Does infrastructure reform work for the poor? A case study on the cities of La Paz and El Alto in Bolivia

From 1994 onward, Bolivia undertook a major reform of its infrastructure sectors. The authors examine the impact of the reforms from the perspective of poor households in the adjacent cities of La Paz and El Alto, particularly in terms of access to services. Different policies adopted across the infrastructure sectors led to diverging outcomes. In the water and sewerage sector, the concessionaire was placed under legal obligation to meet connection targets in low income neighborhoods, while customers were given the facility to spread payment of connection charges over a two year period and opt for a lower cost"condominial connection."As a result the rate of expansion of services increased by 70 percent relative to the pre-reform period. In the telecommunications sector, fixed and cellular services tell very different stories. On the one hand, fixed line services remained inaccessible to the poor due to the membership fee of US$1,500 charged by the cooperative, or the alternative nonmember option of paying a US$23 monthly rental fee. On the other hand, cellular coverage increased tenfold from 1996-99 as the advent of competition led to huge reductions both in connection and calling charges, while the introduction of prepayment cards greatly facilitated the control of expenditure The expansion that took place did not bypass the poor. While first quintile households saw barely any improvement in access to utility services in the period leading up to the 1994 reforms, in the five years that followed coverage rates for these households rose by more than 20 percentage points for water and sewerage, and more than 10 percentage points for electricity and telephones. Overall, 80 percent of new water and sewerage connections and 65 percent of new electricity and telephone connections went to residents in the poorest neighborhoods of La Paz and El Alto.Decentralization,Sanitation and Sewerage,Enterprise Development&Reform,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Health Economics&Finance,Town Water Supply and Sanitation,Urban Water Supply and Sanitation,Sanitation and Sewerage,TF030632-DANISH CTF - FY05 (DAC PART COUNTRIES GNP PER CAPITA BELOW USD 2,500/AL,Public Sector Economics&Finance

Lehen Hezkuntzan ahozko hizkuntza lantzen: Berbaleku web orria

[EU] Gaur egun, hezkuntza arloko gero eta profesional gehiago ari dira ahozkotasuna lantzeko beharraz ohartzen. Euskararen erabilera bultzatu nahi bada, beharrezkoa da umeei hizkuntza horretan mintzatzeko ingurunea eskaintzea. Ahozkotasuna lantzeko baliabideak urriak eta errepikakorrak direla ikusi da, eta teknologia berriek ematen dituzten aukerak gutxi erabiltzen dira orokorrean. Esku artean duzun lan honetan ahozko hizkuntza lantzeko proposamen berritzaile bat eskaintzen da: web orria. Material honen bidez, irakasle eta gurasoentzako informazio eta baliabide gune bat eskaintzen da, Lehen Hezkuntzako umeekin ahozkotasuna era aktibo eta dibertigarrian lantzeko aukerak emanez.[ES] Hoy en día, cada vez más profesionales de la educación se dan cuenta de la necesidad de trabajar la oralidad. Si se quiere reforzar la utilización del euskera, es necesario ofrecer a los estudiantes un entorno para practicarlo. Se ha visto que los recursos para trabajar la oralidad son escasos y repetitivos, y no se suele hacer mucho uso a las posibilidades que nos ofrecen las nuevas tecnologías. En este trabajo que tienes entre manos, se ofrece una innovadora propuesta: una página web. Mediante este material, se ofrece tanto a los profesores como a los padres y madres un punto de información y recursos, para que puedan trabajar el lenguaje oral con niños de Educación Primaria de una forma activa y divertida.[EN] Nowadays, more and more education professionals realize the need to work on oral language. If we want to reinforce the use of Euskera, it is necessary to offer students an environment to practice it. Resources to work orality are scarce and repetitive, and not much use is made of the possibilities offered by new technologies. In the work you have in hand, an innovative proposal is offered: a web page. Through this material, both teachers and parents are offered a point of information and resources, so that they can work with oral language with children of Primary Education in an active and fun way

Fabrication and characterization of nanoparticles/PMMA electrospun nanofiber membranes

Currently, one of the most serious problems is to maintain the water balance in terms of quality and quantity. In recent times, membrane technology is considered to be essential as it ensures high water quality with low cost and maintenance of sustainable water resources. In this work different membranes were fabricated by electrospinning technique. PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) was used as a base polymer material and the silver nanoparticles, silver nanowires or titanium dioxide were incorporated into the matrix. The aim was to produce polymeric membranes containing nanoparticles, fabricated by electrospinning in order to obtain the highest bactericidal effect for water treatment. The bactericidal effect was observed for three kinds of membranes however, the best results were obtained by the silver nanoparticles membrane with the in situ manufacturing method. The distribution of the nanoparticles in this membrane resulted more uniform, the size of the nanoparticles was smaller and the texture was the most mechanically resistant

Deep Neural Networks for ECG-Based Pulse Detection during Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

