Flood risk assessment for road infrastructures using Bayesian networks: case study of Santarem - Portugal

Assessing flood risks on road infrastructures is critical for the definition of mitigation strategies and adaptation processes. Some efforts have been made to conduct a regional flood risk assessment to support the decision-making process of exposed areas. However, these approaches focus on the physical damage of civil infrastructures without considering indirect impacts resulting from social aspects or traffic delays due to the functionality loss of transportation infrastructures. Moreover, existing methodologies do not include a proper assessment of the uncertainties involved in the risk quantification. This work aims to provide a consistent quantitative flood risk estimation and influence factor modelling for road infrastructures. To this end, a Flood Risk Factor (FRF) is computed as a function of hazard, vulnerability, and infrastructure importance factors. A Bayesian Network (BN) is constructed for considering the interdependencies among the selected input factors, as well as accounting for the uncertainties involved in the modelling process. The proposed approach allows weighting the relevant factors differently to compute the FRF and improves the understanding of the causal relations between them. The suggested method is applied to a case study located in the region of Santarem Portugal, allowing the identification of the sub-basins where the road network has the highest risks and illustrating the potential of Bayesian inference techniques for updating the model when new information becomes available

Dynamic thresholds for the resilience assessment of road traffic networks to wildfires

The severe effects of extreme wildfire events in recent years have shown that the fire suppression approach is not enough to solve the problem. An alternative to dealing with this issue is to accept the impossibility of eliminating wildfire hazards and focus on preparing systems to be more resilient. However, existing decisionmaking tools based on resilience present important drawbacks that make them inadequate for this task. This paper proposes a new approach and methodology for the resilience assessment of road traffic networks to wildfires that overcomes the main drawbacks, paying attention to the different functions of the system and the acceptance of a specific loss of performance. The latter is done through the introduction of dynamic thresholds that reflect the different requirements of the system under different wildfire conditions, including normal and extreme fires. The methodology is exemplified for five traffic networks. The results support the relevance of appropriate wildfire management through the adaptation of the natural and built environment to increase the capacity of the traffic networks to cope with wildfires.This work was partly financed by FCT/MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC) under the R&D Unit Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE), under reference UIDB/04029/2020, and under the Associate Laboratory Advanced Production and Intelligent Systems ARISE under reference LA/P/0112/2020. This work is financed by national funds through FCT, Foundation for Science and Technology, under grant agreement 2020.05755.BD attributed to the first author

Las relaciones públicas como herramienta de promoción de la salud

La compilación de investigaciones que se presentan en este libro, ofrece al lector una visión de las relaciones públicas como una disciplina omnipresente en el abordaje y solución de diversas problemáticas sociales y en distintos sectores, siendo en esta ocasión el sector salud

Nitrogen fixation rates in forested mountain streams: Are sediment microbes more important than previously thought?

Biological nitrogen (N) fixation, the microbial conversion of N2 gas to ammonia, makes N available to food webs. Low-N streams often have a high relative abundance of N-fixing taxa, suggesting that N fixation is an important N source in these systems. Despite this potential, stream N fixation has not been well-characterised, particularly compared to lakes and marine environments. One unknown is the relative contributions of various N-fixing organisms, particularly heterotrophic microbes. In low-N streams in the Cascade Mountains (Washington, USA), three groups of N-fixers predominate: cyanobacteria (Nostoc paramelioides) colonies that house a midge symbiont (Cricotopus spp.), cyanobacteria without a midge symbiont, and heterotrophic sediment microbes. In seven streams, we measured N fixation rates in each group with the acetylene reduction assay and a 15N2 calibration. Cyanobacteria N fixation rates were relatively low (7.9 ± 8.9 μg N m−2 hr−1, mean ± SD) compared to other mountain streams. Although rates were comparable among types of N-fixers, our sediment conversion ratio (moles of ethylene produced:moles of N fixed) was 0.16:1, much lower than our cyanobacteria conversion ratio of 1.72:1 and the commonly used theoretical ratio of 3:1. Sediment N fixation rates (5.7 ± 4.0 μg N m−2 hr−1) were higher than previously reported rates measured only with acetylene reduction. The midge symbiosis did not greatly impact N fixation rates; however, owing to their prevalence, colonies with the midge probably contributed more total N to streams than colonies without the midge. Additionally, N fixation by sediment heterotrophs was comparable to that of cyanobacteria colonies on an areal basis. Our study demonstrated that the contribution of sediment heterotrophs previously may have been underestimated in streams, especially considering that sediment heterotrophs are probably present for a longer portion of the growing season than cyanobacteria in temperate and boreal ecosystems

