SCIENCE, ART AND HERITAGE. THE ISOLATED DISCOVERY OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN BRAZIL

Produced by different techniques and processes, photographs have become means of visual knowledge, historic sources for the study and transdisciplinary research of multiple aspects of the history, culture, memory and identity of societies. The cultural heritage of a people finds, in the photographic image and in its artefacts, visual memory preserved. My topic addresses precisely the moment prior to the dissemination of photography throughout the world. A moment when photography, or the idea of it, was still something that some researchers, very few, some distant from others, thought about and experimented with a similar aim: that of making permanent the images of the camera obscura. I am referring to the first decades of the 19th century and, more specifically, to the 1830s. Historic approaches, when they seek to analyse the possible causes that determine discoveries, usually repeat “that the idea was in the air”. Actually, this statement explains very little of the phenomenon, at least in the instance we will address here.   Resumo:  Produzidas por diferentes técnicas e processos, as fotografias se prestam como meios de conhecimento visual, fontes históricas para o estudo e a pesquisa transdisciplinar de múltiplos aspectos da história, cultura, memória e identidade das sociedades. O patrimônio cultural de um povo tem na imagem fotográfica e nos seus artefatos, a memória visual preservada. Meu tema se refere justamente ao momento anterior à expansão da fotografia pelo mundo. A um momento em que a fotografia, ou a ideia dela, era ainda algo que alguns pesquisadores, muito poucos, uns afastados dos outros, pensavam e experimentavam com um propósito semelhante: o de tornar permanentes as imagens da camera obscura. Me refiro às primeiras décadas do século XIX e, mais precisamente, à década de 1830. As abordagens históricas quando buscam analisar as possíveis causas determinantes das descobertas costumam repetir “que a ideia estava no ar”. Na realidade essa frase explica muito pouco sobre o fenômeno, pelo menos no caso que abordaremos aqui. &nbsp

FOTOGRAFIA E HISTÓRIA: AS TRAMAS DA REPRESENTAÇÃO FOTOGRÁFICA

Neste texto, retoma-se a questão das realidades (e não realidade) e ficções que se acham diluídas na trama das representações fotográficas pela abordagem dos fundamentos que têm permeado estudos sobre a natureza da fotografia, em especial os processos de criação/construção de realidades e de ficções (verossímeis), que envolvem a produção e a  recepção das imagens e, também, os seus usos e aplicações. Via revisão bibliográfica, o objetivo é demonstrar que os fundamentos propostos ao longo de anos independem das tecnologias fotográficas e que a criação de realidades e ficções é inerente às representações fotográficas e ocorre tanto nas diferentes etapas de sua produção, como na sua recepção e, naturalmente, nos seus  múltiplos usos e aplicações.

State and trends of carbon pricing 2015

Introduction Reflecting the growing momentum for carbon pricing worldwide, the 2015 edition of the State and Trends of Carbon Pricing report targets a wider audience of public and private stakeholders who are engaged in carbon pricing design and implementation. This report also provides critical input for the negotiations leading up to the Conference of the Parties (COP) in Paris. As in the previous editions, the report provides an up-to-date overview of existing and emerging carbon pricing instruments around the world, including national and subnational initiatives. Furthermore, it gives an overview of current corporate carbon pricing instruments. To better reflect the plethora of topics being considered in the climate dialogue, the report also analyzes competitiveness and carbon leakage, and their impact on the development of carbon pricing instruments. The task team responsible for this report intends to select new relevant topics to be explored in future editions. These topics could include, for example, the effectiveness of existing and emerging carbon pricing instruments, and how to measure it. Finally, this year’s report gives the audience a forward-looking assessment of the advantages of international cooperation in reaching stringent global mitigation targets. A review of existing modeling work provides a qualitative and quantitative assessment of cost saving potentials and the magnitude of financial flows inherent to international cooperation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions to a level consistent with the 2°C climate stabilization goal