The automatic detection of pulse during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is necessary for the early recognition of the arrest and the detection of return of spontaneous circulation (end of the arrest). The only signal available in every single defibrillator and valid for the detection of pulse is the electrocardiogram (ECG). In this study we propose two deep neural network (DNN) architectures to detect pulse using short ECG segments (5 s), i.e., to classify the rhythm into pulseless electrical activity (PEA) or pulse-generating rhythm (PR). A total of 3914 5-s ECG segments, 2372 PR and 1542 PEA, were extracted from 279 OHCA episodes. Data were partitioned patient-wise into training (80%) and test (20%) sets. The first DNN architecture was a fully convolutional neural network, and the second architecture added a recurrent layer to learn temporal dependencies. Both DNN architectures were tuned using Bayesian optimization, and the results for the test set were compared to state-of-the art PR/PEA discrimination algorithms based on machine learning and hand crafted features. The PR/PEA classifiers were evaluated in terms of sensitivity (Se) for PR, specificity (Sp) for PEA, and the balanced accuracy (BAC), the average of Se and Sp. The Se/Sp/BAC of the DNN architectures were 94.1%/92.9%/93.5% for the first one, and 95.5%/91.6%/93.5% for the second one. Both architectures improved the performance of state of the art methods by more than 1.5 points in BAC.This work was supported by: The Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, TEC2015-64678-R, jointly with the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), UPV/EHU via GIU17/031 and the Basque Government through the grant PRE_2018_2_0260

Role of wnt/beta-catenin signaling in ovarian tumour growth and angiogenesis. A crosstalk with Notch system

Wnt/β-catenin and Notch are highly conserved pathways that regulate a diversity of cell processes, including proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation. We analyzed the role of both systems in ovarian cancer using specific inhibitors. For this purpose we performed three in vivo experiments. A human ovarian adenocarcinoma cell line (IGROV-1) was subcutaneously injected in 6-8 weeks-old female nude mice. Once the tumours were palpable, we injected the inhibitors: the first and second experiments were carried out using Wnt/β-catenin inhibitors (XAV939: 2.5, 5 mg/kg; ICG-001: 5 and10 mg/kg). The third experiment was a combination of ICG-001 (5mg/kg) and DAPT (5 mg/kg), a Notch inhibitor. Mice were injected every two days three times and they were euthanized 3 days after the last injection. Our results showed a significant decrease in tumour size when mice were treated either with XAV939 or with ICG-001. When compared with tumours from non-treated animals, both experiments showed a significant decrease in cell proliferation (KI67) and a decrease in the endothelial and periendothelial cell area stained with CD31 and α-Smooth-muscle-actin, respectively. When mice were treated with XAV939, a significant decrease in VEGF levels and Angiopoietin 1/2 was observed. Regarding the experiment with the combination of inhibitors, there was a significant decrease in tumour size and a decline in tumour cell proliferation (KI67). Both inhibitors administered simultaneously produced a decrease in cell proliferation at the same extent as individually administrated. In conclusion, we demonstrate a clear involvement of Wnt/β-catenin in ovarian tumour growth and angiognesis. We suggest an interaction of this pathway with Notch system.Fil: Bocchicchio, Sebastian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Tesone, Marta. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Irusta, Griselda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaXX Jornadas anuales de la Sociedad Argentina de Biología. XVII Jornadas de la Sociedad Uruguaya de BiocienciasBuenos AiresArgentinaSociedad Argentina de BiologíaSociedad Uruguaya de Biologí

Characterization of polycaprolactone/mesoporous silica composite membranes

In the present project polycaprolactone (PCL) with mesoporous silica (MCM 41) as filler based membranes were prepared and characterized. PCL was chosen because it is biocompatible, biodegradable and has an excellent tensile strength. Because of these characteristics PCL has found diverse applications in several fields: packaging, tissue engineering, drug delivery, etc. MCM-41 is a mesoporous material with hexagonal arrangement of uniform mesopores, highly specific surface (up to 1500 m2/g), and adjustable pore diameter (2 10 nm). Composite membranes were prepared by casting and solvent evaporation method. The inorganic loading of the membranes was measured by Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) while structure and morphology were analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Permeability test were carried out in a home-made experimental plant. The gases used for permeation were oxygen and carbon dioxide. Theoretical and experimental selectivity were compared. Incorporating MCM-41 nanoparticles reduced O2 and CO2 permeation around 20% and 80% respectively, compared to pristine PCL. Also, incorporating these nanoparticles functionalized with EPTES caused a greater decrease in O2 and CO2 permeation, 26% and 90% respectively. For both composite membranes a higher O2/CO2 selectivity was obtained

Región Andina: democracia y movimientos sociales como desafíos para la integración Latinoamericana

