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Mold deterioration of historical documents in archives and libraries is a frequent and complex phenomenon that may have important economic and cultural consequences. In addition, exposure to toxic fungal metabolites might produce health problems. In this work, samples of broths of fungal species isolated from the documentary material and from indoor environmental samples of the Archive of Bogotá have been analyzed to investigate the presence of mycotoxins. High resolution mass spectrometry made possible to search for a large number of mycotoxins, even without reference standards available at the laboratory. For this purpose, a screening strategy based on ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC–QTOF MS) under MS E mode was applied. A customized home-made database containing elemental composition for around 600 mycotoxins was compiled. The presence of the (de)protonated molecule measured at its accurate mass was evaluated in the samples. When a peak was detected, collision induced dissociation fragments and characteristic isotopic ions were also evaluated and used for tentative identification, based on structure compatibility and comparison with literature data (if existing). Up to 44 mycotoxins were tentatively identified by UHPLC–QTOF MS. 34 of these tentative compounds were confirmed by subsequent analysis using a targeted LC–MS/MS method, supporting the strong potential of QTOF MS for identification/elucidation purposes. The presence of mycotoxins in these samples might help to reinforce safety measures for researchers and staff who work on reception, restoration and conservation of archival material, not only at the Archive of Bogotá but worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Urban Studies (Sage Publications, Ltd.) is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Young adults aged 18–28 represent a pivotal demographic whose experiences of inequality significantly shape their life trajectories in cities. Despite their potential for innovation and social advancement, public agendas often marginalize their needs and aspirations. This paper explores urban inequality among young adults by examining how they define and value different aspects of their daily lives when urban inequality is at play. Drawing on focus group discussions in two socioeconomically segregated urban districts in Bogotá, this paper employs the capability approach to construct a comprehensive list of 15 capability domains that young adults use to define and value their daily experiences. The paper adds to the existing literature a detail a step-by-step process involving the identification, selection, and ranking of relevant capabilities, with young adults actively engaged in value judgements through a deliberative process of public reasoning. Findings reveal that quality-of-life domains for young adults extend beyond traditional youth policy sectors, encompassing political participation, public space and mobility, social norms, and independence. The results not only expand the scope of existing youth agendas but also align with demands expressed during recent social unrest in Colombia and the region, where young adults have played a central and vocal role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the prevalence of conflict and fragility continue to rise around the world, research is increasingly heralded as a solution. However, current ethical guidelines for working in areas suffering from institutional and social fragility, insecurity or violent conflict have been heavily critiqued as highly abstract; focussed only on data collection; detached from the realities of academia in the Global South; and potentially extractive. This article seeks to respond to that assessment by spotlighting some of the most prevalent challenges researchers face in the pursuit of ethical working practices. It explores the material and epistemic injustices that often shape and underpin research structures and relationships in these contexts. The paper draws on the authors' experiences of research in conflict-affected and fragile contexts over the last fifteen years and on workshop discussions with researchers based in fragile and conflict-affected contexts conducted in Amman, Bogotá and Dhaka in 2019-2020. The paper works from the premise that achieving ethical research in fragile spaces is not dependent solely on activity at the site of research, but also on decisions made across the entire ecosystem of a research project. It therefore interrogates the full research landscape, from funding models, to research design (including research topics, partnerships, methods, participant selection, and researcher positionality), to dissemination plans and ethical gatekeeping. The paper critically reflects on inequities in the processes of knowledge production about conflict and fragility and the key ethical challenges that researchers encounter. It highlights the need for further guidance, support and accountability to ensure ethical research practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista U.D.C.A Actualidad & Divulgación Científica is the property of Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales U.D.C.A and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Using a combination of discourse analysis in policy documents and ethnographic fieldwork, this paper interrogates the relation between Colombia's pluri-ethnic turn and the governance of cosmopolitan multiculturalism in the capital city, Bogotá. Focussing on the city's most important development framework, the POT (Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial), it reveals the controversy that exists between the multicultural discourses of the public administration (rooted in claims of ethno-racial equality and Affirmative Action) and their operationalisation in urban planning. In doing so, the paper conceptualises the urban governmentality of multiculturalism as the apparatus through which the municipality has been removing anti-racism and a race-informed understanding of socio-spatial dynamics from Bogotá's official agenda of 'cosmopolitan multiculturalism'. By drawing on Latin American racial theories of mestizaje, the paper thus extends the understanding of how neoliberal urban governance, while celebrating cultural diversity, denies the racialisation of space in the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schedule conformance depends on construction activities starting and finishing on time. However, construction activities are often delayed because construction flows necessary to start their execution are unavailable. Construction flows can be classified into: labor, equipment, workspace, materials, precedence, information, and external. Current construction models do not formally represent, measure, and track all flow types. Hence, field managers lack formal methods for managing flows and instead rely on their intuition