Search

The aim of this paper is to analyze the developments and the real impact of the new law for science and technology, in the case of Colombia and compare regional decentralization policies with what happened in the continent in the last decade. We will also analyze economic trends and the impact of the current crisis facing the development of the CTI and what awaits the country in the coming years and in particular to their regions against the revolutionary processes to boost innovation and funding of science and scientific research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper a contribution to the competitive socio-cultural perspective is developed through an analytical scheme that allows to identify limiting factors to the competitive capacity of region vulnerable economical sectors. It is based on the cultural anthropology analytical proposal that considers the ecology, the social structure, and the ideology as determinant factors of socio-cultural systems that let describe, explain, and classify communities and their dynamics. Based upon identification of poultry sector in the Valle del Cauca Region (Colombia), on its vulnerability, and on its importance as an alternative to the region productive platform diversification, geo-economical and sociopolitical factors schemes were applied. This exercise was complemented with consultancies to the sector's entrepreneurs who not only validated the factors found with their opinion but they also intervened on neuralgic points of strategic action definition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooperativism and strategy have been in recent days important topics in the academy and at research level. Cooperativism is an alternative model that aims at the organization of production and work. Strategy, on the other hand, is a study and practical field, whose understanding depends on the characteristics of the people who study and define them. This paper follows the Hafsi, Séguin and Toulousse's strategy model in order to explain how this topic has been understood in submitted articles about worker's cooperatives, through literature review in academy journals in cooperativism and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The principal objectives of the wastewater treatment are: high efficiency removal, low costs, stability in the quality effluent, a small amount of sludge production, and smaller foot- print. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the treatment of MBR and to compare it whit a typical process of activated sludge (AS) at the same operative characteristics and affluent quality. The results demonstrate that a MBR process is more effective and stable than an AS, removing approximately a 82 - 92% of the COD, and 95 % of total solids suspended (TSS), meanwhile in sludge active process removing a 54 - 70% of the COD, and 32 - 43% of total solids suspended (TSS). In conclusion, the MBR process presents good results in order to treat textile wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study to determine the effect of series FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission Systems) on steady-state voltage stability, for different operating conditions of the power system. For this study, the simulation software NEPLAN is used for modeling FACTS in the IEEE300 power system. This power system is changed slightly to comply the operative constraints and apply the proposed location methods for FACTS devices. To determine the effect of these FACTS devices, a contingency analysis is carried out with the maximum and the reduced chargeability, and the voltage stability analysis using modal analysis and PV curves. Finally, it presents a comparison chart of eigenvalues and voltage stability margin results using series FACTS devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we made the analysis of Hamiltonian dynamics for a type of nonlinear underactuated system. The mathematical model of the Furuta's pendulum is calculated. A nonlinear control strategy by sliding modes and potential shaping is applied to the Furuta's pendulum plant designed and built as experimental model for the Nonlinear Systems and Perception investigation line of the Electronic Engineering Program of the Quindío University. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper is proposed a mechanism of translation that transforms a visual language syntactically specified by textual form, into code of a textual language. Fundamentally, the mechanism consist in taking the simple or composite constructor specification, eliminate the visual information through analysis of synchronization symbols, and transform it into a equivalent program in textual language. Initially, the translation mechanism is present formally, later, the templates for its implementation are shown, and at the end, translation results are presented by rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses justice in terms of political problem as viewed by John Rawls' philosophy. It claims that the Kantian politic constructivism has some implications on the base of the Rawlsian liberalism. It argues about how the connection between these two different types of constructivism provides a construction procedure in which rational autonomous agents, submitted to reasonable conditions, make agreements concerning public principles about justice in order to reach a fair system of cooperation that goes beyond the generations. It concludes showing the limitations and achievements of the proposal in contemporary political philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arendt`s theory of action is complex, due to the fact that she approaches it without coming to fully clarify the contours that define this central concept. This statement allows us to put forward the hypothesis that there are several theories of action in Arendt's thought; in the first place, action is presented as a merely political activity; but there can also be violent action, and thereby it can have negative effects on politics; and, in a wide sense, action may come to intervene in nature. This paper executes successive approaches to "action"; to do this, in the first place, it presents the relationship between political action and the concept of praxis and its difference with production. In the second place, it gives an account of plurality as the proper condition for action; afterwards, it deals with the problem of the initiation of action, then it directs its attention to the space in which it takes place, to