The Use of Spatial Data for the Preparation of Environmental Reports in Europe

This report presents the findings of an online survey on the use of spatial data to produce environmental reports conducted by the European Commission Joint Research Centre in 2009. The objectives of the survey were twofold: on the one hand, to understand how easy it is for practitioners to obtain the spatial data they need to carry out Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and/or Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) and on the other hand, to provide information to the European Commission (EC) on the developments made in the use of spatial data to undertake EIAs and SEAs. The 2009 survey represents, in fact, an update of a similar survey conducted in 2002 by DG Environment and provides where relevant a comparison of results. A significant increase in the number of respondents was registered since the original survey, however it should be noted that the sample does not represent all practitioners that carry out EIA/SEA reports in Europe. Nevertheless, the results give an indication of the trends and problems in the market of EIA and/or SEA. The main outcome of the survey is that practitioners still face problems in using spatial data for the preparation of environmental reports. Issues mainly relate to finding and accessing data of the quality needed for the purpose. As a consequence, there is an increase in cost and time to produce environmental reports. The estimate of such additional burden is quantified as well as potential savings that could be achieved if problems connected with the use of spatial data were removed.JRC.DDG.H.6-Spatial data infrastructure

Low temperature scattering with the R-matrix method: the Morse potential

Experiments are starting to probe collisions and chemical reactions between atoms and molecules at ultra-low temperatures. We have developed a new theoretical procedure for studying these collisions using the R-matrix method. Here this method is tested for the atom -- atom collisions described by a Morse potential. Analytic solutions for continuum states of the Morse potential are derived and compared with numerical results computed using an R-matrix method where the inner region wavefunctions are obtained using a standard nuclear motion algorithm. Results are given for eigenphases and scattering lengths. Excellent agreement is obtained in all cases. Progress in developing a general procedure for treating ultra-low energy reactive and non-reactive collisions is discussed.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables, conferenc

"Are We There Yet"? Assessing the Contribution of INSPIRE to EIA and SEA Studies

This paper reports the findings of a survey in 2009 of European practitioners who face problems related to accessing and using spatial data when preparing reports for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs). The survey was designed to be comparable to the one undertaken in 2002–03 and reported by Vanderhaegen and Muro (2005). The 2009 survey showed that problems persist and additional costs to practitioners due to data access problems were at least €150 million p.a. in Europe, providing evidence for the need for ongoing investment in the INSPIRE Directive, which aims to support spatial and environmental data-sharing for EIA/ SEA studies as well as other environmental policies. The survey also indicated that although EIA and SEA reports now take less time and are, on average, cheaper to prepare, the variability of their quality is still of concern.JRC.H.6-Digital Earth and Reference Dat

Os significados do acolhimento institucional de crianças e adolescentes sob a perspectiva dos profissionais do judiciário

Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo o estudo e a análise das concepções, opiniões e significados atribuídos pelos assistentes sociais e psicólogos ao acolhimento institucional prolongado de crianças e adolescentes e seus possíveis desfechos, entre os quais a destituição do Poder Familiar. A entrevista psicológica foi escolhida como instrumento de pesquisa, e foram entrevistados cinco profissionais, a saber, dois assistentes sociais e três psicólogos das Varas da Infância e da Juventude do Tribunal de Justiça de São Paulo, que trabalham em comarcas do interior do Estado. O método de análise pauta-se em referenciais psicanalíticos, partindo-se do pressuposto de que o modo como esses profissionais significam a família e o abandono interfere em sua prática cotidiana. Os resultados apontam para concepções como o mito do amor materno e a idealização da família, elementos presentes na avaliação dos casos. Os profissionais revelam ter alguma consciência e crítica dessas percepções e procuram superar esse modelo, para indicarem a medida mais conveniente a cada situação apresentada. O conteúdo das entrevistas evidencia também a necessidade do investimento na formação profissional dos assistentes sociais e psicólogos, a importância da psicoterapia pessoal e de espaços de supervisão e troca de experiências, possibilitando a problematização da prática, objetivando a mudança na qualidade do trabalho desenvolvido com as crianças, os adolescentes e suas famílias, especialmente no que tange à superação de modelos ultrapassados para paradigmas mais atuais, que efetivamente propõem o enfrentamento da situação dessa população.This study aims to study and to analyze the conceptions, opinions and meanings assigned by social workers and psychologists to prolonged institutional care of children and adolescents and the possible outcomes, including the dismissal of the family power. The psychological interview was chosen as research instrument and 5 professionals were interviewed, namely, 2 social workers and 3 psychologists of the childhood and youth centers of the Court of Justice of São Paulo who work in comarcas in the state. The method of analysis is based in psychoanalytic approaches, having in mind the way in which these professionals see family and abandonment can interfere in their everyday practice. The results show conceptions such as the myth of maternal love and the idealization of the family, elements present on the evaluation of cases. The professionals reveal some consciousness and criticism of these perceptions and try to overcome this model to indicate the most convenient way to each scenario. The contents of the interviews also highlights the need for investment in vocational training of social workers and of psychologists, the importance of personal psychotherapy and spaces of supervision and exchange of experience enabling the problematization aiming the change in quality of work with children, adolescents and their families.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Intervenção para o controle do peso corporal de adolescentes, utilizando videogames ativos: um estudo piloto

