Un mundo desigual / An uneven world

Resumen Vivimos en un mundo cuyo modelo económico y político permite y apalanca una irracional acumulación de la riqueza en pocas manos, este fenómeno y sus consecuencias sociales, políticas, culturales y demás, son de obligatoria comprensión y transformación por parte de las Universidades y sus funciones sustantivas: investigación, formación y extensión, éstas particularmente deberían jugar un papel decisivo.

Abstract We live in a world whose economic and political model permits and leverages an irrational wealth accumulation in few hands. This phenomenon and its social, political, and cultural consequences and the like are of required comprehension and transformation on the part of Universities and their substantive functions: research, training, and extension, which should play a decisive role.

Utilization of Genetic Algorithm to Optimize Biogas Production from Livestock Waste to Use in a CHP Plant in Agricultural Farms.

The optimization of biogas production with respect to external influences and various process disturbances is essential for efficient plant operation. However, the optimization of such plants is a challenging issue due the underlying nonlinear and complex digestion processes. One approach to solving this problem is to use the flexibility and power of computational intelligence methods such as Genetic Algorithms (GAs). The present study utilizes GA as tools for simulating and optimizing of biogas production process. Considering the effect of digester operational parameters, such as temperature (T), total solids (TS), volatile fatty acid (VFA), pH and A/TIC-ratio (amount of Acids (A) compared to Total Inorganic Carbon (TIC)), the optimal amount of biogas was converged to be 53910 cubic meters per month. In order to reach the main goals on the energy problems, it is important to study and analyze the distributed CHP plant for agricultural companies and farms. This paper also describes a feasibility study of a biogas CHP (Cogeneration of Heat and Power )plant in a cow farm in Iran. With the developed model, it is specified that using 53,910 cubic meters of biogas, an internal combustion engine with electrical power of 375 kW can be operated continuously. Obtained results illustrated how the utilization of gaseous product from cow farm effluent (biogas) as fuel for heat and power generation can reduce primary energy consumption and its associated costs.

Los diálogos de la habana y las perspectivas de una paz duradera en Colombia / Talks with havana and the perspectives of a lasting peace in Colombia

Este artículo de investigación, presenta rutas de análisis histórico en torno a los alcances y falencias que dejaron los diálogos de Paz en Colombia entre las Frac-Ep y el Gobierno Nacional durante el siglo XX, el papel que han jugado los medios de comunicación en dichos procesos y una descripción analítica de los discursos de Oslo y la Habana, que dan inicio al actual proceso de Negociación en la Habana; se resalta el profundo alcance que este proceso de negociaciones marca en la última década en Colombia, en lo que concierne a la posible terminación del conflicto armado y la construcción de una paz estable y duradera.

This research article presents routes of historical analysis over the scope and shortcomings left by the talks of peace in Colombia between FARC-EP and theNational government during the twentieth century, as well as the role played by the mass media in those processes and an analytical description of the discourses in Oslo and Havana, initiating the current process of negotiations at Havana; the deep scope of this process of negotiations marks in the last decade in Colombia, is highlighted with regard to the possible termination of the armed conflict and the construction of a stable and lasting peace.

Climate Change Adaptations for California’s San Francisco Bay Area Water Supplies.

The impact of climate changes on both sea level and the temporal and spatial distribution of runoff will affect water supply reliability and operations in California. To meet future urban water demands in the San Francisco Bay Area, local water managers can adapt by changing water supply portfolios and operations. An engineering economic model, CALVIN, which optimizes water supply operations and allocations, was used to explore the effects on water supply of a severely warmer drier climate and substantial sea level rise, and to identify economically promising long-term adaptations for San Francisco Bay Area water systems. This modeling suggests that Bay Area urban water demands can be largely met, even under severe forms of climate change, but at a cost. Costs are from purchasing water from agricultural users (with agricultural opportunity costs), expensive water recycling and desalination alternatives, and some increases in water scarcity (costs of water conservation). The modeling also demonstrates the importance of water transfer and intertie infrastructure to facilitate flexible water management among Bay Area water agencies. The intertie capacity developed by Bay Area agencies for emergencies, such as earthquakes, becomes even more valuable for responding to severe changes in climate.

Simulating the Impact of Drought on California’s Central Valley Hydrology Groundwater and Cropping.

