Search results for: José Vicente H. D´Angelo

Authors: Marica Pidor-Quingco, Francis Cabatingan

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Background: One of the essential roles of a physician is to assess a patient’s worth and support them in making decisions regarding their future preferences when it comes to medical care. Advance Directives is a patient-centered approach which is liked to a better-quality treatment at the end of life. General Objective: To assess and describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of resident physicians regarding advance directive among the resident physicians in Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Study. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center. There was a total of 129 respondents who gave their consent and was given survey questionnaire containing the demographic profile, knowledge, attitude and practices. Categorical variables were presented as frequency and percentage. Chi Square Test was used to determine the association of demographic profile with knowledge and attitude. Man-Whitney U test was utilized for the association of age with knowledge and attitude. Results: Out of 129 respondents, 36.59% were in favor towards self-determination and autonomy. Majority of the revealed an adequate knowledge and positive attitude regarding advance directives. Based on the results, there were no significant correlations between sociodemographic of the residents towards to knowledge and attitude. Over 66.7% of the respondents had used Advance Directives to their patients but 25% were not comfortable about it. Though most of the respondents was able to discuss AD with their patients, 7.0% of them are not willing to open the topic to the family. Conclusion: VSMMC is a tertiary hospital which also caters Hospice, Palliative and Supportive care to the patients. One of the services offered is initiating Advance Directives which may be a factor for a positive knowledge, attitude and practices towards this topic.

Keywords: advance directives, philippines, physicians, palliative

Procedia PDF Downloads 137

Authors: Sibele A. F. Leite, Bernno S. Leite, José Vicente H. D´Angelo, Ana Teresa P. Dell’Isola, Julio CéSar Souza

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The generation of bioenergy is one of the oldest and simplest biomass applications and is one of the safest options for minimizing emissions of greenhouse gasses and replace the use of fossil fuels. In addition, the increasing development of technologies for energy biomass conversion parallel to the advancement of research in biotechnology and engineering has enabled new opportunities for exploitation of biomass. Agricultural residues offer great potential for energy use, and Brazil is in a prominent position in the production and export of agricultural products such as banana and rice. Despite the economic importance of the growth prospects of these activities and the increasing of the agricultural waste, they are rarely explored for energy and production of new materials. Brazil products almost 10.5 million tons/year of rice husk and 26.8 million tons/year of banana stem. Thereby, the aim of this study was to analysis the potential of biomass residues for energy production and applications in new materials. Rice husk (specify the type) and banana stem (specify the type) were characterized by physicochemical analyses using the following parameters: organic carbon, nitrogen (NTK), proximate analyses, FT-IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analyses (TG), calorific values and silica content. Rice husk and banana stem presented attractive superior calorific (from 11.5 to 13.7MJ/kg), and they may be compared to vegetal coal (21.25 MJ/kg). These results are due to the high organic matter content. According to the proximate analysis, biomass has high carbon content (fixed and volatile) and low moisture and ash content. In addition, data obtained by Walkley–Black method point out that most of the carbon present in the rice husk (50.5 wt%) and in banana stalk (35.5 wt%) should be understood as organic carbon (readily oxidizable). Organic matter was also detected by Kjeldahl method which gives the values of nitrogen (especially on the organic form) for both residues: 3.8 and 4.7 g/kg of rice husk and banana stem respectively. TG and DSC analyses support the previous results, as they can provide information about the thermal stability of the samples allowing a correlation between thermal behavior and chemical composition. According to the thermogravimetric curves, there were two main stages of mass-losses. The first and smaller one occurred below 100 °C, which was suitable for water losses and the second event occurred between 200 and 500 °C which indicates decomposition of the organic matter. At this broad peak, the main loss was between 250-350 °C, and it is because of sugar decomposition (components readily oxidizable). Above 350 °C, mass loss of the biomass may be associated with lignin decomposition. Spectroscopic characterization just provided qualitative information about the organic matter, but spectra have shown absorption bands around 1030 cm-1 which may be identified as species containing silicon. This result is expected for the rice husk and deserves further investigation to the stalk of banana, as it can bring a different perspective for this biomass residue.

