Hurricane Losses: Mandatory Practice and Taxpayer Options

The United States has sustained more than twelve billion dollars in hurricane damage since 1900.1 This country experiences an average of three hurricanes, two of which are major,every two years

Universal Bike Suspension Design

Cal Poly Bike Builders (CPBB) is a student club at Cal Poly helping students design and fabricate their own bicycles. Currently, club members build rigid frames and mountain bikes with only front-suspension–commonly referred to as a “hardtail”. As more students join the club, interest grows in building full-suspension mountain bikes (FSMTB). Designing and manufacturing a mountain bike rear-suspension system requires a diverse skillset and a substantial time commitment. As a result, individual efforts building FSMTB have proven unsuccessful. The scope of this project is to develop a defined method and necessary tools such that all CPBB members can efficiently build a FSMTB rear-suspension system. Initial background research drove engineering specifications developed from customer needs and wants. These parameters influenced initial concept development and evaluation. Detailed analysis then determined which concept design would become the final design. A manufacturing plan details the necessary tooling and potential challenges during the build process. A confirmation prototype of the final design assesses the manufacturing plan as well as the final designs. Testing validated the final design against engineering specifications. Project management details the project organization process, potential issues, and major deliverables. Final concluding remarks detail overall reflections, remarks, and future recommendations

Pd-Catalyzed Aryl C–H Imidation with Arene as the Limiting Reagent

An amine-N-oxide-ligated palladium complex, in conjunction with a silver cocatalyst, catalyzes imidation of arenes by the reagent N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide. The reaction enables imidation of a variety of arenes at or below room temperature, requires no coordinating directing group on the substrate, and gives synthetically useful yields with only 1 equiv of arene. Mechanistic data implicate an unusual mechanism devoid of commonly invoked organometallic intermediates: oxidation of the Pd catalyst occurs as the turnover-limiting step, while C–H bond functionalization occurs subsequently at a high oxidation state of the catalyst.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog

Gerenciamento de comitês de bacia: desafios e potencialidades

Increased environmental degradation leads to the search for new management methods aimed at sustainable development. In this context, arise river basin committees, which are provided for in the National Water Resources Management, which is the system created by the National Water Resources. The committees are collegiate bodies which are discussed regional issues related to water management as part of this system representatives of the Union, the states and the Federal District whose territories are situated, even partially, in their respective areas, the municipalities located in whole or in part, in its area of operation, the water users in its area of operation and civil entities of water resources with proven activities in the basin. The committees have multiple assignments, which are described in art. 19 of the State Law 10.350/94 - in the case of water resources policy of the State of Rio Grande do Sul fitting highlight its function of resolving conflicts. Possessing the potential to synthesize the guidelines, the committee set up in an institutional space which can be characterized as a decision-making arena for sharing interests and political integration of the sectors of water users and civil society. Thus, the success of its operation to some extent means the success of own water policy, especially with regard to the management decentralized and participatory. The challenge is that these spaces are effectively public, both in its format as the results, and such committees must undergo continuous evaluation of their social structure, from an analysis of their actions while organs that must function as a forum integrator policies, promoting the integrated and sustainable management of natural resources of the watershed, according to the guidelines of Water Resources.O aumento da degradação ambiental leva a busca por novas metodologias de gestão que visem o desenvolvimento sustentável. Nesse contexto, surgem os comitês de bacia hidrográfica, os quais estão previstos no Sistema Nacional de Gerenciamento de Recursos Hídricos, sendo este sistema instituído pela Política Nacional de Recursos Hídricos. Os comitês são órgãos colegiados onde são debatidas as questões regionais referentes à gestão das águas, fazendo parte desse sistema representantes da União, dos Estados e do Distrito Federal cujos territórios se situem, ainda que parcialmente, em suas respectivas áreas de atuação, dos Municípios situados, no todo ou em parte, em sua área de atuação, dos usuários das águas de sua área de atuação e das entidades civis de recursos hídricos com atuação comprovada na bacia. Os comitês possuem várias atribuições, as quais estão descritas no art. 19 da Lei Estadual nº 10.350/94 – no caso da Política de Recursos Hídricos do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul cabendo destacar a sua função de dirimir conflitos. Possuindo o potencial de sintetizar as diretrizes, o comitê configura-se em um espaço institucional o qual pode ser caracterizado como uma arena de tomada de decisões para o compartilhamento de interesses e integração de políticas dos setores usuários da água e da sociedade civil. Assim, o êxito de seu funcionamento em certa medida significa o êxito da própria política das águas, principalmente no que se refere á gestão descentralizada e participativa. O grande desafio é que esses espaços sejam efetivamente públicos, tanto no seu formato quanto nos resultados, e para tal os comitês devem passar por uma avaliação contínua de sua estrutura social, a partir de uma análise de suas ações enquanto órgãos que devem funcionar como um fórum integrador de políticas, promovendo a gestão integrada e sustentável dos recursos naturais da bacia hidrográfica, conforme as diretrizes da Política de Recursos Hídricos