its relations with history, and finally, it presents the basic elements of its structure and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows the outcomes of a research which main aim is to investigate the children's reception and appropriation processes of the characteristics of the subjectivity childhood representation within nowadays socio-cultural environment. Interviews to 32 boys and girls from different sociocultural and economy levels, aged 8 to 12 years old were held. After viewing two films the children were asked to produce narratives in individual semi-directed interviews and grupal discussion, which were analysed on the basis of Content Analysis. Partial results of such analysis are presented. Aspects of their conceptions concerning the adults-children relationship and the family dynamics are identified. Certain interpretations of the narratives referred to family dynamics, children positions and adults-children relationship within our culture are outlined and interrogated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper identifies the type of learning needs for adolescent sexuality between 10 and 19 years of the Municipality of Tierralta, Cordoba, Colombia, analyzing the knowledge, attitudes and practices that are the subject of study and aspire to have. The ethnographic study is under the case-study method, the sample was comprised of 69 secondary school pupils from the urban area of the municipality of Tierralta, the data were collected through focus groups, workshops, interviews, participant observation and role playing. Learning needs for the training of young people are sexually aimed at having the desire to know about dating, love, expressions of affection, which feels a person with HIV and what is experienced when you are pregnant. You can also assert that the patriarchal vision and the socio-cultural mark the imaginary sex of the youth population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1988 there have been eight mayoral elections in Colombia. In Barranquilla, the introduction of popular elections for mayor has proved to follow a pattern of dynamic alliance formations centered around strong personal and factional presence and weak political parties and movements. However, this arrangement has produced its own kind of stability. This paper examines the eight popular mayoral elections in Barranquilla, assesses the degree of party institutionalization, inter party completion and alliance formation between different party factions. It argues that Political groups show a great adapting capability to new rules and that is why political reforms have not had an important impact on their behavior. We conclude that applying traditional political party theory presents difficulties in explaining patterns of party affiliation and alliance formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper briefly attempts to describe and assess the legal and economic wind energy in Spain. We refer specifically to the system of public support for the production of electricity from renewables through the system called "premium." The focus on wind energy in particular is justified simply for the reason that, as you know, Spain is ranked third worldwide in installed wind power second only to Germany and the U.S., which is coupled with the fact of significance for all levels that has taken the wind power sector in our country. It should also be remembered that on the one hand, energy use (production and consumption) is the main factor in emissions of greenhouse gases and on the other hand, renewables are a key element in combating Climate Change. And also that Spain is among the countries furthest away from compliance with the Kyoto Protocol. From this perspective, the role of wind energy is also evident in our country in renewable energy, wind energy in particular is what is making the most of electricity generation mix, making it the most secure in this fight environmental and global. In this sense, the proportion of electricity produced by wind-is over 11% in 2008 - the second in the world, second only to Denmark. It is therefore important to maintain a good policy to promote this renewable technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crisis of democratic political systems in Latin America is takes effect in recent decades, which has led to propose the reform of the state in its interaction with society, oriented towards human development and the deepening of democracy. This paper establish that education is a cornerstone of social development and democracy also analyze the role of mass media in this process, finally, some thoughts on the Venezuelan process. It employs a documentaryempirical methods, descriptive and concludes with the articulation between the concepts of education, media and democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The public contracting in Colombia is conflicting and inefficient. It frequently leads to the patrimonial damage to the State. Colombian legal system can not assure the efficient and transparent public contracting. The cause is the institutional environment characterized by high transaction costs. The Colombian law makes things worse by recognizing the principle of economic equilibrium of the public contracts. This principle augments the contract incompleteness and makes impossible the use of the economic incentives to control the opportunism of the economic agents. The authors present the hypothesis that the economic equilibrium principle increases the conflictive nature of the public contracting. They make the empirical test of the hypothesis. The first section of the paper presents the summary of the literature on the transaction costs economics, as well as the legal literature on the historical origin and the content of the economic equilibrium principle. The second section describes the methodology of the empirical study. The third section shows the empirical evidence of the effects that the economic equilibrium principle exerts over the public contracting. The last section presents the conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the world the most used equations in order to predict deformations in unbound granular materials (UGM) of flexible pavement structures are empirical. Many researchís projects have been performed in this area, however the discussion if these equations are reliable have not finished yet. Initially, the paper presents the evolution of some empirical equations developed in order to try to predict the permanent strain