Keywords: rice husk, banana stem, bioenergy, renewable feedstock

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Authors: Jose Carlos Montemayor, Kendrick Thomas Angelo Santos

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Filipinos have been divided on President Rodrigo Duterte’s leadership ever since his election in 2016. This study aimed to gain a thorough, in-depth understanding of the opinions of Filipinos from different age and income brackets on these issues in order to address the lack of studies analysing the current Philippine political landscape. An interview tackling relevant national issues were conducted with twelve respondents from the intersections of four age groups and three income brackets. The government’s handling of some issues received mixed opinions, some had neutral viewpoints, while others had more unfavorable ones. The responses differed on three levels: (1) the general stance on an issue; (2) the strength of a stance; and (3) the factoring in of an issue in forming an overall perception on the administration’s performance. Contrary to previous studies on political thought, opinions varied greatly such that no unique set of viewpoints could be attributed to any of the defined age or income groups. These results will be most useful to political science researchers, political analysts, and candidates shaping their platforms for the upcoming elections. Future studies are recommended to tackle more national issues and to consider other factors that may affect political opinions and behavior.

Keywords: age groups, opinion formation, socioeconomic brackets, Philippine politics, Rodrigo Duterte

Procedia PDF Downloads 139

Authors: José Neves, M. Rosário Martins, Fátima Candeias, Diana Ferreira, Sílvia Arantes, Júlio Cruz-Morais, Guida Gomes, Joaquim Macedo, António Abelha, Henrique Vicente

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Some plants of genus Schinus have been used in the folk medicine as topical antiseptic, digestive, purgative, diuretic, analgesic or antidepressant, and also for respiratory and urinary infections. Chemical composition of essential oils of S. molle and S. terebinthifolius had been evaluated and presented high variability according with the part of the plant studied and with the geographic and climatic regions. The pharmacological properties, namely antimicrobial, anti-tumoural and anti-inflammatory activities are conditioned by chemical composition of essential oils. Taking into account the difficulty to infer the pharmacological properties of Schinus essential oils without hard experimental approach, this work will focus on the development of a decision support system, in terms of its knowledge representation and reasoning procedures, under a formal framework based on Logic Programming, complemented with an approach to computing centered on Artificial Neural Networks and the respective Degree-of-Confidence that one has on such an occurrence.

Keywords: artificial neuronal networks, essential oils, knowledge representation and reasoning, logic programming, Schinus molle L., Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi

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Authors: José Eugenio Ortiz, Pierre Plaza, Josefa Herrero, Iván Cabria, José Luis Blanco, Javier Gavilanes, José Ignacio Escavy, Ignacio López-Cilla, Virginia Yagüe, César Pérez, Silvia Rodríguez, Jorge Rico, Cecilia Serrano, Jesús Bernat

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The development of Artificial Intelligence services in mining processes, specifically in aggregate quarries, is facilitating automation and improving numerous aspects of operations. Ultimately, AI is transforming the mining industry by improving efficiency, safety and sustainability. With the ability to analyze large amounts of data and make autonomous decisions, AI offers great opportunities to optimize mining operations and maximize the economic and social benefits of this vital industry. Within the framework of the European DIGIECOQUARRY project, various services were developed for the identification of material quality, production estimation, detection of anomalies and prediction of consumption and production automatically with good results.

Keywords: aggregates, artificial intelligence, automatization, mining operations

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Authors: L. C. Ansanelli, P. Alfredini

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The article presents the evaluation of the effectiveness of two groins located at Gonzaguinha and Milionários Beaches, situated on the southeast coast of Brazil. The effectiveness of these coastal defense structures is evaluated in terms of sedimentary dynamics, which is one of the most important environmental processes to be assessed in coastal engineering studies. The applied method is based on the implementation of the Delft3D numerical model system tools. Delft3D-WAVE module was used for waves modelling, Delft3D-FLOW for hydrodynamic modelling and Delft3D-SED for sediment transport modelling. The calibration of the models was carried out in a way that the simulations adequately represent the region studied, evaluating improvements in the model elements with the use of statistical comparisons of similarity between the results and waves, currents and tides data recorded in the study area. Analysis of the maximum wave heights was carried to select the months with higher accumulated energy to implement these conditions in the engineering scenarios. The engineering studies were performed for two scenarios: 1) numerical simulation of the area considering only the two existing groins; 2) conception of breakwaters coupled at the ends of the existing groins, resulting in two “T” shaped structures. The sediment model showed that, for the simulated period, the area is affected by erosive processes and that the existing groins have little effectiveness in defending the coast in question. The implemented T structures showed some effectiveness in protecting the beaches against erosion and provided the recovery of the portion directly covered by it on the Milionários Beach. In order to complement this study, it is suggested the conception of further engineering scenarios that might recover other areas of the studied region.

