LITHUANIAN PATERNAL HEALTH BEHAVIOR: ALCOHOL AND RELIGION

This paper explores the relationship between paternal religious affiliation, practice, and health behavior, namely consumption of alcohol. This research models alcohol consumption as an aggregate sum of weekly glasses of wine, 50 ml vodka shots, half-liter bottles of beer, and cocktails. The model includes religious confession among other independent variables including self-reported health status. In confessional comparison, the largest fraction, Catholic, is the reference category opposite Orthodox, Protestant, Other non-affiliated believers and Atheist. Significantly, Other believers and Lithuanian Protestants consumed significantly more alcohol than Catholic respondents. A unit increase in prayer or religious reading did not significantly predict a change in alcohol consumption. However a unit increase in weekly work hours significantly decreases alcohol consumption in contrast to a unit increase in time spent with children. Higher consumption is associated with lower self-reported health status.KEY WORDS: consumption of alcohol, health, religion

DETERMINANTS OF LITHUANIAN PATERNAL AND SPOUSAL TIME ALLOCATION WITH CHILDREN

This article analyzes paternal time allocation with children in Lithuania and explores paternal and spousal cross effects in time investment. Effects of paternal health status, alcohol consumption and health insurance status on paternal-child time allocation are also examined. The research finds a modest after-tax family income effect for paternal time, but not when examining paternal-spousal cross effects for child time investment. Regarding paternal-spousal cross effects, while both are very highly significant statistically, this research finds almost twice the complementarity for the Lithuanian paternal hour with children for spousal time with children than for a spousal hour for paternal time with children. The paper identifies several possible factors in the Lithuanian context contributing to a complementary effect and away from a substitutionary effect. Spousal age and educational effects – the former negative, the latter positive – are found for spousal time allocation with children but not found significant paternally. To our knowledge this is the first study to examine paternal time allocation in Lithuania for children including health status, alcohol consumption, insurance status and paternal/spousal cross effects for time allocation with children. Compared to our previous research, it also supports caution against assuming that parental cross effects on time allocation in a Lithuanian social context mirror such in the U.S. KEYWORDS: parental-child time allocation, household income modeling, household labor gender effects, labor market

USERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF SAFETY IN LOW-INCOME SOCIAL HOUSING – THE CASE STUDY OF “RESIDENCIAL PORTO”, PELOTAS, RS

The subject of safety in low-income social housing challenges architectural and urban planning researches when related with the study of the relationship between environment and behaviour with the following aspect: the benefits that physical and spatial solutions can bring to decrease and prevent crimes and robberies in these places. In Pelotas, the social housings built by “Programa de Arrendamento Residencial” (Residential Leasing Program) have been studied in regard to this perspective, seeking to evaluate solutions of design and insertion of safety elements. Methods of research/ Approach: The case study is “Residencial Porto”, built by Residential Leasing Program in 2004, which has blocks built in the limit of the plot creating potential insecurity situations for 12 flats on the ground floor. Through the fieldwork, where methods and techniques of Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) were applied, it is analysed data regarding residents´ perceptions of safety and solutions to increase safety. Results: Residents who live in flats that look at the public road have different perceptions of safety in comparison with the other residents; in this way there are flats on the fourth floor with fences on the windows. Contributions/Originality: This study seeks to identify and analyse residents´ perceptions of safety and safety solutions adopted after the social housing construction was concluded.O tema da segurança nos conjuntos habitacionais de interesse social desafia a pesquisa em arquitetura e urbanismo a aprofundar o estudo das relações ambiente-comportamento no seguinte aspecto: a contribuição que soluções físico-espaciais podem aportar para minorar e prevenir a incidência de crimes e delitos nesses conjuntos habitacionais. Em Pelotas, os conjuntos edificados pelo Programa de Arrendamento Residencial (PAR) têm sido estudados sob esta perspectiva, buscando avaliar as soluções de projeto e a adição de aparatos de segurança. Método de pesquisa / Abordagens: O estudo de caso é o Residencial Porto, edificado pelo PAR em 2004, que apresenta blocos no alinhamento predial, configurando situação de potencial insegurança a 12 apartamentos térreos. Por meio de levantamentos que utilizaram métodos e técnicas da Avaliação Pós-Ocupação (APO), são reunidas informações referentes à percepção de segurança por parte dos moradores e às soluções para segurança adotadas. Resultados: Observa-se que os moradores dos apartamentos voltados para a via pública apresentam percepção de segurança diferente dos demais moradores; dessa forma, há apartamentos no quarto andar com grades nas janelas.Contribuições/Originalidade: Busca-se apontar o grau de segurança percebido pelos moradores e as soluções de aparatos de segurança adotadas após a entrega do conjunt

