Estimate of the willing to pay for ecological panela in Colombia: Approach from the Sustainable Consumption

Estimation of the environmental services values, represents a crucial element in the process of taking of decisions on environmental programs and policies to develop, as well as an orientation instrument for the implementation of production patterns and more sustainable consumption. From this perspective, the present study has as purpose to estimate the willing to pay (WTP) of the consumers from Bogota of ecological panela (product obtained from sugar canne in small rural factories). For this the method of Contingent Valuation was used. By means of selected stratified sampling a sample was determined by socioeconomic stratum for the city of Bogota the consumers were asked if they would be willing to pay for ecological panela, as well as topics related with their consumption behavior, like preferences, environmental, social commitment, and their socioeconomic characteristics. By means of the combination of this method of economic valuation and qualitative information this paper concluded that the consumers are willing to pay a bigger price for these panela types, especially for the powder ecological panela. A crucial conclusion is that, the existence of a direct relationship between the socioeconomic stratum and the WTP by conventional and ecological powder panela. Finally, it was determined that the commitment for the conservation and protection of the environment, when it is perceived by the consumer like an element that it guarantees the consumption of healthy and innocuous products, it represents a decisive factor in the willing to pay a bigger price for conventional and ecological powder panela.Ecological Panela, Contingent Valuation, Sustainable Consumption, Ecological Products.

Económia Solidaria : Efectividad empresarial de las Tour Operadoras de la ciudad de Granada

El presente trabajo fue realizado en base a las tours operadoras de la ciudad de Granada, inscritas al INTUR y creadas por nicaragüenses. El principal objetivo de estudio fue dar a conocer la efectividad empresarial que tiene este rubro de la economía y como ayudo al crecimiento económico del país. La metodología utilizada fue descriptiva, ya que gran parte de la información fue proporcionada por el INTUR y por los propios gerentes de las tours operadora, haciendo una descripción de los distintos atractivos que posee la ciudad de Granada. Así como detallando las metas y la política turística como propósito establecer las directrices dentro de las que deben encararse las acciones tendientes a la promoción y desarrollo del turismo en los diferentes niveles de gobiernos de dichas directrices se traducen en un conjunto de normas y procedimiento específicos para el fomento y regulación del sector. La política turística constituye una combinación de fines que persiguen las actividades socioeconómicas del turismo. La actividad económica que desarrolla el turismo en esta ciudad colonial ha hecho del sector tour operadoras unas buena fuente generadora de divisas tanto para el municipio como para el país, así mismo se ha vuelto un sector generador de empleo.En Granada está ubicado el lago Cocibolca y un archipiélago de más de 300 isletas, que hacen de este sitio un gran atractivo. También posee una de las reservas naturales más importantes del país: el volcán Mombacho, donde los turistas pueden recorrer varios senderos y disfrutar de un clima fresco y de la riqueza natural. Por su infraestructura y sus atractivos es el sitio ideal para realizar caminatas y admirar sus edificios e iglesias de estilo colonial. También se puede recorrer la ciudad en coches o carruajes. Calle La Calzada es otro de sus atractivos donde se ubican una serie de hoteles, bares y restaurantes. La principal característica de las tour operadoras es que desarrollan productos basados en la facilitación y contemplación de los recursos y atractivos turísticos en la estadía del destino. A estos productos se les llama excursiones o tours. Integrando alrededor de estos todos los servicios relacionados en la visita como lo son traslados, alojamiento, alimentación, servicios complementarios, parques, etc. Muchos operadores tienen una amplia oferta de excursiones y tienen en sus propuestas actividades que van desde lo cultural, aventura, arqueológico, entre otros. Cuando nos referimos a estos indicadores sabemos que eficiencia es la capacidad de lograr un efecto en cuestión con el mínimo de recursos posibles, por ende productividad es el indicador de eficiencia que relaciona la cantidad de recursos utilizados con la cantidad de producción obtenida. Para las tour operadoras, la productividad es un factor determinante en el crecimiento económico tanto personal como para la comunidad. El INTUR promueve el fortalecimiento de servicios de las tour operadoras donde les permite identificar las necesidades de especialización de los guías en temas como vulcanología, avistamiento de aves, senderismo, idiomas, entre otros que abonen al fortalecimiento de los conocimientos para una atención especializada al turista. Se espera que esta investigación permita, al lector tener mayor información sobre el tema de efectividad empresarial de las MYPIMES del sector turístico en particular las tour operadoras

Experimental analysis of manufacturing parameters’ effect on the flexural properties of wood-PLA composite parts built through FFF