Keywords: coastal engineering, coastal erosion, Sao Vicente bay, Delft3D, coastal engineering works

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Authors: Taras Agryzkov, Almudena Nolasco-Cirugeda, Jose L. Oliver, Leticia Serrano-Estrada, Leandro Tortosa, Jose F. Vicent

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This paper aims to represent the commercial activity of a city taking as source data the social network Foursquare. The city of Murcia is selected as case study, and the location-based social network Foursquare is the main source of information. After carrying out a reorganisation of the user-generated data extracted from Foursquare, it is possible to graphically display on a map the various city spaces and venues –especially those related to commercial, food and entertainment sector businesses. The obtained visualisation provides information about activity patterns in the city of Murcia according to the people`s interests and preferences and, moreover, interesting facts about certain characteristics of the town itself.

Keywords: social networks, spatial analysis, data visualization, geocomputation, Foursquare

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Authors: Mariana Mangas, Yaroslava Martins, Ana Charraz, Ana Matos Pires

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Introduction: Health literacy empowers people of knowledge, motivation and skills to access, understand, evaluate and mobilize information relating to health. Although the benefits of public knowledge of physical disease are widely accepted, knowledge about mental disorder has been compatibly neglected. Nowadays there is considerably evidence that literacy is of great importance for the promotion of health and prevention of mental illness. Objective: Disclosure the concept and importance of mental health literacy and introduce the literacy program of Psychiatry Service of Hospital José Joaquim Fernandes. Methodology: A search was conducted on PubMed, using keywords “literacy” and “mental health”. A description of mental health literacy interventions implemented on Psychiatry Service of Hospital José Joaquim Fernandes was performed, namely, psychoeducation programs for depression and bipolar disorder. Results and discussion: Health literacy enables patient to be able to actively participate in his treatment. The improving of mental health literacy can promote early identification of mental disorders, improve treatment results, increase the use of health services and allow the community to take action to achieve better mental health. Psychoeducation is very useful in improving the course of disease and in reducing the number of episodes and hospitalizations. Bipolar patients who received psychoeducation and pharmacotherapy have no relapses during the program and last year. Conclusion: Mental health literacy is not simply a matter of having knowledge, rather, it is knowledge linked to action which can benefit mental health.

Keywords: mental health, literacy, psychoeducation, knowledge, empowerment

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Authors: Jose L. Oliver, Taras Agryzkov, Leandro Tortosa, Jose F. Vicent, Javier Santacruz

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This paper aims to demonstrate how a topological study of an urban street network can be used as a tool to be applied to some heritage conservation areas in a city. In the last decades, we find different kinds of approaches in the discipline of Architecture and Urbanism based in the so-called Sciences of Complexity. In this context, this paper uses mathematics from the Network Theory. Hence, it proposes a methodology based in obtaining information from a graph, which is created from a network of urban streets. Then, it is used an algorithm that establishes a ranking of importance of the nodes of that network, from its topological point of view. The results are applied to a heritage area in a particular city, confronting the data obtained from the mathematical model, with the ones from the field work in the case study. As a result of this process, we may conclude the necessity of implementing some actions in the area, and where those actions would be more effective for the whole heritage site.