Modelo estratégico integral para la implementación del sistema de gestión de la seguridad y salud en el trabajo (SG-SST) gestión y logística de transporte S.A.S "GYTRANS S.A.S”

Partiendo del análisis y evaluación de la implementación del sistema de gestión de la seguridad y salud en el trabajo (SG-SST) de acuerdo al Decreto 171 del 1 de febrero de 2016 y decreto 052 (12 ene 2017) se hace una propuesta integral al área de Talento Humano de la empresa Gytrans SAS sobre el estado actual del proceso del sistema teniendo en cuenta los resultados obtenidos en la matriz de valoración y los estándares mínimos del SG SST que establece la resolución 1111 del 27 de abril de 2017. Se presenta cinco capítulos en el I se hace referencia al problema, antecedentes y justificación en el Capítulo II se contempla el marco teórico incluye la consulta y análisis de investigaciones, los conceptos allí obtenidos constituyen el soporte teórico bajo el cual se orientó el trabajo de investigación. En el capítulo III se describe la metodología utilizada en la investigación, se define el enfoque, el tipo de diseño, las fuentes de información y la técnica e instrumento de recolección de datos a utilizar en la investigación. En el capítulo IV se presentan los resultados y hallazgos obtenidos. El capítulo V contiene además de las conclusiones generales, un resumen de los hallazgos, cuya interpretación a la luz de las cifras y en contraste con los antecedentes del problema, permite trazar las líneas generales de las recomendaciones, también contenidas en este capítulo.Based on the analysis and evaluation of the implementation of the occupational safety and health management system (SG-SST) according to Decree 171 of February 1, 2016 and Decree 052 (January 12, 2017), a comprehensive proposal is made to the Human Talent area of ​​the company Gytrans SAS on the current status of the system process taking into account the results obtained in the assessment matrix and the minimum standards of the SG SST established by resolution 1111 of April 27, 2017. Five chapters are presented in I, reference is made to the problem, background and justification. In Chapter II, the theoretical framework includes the consultation and analysis of research, the concepts obtained there constitute the theoretical support under which the research work was oriented. . Chapter III describes the methodology used in the research, defines the approach, the type of design, the sources of information and the technique and data collection instrument to be used in the research. Chapter IV presents the results and findings obtained. Chapter V contains, in addition to the general conclusions, a summary of the findings, whose interpretation, in light of the figures and in contrast to the background of the problem, makes it possible to draw the general lines of the recommendations, also contained in this chapter

Severe Pediatric TBI Management in a Middle-Income Country and a High-Income Country: A Comparative Assessment of Two Centers.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global public health issue with over 10 million deaths or hospitalizations each year. However, access to specialized care is dependent on institutional resources and public health policy. Phoenix Children's Hospital USA (PCH) and the Neiva University Hospital, Colombia (NUH) compared the management and outcomes of pediatric patients with severe TBI over 5 years to establish differences between outcomes of patients managed in countries of varying resources availability. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of individuals between 0 and 17 years of age, with a diagnosis of severe TBI and admitted to PCH and NUH between 2010 and 2015. Data collected included Glasgow coma scores, intensive care unit monitoring, and Glasgow outcome scores. Pearson Chi-square, Fisher exact, T-test, or Wilcoxon-rank sum test was used to compare outcomes. Results: One hundred and one subjects met the inclusion criteria. NUH employed intracranial pressure monitoring less frequently than PCH (p = 0.000), but surgical decompression and subdural evacuation were higher at PCH (p = 0.031 and p = 0.003). Mortality rates were similar between the institutions (15% PCH, 17% NUH) as were functional outcomes (52% PCH, 54% NUH). Conclusions: Differences between centers included time to specialized care and utilization of monitoring. No significant differences were evidenced in survival and the overall functional outcomes

Calidad de semillas de la Red de Cultivares de Soja de Oliveros. Sub-Región oeste: Armstrong, Cañada de Gómez y Arteaga. Sub-Región norte: Gessler y Landeta. Relevamiento de la campaña 2021/22.