O DRUP Como Ferramenta de Requalificação Urbana Participativa

O presente trabalho aborda os benefícios de um Diagnóstico Rápido Urbano Participativo sobre a requalificação urbana participativa, à luz do Programa Vizinhança, que visa melhorar a vida da população residente no entorno do Campus Anglo/UFPEL. O Programa é interdisciplinar, contando com a participação de diversos cursos da graduação. Porém, neste artigo, são salientadas as atividades do curso de Arquitetura e Urbanismo. Dentre as atividades realizadas após o levantamento de necessidades conseguido pelo DRUP, são destacados: projeto de pavimentação no Bairro Balsa, bem como sua arborização; realização de catálogo informativo respondendo às demandas de infraestrutura da região; realização da requalificação de uma praça no local, contando com playground e quadra esportiva, bem como oficinas de fabricação de lixeiras públicas e sustentáveis para o local. O Programa de Requalificação Urbana Participativa, iniciado em 2009, persiste até hoje e desde sua concepção já contou com dezenas de ações, todas elas contando com a participação de estudantes da graduação e com a participação da comunidade, indispensável para o sucesso do Projeto

Perspectives on the territory, uses, appropriation, management and urban environment in the Lindóia Housing Complex, in Pelotas/RS

O Conjunto Habitacional Lindóia, em Pelotas-RS, foi promovido pela Companhia de Habitação do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, e financiado pelo Banco Nacional de Habitação, no início da década de 1980. As enormes falhas urbanas de gestão e caracterização do espaço urbano do conjunto habitacional demanda estudos relativos à sua história, promoção, produção e apropriação. Assim, este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar o Conjunto Habitacional Lindóia, por intermédio de seus aspectos arquitetônicos, modos de uso cotidiano, sua gestão e às inadequações urbanas, através de uma metodologia baseada na pós-ocupação. As informações coletadas revelaram problemas de gestão condominial, expansões arquitetônicas dos espaços coletivos de moradia, padronização arquitetônica em massa, bem como indefinições entre o público, privado e coletivo. De modo geral, este trabalho contribui para o entendimento da concepção, as percepções do usuário, e modo de ocupação do conjunto habitacional, na contemporaneidade, fomentando possibilidades de melhorias e requalificação.The Lindóia Housing Complex set in Pelotas - RS was promoted by the Housing Company of the State of Rio Grande do Sul and financed by the National Housing Bank, in the early 1980s. The huge urban flaws, management and urban space characterization in this urban complex demand studies on its history, promotion, production and appropriation. Thus, this paper aims to understand the The Lindóia Housing Complex, through its architectural aspects, daily use, management, and urban inadequacies through a post-occupancy based methodology. The information collected revealed condominium management problems; architectural collective living space expansions, mass architectural standardization, as well as the lack of definition between the public, private and collective. In general, this work contributes to the understandanding about the conception, user’s perceptions, occupation in contemporary times, fomenting possibilities of improvements and requalification

Computational Polyethylene-Ceramic Composite Plate Design and Optimization

A composite designed Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) reinforced by a material with a failure mode that will strengthen the system may significantly improve on modern armor designs. UHMWPE is considerably less dense than steel or high density ceramics. It is reasonable to consider making improvements to the weight-performance of armor by using the lower density UHMWPE and combining it with inserts of a high-density ceramic. A cellular ceramic encapsulated by rubber may significantly increase the amount of kinetic energy a composite will absorb through a phase transition. It is theorized that a series of ceramic inserts distributed in a polymer matrix will result in an increased impact resistance. Shock propagation in the ceramic will be minimal, and the elastomeric properties of the polymer will provide maximum tensile support. The ceramic inserts will act as a stress concentrator and physical resistor to the impacting object. When the ceramic inserts are shattered by the impactor they will impart a resistive force by forcing additional deformation in the polymer matrix. Study of design variations by examination of multiple geometries for the ceramic inserts will maximize the impact resistance of the structure. The resistance of the structure is enhanced by providing a multi-dimensional failure mode. The ceramic, once shattered, will still occupy space, forcing additional plastic deformation, and additional deformation in the impactor