Keywords: graphs, heritage cities, spatial analysis, urban networks

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Authors: Diego Saqui, José H. Saito, José R. Campos, Lúcio A. de C. Jorge

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Hyperspectral images and remote sensing are important for many applications. A problem in the use of these images is the high volume of data to be processed, stored and transferred. Dimensionality reduction techniques can be used to reduce the volume of data. In this paper, an approach to band selection based on clustering algorithms is presented. This approach allows to reduce the volume of data. The proposed structure is based on Fuzzy C-Means (or K-Means) and NWHFC algorithms. New attributes in relation to other studies in the literature, such as kurtosis and low correlation, are also considered. A comparison of the results of the approach using the Fuzzy C-Means and K-Means with different attributes is performed. The use of both algorithms show similar good results but, particularly when used attributes variance and kurtosis in the clustering process, however applicable in hyperspectral images.

Keywords: band selection, fuzzy c-means, k-means, hyperspectral image

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Authors: Julio Vicente Cateia

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This paper aims to assess the role of informality and trade facilitation on the export probability of Guinea-Bissau. We include informality in the Féchet function, which gives the expression for the country's supply probability. We find that Guinea-Bissau is about 7.2% less likely to export due to the 1% increase in informality. The export's probability increases by about 1.7%, 4%, and 1.1% due to a 1% increase in trade facilitation, R&D stock, and year of education. These results are significant at the usual levels. We suggest a development agenda aimed at reducing the level of informality in this country.

Keywords: development, trade, informality, trade facilitation, economy of Guinea-Bissau

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Authors: Ivan Traina, Luigi Sangalli, Fabio Tognon, Angelo Lascioli

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Currently, challenges regarding preschooler children are mainly focused on a sedentary lifestyle. Also, motor activity in infancy is seen as a tool for the separate acquisition of cognitive and socio-emotional skills rather than considering neuromotor development as a tool for improving learning abilities. The paper utilized an observational research method to shed light on the results of practicing neuromotor exercises in preschool children with disability as well as provide implications for practice.

Keywords: children with disability, learning abilities, inclusion, neuromotor development

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Authors: Angelo I. Aquino, Luis Ma. T. Bo-ot

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We use the Homotopy Analysis Method (HAM) to solve the system of equations modeling the two-level system and extract results which will pinpoint to turbulent behavior. We look at multi-valued solutions as indicative of turbulence or turbulent-like behavior. We take dierent specic cases which result in multi-valued velocities. The solutions are in series form and application of HAM ensures convergence in some region.

Keywords: multivalued solutions, homotopy analysis method, two-level system, equation

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Authors: Julio Vicente Cateia

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This study aims to analyze the economic impacts of infrastructure investment in Africa, focusing on the Guinea-Bissau economy. Through a dynamic CGE model, we find that the natural resource revenues (or aid)-funded infrastructure investments generate externalities that increase factor returns. The private investment improvements propagate externalities effects on GDP and job opportunities outcomes. Household income and consumption were positively impacted, though the poorer benefited the most. The income inequality has reduced. However, funding by the mix of debt and direct taxes produces opposite effects. We suggest a potential pro-poor growth agenda in Africa.

Keywords: infrastructure investment, poverty alleviation, CGE modeling, African economies, applied economics

Procedia PDF Downloads 139

Authors: Soroush Pakniyat-Jahromi, Jessica Bucciarelli, Souparno Mitra, Neda Motamedi, Ralph Amazan, Samuel Rothman, Jose Tiburcio, Douglas Reich, Vicente Liz

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Violence is defined as an act of physical force that is intended to cause harm and may lead to physical and/or psychological damage. Violence toward healthcare workers (HCWs) is more common in psychiatric settings, emergency departments, and nursing homes; however, healthcare workers in medical setting are not spared from such events. Workplace violence has a huge burden in the healthcare industry and has a major impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of staff. The purpose of this study is to compare the prevalence of patient agitation and violence in medical-surgical settings in BronxCare Hospital (BCH) Bronx, New York, one year before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection occurred between June 2021 and August 2021, while the sampling time was from 2019 to 2021. The data were separated into two separate time categories: pre-COVID-19 (03/2019-03/2020) and COVID-19 (03/2020-03/2021). We created frequency tables for 19 variables. We used a chi-square test to determine a variable's statistical significance. We tested all variables against “restraint type”, determining if a patient was violent or became violent enough to restrain. The restraint types were “chemical”, “physical”, or both. This analysis was also used to determine if there was a statistical difference between the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 timeframes. Our data shows that there was an increase in incidents of violence in COVID-19 era (03/2020-03/2021), with total of 194 (62.8%) reported events, compared to pre COVID-19 era (03/2019-03/2020) with 115 (37.2%) events (p: 0.01). Our final analysis, completed using a chi-square test, determined the difference in violence in patients between pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 era. We then tested the violence marker against restraint type. The result was statistically significant (p: 0.01). This is the first paper to systematically review the prevalence of violence in medical-surgical units in a hospital in New York, pre COVID-19 and during the COVID-19 era. Our data is in line with the global trend of increased prevalence of patient agitation and violence in medical settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Violence and its management is a challenge in healthcare settings, and the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to bear a complexity of circumstances, which may have increased its incidence. It is important to identify and teach healthcare workers the best preventive approaches in dealing with patient agitation, to decrease the number of restraints in medical settings, and to create a less restrictive environment to deliver care.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, patient agitation, restraints, violence