and experience managing them. This paper presents a construction model based on activities and flows called the activity–flow model (AFM). The AFM formally represents the activities, the flows, and their interactions. The AFM was validated prospectively through its implementation on three building projects that were in different phases (foundations, core and shell, and finishing), at different geographic locations (Bogota, Copenhagen, and Lima), and used different planning and control methods (master schedule and weekly planning, last planner system, and location-based management system). The AFM was able to represent all the activities and flows in the test projects, track variations of activities and flows, and quantify activity and flow variability. Field managers can use the metrics enabled by the AFM to plan and control the project. Such proactive flow management can help field managers improve flow readiness, which should reduce activity delays and improve schedule conformance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study was to develop and test the effects of a field math intervention program on both number and geometry knowledge. The intervention was developed based on three basic skills previously associated with mathematical performance: symbolic number knowledge, mapping processes and spatial reasoning. The participants were 117 preschoolers from six schools in Cali and Bogotá. The children were assigned to an intervention group (N = 55) or a control group (N = 62). The intervention lasted 11 weeks with 3 sessions per week where the children participated in different game-based activities. Tests of numerical and geometric knowledge were administered before and after the intervention. The effects of the intervention were tested twice, immediately after the program ended and six months later. The results show that the children in the intervention group improved more than the control group in both number and geometry. The second posttest revealed a significant intervention effect for geometry, but not for numerical knowledge. The implications of these mixed patterns of results are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many countries, real estate appraisal is based on conventional methods that rely on appraisers' abilities to collect data, interpret it and model the price of a real estate property. With the increasing use of real estate online platforms and the large amount of information found therein, there exists the possibility of overcoming many drawbacks of conventional pricing models such as subjectivity, cost, unfairness, among others. In this paper we propose a data-driven real estate pricing model based on machine learning methods to estimate prices reducing human bias. We test the model with 178,865 flats listings from Bogotá, collected from 2016 to 2020. Results show that the proposed state-of-the-art model is robust and accurate in estimating real estate prices. This case study serves as an incentive for local governments from developing countries to discuss and build real estate pricing models based on large data sets that increases fairness for all the real estate market stakeholders and reduces price speculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship of masculine eating/drinking beliefs on male consumers' concern with unhealthy eating/drinking habits and, in turn, with binge drinking. Additionally, this research tests if and how a change in these beliefs influences binge drinking intention and intention to eat unhealthy food. Design/methodology/approach: Three studies were conducted in Bogotá (Colombian males; convenience sampling). The purpose of Study 1 (N = 209) was to develop a scale to measure masculine eating/drinking beliefs. Study 2 (N = 191) tested the mediating role of concern with unhealthy eating/drinking habits in the relationship of masculine eating/drinking beliefs with binge drinking. Study 3 (N = 179) was an experimental study, which examined the effect of information about some negative consequences of masculine beliefs on the answers to the masculine eating/drinking beliefs inventory and, in turn, on binge drinking intention and intention to eat unhealthy food. Findings: A one-dimensional (eight-items) scale was developed and validated. The results of this paper show that masculine eating/drinking beliefs are associated with lower concern with unhealthy eating/drinking and, in turn, with higher binge drinking. Information that influences these beliefs leads to lower binge drinking and unhealthy food ingestion intentions. Research limitations/implications: This research presents the first scale that measures masculine eating/drinking beliefs. It provides initial evidence on how an intervention focused on the negative consequences of sexism can influence these beliefs, affecting binge drinking and overeating intentions. Practical implications: This research provides new findings on a topic associated with several health problems in many countries, including the effect on consumers' weight gaining and related illnesses. Originality/value: This research presents the first scale that measures masculine eating/drinking beliefs. It provides initial evidence about factors (through mediating variables) that link masculine eating/drinking beliefs with some unhealthy eating/drinking habits. In addition, the results show how information about some negative consequences of these beliefs can influence consumers' binge drinking and unhealthy food ingestion intentions, which leads to key recommendations for future interventions. As a result, this research provides new findings on a topic associated with several health problems in many countries, including the effect on consumers' weight gaining and related illnesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid population growth and urban sprawl have expanded built-up areas, affecting flood patterns in cities. Sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) have gained significant attention by attempting to replicate natural pre-development drainage conditions. This paper presents a new transdisciplinary methodology for assessing the potential feasibility of 12 different SUDS typologies by considering physical restrictions and six types of contextual barriers. The approach integrates input from academic and non-academic actors, fuzzy logic, geographic information system tools, and multi-criteria decision analysis. A neighborhood in Bogotá, Colombia, was selected as the unit of analysis, framing a relevant case study for highly urbanized areas. The findings demonstrate the differential impact of local context constraints and emphasize the importance of comprehensive approaches to SUDS planning that consider criteria other than technical. The methodology is a tool to support architects, engineers, urban planners, and urban water decision-makers in the planning of sustainable and flood-resilient cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the