Forecasting the European carbon market

In an effort to meet its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol, in 2005 the European Union introduced a cap-and-trade scheme where mandated installations are allocated permits to emit CO2. Financial markets have developed that allow companies to trade these carbon permits. For the EU to achieve reductions in CO2 emissions at a minimum cost, it is necessary that companies make appropriate investments and policymakers design optimal policies. In an effort to clarify the workings of the carbon market, several recent papers have attempted to statistically model it. However, the European carbon market (EU ETS) has many institutional features that potentially impact on daily carbon prices (and associated …nancial futures). As a consequence, the carbon market has properties that are quite di¤erent from conventional financial assets traded in mature markets. In this paper, we use dynamic model averaging (DMA) in order to forecast in this newly-developing market. DMA is a recently-developed statistical method which has three advantages over conventional approaches. First, it allows the coefficients on the predictors in a forecasting model to change over time. Second, it allows for the entire forecasting model to change over time. Third, it surmounts statistical problems which arise from the large number of potential predictors that can explain carbon prices. Our empirical results indicate that there are both important policy and statistical benefits with our approach. Statistically, we present strong evidence that there is substantial turbulence and change in the EU ETS market, and that DMA can model these features and forecast accurately compared to conventional approaches. From a policy perspective, we discuss the relative and changing role of different price drivers in the EU ETS. Finally, we document the forecast performance of DMA and discuss how this relates to the efficiency and maturity of this market

Flexible MgO barrier magnetic tunnel junctions

Flexible electronic devices require the integration of multiple crucial components on soft substrates to achieve their functions. In particular, memory devices are the fundamental component for data storage and processing in flexible electronics. Here, we present flexible MgO barrier magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) devices fabricated using a transfer printing process, which exhibit reliable and stable operation under substantial deformation of the device substrates. In addition, the flexible MTJ devices yield significantly enhanced tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) of ~300 % and improved abruptness of switching, as residual strain in the MTJ structure induced by the fabrication process is released during the transfer process. This approach could be useful for a wide range of flexible electronic systems that require high performance memory components.Comment: Adv. Mat. (2016

Comparing resonant photon tunneling via cavity modes and Tamm plasmon polariton modes in metal-coated Bragg mirrors

Resonant photon tunneling was investigated experimentally in multilayer structures containing a high-contrast (TiO2/SiO2) Bragg mirror capped with a semitransparent gold film. Transmission via a fundamental cavity resonance was compared with transmission via the Tamm plasmon polariton resonance that appears at the interface between a metal film and a one-dimensional photonic bandgap structure. The Tamm-plasmon-mediated transmission exhibits a smaller dependence on the angle and polarization of the incident light for similar values of peak transmission, resonance wavelength, and finesse. Implications for transparent electrical contacts based on resonant tunneling structures are discussed

Las NIIF en la currícula de la carrera de contador público. Relevamiento en universidades latinoamericanas