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Authors: Malvina Hoxha, Valerie Capra, Carola Buccellati, Angelo Sala, Clara Cena, Roberta Fruttero, Massimo Bertinaria, G. Enrico Rovati

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Today COXIBs are used in the treatment of arthritis and many other painful conditions in selected patients with high gastrointestinal risk and low CV risk. Previously we found a new mechanism of action of a traditional NSAID (diclofenac) and a COXIB (lumiracoxib) that possess weak competitive antagonism at the TP receptor. We hypothesize that modifying the structure of a known specific inhibitor of cyclooxygenase-2 (COXIB), so that it becomes also a more potent thromboxane antagonist will preserve the anti-inflammatory and gastrointestinal safety typical of COXIBs and prevent the cardiovascular risk associated with long term therapy.

Keywords: cyclooxygenase, inflammation, lumiracoxib, thromboxane A2

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Authors: Olga Blasco-Blasco, Vicente Liern

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The development of tourism since the mid-20th century has raised problems of overcrowding, indiscriminate construction in seaside areas and gentrification. Increasingly, the World Tourism Organisation and public institutions are promoting policies that encourage sustainability. From the perspective of sustainability, three types of tourism can be established: traditional tourism, sustainable tourism and sustainable impact tourism. Measuring sustainability is complex due to its multiple dimensions of different relative importance and diversity in nature. In order to try to answer this problem and to identify the benefits of applying policies that promote sustainable tourism, a decision-making analysis will be carried out through the application of a multicriteria analysis method. The proposal is applied to hotel reservations and to the evaluation and management of tourism sustainability in the Spanish Autonomous Communities.

Keywords: sustainable tourism, multicriteria analysis, flexible optimization, composite indicators

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Authors: Gerald S. Atchaso, Erwin L. Purcia, Angelo B. Velarde

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The study attempts to analyze and evaluate Gloc-9’s “Sirena” through Queer Critical Reading approach, which underscores that there exists sexual orientation fluidity within the LGBTQ+ spectrum. With this, the researchers found out that there is a need to oppugn stereotypes within and outside the spectrum, and there exist intrinsic and extrinsic struggles of people in the spectrum as deduced in the literary piece through identifying the characters’ sexual identities shaped and formed as exemplified in the literary piece, determining the prejudices that exist about the main character's sexuality, and distinctively demystifying the social forces or constructs that identify sexual identity.

Keywords: literature, LGBTQ+, spectrum, sexual orientation, queer critical reading

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Authors: Giovanni Gonzalez Araujo, Michael Kyrilov, Angelo Kyrilov

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STEAMplug is a web-based innovative educational platform which makes teaching easier and learning more effective. It requires no setup, eliminating the barriers to entry, allowing students to focus on their learning throughreal-world development environments. The student-centric tools enable easy collaboration between peers and teachers. Analyzing user interactions with the system enables us to predict student performance and identify at-risk students, allowing early instructor intervention.