updated estimation method for estimating the transmission rate changes over time. The models for the population dynamics under SEIR epidemic models with stochastic perturbations are analysed the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bogotá, Colombia. We performed computational experiments to interpret COVID-19 dynamics using actual data for the proposed models. We estimate the model parameters and updated their estimates for reported infected and recovered data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a critical reflection on insights into the ongoing endeavours for community engagement by Ayara and MAL; two urban grassroot organisations in Bogota, Colombia, where a long history of internal conflicts has resulted in diverse human right violations. The paper presents examples of the grassroots organisations’ unique methods of engagement that promotes building collective intelligence from the bottom–up through creative collaboration and design processes, leading to rebuilding social fabrics that support the common good for the people of Bogota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper identifies environmental and industrial safety aspects generated during the production processes of two home appliances companies located in Bogotá. Essential quality tools were used, such as the Deming cycle and some of the seven (7) quality control tools, since it allows a more specific and complete approach to industrial problems. In addition, there is a methodology used to generate preventive strategies in these companies that mitigate workers' health and safety effects and optimize resources, raw materials, and costs (López, 2016). The analysis results evidenced that the companies generate a high environmental impact despite the controls that the department of environmental management takes. The two companies are producing a total of annual waste, reported as follows: 1.188 t that are usable, 1.45 t of non-usable, 2.85t of hazardous matters, 3.15t of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), as well as NOX, CO2 and VOC atmospheric emissions. Consequently, the environment and the health of workers are affected. In addition, the tools applied demonstrated that the final waste has correct disposal. Finally, the opportunities for business improvement in occupational safety and health and environmental management systems were proposed (Gracia et al, 2018). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a methodology for the optimal design of series of sewer pipes including pumping stations. It employs a Shortest Path Algorithm to select the optimal combination of pipe diameters and invert elevations, as well as the optimal pumping features such as the number of pumps, location, and pumping head. The methodology is intended to be applied to the design of any sewer series. Although these are uncommon in real infrastructure, the study allows an analysis of the effect of pipe roughness, inflows, and pipe length on the total cost of the system and pumping features. The methodology was tested in theoretical series of 10 and 20 pipes as well as in a real series that is part of the sewer system of Bogotá, Colombia. The resulting designs suggested that using smooth pipes and reducing the pumping flow rate would decrease the cost of sewer systems in flat terrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses the case of the bookstore Librería Colombiana and the broad investment portfolio of their owners—the partnership Camacho Roldán & Tamayo—to show how networks of commodity exchange shaped Bogotá's space during the late nineteenth century and its articulation to the rural and the global. I examine the combined speculative investments of the partnership in books, cows, and land to explain how they turned Librería Colombiana into a landmark in the city and benefited from the credit it yielded to further their social standing and economic power. By siphoning off capital from their hacienda to buy foreign books and urban land during the whirlwind of speculation spurred by the urban renovations processes, Camacho Roldán & Tamayo helped connect Bogotá to a global world of books, altering social and spatial relations, and reinforcing the city's domination over its hinterland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study seeks to understand how micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) can be innovative while developing their reputation. In doing so, this study focuses on companies classified as promoters of Colombia's "orange economy," which relates to the country's cultural and creative diversity. Firms with a non-technological emphasis also require knowledge, innovation, and reputation to perform better. In this regard, the study is based on the work of Hormiga and Garcia-Almeida (2016) who proposed the relationship between accumulated knowledge and innovation as background of reputation. In this paper, the purpose is to understand the internal reputation-building process carried out by MSMEs and the variables that intervene. Therefore, this research accounts for how MSMEs can build their reputation through innovation and accumulated knowledge. For this, a survey was conducted in 320 orange economy MSMEs located in Bogotá, Colombia, and the relationship of these variables was statistically tested through a quantitative analysis of multivariate data. Innovation was found to not impact the performance of companies, but this can be associated to factors that were not considered in this research. However, it is proposed to refine the original model by considering the manager's perspective. It is recommended that entrepreneurs invest resources in accumulating internal (tacit) knowledge to improve skills that enhance reputation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cable cars are a viable alternative to improve citizens' accessibility in zones with limitations on urban public transport supply due to the topography. In Latin America, such systems have recently been implemented in zones with high levels of poverty and vulnerability. Although the social implications of their implementation are relevant, individual expectations of these systems and how current changes in travel conditions and quality of life are perceived have not been widely reported in the literature. This paper aims to evaluate users' expectations and perceptions of a new cable car in the southern periphery of Bogotá (Colombia). We conducted a panel survey before (n = 341) and after (n = 301) the cable car started operations to evaluate the ranking of preferences toward a set of possible benefits of the project. We estimated discrete choice models to analyze the statistical differences between the expectations and perceptions before and after changes. Results suggest that travel time reductions, comfort improvements, and in-vehicle security are the benefits most valued by the users. Even though the project meets expectations of