A Fluoride-Derived Electrophilic Late-Stage Fluorination Reagent for PET Imaging

The unnatural isotope fluorine-18 $(^{18}F)$ is used as a positron emitter in molecular imaging. Currently, many potentially useful $^{18}F$-labeled probe molecules are inaccessible for imaging because no fluorination chemistry is available to make them. The 110-minute half-life of $^{18}F$ requires rapid syntheses for which $[^{18}F]$fluoride is the preferred source of fluorine because of its practical access and suitable isotope enrichment. However, conventional $[^{18}F]$fluoride chemistry has been limited to nucleophilic fluorination reactions. We report the development of a palladium-based electrophilic fluorination reagent derived from fluoride and its application to the synthesis of aromatic $^{18}F$-labeled molecules via late-stage fluorination. Late-stage fluorination enables the synthesis of conventionally unavailable positron emission tomography (PET) tracers for anticipated applications in pharmaceutical development as well as preclinical and clinical PET imaging.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog

The Use of a Ti-Ni Shape Memory Alloy Ring Bone Fixator During the Retrograde Nailing of Supracondylar Femoral Fractures

Purpose: To identify the effects of using a Ti-Ni shape memory alloy ring shaped bone fixator (SMA-rBF) during the retrograde nailing of supracondylar femoral fractures. Materials and Methods: The authors reviewed 25 patients with a supracondylar femoral fracture treated by retrograde intramedullary nailing with or without SMA-rBF (group S, 12/25; group N, 13/25). Radiological measurements of angular deformity were performed and functional assessments were made using the Sanders grading system

Vulnerabilidade ambiental e áreas de infiltração máxima de água

The perception of the human being that environmental resources are limited, it takes the use of instruments to the planning and management of the environment, such as the determination of environmental vulnerability, which enables the assessment of the risk of the area in question geo-environmental processes such as erosion, contamination of soils, water resources, loss of agricultural use, among others. Environmental assessment of a region allows the identification of their potential use (or not use), occupation, vulnerability, dynamics and complexity of the ecosystem, leading to the realization of actions that will enable their preservation and conservation. From proper planning can be avoided areas of environmental vulnerability within the watershed, giving them uses compatible with its current state, as well as studies to identify the factors that are triggering this picture of environmental vulnerability, then to seek remediation alternatives. The analysis of the areas of environmental vulnerability becomes a valuable tool as it assists the manager in decision-making, thus minimizing the errors of judgment and optimizing the process.A percepção do ser humano de que os recursos do ambiente são limitados, leva a utilização de instrumentos visando o planejamento e gestão do ambiente, como a determinação da vulnerabilidade ambiental, a qual possibilita a avaliação das condições de risco da área em questão a processos geoambientais como a erosão, contaminação dos solos, dos recursos hídricos, perda de aproveitamento agrícola, dentre outros. A avaliação ambiental de uma região permite a identificação de suas potencialidades de uso (ou não uso), de ocupação, de vulnerabilidade, da dinâmica e da complexidade do ecossistema, levando à realização de ações que possibilitem sua preservação e conservação. A partir de um planejamento adequado podem ser evitadas áreas de vulnerabilidade ambiental dentro da bacia hidrográfica, dando a elas, usos compatíveis com o seu estado atual, além da realização de estudos a fim de identificar os fatores que estão desencadeando esse quadro de vulnerabilidade ambiental, para então buscar alternativas de remediação. A análise das áreas de vulnerabilidade ambiental torna-se uma ferramenta valiosa, pois auxilia o gestor na tomada de decisões, minimizando assim os erros de julgamento e otimizando o processo