Keywords: plagiarism detection, identifying at-Risk Students, education technology, e-learning system, collaborative development, learning and teaching with technology

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Authors: Isabela Romanha de Alcantara, Jose Eustaquio Ribeiro Vieira Filho, Jose Garcia Gasques

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Innovation and technology can be determinant factors to ensure agricultural and sustainable growth, as well as productivity gains. Technical change has contributed considerably to supply agricultural expansion in Brazil. This agricultural growth could be achieved by incorporating more land or capital. If capital is the main source of agricultural growth, it is possible to increase production per unit of land. The objective of this paper is to estimate: 1) total factor productivity (TFP), which is measured in terms of the rate of output per unit of input; and 2) the land-saving effect (LSE) that is the amount of land required in the case that yield rate is constant over time. According to this study, from 1990 to 2019, it appears that 87 percent of Brazilian agriculture product growth comes from the gains of productivity; the rest of 13 percent comes from input growth. In the same period, the total LSE was roughly 400 Mha, which corresponds to 47 percent of the national territory. These effects reflect the greater efficiency of using productive factors, whose technical change has allowed an increase in agricultural production based on productivity gains.

Keywords: agriculture, land-saving effect, livestock, productivity

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Authors: Barby Jennette A. Florano

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Dietary intake has been associated with the health and wellbeing of adults, and lifestyle related diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate whether nutrition knowledge, food label use, and food preference are associated with the dietary intake in a sample of San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan (SJDM) adults. A sample of 148 adults, with a mean age of 20 years, completed a validated questionnaire related to their demographic, dietary intake, nutrition knowledge, food label use and food preference. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and there was no association between dietary intake and nutrition knowledge. However, there were positive relationships between dietary intake and food label use (r=0.1276, p<0.10), and dietary intake and food preference (r=0.1070, p<0.10). SJDM adults who use food label and have extensive food preference had better diet quality. This finding magnifies the role of nutrition education as a potential tool in health campaigns to promote healthy eating patterns and reading food labels among students and adults. Results of this study can give information for the design of future nutrition education intervention studies to assess the efficacy of nutrition knowledge and food label use among a similar sample population.

Keywords: dietary intake, nutrition knowledge, food preference, food label use

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Authors: Angelo Thurairajah

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Sufficient ultimate deformation is necessary to demonstrate the member ductility, which is dependent on the section and the material ductility. The concrete cracking phase of softening prior to the plastic hinge formation is an essential feature as well. The nature of the overload behaviour is studied using the order of the ultimate deflection. The ultimate deflection is primarily dependent on the slenderness (span to depth ratio), the ductility of the reinforcing steel, the degree of moment redistribution, the type of loading, and the support conditions. The ultimate deflection and the degree of moment redistribution from the analytical study are in good agreement with the experimental results and the moment redistribution provisions of the Australian Standards AS3600 Concrete Structures Code.

Keywords: ductility, softening, ultimate deflection, overload behaviour, moment redistribution

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Authors: Diego Sánchez, Sandra M. Aguilar, José F. Gómez, Gustavo Montaño, Laura P. Otero, Carlos V. Rey, José A. Martínez, Juliana Robles, Jorge E. Burgos, Juan S. López

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Bogota is making efforts towards urban resilience through Nature-based Solutions (NbS) incorporation in public projects as a climate change resilience strategy. The urban renovation project on the Alhambra square includes Green Infrastructure (GI), like Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) and Urban Trees (UT), as ecosystem services (ES) boosters. This study analyzes 3 scenarios: (1) the initial situation without NbS, (2) the expected situation including NbS in the design and (3) the projection of the second one after 30 years, calculating the ecosystem services, the stormwater management benefits provided by SUDS and the cultural services. The obtained results contribute to the understanding of the urban NbS benefits in public spaces, providing valuable information to foster investment in sustainable projects and encouraging policy makers to integrate NbS in urban planning.

Keywords: ecosystem services, nature-based solutions, stormwater management, sustainable urban drainage systems

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Authors: Taras Agryzkov, Jose L. Oliver, Leandro Tortosa, Jose Vicent

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This paper aims to demonstrate how network models can be used to understand and to deal with some aspects of urban complexity. As it is well known, the Theory of Architecture and Urbanism has been using for decades’ intellectual tools based on the ‘sciences of complexity’ as a strategy to propose theoretical approaches about cities and about architecture. In this sense, it is possible to find a vast literature in which for instance network theory is used as an instrument to understand very diverse questions about cities: from their commercial activity to their heritage condition. The contribution of this research consists in adding one step of complexity to this process: instead of working with one single primal graph as it is usually done, we will show how new network models arise from the consideration of two different primal graphs interacting in two layers. When we model an urban network through a mathematical structure like a graph, the city is usually represented by a set of nodes and edges that reproduce its topology, with the data generated or extracted from the city embedded in it. All this information is normally displayed in a single layer. Here, we propose to separate the information in two layers so that we can evaluate the interaction between them. Besides, both layers may be composed of structures that do not have to coincide: from this bi-layer system, groups of interactions emerge, suggesting reflections and in consequence, possible actions.

