Search

The effect of non-pharmacological interventions to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 have caused negative impacts, especially in education. Re-opening schools and universities is regarded as a high risk scenario. This paper seeks to understand, with the help of mathematical modeling, possible mechanisms through which the virus could spread in an academic environment and to quantify contagions attributable to participating in academic activities. To simulate the dynamics of contagion at the University, an agent-based mathematical model that incorporated stochastic differential equations was built using academic data for the University's 2020-2 semester. The model suggests that hybrid-attendance combined with epidemiological surveillance can produce very safe operating conditions without significantly contributing towards more COVID infections in the city of Bogotá. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current demand of Bogota's BRT system (TransMilenio) is causing critical overcrowding throughout the system, particularly in bus stations. The behaviour of individual passengers in such stations is simplistic, yet the resulting crowd dynamics are complex, as the majority of regular users of the system may attest. Discrete models such as cellular automata have proved helpful in simulating simplistic-local vs. complex-global behaviour in similar contexts. Thus, the aim of this study is to characterise a cellular automata model of a TransMilenio station that may serve as a tool to help us better understanding these dynamics, and also as a test-bed for the proposal of mitigation strategies. The paper describes representations and algorithmic aspects of the model and presents preliminary simulations that demonstrate the feasibility of the discussed considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is the development of an accessibility estimation method as a transport policy assessment tool based on the state of the art of the accessibility concept and measurement techniques, and available information directly related to socioeconomic data, transport demand and supply characteristics for specific areas of Bogotá. Study areas and indicators are defined in order to determine relevant relationships between transport and access to opportunities for individuals with specific socioeconomic characteristics and present mobility conditions. In addition, evaluation of restricted travel budgets scenarios defined both by the standard transport theory and individuals is performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing countries, lack of sanitation coverage and continuously growing populations are increasing the pressures on receiving waters. In the context of Bogotá (Colombia), this paper presents an overview of earlier, recent and ongoing research towards improved management of urban drainage systems using an integrated modeling framework. Research results have shown that there is a need to assess the urban drainage system as one entity, when considering pollution control objectives, and optimum management and operation. This holistic approach offers an opportunity to investigate the interactions among sub-systems and the impact of the whole system on the river water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic growth in Bogota and its region will produce important changes in urban development and mobility. Increases in private vehicle ownership in the next decades will contribute to urban sprawl and car dependency in a development pattern similar to the one lived by North American cities. This paper underlines the policy and strategy to be adopted by Bogota District in order to prevent a path of non-sustainable development, promote a more inclusive city and an efficient integration with the Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofuels constitute an important alternative for the current national and worldwide energy demand. The main goal of this paper is to summarize the recent contributions of Universidad de los Andes for the development of technologies related to its production. Such efforts have been conveyed to the use of sub products like oil palm empty-fruit-bunch or domestic solid waste for ethanol production, hydrogen production and liquid fuels through anaerobic digestion and waste pyrolysis respectively, and biodiesel by fatty acids esterification. Generally, the limitations of these technologies stand on discovering adequate catalysts either from biological or chemical origin, finding optimum reaction conditions (temperature, pressure and reactive systems) accounting yield and selectivity and, finally, feedstock selection from an economical perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the first part of this paper the basics of the estimation of the stochastic production function is discussed. In the second part an application of the former is presented aimed at the hierarquization of the educational institutions which depend of the District of Bogotá, according to a measure of the technical efficiency --using inputs to maximize the output. For the present, a Cobb-Douglas production function is assumed with a symmetric noise and a semi-normal efficiency perturbations. Using maximum likelihood the parameters are obtained and the efficiency for each institution is calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of virtual media as a support to formal higher education requires a methodology able to support the teacher's specific educative needs and the pedagogical requirements of diverse subjects and knowledge areas. This paper presents the methodology used on the construction of Learning Virtual Environments as a complement to the face to face activities of ten different disciplines courses on the Universidad de los Andes, at Bogotá (Colombia). The procedure and balance of this methodology are part of the reflection contained in this document. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]