these aspects, it seems to fall short in expectations of reductions of pollution. Individuals' experience with the cable car shapes their perceptions of the system. We found that perceptions differ between those who have used the service at least once and those who never did. Policy implications derived from this study might be of interest to decision-makers seeking to guarantee the public acceptability of urban projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within feminist geography, there is a growing consensus on the need for research to contribute to social change and transformation beyond the academy, and increased emphasis on the co‐production of impact. In this paper I critically reflect and report on how I co‐produced impact with a participatory audio‐visual research project, conducted in collaboration with women in Bogotá and Medellín and researchers and filmmakers based in the UK and Colombia. I focus particularly on co‐producing 'impact‐in‐process', which builds participants' capacities, creates spaces of reciprocal learning and increases participants' confidence and sense of ownership both during and beyond the research process. Yet, while co‐producing impact‐in‐process benefits research participants and has the potential to contribute to social change and transformation, this form of impact is rarely recognised as such. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population growth has led to the intensification of average daily traffic (ADT), highlighting vehicles as one of the major sources of heavy metal (HM) pollution in cities. The objective of this paper is to conduct a spatial analysis of the HM pollution associated with road-deposited sediments (RDSs), based on the ADT observed in the main roads of a Latin American megacity (Bogotá, Colombia). The following risk indices were considered: Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), Integrated Pollution Index (IPI), Ecological Risk Index (ERI), Comprehensive Potential Ecological Risk Index (CERI), Hazard Index (HI), and Carcinogenic Risk Index (CRI). The findings confirm that a size fraction < 250 μm is the most suitable for studying the risk of HMs in the RDS from the indices considered. The best HMs indicative of the relationship with ADT are Ni, Cu, and Pb. The Pb is the HM of most attention, and Cr gains positions for its toxicity level during the evaluation of ecological, non-carcinogenic, and carcinogenic risks, respectively. Finally, the linear regression models developed between ADT and each of the risk indices considered have a better fit (R2 > 0.910) compared to the linear regression models developed between ADT and HM concentrations (R2 > 0.322). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was exploring and comparing different deterioration models based on statistical and machine learning approaches. These models were chosen from their successful results in other case studies. The deterioration models were developing considering two scenarios: (i) only the age as covariate (Scenario 1); and (ii) the age together with other available sewer characteristics as covariates (Scenario 2). Both were evaluated to achieve two different management objectives related to the prediction of the critical condition of sewers: at the network and the sewer levels. Design/methodology/approach: Six statistical and machine learning methods [logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), multinomial logistic regression, ordinal logistic regression, linear discriminant analysis and support vector machine] were explored considering two kinds of predictor variables (independent variables in the model). The main propose of these models was predicting the structural condition at network and pipe level evaluated from deviation analysis and performance curve techniques. Further, the deterioration models were exploring for two case studies: the sewer systems of Bogota and Medellin. These case studies were considered because of both counts with their own assessment standards and low inspection rate. Findings: The results indicate that LR models for both case studies show higher prediction capacity under Scenario 1 (considering only the age) for the management objective related to the network, such as annual budget plans; and RF shows the highest success percentage of sewers in critical condition (sewer level) considering Scenario 2 for both case studies. Practical implications: There is not a deterioration method whose predictions are adaptable for achieving different management objectives; it is important to explore different approaches to find which one could support a sewer asset management objective for a specific case study. Originality/value: The originality of this paper consists of there is not a paper in which the prediction of several statistical and machine learning-based deterioration models has been compared for case studies with different local assessment standard. The above to find which is adaptable for each one and which model is adaptable for each management objective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tecciencia is the property of Escuela Colombiana de Carreras Industriales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Boletín de la Sociedad Argentina de Botánica is the property of Sociedad Argentina de Botanica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In 2015, the Colombian Ministry of Education introduced the Cátedra de Paz (CdP), a national policy that seeks to contribute to human rights, citizenship, violence prevention, and peaceful conflict resolution. In the context of a decentralized education system, schools have significant autonomy to adapt the policy to local contexts. Relatively little research to date has documented the enactment, evaluation, or impact of the CdP. This study aims to understand how educators have interpreted this national mandate, and the extent to which the policy has prompted and expanded teaching and learning opportunities about conflict, peace, and justice. We explore the perspectives of 46 teachers working in public schools across 19 of Bogotá's 20 localities, several years into the creation of the CdP and in the midst of a contentious national peace process. The paper shows a range of enactment formats and uneven impact on teachers' existing commitments to peace education. We conclude that the CdP has had a contradictory effect on school-based practices, legitimizing the importance of peace education as a national imperative, while marginalizing efforts within schools as individualized and bound to the social sciences subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The landscape of Bogotá's low-income informal settlements reveals intense and ongoing conflicts between political agendas, socio-environmental needs and everyday practices. This paper presents the results of an interdisciplinary research project that used semi-structured interviews with practitioners, academics and