Indicadores de sustentabilidade ambiental: métodos e aplicações

An instrument used to monitor sustainable development are sustainability indicators, which are responsible for capturing trends to inform decision-makers, guide the development and monitoring of policies and strategies. Based on the above, this paper aims to provide a summary of the key sustainability indicators and their applications. The model Pressure-State-Response highlights the links between human activity and the environment, but reduces those pressures on the environment caused by man. The model Driving Force-State-Response establishes a logical link between its components, however based on the situation in industrialized countries. The model Driving Force-Pressure-StateImpact-Response strengthens the interaction between the causes of environmental problems, impacts and responses of society, but there are still no experiences in measuring sustainability in cities, or developments since the Framework for systems Evaluation of Natural Resource Management incorporating Sustainability Indicators has an emphasis on qualitative and quantitative evaluations, however its base sits on a comparison between systems, without defining what is sustainable in isolation or unsustainable, while the Ecological Footprint shows how much capacity regenerative biosphere is being used in human activities, considering only the economic effects related to the use of resources. It can be concluded that indicators of sustainability, can collaborate to build the development under the integrative approach, considering the social, environmental and economic, to the consolidation of a sustainable societyUm instrumento utilizado para monitorar o desenvolvimento sustentável são os indicadores de sustentabilidade, os quais são responsáveis por capturar tendências para informar os agentes de decisão, orientar o desenvolvimento e o monitoramento de políticas e estratégias. Com base no exposto, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar uma síntese dos principais indicadores de sustentabilidade e suas aplicações. O modelo Pressão-Estado-Resposta evidencia os elos entre a atividade humana e o ambiente, porém reduz as pressões sobre o ambiente àquelas ocasionadas pelo homem. O modelo Força Motriz-Estado-Resposta estabelece um vínculo lógico entre os seus componentes, entretanto baseia-se na situação dos países industrializados. O modelo Força Motriz-Pressão-Estado-Impacto-Resposta reforça a interação entre as causas dos problemas ambientais, os impactos e as respostas da sociedade, porém ainda não existem experiências em medir a sustentabilidade em municípios, ou empreendimentos, já o Marco para a Avaliação de Sistemas de Manejo de Recursos Naturais incorporando Indicadores de Sustentabilidade possui ênfase nas avaliações qualitativas e quantitativas, no entanto sua base está assentada na comparação entre sistemas, sem definir isoladamente o que é sustentável ou insustentável, enquanto que a Pegada Ecológica mostra quanto da capacidade regenerativa da biosfera está sendo usada em atividades humanas, considerando apenas os efeitos econômicos referentes à utilização de recursos. Pode-se concluir que os indicadores de sustentabilidade, podem colaborar para a construção do desenvolvimento sob o enfoque integrador, considerando as dimensões sociais, ambientais e econômicas, para a consolidação de uma sociedade sustentável

Signalling the Dotcom bubble: a multiple changes in persistence approach

This study investigates multiple changes in persistence in the dividend-price and price-earnings ratio of the NASDAQ composite index. Recent time series methods that are capable of signalling and dating asset price bubbles are employed, in particular the method developed by Leybourne et al. (2007). The method allows for breaks between periods in which the data are integrated of order zero I(0) and integrated of order one I(1). The results confirm the existence of the so-called Dotcom bubble with its start and end dates. Furthermore, an unexpected negative bubble was also identified, extending from the beginning of the 1970s to the beginning of the 1990s, suggesting that the NASDAQ stock prices were below their fundamental values as indicated by their dividend yields, finding not previously reported in the literature. As the tools used by regulators take considerable time to take effect, methods capable of picking up warnings signals of the start of a bubble could be very useful. We conjecture that the methodology can also be applied to study recent phenomena in real estate, commodity and foreign exchange markets