accumulation that undergo unbound granular materials (UGM) in cyclic triaxial tests with constant and variable confining pressure (CCP and VCP respectively). Based in the analysis of such equations, the most used in the world were chosen in order to simulate the behavior that underwent a UGM in CCP and VCP tests. The simulations performed, shown that the most part of the empirical equations used to predict the permanent strain accumulation in UGMís can not reproduce the behavior of these materials in CCP and VCP tests. Additionally, the parameters used in such equations are not constants of the material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a researching over principal wireless technologies to the information transmission summary is presented, analyzing the principal features to define the best option to an interconnection between medical units to provide telemedicine services. A quantitative and qualitative com parison is made over wireless technologies principal features and a more detailed description over the technology defined as the best option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a model to assess seismic damage of earth buildings when a seismic action occurs; this is carried out through seismic vulnerability functions. The model relates the vulnerability index with the damage index according to a specific seism. Seismic vulnerability is based on the index proposed by Benedetti y Petrini adapted to the condition of Colombian buildings. The damage index is estimated using the capacity/demand relationship. A sample of the 53 earth buildings in Bucaramanga was considered in the construction of the seismic vulnerability functions. The vulnerability index and the damage index were calculated on each one of the buildings for different maximum accelerations, and then with these indexes a vulnerability functions were estimated. These functions were used to evaluation seismic damage in the city of Bucaramanga. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks for to show the relevance of the perspective of the first person through a phenomenological approach. As opposed to the refusal of the different tendencies from the analytical philosophy of mind, cognitive sciences and neuroscience to consider the reality of the mental states like subjective phenomena, outline a revision of the question with the purpose of indicating to the relation between the subjective experience and a ontology of the first person. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No doubt, ontology is the central concern of Gilles Deleuze's thought. His approach to other fields of enquiry such as politics or aesthetics is always based on an ontological reflection. However, the role that language plays regarding this ontology has been poorly considered. In fact, language does not seem to be a central subject for Deleuze, even though the cases in which he examines it with certain exclusivity are very significant, as they constitute what can be considered a theory of language that places it in an essential relation with ontology. In this paper I will try to reconstruct this theoretical body on language and ontology, drawing, on the first place, on Logic of Sense, and then on the perfected formulation of "Postulates of Linguistics" and Foucault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper aims to define a management profile for the health institutions of Barranquilla, based on the consensus of a team of experts in Bogota, Medellin and Barranquilla. For that purpose, the following competences are defined: Knowledge, skills, and self-awareness supported by the Latin America Leadership institution and academic authorities related to competences. It is also based on the research carried out by Renee Bédard on behavior and its application in administration. To determine a management profile, some of Michel Godet's methods were applied from the Strategic Prospective-Laboratoire d'Investigation Prospective et Stratégique CNAM, Instituto Europeo de Prospectiva y Estrategia-. The result is a Management profile comprised by 50% of self-awareness, 30% knowledge, and 20% skills; and they established that each and every one of these competences are closely related to each other and represent a true challenge for those who have or wish to have a successful managerial position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A deep change in local management has been taking place. Managing successfully tangible elements (urbanism, transport, supplies, etc.) is no longer enough to properly analyse territorial competitiveness. In fact, intangible elements (such as image, personal skills, relationship) are becoming more and more significant to achieve this purpose. This paper aims to show the various initiatives that are currently being carried out all over the world. These relate knowledge-based strategy to the territorial field. Countries, regions, as well as cities have been testing very innovative scheme projects in order to manage those intangible elements belonging to the strategy of the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper is part of the dissertation "Mexican Immigrants in Meatpacking Areas of Kansas: Transition and Acquisition of Cultural Capital", that applies the theoretical framework of Pierre Bourdieu( 1977;1986) to observe the process of adaptation of Mexican immigrants, as a process of acquisition of cultural capital, in which they have to modify or get rid of certain cultural practices from their original cultural background (habitus), and adopt and adapt elements from the receiving Anglo culture, thus defining their position within the new social space. The application of such a theoretical framework represented a challenge, since there were no previous applications of the bourdiean model in the study of migrant communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a revision about the new and the old forms of sociopolitical participation. This comparative perspective reflects a revision about the literature of socio-political participation. The objective is generated different hypothesis and explanations about participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinoza's deductive metaphysical system states a problem in regard to the knowledge of the passions. On the one hand, the passions are explained like body's affections, but the soul has a mutilated and confused knowledge of the body. On the other hand, the nature of passion necessarily implies the nature of the object which affects us; likewise, Spinoza says that the idea of human body's any one affection not implies the appropriate knowledge of the external object who affects us. In this paper, the idea of soul's double dimension like solution at the problem is presented. According to Spinoza, is possible that we build a clear and distinct idea of the body's affections because the soul can remit them to the idea of God. