Evaluation of Development Projects: a Process-Centered Approach in the Outskirts of Lima, Peru.

Development cooperation projects work with people involved in processes of change and social transformation. While the main objective of the intervention is the development process itself, the project?s quality will be determined by the way of implementing it. Its success lies in the sustainability of the generated processes and the connection with them by the involved actors. The evaluation analyses both aspects. This article examines the evaluation, under a process approach, of a project on urban agriculture in Lima (Peru). The results show that the use of this approach, which combines different evaluation tools, allows the identification and analysis of the processes with the involved members, providing a better understanding of the real sustainability of the results

Characterization of the spatial structure of the canopy in Pinus sylvestris L. stands from hemispherical photographs

The spatial pattern was characterized in five experimental plots of 0.5 ha established in Scots pine stands located in the Central Mountain Range of Spain with different ecological conditions and in which different silvicultural practises are employed. A new method is proposed to asses the spatial pattern from hemispherical photographs, based on the variance between the gap fractions in sky sectors, which was calculated as a function of the angular distance. The results were compared with the spatial pattern analysis based on the second moment measure, and with the analysis of the structure of the tree number semivariogram. The three methods give a very similar scale of the pattern for most of the plots. The mature plot with more intensive silviculture showed a regular pattern at scales below 6 m. The mature plot in which the silviculture was less intensive showed a cluster pattern at scales around 10 m, and clustering at similar scales was detected during regeneration. Cluster patterns at scales around 5 m were found at the upper limit of the altitudinal range of Scots pine as well as at the lower limit, where Pyrenean oak stands merge with the pinewood. The method proposed allows the scale of the pattern of the canopy to be determined from hemispherical photographs, and can be easily implemented in forest inventories

Homogenization of Mutually Immiscible Polymers Using Nanoscale Effects: A Theoretical Study

4 p.A theoretical study to investigate homogenization of mutually immiscible polymers using nanoscale effects has been performed. Specifically, the miscibility behavior of all-polymer nanocomposites composed of linear-polystyrene (PS) chains and individual cross-linked poly(methyl methacrylate)-nanoparticles (PMMA-NPs) has been predicted. By using a mean field theory accounting for combinatorial interaction energy and nanoparticle-driven effects, phase diagrams were constructed as a function of PMMA-NP size, PS molecular weight, and temperature. Interestingly, complete miscibility (i.e., homogeneity) was predicted from room temperature to 675 K for PMMA-nanoparticles with radius less than ~7 nm blended with PS chains (molecular weight 150 kDa, nanoparticle volume fraction 20%) in spite of the well-known immiscibility between PS and PMMA. Several nanoscale effects affecting miscibility in PMMA-NP/PS nanocomposites involving small PMMA-nanoparticles are discussed.Financial support by MEC (Grant no. CSD2006-53), Basque Government (Grupos Consolidados IT-274-07), and Diputación de Gipuzkoa through C. I. C. Nanogune—Consolider and Nanotron Project is gratefully acknowledged