Intervention for the control of body weight in adolescents using active video games: a pilot study. Intervention strategies that use exergames that aim to stimulate the practice of physical activity, as well as the reduction of the time in sedentary behavior, through promising ways to deal with the increase of obesity rates. This is the way of Extension Project “Exergaming for health: intervention for the control of body weight in adolescents using active video games”, with fomentation of MEC/PROEXT in 2013. The aim of this study was to verify the effect of an eight-week intervention with active video games on variables related to adolescent body weight. An eight-week intervention study with a duration of 60 minutes per session, with use of exergames was performed. Eight schoolchildren participated, with mean age of 11.5±0.5 years. Anthropometric measures before and after the intervention were performed. Descriptive statistics and the non-parametric equivalent of paired t-test were used in SPSS 20.0 with significance level of p<0.05. It was observed that there was a significant difference only in waist circumference (cm) with a reduction of 2.8 cm (p = 0.028). The other variables analyzed were not different. The pilot study of an eight-week intervention with active videogames demonstrated the possibility of reducing anthropometric measures, such as the waist circumference of adolescents. We suggested that new studies with exergames focus on this outcome over a longer period of intervention and/or with a larger number of sEstratégias de intervenção que utilizam exergames que visam o estímulo à prática de atividade física, bem como à redução do tempo em comportamento sedentário, parecem ser caminhos promissores para lidar com o aumento das taxas de obesidade. Este foi o intuito do Projeto de Extensão “Exergaming para a saúde: intervenção para o controle do peso corporal em adolescentes utilizando videogames ativos”, contemplado com fomento do MEC/PROEXT no ano de 2013. O objetivo do estudo foi verificar o efeito de uma intervenção de oito semanas com videogames ativos sobre variáveis relacionadas ao peso corporal de adolescentes. Foi realizado um estudo piloto de intervenção de oito semanas com duração de 60 minutos por sessão, com uso dos exergames. Participaram do estudo oito escolares, com média de idade de 11,5±0,5 anos. Medidas antropométricas antes e após a intervenção foram realizadas. Utilizou-se a estatística descritiva e o teste t pareado, no SPSS 20.0 com nível de significância de p<0,05. Observou-se que houve diferença estatisticamente significativa somente na circunferência de cintura (cm) com redução de 2,8 cm (p = 0,028). As demais variáveis analisadas não foram diferentes. O estudo piloto de uma intervenção de oito semanas com videogames ativos demonstrou possibilidade de redução de medidas antropométricas, tais como a circunferência de cintura dos adolescentes. Sugere-se que novos estudos com exergames tenham enfoque neste desfecho em um período mais longo de intervenção e/ou com maior número de sessões durante a semana.essions during the week.

Low-Temperature Scattering with the R-Matrix Method: The Morse Potential

Experiments are starting to probe collisions and chemical reactions between atoms and molecules at ultralow temperatures. We have developed a new theoretical procedure for studying these collisions using the R-matrix method. Here, this method is tested for the atom—atom collisions described by a Morse potential. Analytic solutions for continuum states of the Morse potential are derived and compared with numerical results computed using an R-matrix method, where the inner region wavefunctions are obtained using a standard nuclear motion algorithm. Results are given for eigenphases and scattering lengths. Excellent agreement is obtained in all cases. Progress in developing a general procedure for treating ultralow energy reactive and non-reactive collisions is discussed

Rivaroxaban with or without aspirin in stable cardiovascular disease

BACKGROUND: We evaluated whether rivaroxaban alone or in combination with aspirin would be more effective than aspirin alone for secondary cardiovascular prevention. METHODS: In this double-blind trial, we randomly assigned 27,395 participants with stable atherosclerotic vascular disease to receive rivaroxaban (2.5 mg twice daily) plus aspirin (100 mg once daily), rivaroxaban (5 mg twice daily), or aspirin (100 mg once daily). The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, stroke, or myocardial infarction. The study was stopped for superiority of the rivaroxaban-plus-aspirin group after a mean follow-up of 23 months. RESULTS: The primary outcome occurred in fewer patients in the rivaroxaban-plus-aspirin group than in the aspirin-alone group (379 patients [4.1%] vs. 496 patients [5.4%]; hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66 to 0.86; P<0.001; z=−4.126), but major bleeding events occurred in more patients in the rivaroxaban-plus-aspirin group (288 patients [3.1%] vs. 170 patients [1.9%]; hazard ratio, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.40 to 2.05; P<0.001). There was no significant difference in intracranial or fatal bleeding between these two groups. There were 313 deaths (3.4%) in the rivaroxaban-plus-aspirin group as compared with 378 (4.1%) in the aspirin-alone group (hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71 to 0.96; P=0.01; threshold P value for significance, 0.0025). The primary outcome did not occur in significantly fewer patients in the rivaroxaban-alone group than in the aspirin-alone group, but major bleeding events occurred in more patients in the rivaroxaban-alone group. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with stable atherosclerotic vascular disease, those assigned to rivaroxaban (2.5 mg twice daily) plus aspirin had better cardiovascular outcomes and more major bleeding events than those assigned to aspirin alone. Rivaroxaban (5 mg twice daily) alone did not result in better cardiovascular outcomes than aspirin alone and resulted in more major bleeding events