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assumption of strict obedience, and other features of the well ordered society (WOS), is a great idealization that Rawls does from the actual and historical circumstances in which contemporary societies exist. From there comes the objection according to which the whole project of justice as fairness is just useless, for it has no purpose at all to know what would it be the principles of justice for a well ordered society that only exist in theory. The aims of this paper are to make clear the meaning of the well ordered society's assumption - the society which the ideal theory takes care of -; to point out the links between this kind of theory and the methodology of the political philosophy and the notion of feasibility; and to look again at the useless objection in the light of the above considerations. Before the useless objection, a twofold answer is proposed that could be inferred from Rawls work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tries to show that there has been an evolution in Paul Ricoeur's concept of testimony and that his first juridical definition is also different from others of the same origin. To determine this point we will compare his definition with C.A.J. Coady's. We will try to explain the motives, implications and limitations of its differences. Then it will be established that in Remembering, history and oblivion, the philosopher leaves the juridical concept of testimony, which main issues are to be a declaration inside a debate, and prefers another one that define it as a dialogical natural institution. Our hypothesis is that this change was not due to phenomenical but contextual causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current work proposes a learning organization in the theoretical model. This presentation paper makes a part of the work of investigation that is developed inside the line of investigation in management of the knowledge, in the project Organisational Learning. This model proposal tries to predict the independent denominated "sources of organizational learning, subjects of organizational learning, culture for organizational learning and conditions for organizational learning, In such reason, this was necessary to determine the organizational learning as a variable of the staying power of the organizations through competitive advantages, the opposite will occur for those organizations who still drag aged structural characteristics. In order to locate the administrative implications of the organizational learning it is precise to briefly characterize the context with which this one begins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the pattern of flows of net foreign direct investment for the long run (1991-2005) in 18 countries of the Latin American Region and tests the hypothesis of positive relationship between the size of gross domestic product and the flows of net FDI. Based on the analysis of global trends and other factors, the ordinary linear regression of the figures available for the long term period shows a high degree of correlation between the size of the gross domestic product and the flows of net direct investment by country. In the case of Colombia the long term performance is better than expected -in spite of the political risk involved-, but the failure in developing new areas for export-oriented foreign direct investment, due the lack of good infrastructure, remains a major constraint for growth based on investment projects that enhance economic efficiency and competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cojímar is a small town to east of Havana City. Founded by the middle of the XVI century, it experienced certain development as spa at the end of the XIX century and the first half of the XX century, only interrupted by the exploitation of the beaches of the Eastern Havana coast. Cojìmar has a rich cultural and natural patrimony together with a strong environmental deterioration. This paper analyses the main problems in relationship with patrimony elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat continues to be the most acute problem for lower income population in Latin America. However, it's not only a quantitative problem, but fundamentally a qualitative one in which habituated spaces and their environments that dignify living conditions in these spaces. Strategies for housing renewal are aimed at these qualitative issues. The subsidies for housing and Urban renewals program in Colombia produced a significant impact on quality of live and development variables, especially in Bogotá thus becoming an important case study. This paper presents the results of a study based on extensive field work, interviews to subsidy beneficiaries , and housing renewal proponents that took part in the Programs, concepts and strategies for housing renewal , as part of a housing subsidies policy in Colombia until 1998. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to establish a new urban imaginary of the city of Cali by recognizing its tree landscape potential that identifies the city in its singularity. Graphic-visual representation is the methodology that allows sintaxtic, semantic and pragmatic components, that together with an Urban incursión methodology, designed by this research project that incorporates the method of imagery creation for the purpose of developing a proposing a new one at the social level. A Project is obtained, that develops urban incursión methods and towards a second part that determines the genius-loci of green areas. In a following stage, on-line virtual routes, as well as others are developed in search of an esthetic qualification of the actors that define them as well as the social imagery that results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of the compression stress applied on the HAZ (Heat affected Zone) in 6061-T6 Aluminum Alloy specimens. The main tools used to achieve this objective were the Vickers micrometer, the Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), the Differential Scanning Calorimeter and the Optical Microscope. It was found