Anais do V Encontro de Iniciação Científica e I Encontro Anual de Iniciação ao Desenvolvimento Tecnológico e Inovação – EICTI 2016 - 05 e 07 de outubro de 2016 – Sessão Ciências Sociais AplicadasLos movimientos sociales en América Latina muestran una nueva faceta en el escenario político, económico, cultural y social 9 De esta manera, el presente trabajo busca hacer un breve balance de las tensiones vigentes entre las reivindicaciones identitarias plurinacionales y el modelo de desarrollo que opera en Bolivia desde el 2006. Todo ello, en relación a su propuesta de integración regional, y el papel del Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) en Bolivia, como instrumento político de los movimientos sociales indígenas, teniendo como máximo dirigente al actual Presidente Evo Morales, llevando a cabo un cambio de Constitución donde se proclama su adhesión a los principios multiétnicos, el respeto a la identidad, las costumbres, tradiciones culturales y las diferentes etnias existentes que conforma Bolivia. Desde esta perspectiva, vamos analizar y comprender las tensiones presentes entre las demandas identitarias pluri-culturales y pluri-nacionales que aparecen en la Constitución Política y el modelo de desarrollo basado en el Socialismo Comunitario que propone el gobierno del MAS- IPSP; además de, centrar nuestra atención en las propuestas socio-económicas del periodo 2005- 2015 en relación a la integración latinoamericana, para finalmente comprender cómo las luchas sociales pueden hacer una transformación político-institucional, social y económica en un país

Evaluation of fatigue life of recycled opaque PET from household milk bottle wastes

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is among the most used thermoplastic polymers in large scale manufacturing. Opaque PET is increasingly used in milk bottles to save weight and to bring a glossy white aspect due to TiO2 nanoparticles. The recyclability of opaque PET is an issue: whereas the recycling channels are well established for transparent PET, the presence of opaque PET in household wastes weakens those channels: opaque bottles cannot be mixed with transparent ones because the resulting blend is not transparent anymore. Many research efforts focus on the possibility to turn opaque PET into resources, as one key to a more circular economy. A recent study has demonstrated the improvement of the mechanical properties of recycled PET through reactive extrusion. In the present work, the lifespan of recycled opaque PET has been evaluated throughout tensile–tensile fatigue loading cycles at various steps of the recycling process: The specimens are obtained from flakes after grinding PET wastes (F-r-OPET), from a subsequent homogenization step (r-OPET-hom) and after reactive extrusion (Rex-r-OPET). Virgin PET is also considered as a comparison. First, tensile tests monitored by digital image correlation have been carried out to obtain the elastic modulus and ultimate tensile stress of each type of PET. The fatigue properties of reactive REx-r-OPET increase, probably associated with the rise of cross-linking and branching rates. The fatigue lifespan increases with the macromolecular weight. The fracture surface analysis of specimens brings new insight regarding the factors governing the fatigue behavior and the damaging mode of recycled PET. TiO2 nanoparticles act as stress concentrators, contributing to void formation at multiple sites and thus promoting the fracture process. Finally, the fatigue life of REx-r-OPET is comparable to those of virgin PET. Upcycling opaque PET by reactive extrusion may be a relevant new route to absorb some of the growing amounts of PET worldwide

Spawning grounds of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the North Sea

The protection of spawning fish from anthropogenic impacts requires information on the location, timing, and interannual persistence of spawning aggregations. In this study, generalized additive models were used to predict the spawning habitat of North Sea cod, based on the abundance of spawning fish within three population subareas and nine environmental layers. The length of spawning cod differed among population subareas, consistent with published evidence of maturation differences. In the northeast North Sea (Viking), the peak in the spawning season was estimated to occur after the survey which made the prediction of spawning grounds for this area less certain. Cod were found to prefer areas with temperatures around 5–7°C for spawning and there was a general preference for high salinity waters. Persistence of cod spawning grounds over the study period was related to interannual stability in temperature, with high variability in the use of Southern Bight spawning grounds. As such, cod appear to minimize interannual variability in the initial environmental conditions affecting offspring survival by selecting suitable cold spawning grounds. Seabed conditions also affected spawning distribution with cod selecting coarse sand and avoiding areas of very high tidal flow. The model prediction was compared with the distribution of cod aggregations during the spawning season reported by fishing boats. Seventy per cent of the aggregations was located in areas classified as occasional or recurrent spawning grounds. The predicted distribution confirmed the widespread occurrence of spawning in the North Sea and showed good agreement with recent and past studies of cod egg distribution, suggesting that nearly all major historical areas of spawning still appear in use today. However, the study also found that the recent recovery of spawning-stock biomass was not uniform across the stock, being centred in the northwest subarea

Laser-treated electrospun fibers loaded with nano-hydroxyapatite for bone tissue engineering

Core-shell polycaprolactone/polycaprolactone (PCL/PCL) and polycaprolactone/polyvinyl acetate (PCL/PVAc) electrospun fibers loaded with synthesized nanohydroxyapatite (HAn) were lased treated to create microporosity. The prepared materials were characterized by XRD, FTIR, TEM and SEM. Uniform and randomly oriented beadless fibrous structures were obtained in all cases. Fibers diameters were in the 150–300 nm range. Needle-like HAn nanoparticles with mean diameters of 20 nm and length of approximately 150 nm were mostly encase inside the fibers. Laser treated materials present micropores with diameters in the range 70–120 µm for PCL-HAn/PCL fibers and in the 50–90 µm range for PCL-HAn/PVAC material. Only samples containing HAn presented bioactivity after incubation during 30 days in simulated body fluid. All scaffolds presented high viability, very low mortality, and human osteoblast proliferation. Biocompatibility was increased by laser treatment due to the surface and porosity modification