community leaders to critically investigate the interactions between people and landscape in Bogotá. The paper aims to deepen the understanding of the social and ecological processes that are constantly intertwined in the occupation and appropriation of the landscape. Using the Limas Creek as a case study, the paper explores the technological constraints, governance structures, cultural values and community agency around the restoration of rivers and the implementation of green infrastructure in low-income settlements in Bogotá. The research highlights the need to explore the demands of co-production and its relation to the challenges of sustainable development. The paper demonstrates that, in addition to sustainable solutions to water management, there is also a need to develop strategies around education, landscape attachment and environmental awareness. This is seen as a first step towards the re-articulation of the relationship between people and water in the urban realm to ultimately guarantee environmental justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis of the impact of microcredit on microenterprises in the city of Bogotá was carried out. This paper summarizes the measurement instruments through which the base information for the development of future research is identified. Regarding the design of the research, it is presented, starting from the orientations of the book guide of the process, methodology of the investigation, and the different orienting elements of the study. Thus, the hypotheses, the scheme and conceptual definitions, socialization of the scheme of the instrument are presented, so that from this there is a first encounter with the object of study through the application of a pilot test that allows to know the validation and reliability of the instrument after the process of the Cronbach's Alpha index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flood-prone areas and agricultural soils along the Bogotá River in Colombia face a continuously increasing conflict between urban development, including low-cost housing projects, and environmental needs. This research investigates how current contested relations between water, settlement patterns, and productive landscapes can be turned into a constructive interplay. This paper presents a water urbanism research project, which uses interpretative mapping and research by design to critically understand the evolution of the relationship between water and settlements in the peri-urban areas of Funza and Mosquera. The project develops landscape typologies for adaptation and mitigation in view of climate change and to address demands of urbanisation in the Bogotá River floodplain. The paper demonstrates how designing with water can re-qualify the peripheral areas of Bogotá, solving both qualitative and quantitative water issues, delivering a framework for new housing fabrics, and creating new sustainable relations between different water uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper analyses the success factors and barriers of sustainable continuous improvement practices in terms of company's maturity level. The key factors are necessary to establish strategies that reduce the risk of improvement failure and increase the company's maturity level. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents a multi-case analysis of the success factors in the implementation of continuous improvement. This lead to comparison between the factors identified from the literature review and the practice of the continuous improvement programs in four large successful companies located in Bogota, Colombia applying Bessant's maturity model. Findings: The results identified five success factors and three barriers that companies should consider while implementing sustainable continuous improvement programs. The key success factors are availability of resources; management commitment; employee participation in improvement task identification; clear and realistic objectives; and, finally, existence of a leader. The major barriers are lack of alignment between organizational and continuous improvement objectives; lack of motivation in the team; and, resistance to change. The results confirm that, in spite the high maturity, it is necessary to align the organizational and continuous improvement objectives. Research limitations/implications: Since this research is a multi-case study, it is limited in terms of results generalizability for companies of different sizes, sectors and context. The academic and practical contribution of this paper is providing a better understanding of sustainable continuous improvement practices in Latin-American emerging economies. Originality/value: The present research provides an integral analysis of the key success factors, the barriers, the level of maturity and the behaviours that the companies should implement to achieve the sustainability of continuous improvement in emerging economies such as Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to ethnographically reflect on how material vulnerability is conceived and considered in practices of communal sustenance of architectures in trouble. Drawing on theories of maintenance, care, and repair, we will dwell on the learnings cultivated during a socio-material process that unfolded in response to the burning of a communal library in the southern periphery of the city of Bogotá. The collective practices of sustenance deployed to take care of the threatened architecture help us bring to the forefront questions of (I) distributed agency and ecology of practices; (II) unanticipated future and alternative temporalities; (III) creative and generative responses to damage or conflict; as well as (V) tentative and (IV) ‘opening of black boxes’ methods. Through the ethnographic analysis of the disassembling process, we will problematize the socio-material ecosystems needed to sustain lives in a ‘broken world’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to develop a sediment deposits hydraulic deterioration model based on self-cleansing criteria to prioritize the inspection of sewer systems. The model was trained with benchmarking literature values from earlier experiments and validated with household connections complaints data from Bogotá, Colombia. Recursive Feature Elimination with Cross-Validation (RFECV) and Bayesian Optimization (BO) were used to construct a Random Forest (RF) model to predict, at pipe level, the likelihood for a pipe to present sediment deposits. To evaluate the model's prediction accuracy, two different performance indicators were used: (i) the Percentage of Effective Inspections, and (ii) Pipes per Inspection with sediments. The sediment deposits hydraulic deterioration model shows good overall performance with buffer zones radiuses of 250 m predicting which pipes tend to present sediment deposits over time. This model improves the understanding of sediment deposits in hydraulic