that with a natural aging time of four years the microhardness values were clearly increased, while with the compression stress these values showed a small increase. However, the more stable hardness profiles found in the compressed samples were attributed to the compression treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following paper shows the result of a new tool assisted by computer developed for cell coverage prediction in the VHF and UHF bands for urban environments. The application is based on the two ray electromagnetic model in combination with Vogler model, which takes into account themodiffraction effects. There were taken several power measurements in Bogota (Colombia), using an automatic monitoring system, in order to validate the implemented model. Based on the power measurement data a new simplified empirical model was proposed which lets predict the coverage in urban scenarios with buildings where the height is comparable with that of the transmitter's. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper presents the theoretical and conceptual framework of research on community participation for citizen control of public services house in the neighborhood Forest District of Barranquilla. The work focuses on the areas of community involvement that the political Constitution and the Law 142, 1994 have opened for users of public services at home exercise social control over corporate borrowers of drinking water, sewerage, toilet, gas, energy and telephony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses how the music of Emir Kusturica & the No Smoking orchestra proposes new ways of perceiving situations of armed conflict (war in Bosnia-Herzegovina) and exclusion (relationship with the Rom community) which completely change the perception imposed by the way the mass media depict these phenomena. This is explored in light of the aesthetic and political thought of Jacques Rencière, according to whom the objective of politics is to make visible the impossibility of a universal order that can bring together all parts of a society. [TRANSLATION]

In this paper is presented a summary of the study about the Internet Protocol Televisión service performance implemented over different data transmission systems, such as ADSL, WiFi and LAN Extended. The obtained results are presented and also their respective analisys about delay, jitter and packets loss over each one of the platforms changing the transmission rate, the video codec and the quality of service. Finally, a comparative analisys between platforms is presented, defining the significance of each changed network parameter with the studied performance parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The supplier performance measurement is a very important aspect in the supplier management because which is defined if they are complying or not contractual arrangements and if complying with the parameters of performance expected for the successful the company's operations. Additionally, as a result of the evaluation can be defined improvement plans and strategies for negotiating with suppliers, which aims to ensure the successful operation of the firm. In this paper we propose a model designed for evaluating suplier performance, using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), which has proven be effective tool to make a multicriterion decision. We show principals results of this application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is the result of the research process on human capital that the author has been developing. This paper collects some advances about other categories associated with human capital which contribute to improve the economic results gamed in the organizations and countries as consequence of the development of the knowledge economy that has given place to the emergence of the theory of the intellectual capital. As the result of the changes in the concept about the way of creating, measuring and distribution of wealth which has resulted from the breaking of the industrialization principles which have governed the economics system for several centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of the intellectual property rights has been limited to establish mechanisms of protection for author's interests and in the legal benefits for the exclusive exploitation of their creations. More over the law and economics movement propose a new vision for these matter, looking for efficient systems to balance the author's particular interest in recover the invest made in their creation and the social interest in access to these novel creations This paper pretend to apply these new visions in the particular case of Colombian copyright law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of a descriptive-qualitative research "Understanding of intelligences uncovered in the classroom". It aims at understanding the intelligences evidenced in students during the teaching-learning process in the subject of Hematology. It refers to the contexts that gives validity to research, describes the way that the project was thought and developed, step by step, describing the participant population, process stages, techniques and instruments to collect data and the type of research. It also presents the theoretical approach of the work, which was built in a construction and re-construction process according to the findings in the interaction process among students, professors and researchers. Finally, this paper states an educational reflection -as a suggestion- inviting professors to re-think, re-orient their educative practice and the challenge of proposing new paradigms of interpretation and action in front of the Science and the life itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theoretical approach a researcher has about how society is structured is crucial for research regarding Social Sciences. The methodology used in social science research is based on a view on society that at the same conditions the methodology applied in the current evaluation of social programs. In this paper three basic visions of society are presented such as the positivist, the hermeneutic and the critical realist ones. The issue of agency-structure is essential for the analysis and it is examined from a critical perspective. This discussion is linked later on with the methodological problems involved in the evaluation of social programs. At the end critical conclusions and some questions are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a