Active or Passive Exposure to Tobacco Smoking and Allergic Rhinitis, Allergic Dermatitis, and Food Allergy in Adults and Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Allergic rhinitis, allergic dermatitis, and food allergy are extremely common diseases, especially among children, and are frequently associated to each other and to asthma. Smoking is a potential risk factor for these conditions, but so far, results from individual studies have been conflicting. The objective of this study was to examine the evidence for an association between active smoking (AS) or passive exposure to secondhand smoke and allergic conditions. Methods and Findings: We retrieved studies published in any language up to June 30th, 2013 by systematically searching Medline, Embase, the five regional bibliographic databases of the World Health Organization, and ISI-Proceedings databases, by manually examining the references of the original articles and reviews retrieved, and by establishing personal contact with clinical researchers. We included cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies reporting odds ratio (OR) or relative risk (RR) estimates and confidence intervals of smoking and allergic conditions, first among the general population and then among children. We retrieved 97 studies on allergic rhinitis, 91 on allergic dermatitis, and eight on food allergy published in 139 different articles. When all studies were analyzed together (showing random effects model results and pooled ORs expressed as RR), allergic rhinitis was not associated with active smoking (pooled RR, 1.02 [95% CI 0.92–1.15]), but was associated with passive smoking (pooled RR 1.10 [95% CI 1.06–1.15]). Allergic dermatitis was associated with both active (pooled RR, 1.21 [95% CI 1.14–1.29]) and passive smoking (pooled RR, 1.07 [95% CI 1.03–1.12]). In children and adolescent, allergic rhinitis was associated with active (pooled RR, 1.40 (95% CI 1.24–1.59) and passive smoking (pooled RR, 1.09 [95% CI 1.04–1.14]). Allergic dermatitis was associated with active (pooled RR, 1.36 [95% CI 1.17–1.46]) and passive smoking (pooled RR, 1.06 [95% CI 1.01–1.11]). Food allergy was associated with SHS (1.43 [1.12–1.83]) when cohort studies only were examined, but not when all studies were combined. The findings are limited by the potential for confounding and bias given that most of the individual studies used a cross-sectional design. Furthermore, the studies showed a high degree of heterogeneity and the exposure and outcome measures were assessed by self-report, which may increase the potential for misclassification. Conclusions: We observed very modest associations between smoking and some allergic diseases among adults. Among children and adolescents, both active and passive exposure to SHS were associated with a modest increased risk for allergic diseases, and passive smoking was associated with an increased risk for food allergy. Additional studies with detailed measurement of exposure and better case definition are needed to further explore the role of smoking in allergic diseases. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summar

Designing and implementing interactive and realistic augmented reality experiences

In this paper, we propose an approach for supporting the design and implementation of interactive and realistic Augmented Reality (AR). Despite the advances in AR technology, most software applications still fail to support AR experiences where virtual objects appear as merged into the real setting. To alleviate this situation, we propose to combine the use of model-based AR techniques with the advantages of current game engines to develop AR scenes in which the virtual objects collide, are occluded, project shadows and, in general, are integrated into the augmented environment more realistically. To evaluate the feasibility of the proposed approach, we extended an existing game platform named GREP to enhance it with AR capacities. The realism of the AR experiences produced with the software was assessed in an event in which more than 100 people played two AR games simultaneously.This work is supported by the project CREAx and PACE funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (TIN2014-56534-R and TIN2016-77690-R)

Union power resources and class relations. Elements for a long-term view of Argentina and Mexico

El neoliberalismo ha intentado desmovilizar a la clase trabajadora a nivel global. El objetivo de este texto es contribuir a entender estos cambios en Argentina y México. La desmovilización de los trabajadores ha afectado diferencialmente a ambos países debido a factores estructurales y políticos de largo y mediano plazo. Nuestro argumento es que la desmovilización sindical ha afectado más a los trabajadores y trabajadoras mexicanas debido a la presencia de una sobrepoblación relativa de tipo rural, ausente en la Argentina, diferencia que es expresión de historias de formación capitalista distintas. Estas historias albergan formaciones hegemónicas del Estado que mantienen una continuidad institucional en México, mientras que en Argentina manifiestan crisis hegemónicas recurrentes.The neoliberal changes have intended to demobilize working class word widely. The aim of this paper is to contribute to understanding these changes in Argentina and Mexico. The demobilization of the working class has affected both countries in different ways because of long and medium-term political and structural factors. It is argued that workers demobilization has affected more to Mexican workers because of the presence of a rural surplus relative population, absent in Argentina, which is the expression of a different history of capitalist formation. These histories imply a different hegemonic state formation, where an institutional continuity in Mexico is observed, instead of a recurrent hegemonic crisis in ArgentinaFacultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Propuesta de pertinencia curricular para la implementación de carreras estratégicas en las áreas técnicas, tecnológicas e ingenierías en apoyo al desarrollo productivo del país. Aporte y rol de la Escuela Especializada en Ingeniería ITCA-FEPADE