El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar la calidad fisiológica de semillas de soja provenientes de cultivos de la Red de Cultivares de Soja del Centro Sur de Santa Fe (RED) del INTA de la campaña 2021-2022. El trabajo se realizó en el Laboratorio de Semillas de la Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Oliveros de INTA. Se emplearon semillas de soja provenientes de 2 sitios del oeste y 2 sitios del norte de la zona donde se desarrolla la RED. Se analizaron 7 cultivares (cvs) pertenecientes a los grupos de madurez (GM) 4.1 al 5.2 en fechas de siembra de 1a (Armstrong, Gessler, Arteaga y Landeta) y 2da (Cañada de Gómez y Landeta; Tabla 1).EEA OliverosFil: Gallo, Carina Del Valle. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Oliveros. Laboratorio de Semillas; ArgentinaFil: Arango, Miriam Raquel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Oliveros. Laboratorio de Semillas; ArgentinaFil: Fared, Marcelo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Oliveros. Laboratorio de Semillas; ArgentinaFil: Fared, Loana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Oliveros. Laboratorio de Semillas; ArgentinaFil: Bacigaluppo, Silvina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Oliveros. Manejo de Cultivos, Suelo y Agua; ArgentinaFil: Dickie, Maria Jose. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Oliveros. Agencia de Extensión Rural Cañada de Gómez; ArgentinaFil: Casasola Farre, Erica Alejandra. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Oliveros. Agencia de Extensión Rural Casilda; ArgentinaFil: Boero, Leandro Ruben. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela. Agencia de Extensión Rural Galvez; ArgentinaFil: Almada, Gustavo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela. Agencia De Extensión Rural Carlos Pellegrini; Argentina

Global Patterns and Controls of Nutrient Immobilization On Decomposing Cellulose In Riverine Ecosystems

Microbes play a critical role in plant litter decomposition and influence the fate of carbon in rivers and riparian zones. When decomposing low-nutrient plant litter, microbes acquire nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from the environment (i.e., nutrient immobilization), and this process is potentially sensitive to nutrient loading and changing climate. Nonetheless, environmental controls on immobilization are poorly understood because rates are also influenced by plant litter chemistry, which is coupled to the same environmental factors. Here we used a standardized, low-nutrient organic matter substrate (cotton strips) to quantify nutrient immobilization at 100 paired stream and riparian sites representing 11 biomes worldwide. Immobilization rates varied by three orders of magnitude, were greater in rivers than riparian zones, and were strongly correlated to decomposition rates. In rivers, P immobilization rates were controlled by surface water phosphate concentrations, but N immobilization rates were not related to inorganic N. The N:P of immobilized nutrients was tightly constrained to a molar ratio of 10:1 despite wide variation in surface water N:P. Immobilization rates were temperature-dependent in riparian zones but not related to temperature in rivers. However, in rivers nutrient supply ultimately controlled whether microbes could achieve the maximum expected decomposition rate at a given temperature

Risk assessment of road infrastructures as key for adaptability measures selection

Road infrastructures are one of the most important assets in the world due to the dependency on other critical infrastructures upon it. Society expects an uninterrupted availability of the road network, nevertheless it has become a difficult task as, in the last decades, climate change has significantly affected transport networks, especially due to the occurrence of extreme natural events leading to the disruption of the network. Those events include floods, wild fires, landslides and others, and all of them may increase both in frequency and intensity in the coming century. Therefore, there is a clear need for timely adaptation. Regarding those adaptability measures, an important step is needed to quantify how the transport network is directly and indirectly affected by extreme weather events, which can be obtained within a risk assessment. Nonetheless, there are many questions and variability about this topic such as uncertainties in projections of future climate, effects assessment, and how it can be an integration of all these aspects into the decision-making process. In that scope, this work de-scribes a risk assessment methodology having account the cause, effect, and consequence of extreme events in road networks to identify the major risks and therefore the assets that may be suitable to be analyzed within a selection of adaptation measures aiming at a holistic decision-making support tool.H2020 -Horizon 2020 Framework Programme(UIDB / 04029/2020

La enseñanza del pueblo Cofán : vocabulario tema aire y cielo

El objetivo del material es contribuir al proceso de revitalización de la cultura y lengua indígena Cofán al transmitir por medio del material educativo digital el vocabulari