Keywords: graphs, mathematics, networks, urban studies

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Authors: Cezarina da Conceição Santinho Maurício, José Duque Vicente

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Established in 1987, the Erasmus Programme is a program for the exchange of higher education students. Its purposes are several. The mobility developed has contributed to the promotion of multiple learning, the internalization the feeling of belonging to a community, and the consolidation of cooperation between entities or universities. It also allows the experience of a European experience, considering multilingualism one of the bases of the European project and vehicle to achieve the union in diversity. The program has progressed and introduced changes Erasmus+ currently offers a wide range of opportunities for higher education, vocational education and training, school education, adult education, youth, and sport. These opportunities are open to students and other stakeholders, such as teachers. Portugal was one of the countries that readily adhered to this program, assuming itself as an instrument of internationalization of polytechnic and university higher education. Students and social work teachers have been involved in this mobility of learning and multicultural interactions. The presence and activation of this program was made possible by Portugal's joining the European Union. This event was reflected in the field of portuguese social work and contributes to its approach to the reality of european social work. Historically, the Portuguese social work has built a close connection with the Latin American world and, in particular, with Brazil. There are several examples that can be identified in the different historical stages. This is the case of the post-revolution period of 1974 and the presence of the reconceptualization movement, the struggle for enrollment in the higher education circuit, the process of winning a bachelor's degree, and postgraduate training (the first doctorates of social work were carried out in Brazilian universities). This influence is also found in the scope of the authors and the theoretical references used. This study examines the participation of graduates and students of social work in the Erasmus program. The following specific goals were outlined: to identify the host countries and universities; to investigate the dimension and type of mobility made, understand the learning and experiences acquired, identify the difficulties felt, capture their perspectives on social work and the contribution of this experience in training. In the methodological field, the option fell on a qualitative methodology, with the application of semi-structured interviews to graduates and students of social work with Erasmus mobility experience. Once the graduates agreed, the interviews were recorded and transcribed, analyzed according to the previously defined analysis categories. The findings emphasize the importance of this experience for students and graduates in informal and formal learning. The authors conclude with recommendations to reinforce this mobility, either at the individual level or as a project built for the group or collective.

Keywords: erasmus programme, graduates and students of social work, participation, social work

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Authors: Sérgio Afonso Mulema, Andrés Carrión García, Vicente Ernesto

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This paper analyses the effect of fertilizer (organic and inorganic) in the growth of tilapia. An experiment was implemented in the Aquapesca Company of Mozambique; there were considered four different treatments. Each type of fertilizer was applied in two of these treatments; a feed was supplied to the third treatment, and the fourth was taken as control. The weight and length of the tilapia were used as the growth parameters, and to measure the water quality, the physical-chemical parameters were registered. The results show that the weight and length were different for tilapias cultivated in different treatments. These differences were evidenced mainly by organic and feed treatments, where there was the largest and smallest value of these parameters, respectively. In order to prove that these differences were caused only by applied treatment without interference for the aquatic environment, a Fisher discriminant analysis was applied, which confirmed that the treatments were exposed to the same environment condition.