This paper describes an efficient methodology to link a comprehensive, distributed hydrologic model for California’s Central Valley to a crop production model. The resulting hydro-economic model allows for the dynamic calculation of crop acreages in response to water availability without simplifying groundwater or stream flow dynamics by the assumption of linearity or by resorting to a lumped-parameter approach. The linked hydro-economic model is used to simulate the effects of several drought scenarios on Central Valley’s agriculture and the groundwater resources. The drought scenarios are constructed as surface flow reductions that range from 30% to 70% for periods spanning from 10 to 60 years, with a 10-year spin-up and a 30-year recovery. The main finding is that Central Valley agriculture as a whole is resilient to severe

Evaluación económica de la vacuna contra la influenza aplicada al personal de salud que atiende pacientes oncológicos hospitalizados / Economic evaluation of influenza vaccine applied to health personnel attending hospitalised oncological patients

Objetivos Analizar, desde la perspectiva del pagador, el costo efectividad de la vacunación contra influenza al personal de salud que tiene contacto estrecho con los pacientes oncológicos hospitalizados en Colombia. Métodos Mediante un árbol de decisión, se identificó la relación de costo-efectividad de la aplicación de esta vacuna al personal de salud que tiene contacto estrecho con los pacientes oncológicos hospitalizados. La perspectiva es la del pagador. Los costos se valoraron en unidades monetarias y la efectividad se mide por la reducción en días de hospitalización de pacientes oncológicos como resultado de la disminución en las probabilidades de contraer el virus por la vacunación al personal de salud. Resultados Vacunar contra la influenza al personal de salud que tiene contacto estrecho con los pacientes oncológicos hace que, al ahorrar un día de estancia hospitalaria, simultáneamente se ahorren $ 2 978 000 (US$ 1 324). Conclusiones Vacunar contra la influenza al personal de salud que tiene contacto estrecho con los pacientes oncológicos es costo efectivo para una probabilidad de contagio del personal de salud que no ha sido vacunado mayor o igual a 0,02.

Objective Performing a cost-effectiveness evaluation of influenza vaccine for health workers coming into close contact with oncological patients from the payer's point of view. Methods As no evidence was found for influenza vaccine effectiveness in oncological patients, the cost-effectiveness of applying the vaccine to health workers coming into close contact with oncological patients was calculated by means of a decision tree; the payer's point of view was adopted. Costs were evaluated in monetary units and effectiveness was measured by the reduction in length of hospital stay for cancer patients as a result of lesser probability of catching the disease because of vaccinating the health workers. Results Vaccinating health workers coming into close contact with cancer patients led to savings of $2 978 000 (US$1 324) per day of stay saved. Conclusions Vaccinating health workers coming into close contact with cancer patients proved cost-effective, returning health worker contagion probability higher than or equal to 0.02.

Analysis on Prevention of Authority Dissimilation of Drug Registration with Economic Models / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE: To provide reference for the prevention of authority dissimilation of drug registration.METHODS: The economic model concerning drug registration was constructed with principal-agent theory.RESULTS: The occurrence of authority dissimilation of drug registration could be cut down by reducing public monitoring costs,improving the rate of prosecution and increasing the costs for dealing with moral risks.CONCLUSION: The authority dissimilation could be effectively prevented by balancing authority for drug registration,improving transparency of drug registration and supervisory system.

Brief Discussion on the Economic Value of Applying for Patent and Know-how for Traditional Chinese Medicine / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To compare the economic value between patent application and know-how,the two measures for intellectual property rights protection of traditional Chinese medicine.METHOD:The legal features of intellectual property rights protection for Chinese traditional medicine were analyzed and its economic value was evaluated with economic model.RESULTS&CONCLUSION:The know-how has a greater economic value to enterprises under the current intellectual property rights protection system.

The Achievements in Counterpart Assistance Project and the Economic Model of Promoting the Development of the Universities in the Western Part of China / 中华医学教育探索杂志

The project of counterpart assistance has made great achievements, however, the outlay shortage has become the key restriction in sustainable development and role playing as expected. From the view of long-term development and marketing point, it is a must to discuss the issue of “establishing the satisfied system (or active system) to enhance the development of the universities in the west and how to stimulate these universities to enter into the system”. From the economic model in this paper, we can clearly conclude that the government has played a significant role in the process of the development of the universities in the western part of China.