension was assessed by means of percentages of events and narrative functions cited during free retelling task followed by comprehension questions. In general, correspondence between the story and the child´s retelling was higher in the dialogic reading condition than in the simple reading condition, but more for narrative functions than for specific story events. All children showed better performance when prompted by open comprehension questions than on the retelling task alone, especially in the dialogic reading condition (in the simple reading condition performance tended to be almost the same on both tasks). The roles of the text, prompts and differential reinforcement on story comprehension are discussed

CR CyberMar as a Solution Path towards Cybersecurity Soundness in Maritime Logistics Domain

Cybersecurity is now considered as one of the main challenges for the maritime sector. At the same time, the maritime transport industry remains one of the most relevant and driving sectors for the global economy in terms of both the number and operations of active companies, and infrastructure and investments, thanks to the policies pushed to attract the latter. Maritime information systems, whether on board ships or in ports, are numerous, built with standard components available on the market and in many cases designed without factoring in well the ever-growing cyber risk. Digital infrastructure has become essential in operating and managing systems critical to the safety and security of shipping and ports. Specifically, Cyber-MAR is focused upon the simulation and emulation of the real world of maritime systems (e.g. Logistics, Supply Chain). This research effort will examine the creation of a federated Cyber Range (CR Cyber-MAR) which will include various platforms and interconnected systems on board a vessel or ashore, in order to allow a hyper-realistic simulation of cyber-attacks and trying to assimilate them into real-life. Then the identified CR Cyber range will be integrated in the Cybersecurity training needs for different levels of operators. The investigation of the discussed topic will essentially use qualitative techniques, analysing data obtained from publications, official and commercial reports, and interviews of a targeted audience

Assessment Of Human Health Risk Associated With Methylmercury In The Imported Fish Marketed In The Caribbean

The decline in marine and freshwaters catches in recent years in Colombia has led to a change in dietary habits, with an increase in the purchase and consumption of imported fish. This is of particular concern as fish are sometimes caught in mercury-contaminated waters, and are subsequently sold canned or uncanned. In addition, canned tuna has received little attention as it is widely assumed that concentrations are low. In this study, total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations were evaluated in three imported fish species marketed in Colombia, Prochilodus lineatus, Prochilodus reticulatus, and Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, plus four brands of canned tuna and one of sardines. One brand of tuna showed the highest mean concentrations of THg (0.543 ± 0.237 μg/g, wet weight, ww) and MeHg (0.518 ± 0.337 μg/g ww), while concentrations in P. hypophthalmus were approximately 30 times lower (≈0.02 µg/g ww). The estimated weekly intake (EWI) in children was above the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of MeHg established by the Joint FAO/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in 2007, 1.6 μg/kg body weight (bw) per week, for all the canned tuna brands. Values for adults were below PTWI, whereas for women of childbearing age, values were above PTWI only for brand D of canned tuna. The estimate of the potential risk indicated that MeHg levels in canned tuna can generate negative effects in vulnerable groups, while the EWI of fresh fish did not pose a threat to the general population. Therefore, establishing strategies to address the high consumption of canned tuna, and continuous monitoring to control commercial food, are recommended to decrease Hg exposure

Desarrollo de Materiales para Aplicaciones Marítimas, Fluviales y Militares

A platform to design composite materials of a polymeric matrix, that are specifically for military applications on fluvial and naval navigation, has been developed using energy dissipation and storage mechanisms. Our composites are designed to generate synergy between the dissipation capacities of ceramics and high-performance fibers, which are used as the reinforced material in the lightweight laminates. The composite design is combined with processing tools and advanced characterization techniques that result in laminates with reliability, traceability and quality. The platform begins with the identification of energy dissipation mechanisms and the detailed characterization of the polymeric resin. It includes the Time – Temperature – Transformation Diagram (TTT- Diagram) that supplies the optimal processing conditions. Our designs open new paths for military applications including a wide spectrum of protective systems together with geometric versatility, high mechanical resistance and reliabilityUtilizando los múltiples mecanismos de disipación de la energía de impacto a alta velocidad, hemos desarrollado una plataforma de diseño de materiales compuestos de matriz polimérica, especiales para aplicaciones militares en navegación fluvial y marítima.  Nuestros compuestos pretenden hacer sinergia entre las capacidades de disipación de cerámicos y fibras de alto desempeño, los cuales son utilizados como los elementos de refuerzo en los laminados de bajo peso.  El diseño del material es combinado con herramientas de procesamiento y técnicas avanzadas de caracterización que resultan en laminados consistentes de alta repetibilidad, trazabilidad y alta calidad.  La plataforma parte de la identificación de los mecanismos de disipación y de una caracterización detallada de la resina polimérica, el cual incluye un diagrama de Tiempo-Temperatura-Transformación que provee las condiciones óptimas de procesamiento.  Nuestros diseños abren rutas novedosas para aplicaciones militares, los cuales incluyen amplios portafolios de protección, versatilidad geométrica, resistencia mecánica y confiabilida