Keywords: fertilizer, tilapia, growth, statistical methods

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Authors: Francisco José Plácido da Cunha, Tassio Ferenzini Martins Sirqueira, Marx Leles Viana, Carlos José Pereira de Lucena

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Open Multiagent Systems (MASs) are societies in which heterogeneous and independently designed entities (agents) work towards similar, or different ends. Software agents are autonomous and the diversity of interests among different members living in the same society is a fact. In order to deal with this autonomy, these open systems use mechanisms of social control (norms) to ensure a desirable social order. This paper considers the following types of norms: (i) obligation — agents must accomplish a specific outcome; (ii) permission — agents may act in a particular way, and (iii) prohibition — agents must not act in a specific way. All of these characteristics mean to encourage the fulfillment of norms through rewards and to discourage norm violation by pointing out the punishments. Once the software agent decides that its priority is the satisfaction of its own desires and goals, each agent must evaluate the effects associated to the fulfillment of one or more norms before choosing which one should be fulfilled. The same applies when agents decide to violate a norm. This paper also introduces a framework for the development of MASs that provide support mechanisms to the agent’s decision-making, using norm-based reasoning. The applicability and validation of this approach is demonstrated applying a traffic intersection scenario.

Keywords: BDI agent, BDI4JADE framework, multiagent systems, normative agents

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Authors: Carlos Roberto Valêncio, Fábio Renato de Almeida, Thatiane Kawabata, Leandro Alves Neves, Julio Cesar Momente, Mario Luiz Tronco, Angelo Cesar Colombini

Abstract:

By running transactions under the Snapshot isolation we can achieve a good level of concurrency, specially in databases with high-intensive read workloads. However, Snapshot is not immune to all the problems that arise from competing transactions and therefore no serialization warranty exists. We propose in this paper a technique to obtain data consistency with Snapshot by using some special triggers that we named Daemon Triggers. Besides keeping the benefits of the Snapshot isolation, the technique is specially useful for those database systems that do not have an isolation level that ensures serializability, like Firebird and Oracle. We describe all the anomalies that might arise when using the Snapshot isolation and show how to preclude them with Daemon Triggers. Based on the methodology presented here, it is also proposed the creation of a new isolation level: Daemon Snapshot.

Keywords: data consistency, serialization, snapshot, isolation

Procedia PDF Downloads 330

Authors: Agryzkov Taras, Oliver Jose L., Tortosa Leandro, Vicent Jose

Abstract:

This paper aims to demonstrate how the consideration of cities as a special kind of complex network, called urban network, may lead to the use of design tools coming from network theories which, in fact, results in a quite sustainable approach. There is no doubt that the irruption in contemporary thought of Gaia as an essential political agent proposes a narrative that has been extended to the field of creative processes in which, of course, the activity of Urban Design is found. The rationalist paradigm is put in crisis, and from the so-called sciences of complexity, its way of describing reality and of intervening in it is questioned. Thus, a new way of understanding reality surges, which has to do with a redefinition of the human being's own place in what is now understood as a delicate and complex network. In this sense, we know that in these systems of connected and interdependent elements, the influences generated by them originate emergent properties and behaviors for the whole that, individually studied, would not make sense. We believe that the design of cities cannot remain oblivious to these principles, and therefore this research aims to demonstrate the potential that they have for decision-making in the urban environment. Thus, we will see an example of action in the field of public mobility, another example in the design of commercial areas, and a third example in the field of redensification of sprawl areas, in which different aspects of network theory have been applied to change the urban design. We think that even though these actions have been developed in European cities, and more specifically in the Mediterranean area in Spain, the reflections and tools could have a broader scope of action.

Keywords: graphs, complexity sciences, urban networks, urban design

Procedia PDF Downloads 156

Authors: Victoriano Valencia García, Luis Usero Aragonés, Eugenio J. Fernández Vicente

Abstract:

Nowadays, the successful implementation of ICTs is vital for almost any kind of organization. Good governance and ICT management are essential for delivering value, managing technological risks, managing resources and performance measurement. In addition, outsourcing is a strategic IT service solution which complements IT services provided internally in organizations. This paper proposes the measurement tools of a new holistic maturity model based on standards ISO/IEC 20000 and ISO/IEC 38500, and the frameworks and best practices of ITIL and COBIT, with a specific focus on IT outsourcing. These measurement tools allow independent validation and practical application in the field of higher education, using a questionnaire, metrics tables, and continuous improvement plan tables as part of the measurement process. Guidelines and standards are proposed in the model for facilitating adaptation to universities and achieving excellence in the outsourcing of IT services.

Keywords: IT governance, IT management, IT services, outsourcing, maturity model, measurement tools

Procedia PDF Downloads 593