El acceso a la educación es un derecho fundamental de las personas. Es tarea del Estado velar por garantizar ese derecho de forma conjunta con las instituciones encargadas de proveer servicios educativos. Y es que la educación es un medio para que las personas puedan alcanzar una vida digna. Cuando las personas logran esa condición, las sociedades experimentan el desarrollo humano. El desarrollo humano, según Amartya Sen, consiste en desarrollar las capacidades de las personas; considera que es posible hablar de desarrollo cuando las personas son capaces de hacer más cosas, no sólo cuando éstas son capaces de comprar más bienes o servicios. Bajo esta perspectiva de desarrollo humano, se puede considerar la educación tecnológica como un medio para que las personas opten por un empleo decente que les permita generar ingresos para satisfacer sus necesidades básicas, tener la libertad de dirigir su vida y aportar a la sociedad en general. En cuanto a educación superior y entrenamiento, de acuerdo con datos estadísticos del Ministerio de Educación, MINED, año 2012, no se están formando suficientes profesionales en áreas técnicas y, respecto a cualificaciones profesionales, no existe una adecuada formación. El total de graduados a nivel nacional el año 2012 fue de 21,666, de los cuales sólo 4,453 (21.5%) corresponden al área de tecnología

Exalted dual-scale surface roughening in laser ablated aluminum capped with a transparent thin film: Wetting and anti-icing behavior

Near infrared laser ablation of metals, specifically aluminum, has been systematically applied to generate surface roughness. Very high laser fluences may even lead to a so called “explosive” ablation regime where roughness becomes dramatically enhanced. In the present work we have developed an alternative methodology that, utilizing milder laser irradiation conditions (i.e. laser fluences from 0.37 to 0.72 J/cm²), renders aluminum surfaces with a dual-scale roughness character and Sp parameter values twice or even trice the value found in reference samples. This has been possible for aluminum substrates coated with a highly transparent aluminum oxynitride capping layer. The resulting surfaces, consisting of very rough partially oxidized aluminum with negligible amounts of nitrogen species, resulted highly hydrophobic and depicted long icing delay times as required for anti-icing applications. A correlation has been found between the wetting and anti-icing behaviors, the use of a capping layer and the laser irradiation conditions. To account for this exalted roughening phenomenon, we propose that the transparent capping layer confines the laser energy within the aluminum shallow zones, delays the formation of the plasma plume and produces an enhancement in the aluminum ablation, even at relatively low laser fluences.University of Seville through the VI PPIT-USMCIN/AEI/10.13039/50110001103

Lung cancer as an index of tobacco exposure: association with non-lung cancer mortality

Objetivo Valorar el papel del tabaquismo, empleando como proxy la mortalidad por cáncer de pulmón, en la mortalidad por otros cánceres (excluyendo el de estómago). Métodos Análisis de series temporales de mortalidad por cáncer en los hombres españoles (1970-2003) para valorar la posible asociación entre cáncer de pulmón y los cánceres «no pulmón-no estómago» (NPNE). Para evitar el efecto de posibles autocorrelaciones se aplicó la regresión Prais-Winsten. Resultados Las tasas anuales de mortalidad por cánceres NPNE están linealmente relacionadas con la mortalidad por cáncer de pulmón en el período 1970-2003, con una pendiente de la recta de 1,07, intervalo de confianza del 95% de 0,98-1,17 y R2 de 0,97. Conclusiones Las variaciones de las tasas de mortalidad por cánceres NPNE pueden ser modeladas en función de los cambios en las tasas de mortalidad por cáncer de pulmón en el período estudiado. Los resultados presentados parecen mostrar una posible asociación entre el tabaquismo y los cánceres NPNEObjective:To assess the possible role of tobacco smoke in non-lung cancer (excluding stomach cancer)using changes in lung cancer mortality rates as a proxy for tobacco exposure.Methods:A time series analysis of cancer mortality was performed to evaluate the possible associationbetween changes in mortality rates for lung cancer and for non-lung, non-stomach cancer (NLNS) from1970 to 2003 in Spanish males. To avoid problems with autocorrelation, Prais-Winsten regression wasapplied.Results:Changes in NLNS cancer death rates showed a parallel trend with lung cancer death rates in thestudy period, with an adjusted slope of 1.07, 95% CI of 0.98-1.17, and R2of 0.97.Conclusion:Variation in NLNS cancer death rates can be accurately modelled as a function of changes inlung cancer death rates for the study period, suggesting a possible association between tobaccoexposure and NLNS cancersS