computational model for predicting the cement paste composition during the first part of the setting process is presented. The developed model integrates the main theoretical concepts and experimental models dealing with the hydration process and the evaporation of the free water at the surface of structural elements with high area/thick ratios, which are particularly important in those structures built in hot weather conditions. Additionally, by determining the cracking vulnerability due to plastic shrinkage in hot weather conditions in concrete structures with particular geometrical characteristics (high area/thick ratios), the developed model assists to civil engineers, architects and constructors in the control process for preventing the crack formation which affects the structures appearance and many times decreases the concrete durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper a study of some functions for measuring the relative degree of focus of images is presented. The modification of some existing functions is proposed to improve their performance and a focus searching algorithm is developed in order to perform autofocusing. The focus searching algorithm is then implemented on an optical microscope with motorized X-Y-Z stage to achieve full automation of the focusing and image acquisition process. The description of the control system for X-Y-Z movement of the stage is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of seismic vulnerability of masonry buildings in Colombian cities is a pressing need, as it is one of the most predominant structural systems. Day to day, the post earthquake attention programs force us to consider a good planning of the elements involved in the development of the cities. The housing buildings are an important aspect into consideration, and among them, the masonry building are elements of major priority. There are different methodologies for its evaluation but many of these have been built based on records of observed damages and analytic models both are complex, making its application only to the place were built. Therefore, is it important to propose models adjustable to Colombian conditions and for doing this, it is necessary to identify the parameters which influence the most in the vulnerability of masonry structures of our cities. The aim of this paper is to present the identification and assessment of these parameters. This study was based on the opinion of experts. Finally, it is presented the model that allows the correlation between vulnerability degrees of each one of the parameters with its value of importance; this correlation leads to calculate the seismic vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to bring forward an argument about one of the most important determining factors of governance in the present society of knowledge: citizen participation in public policies concerning science and technology. It begins by a brief outline of what "society of knowledge" is. Then it analyses the concepts of society of risk and regulatory science, as necessary for the right understanding of the character of both "society" and "knowledge" are. In line with this analysis, it is possible to identify several models of future projection for the society of knowledge with different governance conditions. On this basis I will argue that the new role of knowledge in nature transformation and social dynamics as well as the growing prominence of the civil society in public life involve of social agents in the technological-scientific change management a key condition of governance in the society of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a possibilistic conception of technological artifacts facing technological determinism. Technological artifacts are considered points in a space of pragmatic possibilities determined by the abilities of different socio-cultural aspects. The determination process of one possibility is the design of an artifact that comes true as long as the abilities are effective. A design is a process of creation at several levels of reality: material, functional, usefulness. At the same time, the idea of design may also include the social participation of the community, which hereby collectively expresses its desires. This proposed alternative responds to determinism as well as to social constructivism [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this paper is to argue on behalf of instrumentalism in the philosophy of physics. Following Theo Kuipers' terminology of domain extension and domain restriction I claim, contradicting him, that the methodology of domain revision can only support an antirealist approach to the theory of physics. The existence of both extensions and restrictions of the application domain of theoretical models and the theoretical incompatibility between successive theories provide respectively with minor and major arguments for instrumentalism in physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theoretical approach a researcher has about how society is structured is crucial for research regarding Social Sciences. The methodology used in social science research is based on a view on society that at the same conditions the methodology applied in the current evaluation of social programs. In this paper three basic visions of society are presented such as the positivist, the hermeneutic and the critical realist ones. The issue of agency-structure is essential for the analysis and it is examined from a critical perspective. This discussion is linked later on with the methodological problems involved in the evaluation of social programs. At the end critical conclusions and some questions are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the experimental results of the spectral analysis if optical images of samples of cherry coffee fruits. The spectral processing was performed in the electro-magnetic radiation visible spectrum through an acoustic-optical filter (FAO) manufactured with a Tellurium Dioxide (TeO2) crystal. The speed at which processed images are obtained is superior to those obtained with methods based on DIP (Digital Image Processing), and they are considered as an analysis in real time. Particularly it is shown that that this kind of devices represent an excellent alternative in the processing of images for industrial application in the selection of coffee grains according to their maturation stage and in general with a less DIP processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]