deterioration models and can be used to prioritize inspection of sewer systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Transient global amnesia (TGA) is a clinical syndrome characterized by sudden anterograde amnesia not accompanied by other neurological symptoms. There is no consensus on the underlying pathophysiological mechanism. However, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has demonstrated hippocampal lesions in as many as 50% of cases. This paper describes a series of patients with TGA and hippocampal lesions. Methods: This study assessed vascular risk factors in patients older than age 18 admitted to the Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogota, Colombia, from May 2017 to June 2020 with a diagnosis of TGA and evidence of hippocampal ischemic lesion on 3 Tesla brain MRI. Results: The authors identified 36 patients, 72.2% female, with mean age 62 years. Cardiovascular risk factors, most frequently high blood pressure, carotid disease, and dyslipidemia, were present in 75% of these patients. Hippocampal lesions were unilateral in 80% of cases, with median size 2.5 mm, most frequently located at the hippocampal body. Approximately 14% of patients also presented acute ischemic lesions in locations other than the hippocampus. Conclusions: TGA is a clinical entity previously considered to have undetermined etiology. The present study used brain MRI to identify a group of patients with hippocampal ischemic lesions, finding associated vascular risk factors in a high proportion of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper seeks to establish an Industry 4.0 maturity model for manufacturing SMEs. This research presents the characteristics of the proposed model, which takes the elements and the scope of the fourth industrial revolution, as well as the dimensions and assessment scales of some maturity models already applied. Likewise, this document shows the modeling process and the model's validation in SMEs in the city of Bogotá-Colombia. Design/methodology/approach: To determine the criteria of the maturity model, 6 major stages have been established: Literature Review, Development of the model; Validation of the model; Application of the model; Data analysis; and Conclusion and Recommendations. Findings: Considering the validation of some maturity models shown in the literature review, and aligned with the purpose of this article, 8 dimensions have been established to measure the maturity level of SMEs: Service; Operations; Quality; Products; Documented information-Big Data; Leadership and strategy; Communication; and Culture and people. A model has been generated that allows evaluating the degree of compliance in each dimension for manufacturing SMEs. The model can be applied to companies in any industry. Also, it can determine the degree of implementation compliance of companies in the same sector. Research limitations/implications: According to the literature reviewed, SMEs, especially those in Latin America, still do not have a culture of applying the elements of Industry 4.0. Therefore, in the research, it was not easy to understand the intrinsic variables of Industry 4.0 that SMEs have applied in different areas, which does not allow us to have the current context of SMEs and from that perspective to have a better simulation of the business model maturity. Practical implications: The model presented in this document serves as a basis for SMEs in Latin America to establish a baseline measurement in relation to the application of Industry 4.0 elements in companies. Social implications: What is intended with this work is to frame a baseline so that companies can understand their current maturity level in terms that industry 4.0 could cover. Likewise, they can generate actions for the appropriation of new technologies that allow them to be more competitive. This document can be taken and applied by those entrepreneurs companies who wish to measure their operations. Originality/value: The essential point for the generation of the maturity level measurement model is focused on determining the necessary dimensions on which the evaluation is based. In the literature found, most models focus their dimensions on measuring the digital in their processes and tangentially evaluate the organizational structure and the relationship between them. Additionally, the authors who address the organization as a whole do not reveal the details for SMEs to self-evaluate. The models found have only been implemented to evaluate one company alone or individually. This model presents the core dimensions holistically and explicitly, taking important criteria such as quality, service, communication, and the culture of all employees. Additionally, it shows in detail the model that allows SMEs of the manufacturing sector to self-assess themselves in each dimension and in turn the degree of the business sector in which they are or belong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Urban Studies (Sage Publications, Ltd.) is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper evaluates the randomized Good Drinks program in four localities of Bogotá, Colombia. The intervention encourages bartenders to adopt standardized practices that promote responsible behavior in terms of alcohol consumption with the goal of reducing alcohol‐related violence and was implemented in cooperation with Colombia's largest brewery and the city's Secretariat of Security, Coexistence, and Justice. Tracing out the relationship between alcohol consumption and violence is useful because alcohol‐related incidents often lead to more serious crimes. Our experimental design allows estimating direct and spillover effects on reported incidents within and around bars. Results show that bartenders in treatment locations sell more water and food, thus contributing to more responsible behavior by patrons. However, we find no direct or spillover effects of these changes in consumption on brawls five months after the program, but some improvement on other alcohol‐related incidents. The experience of the Good Drinks program provides a better understanding of three aspects related to alcohol regulation and policy: (i) the role bartenders can play to curb excessive alcohol consumption and promote good behavior among customers, (ii) a practical experience of using less restrictive interventions for alcohol regulation, and (iii) the value of public‐private partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walking for transportation is a common and accessible means of achieving recommended physical activity levels, while providing important social and environmental co-benefits. Even though walking in rapidly growing urban areas has become especially challenging given the increasing dependence on motorised transportation, walking remains a major mode of transportation in Latin American cities. In this paper we aimed to quantify self-reported walking for transportation in Mexico