Surface engineering alumina armour ceramics with laser shock peening

Laser shock peening (LSP) of Al 2 O 3 armour ceramics is reported for the first-time. A 10 J, 8 ns, pulsed Nd:YAG laser with a 532 nm wavelength was employed. The hardness, K Ic , fracture morphology, topography, surface residual stresses and microstructures were investigated. The results showed an increase in the surface hardness by 10% which was confirmed by a reduction in Vickers indentations size by 5%. The respective flaw sizes of the Vickers indentations were also reduced (10.5%) and inherently increased the K Ic (12%). Residual stress state by X-ray diffraction method showed an average stress of − 64 MPa after LSP, whilst the untreated surface stress measured + 219 MPa. Further verification with the fluorescence method revealed surface relaxation with a maximum compressive stress of − 172 MPa induced after LSP within the Al 2 O 3 armour ceramic. These findings are attributed to a microstructural refinement, grain size reduction and an induction of compressive stress that was relaxing the top/near surface layer (post LSP) from the pre-existing tensile stresses. Further process refinement/optimization will provide better control of the surface properties and will act as a strengthening technique to improve the performance of armour ceramics to stop bullets for a longer period of time and protect the end-users

Influência do usuário no conforto térmico de um edifício devido à operação de janelas

A ventilação natural é uma das estratégias mais eficientes para remover a carga térmica acumulada no interior dos ambientes e também é importante para a renovação do ar interior. O objetivo principal do artigo é analisar o comportamento do usuário em relação a operação de janelas em dois apartamentos residenciais localizados na cidade de Pelotas-RS. Também tem como objetivo analisar a influência da abertura de janelas no desempenho termoenergético dos apartamentos e comparar o uso real às configurações preconizadas no RTQ-R, realizada através de simulação computacional com o software Energy Plus. Com a análise observou-se que durante o período de inverno não é frequente a abertura de janelas pelos usuários e, quando ocorre, não interfere significativamente na temperatura interior. Devido á edificação ser pouco estanque e com alta transmitância térmica os ambientes permanecem com temperaturas baixas. Comparando os as temperaturas do edifício real com o modelo do Energy Plus, observa-se que o edifício real apresenta temperaturas inferiores de, em média, 0,7ºC

Gestão habitacional para uma arquitetura sustentável

Based on a comparative analysis of housing estates from Pelotas, RS, this study aims to identify variables that support the improvement of housing management practices, in order to make contributions for the improvement of such spaces and propose parameters for new designs. Four case studies were carried out in housing estates, some promoted by both the state and others by private developers. A functional, technical and behavioural post occupancy evaluation was carried out, emphasising housing management processes. The main results of this research study were: (a) the housing states promoted by the state had problems related to maintenance and conservation of collective spaces; (b) most dwellers do not take part in the condominium organisation in both types of estates; and (c) several changes made by dwellers were detected, including new uses and building extensions, and the building managers do not have control on them. The results suggest that social housing must be regarded as the provision of housing services. Moreover, the assessment of condominium management in those housing estates indicates that the Brazilian condominium law is inadequate for dealing with the complex relationships that exist in housing estates for low income people.A través de uma análise comparativa dos conjuntos residenciais de Pelotas, RS, este estudo visa a identificar variáveis que permitam aprimorar as práticas de gestão habitacional, buscando contribuir para a melhoria desses espaços e propor parâmetros para novos projetos. Foram realizados quatro estudos de caso em conjuntos habitacionais, públicos e privados. Com ênfase nos processos de gestão habitacional, efetuou-se uma avaliação pósocupação funcional, técnica e comportamental. Os principais resultados encontrados foram: (a) os espaços coletivos dos conjuntos públicos apresentam problemas de manutenção e conservação; (b) a maioria dos moradores não participa da organização do condomínio em ambos os tipos de conjuntos habitacionais; e (c) foram detectadas mudanças feitas pelos moradores, inserindo novos usos e ampliações, não existindo controle destes por parte do condomínio. Esses resultados mostram que a habitação de interesse social deve ser entendida como prestação de serviços habitacionais. Além disto, a avaliação da gestão condominial desses conjuntos tem mostrado a fragilidade da lei de condomínios para lidar com as complexas relações existentes nos conjuntos habitacionais populares