Para diseñar un Plan de Estudios de una carrera universitaria es necesario, en primer lugar, definir el perfil del profesional que se pretende formar, teniendo en cuenta que el título de Con-tador Público en nuestro país habilita para el ejercicio profesional, sin necesidad de revalidar los conocimientos adquiridos. Adquiere, entonces, fundamental importancia la formación recibida en la carrera universitaria. Los mercados globales han impulsado el desarrollo de las normas internacionales a nivel mun-dial y, como consecuencia, el estudio de su inclusión en el currículo de Contador Público, te-niendo en cuenta que el área contable es la base de la formación profesional de estos gradua-dos. En este caso es necesario definir qué contenidos deben seleccionarse para incluir en el currículo, entre ellos los relacionados a las normas internacionales de información financiera, respetando la carga horaria de la carrera. Un factor importante para la definición de estos contenidos es el proceso de acreditación de la carrera de Contador Público por la CONEAU , responsable de la evaluación de la carrera en las universidades de nuestro país fijando estándares de cumplimiento obligatorio. En este trabajo se hizo un relevamiento de la inclusión de las NIIF en los Planes de Estudios de las principales universidades latinoamericanas, distintas de las argentinas, públicas y privadas, que están mejores clasificadas en los rankings internacionales: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Perú, Universidad de los Andes de Colombia, Universidad Nacional de Asunción del Paraguay, Universidad Nacional de Chile, Universidad de la República del Uruguay, Universidad de San Pablo y Universidad Nacional de Río de Janeiro. Del relevamiento realizado en las universidades mencionadas surge que: todas las Universida-des relevadas están radicadas en países donde se aplican las NIIF; se observan respuestas homogéneas al problema descripto; en las asignaturas de grado prevalece la obligatoriedad de la asignatura con preponderancia de la modalidad transversal; en general también se ofrece la enseñanza de las NIIF en asignaturas de posgrado (especializaciones y maestrías) y en pocos casos se observan asignaturas optativas.To design a curriculum for a university career, it is necessary to define the profile of the profes-sional to be trained, taking into account that, in our country, the title of Public Accountant qualifies for professional practice, without the need for revalidate the acquired knowledge. Therefore, the training received in the university career acquires fundamental importance. Global markets have driven the development of international standards worldwide and, as a consequence, the study of their inclusion in the Public Accountant curriculum, taking into account that the accounting area is the basis of the professional training of public accountants. In this case, it is necessary to define what content should be selected to include in the curriculum, including those related to international financial reporting standards, respecting the course workload. An important factor for the definition of these contents is the process of accreditation of the Public Accountant career by the CONEAU, responsible for the evaluation of the career in the universities of our country, setting mandatory standards. In this paper, a survey was made of the inclusion of IFRS in the curriculums of the main Latin American universities, different from the Argentine, of public and private management, located in the main positions in international rankings: National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) , Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, University of the Andes of Colombia, National University of Asunción of Paraguay, National University of Chile, University of the Republic of Uruguay, University of São Paulo and National University of Rio de Janeiro. From the survey carried out in the aforementioned universities, it emerges that: all the Universities surveyed are located in countries where IFRS are applied; homogeneous responses to the described problem are observed; in undergraduate subjects, the compulsory nature of the sub-ject prevails with a preponderance of the transversal modality; In general, the teaching of IFRS is also offered in postgraduate courses (specializations and master's degrees) and in a few cases optional subjects are observed

Glass Ceramic Waste Forms for Combined CS+LN+TM Fission Products Waste Streams

In this study, glass ceramics were explored as an alternative waste form for glass, the current baseline, to be used for immobilizing alkaline/alkaline earth + lanthanide (CS+LN) or CS+LN+transition metal (TM) fission-product waste streams generated by a uranium extraction (UREX+) aqueous separations type process. Results from past work on a glass waste form for the combined CS+LN waste streams showed that as waste loading increased, large fractions of crystalline phases precipitated upon slow cooling.[1] The crystalline phases had no noticeable impact on the waste form performance by the 7-day product consistency test (PCT). These results point towards the development of a glass ceramic waste form for treating CS+LN or CS+LN+TM combined waste streams. Three main benefits for exploring glass ceramics are: (1) Glass ceramics offer increased solubility of troublesome components in crystalline phases as compared to glass, leading to increased waste loading; (2) The crystalline network formed in the glass ceramic results in higher heat tolerance than glass; and (3) These glass ceramics are designed to be processed by the same melter technology as the current baseline glass waste form. It will only require adding controlled canister cooling for crystallization into a glass ceramic waste form. Highly annealed waste form (essentially crack free) with up to 50X lower surface area than a typical High-Level Waste (HLW) glass canister. Lower surface area translates directly into increased durability. This was the first full year of exploring glass ceramics for the Option 1 and 2 combined waste stream options. This work has shown that dramatic increases in waste loading are achievable by designing a glass ceramic waste form as an alternative to glass. Table S1 shows the upper limits for heat, waste loading (based on solubility), and the decay time needed before treatment can occur for glass and glass ceramic waste forms. The improvements are significant for both combined waste stream options in terms of waste loading and/or decay time required before treatment. For Option 1, glass ceramics show an increase in waste loading of 15 mass % and reduction in decay time of 24 years. Decay times of {approx}50 years or longer are close to the expected age of the fuel that will be reprocessed when the modified open or closed fuel cycle is expected to be put into action. Option 2 shows a 2x to 2.5x increase in waste loading with decay times of only 45 years. Note that for Option 2 glass, the required decay time before treatment is only 35 years because of the waste loading limits related to the solubility of MoO{sub 3} in glass. If glass was evaluated for similar waste loadings as those achieved in Option 2 glass ceramics, the decay time would be significantly longer than 45 years. These glass ceramics are not optimized, but already they show the potential to dramatically reduce the amount of waste generated while still utilizing the proven processing technology used for glass production