City, Bogota, Santiago de Chile, Sao Paulo, and Buenos Aires, by identifying both walking trips that are conducted entirely on foot and walking events involved in trips mainly conducted on other means of transportation (e.g. private vehicle, public transit) among individuals ≥5-years old. We show how walking-only trips account for approximately 30% trips in the analysed cities, and we evidence how the pedestrian dimension of mobility is largely underestimated if walking that is incidental to other transportation modes is not accounted for: when considering all walking events, we observed an increase between 73% and 217% in daily walking time. As a result, we estimated that between 19% and 25% of residents in these cities meet the WHO physical activity guidelines solely from walking for transportation. The results of the study also suggest that the promotion of public transportation in large Latin American cities can especially help certain population groups achieve the daily recommended levels of physical activity, while among low-income groups accessibility and safety seem to be the key challenges to be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To aim of the paper was to describe the neurological features of the physical examination in patients with Hansen's disease who were treated in Bogotá, Colombia. We carried out a descriptive study of all patients with a Hansen's disease diagnosis treated at a referral center between 2003-2018. There were 327 eligible electronic health records (EHRs) with a final sample of 282 subjects. Leprosy was most common in males (57.45%), median age at the diagnosis was 54 years, and lesions of the lower limbs were more common (75.1%). The median time from disease onset to consult was 12 months. Most of them were classified as having lepromatous leprosy (39.7%). Pain over the median nerve trunk was the most common manifestation of disease (28%), followed by pain over the radial trunk (22%). Sensitive alterations were more common than motor ones. Specifically, the posterior tibial nerve was affected in nearly half of subjects. Dual impairment was more common in the ulnar nerve (13.8%). Some disability was apparent in 23.8% of subjects; predominantly grade 1 disability. Findings regarding age, leprosy type, and the frequency of individual nerve compromise were consistent with reports from other countries. Nerve trunk thickening was infrequent, which might be a consequence of subjectiveness in the examination and sample differences in sex distribution, degree of disability and time since disease onset. The frequency of morbidity and disability found in this sample, though low when compared with other series, fails to meet public health goals, including those limiting disability in younger subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ingeniería Solidaria is the property of Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Urban areas encompass essential social functions that are fundamental for the development and quality of life. This research explores why the concept of the 15-minute city, while commendable in its aspirations, might fall short in effectively mitigating urban inequalities, especially within densely populated and segregated developing cities. Using Bogotá (Colombia) as a case study, this paper advocates and develops a standardized index based on the availability of essential urban functions within a 15-minute walking distance. This index also integrates individual preferences, geographical attributes, and the quality of pedestrian infrastructure. Doing so provides a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing proximity, accommodating the diverse needs of various social identities. Considering individual preferences towards proximity is critical to comprehend the determinants of accessibility, encompassing the relevance of sociodemographic characteristics. Although several urban areas worldwide may meet the broad interpretation of the 15-minute city concept, our research reveals significant disparities among population segments regarding access to urban services and their prioritization. Our case study found that grocery stores and healthcare facilities hold paramount importance across all population segments. Furthermore, wealthy segments exhibit a heightened preference for retail shops and commercial services. In contrast, the low-income population has a considerably greater preference for healthcare facilities. This study aims to cast light upon structural disparities inherent in urban areas, thereby unveiling inequalities in the 15-minute city concept's capacity to diagnose and mitigate urban inequalities. The promotion of a more all-encompassing and inclusive measurement approach is posited as a contribution to the advancement of our comprehension and the effective implementation of the 15-minute city concept across heterogeneous urban landscapes. • This paper advocates for the development of a standardized index based on urban functions within a 15-minute walking distance. • The 15-minute city concept must include, besides proximity to opportunities, the quality of pedestrian infrastructure. • The index integrates individual preferences to understand the determinants of proximity, including sociodemographic attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microcredits have been the tool par excellence to give opportunity to people excluded from the ordinary banking system in different countries in general and particularly in the capital of the Republic of Colombia. This paper presents the results of a literature review that sought an approximation of the microcredit context in Bogota, with the objective of understanding the ecosystem in which the microcredit financial leverage tool is immersed. An exposition of references and analysis of multiple thoughts and approaches of diverse authors allowed to approach, with different knowledge, to some origins, characteristics and scopes of the microcredit. Methodologically, it is based in the qualitative and documentary approach, taking into account that it presents an interpretative and comprehensive action of what the observed texts say, same that in different moments gave explanation to a particular moment, but that for the objective of the carried out study are taken for an approximation of construction of the searched context, which allows conclusions that microcredits in Bogotá are the result of good international practices, proposals for commitments of political will, needs of inclusion among others that are illustrated in the document. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weather derivatives are financial instruments that can be used by organizations or individuals to hedge risks associated with adverse weather conditions. Weather conditions can directly decrease profits by affecting the volume of sales or costs. This paper develops a methodology for temperature option pricing in equatorial regions. In this approach, temperature is forecast by combining deterministic and stochastic models. We find that forecasting daily temperature with a model that combines a truncated third-order Fourier series with a mean reversion stochastic process proves the most accurate for pricing the options. The methodology is calibrated with data gathered in Bogotá, Colombia, using Monte Carlo simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Development Research is the property of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is a set of relationships between crime governance and segregation in big cities. As an excuse to justify security and reduce crime, several techniques have been used to build cities where certain populations receive the benefits, while others bear the weight of the control techniques implemented. In this paper, we analyze how Colombian security policies have led to the emergence of a particular device of urban segregation rationalized through the justification of security. This device has been made possible by controversial discourses and practices implemented in Bogotá for governing public space and crime during the last three decades, that not only favor the preservation of traditional forms of spatial segregation, but also allow new ways of managing and perpetuating urban exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cycling is a desirable mode of transportation in urban areas due to its environmental, social, and economic benefits. Design manuals are used as standardized references and guides to provide safe, functional, and convenient bicycle infrastructure. These guidelines usually provide best practice recommendations and refer to minimum requirements for dimensions (geometry) and materials. However, these documents rarely include input from cyclists. Unlike the infrastructure service perceived by motorists, which is related to performance measurements such as speed or travel time, the quality of service (QoS) experienced by pedestrians and cyclists is strongly influenced by perceptions (e.g., safety) owing to the fact that they are directly exposed to the environment. Beyond the performance-related indicators (e.g., Level of Service), when cyclists assess QoS, their cognitive process incorporates their perceptions of the surroundings. We present a user-oriented perspective in this paper, since supply-oriented evaluation and design has been carried out for decades without giving a relevant role to user perceptions. Our objective is to uncover factors explaining QoS perceived by cyclists from users' perceptions and to analyze new contributions to existing bicycle infrastructure design practices. By means of stepwise models from cyclist perception intercept surveys in Bogotá, Colombia, we uncovered factors that explain QoS. Model testing and site visits enrich the analysis of the six statistically significant variables that explain QoS. This research raises an interesting discussion on the general approach and philosophy of the bicycle infrastructure design guidelines and evidences that cyclists' perceptions have substantial potential for future research and application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the end of World War II, when the world learned about the Holocaust, manifestations of antisemitism grew in Colombia as echoes of what was happening in other countries, both in the region and globally. This paper examines three such manifestations that occurred between 1945 and 1948: Echo 1 concerns an urban campaign against Jews during 1945 by conspirators who handed out flyers or pamphlets with antisemitic messages. Echo 2 concerns the only violence against Jewish traders in Colombian history. It happened in 1946 and culminated in 44 warehouses being destroyed and several Jews being beaten. And Echo 3 concerns the renowned case of the SS Exodus (1947), whose 4500 Jewish travelers presented Colombian visas to leave Europe. The recognition of these activities constitutes a contribution to the field of history, to Jewish communities, and to the study of antisemitism, with the aim of remembering those minorities excluded and challenged in such contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a stochastic epidemiological model is presented as an extension of a compartmental SEIR model with random perturbations to analyze the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic in the city of Bogotá D.C., Colombia. This model incorporates the spread of COVID-19 impacted by social behaviors in the population and allows for projecting the number of infected, recovered, and deceased individuals considering the mitigation measures, namely confinement and partial relaxed restrictions. Also, the role of randomness using the concept of Brownian motion is emphasized to explain the behavior of the population. Computational experiments for the stochastic model with random perturbations were performed, and the model is validated through numerical simulations for actual data from Bogotá D.C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Latin American Law Review is the property of Universidad de los Andes and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Direito da Cidade is the property of Editora da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (EdUERJ) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The expansion of urban land in Latin American cities has been extensive over the last 30 years. Urbanisation has grown considerably, and, according to the United Nations, it is expected that approximately 70% of the population will live in large cities by the year 2050. This process leads to more complex urban relations, more intense suburbanisation, larger settlements in the peripheral areas of cities and, subsequently, a significant reduction of urban green infrastructure. The aim of this paper is to assess whether the expansion areas defined in different planning instruments generate urban inclusion and are aligned with the already consolidated urban area. The case study areas are represented by the municipalities of Chía and Cajicá in the northern suburbs of Bogotá city, which have a strong integration with the central city. The methodology integrates data from municipal land use plans and the spatial syntax method to visualise the effect of expansion on urban morphology. The results obtained show that Chía presents an area of greater integration than Cajicá, specifically the centre of the municipality, in which there is a high level of functionality with respect to the new expansion areas defined in the Master Plan. This study concludes that the new expansion areas should be developed on the central axes, where the highest integration values are located, and at a greater distance from natural elements such as rivers. Finally, the methodological approach can be replicated to analyse other urban areas and support decision-making on urban functionality and expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]