This paper aims to determine the flexural stiffness and strength of a composite made of a polylactic acid reinforced with wood particles, named commercially as Timberfill, manufactured through fused filament fabrication (FFF). The influence of four factors (layer height, nozzle diameter, fill density, and printing velocity) is studied through an L27Taguchi orthogonal array. The response variables used as output results for an analysis of variance are obtained from a set of four-point bending tests. Results show that the layer height is the most influential parameter on flexural strength, followed by nozzle diameter and infill density, whereas the printing velocity has no significant influence. Ultimately, an optimal parameter set that maximizes the material’s flexural strength is found by combining a 0.2-mm layer height, 0.7-mm nozzle diameter, 75% fill density, and 35-mm/s velocity. The highest flexural resistance achieved experimentally is 47.26 MPa. The statistical results are supported with microscopic photographs of fracture sections, and validated by comparing them with previous studies performed on non-reinforced PLA material, proving that the introduction of wood fibers in PLA matrix reduces the resistance of raw PLA by hindering the cohesion between filaments and generating voids inside it. Lastly, five solid Timberfill specimens manufactured by injection molding were also tested to compare their strength with the additive manufactured samples. Results prove that treating the wood-PLA through additive manufacturing results in an improvement of its resistance and elastic properties, being the Young’s module almost 25% lower than the injected material.Preprin

Mechanical properties of 3D-printing polylactic acid parts subjected to bending stress and fatigue testing

This paper aims to analyse the mechanical properties response of polylactic acid (PLA) parts manufactured through fused filament fabrication. The influence of six manufacturing factors (layer height, filament width, fill density, layer orientation, printing velocity, and infill pattern) on the flexural resistance of PLA specimens is studied through an L27 Taguchi experimental array. Different geometries were tested on a four-point bending machine and on a rotating bending machine. From the first experimental phase, an optimal set of parameters deriving in the highest flexural resistance was determined. The results show that layer orientation is the most influential parameter, followed by layer height, filament width, and printing velocity, whereas the fill density and infill pattern show no significant influence. Finally, the fatigue fracture behaviour is evaluated and compared with that of previous studies’ results, in order to present a comprehensive study of the mechanical properties of the material under different kind of solicitations.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Dynamic Properties of a Granular Soil

The variation of the Dynamic Shear Modulus, G, and Damping Ratio, D, in a coarse grained alluvial soil from the Santiago area, Chile, is analyzed when changes occur in its grain size distribution, degree of compaction, confining pressure, magnitude of the cyclic deviator stress, and number of applied loading loops. Using statistical techniques it was possible to determine the degree of influence of each one of such factors in the magnitude of G and D. Further, the experimental error derived from laboratory tests measurements could be evaluated. The Hyperbolic Model shows a better performance than the Ramber-Osgood Model when theoretical results are adjusted to experimental shear stress-strain laws

Altitude and COVID-19 in Colombia : an updated analysis accounting for potential confounders

Q4Q2Pacientes con COVID-19We assessed the relationship between the altitude of municipalities and the incidence, mortality, and fatality from COVID-19 and excess of mortality in Colombia between 2020 and 2022. We conducted an ecologic study including all 1122 municipalities in Colombia and used categories of altitude as main independent variable. We fit multivariable regression models for incidence, mortality, fatality rates, and excess of mortality controlling for several variables at municipality level. There was a higher incidence rate, similar mortality rate and lower case-fatality rate for COVID-19 during 2020–2022 in municipalities in the upper category of altitude (>=2500 masl) compared to the lower category (<1000 masl). The excess of mortality was lower but not statistically different in municipalities in the upper category of altitude, and significantly lower in the intermediate altitude category compared to the lowlands. Our findings provide evidence that municipalities with high altitude had similar mortality rate, and lower case-fatality rate and excess of mortality for COVID-19 compared to lowlands in Colombia.https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0100-1940Revista Internacional - IndexadaA2N

Thrust belt architecture of the central and southern Western Foothills of Taiwan

A structural model of the central and southern Western Foothills Fold and Thrust Belt (WFFTB) was constructed from serial balanced cross sections. The cross sections are constrained by published surface and subsurface geologic data and thermochronological data. The regional detachment zone is constrained by thrust focal mechanisms to a depth of 10-15 km. Because the current geometries observed within the WFFTB are influenced by the presence of pre-existing normal faults, the WFFTB overall is an inverted basin. Most of the faults of the Western Foothills started their activity before the deposition of the Cholan Fm (~3.5 Ma). There is not a strict forward-breaking thrust sequence in Taiwan. Out-of-sequence faulting may be due to localized erosion and fault inversion. A new regional structure, the sub-Yuching anticline, is identified in the southern WFFTB. The sub-Yuching anticline is a low ramp angle fault-bend-fold with a detachment at ~13 km. The sub-Yuching anticline explains the uplift of the Yuching and Tingpinglin synclines above their regional level and may lie above the continuation of the Manila trench beneath Taiwan. The estimated aggregate shortening for the easternmost fault of the WFFTB is about 40 km on the central and southern segments. The restored position of the preexisting normal faults places the current trace of the Western Foothills-Slate Belt boundary beneath the Coastal Range. The restoration of WFFTB’s rocks to their depositional locations also supports the tectonic model of a crustal-scale thin-skin collisional orogen and rejects a previous hypotheses favoring a deep rooted Central Range

Measurements of the branching fractions of B+→ppK+ decays

The branching fractions of the decay B+ → pp̄K+ for different intermediate states are measured using data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb-1, collected by the LHCb experiment. The total branching fraction, its charmless component Mpp̄ < 2.85 GeV/c2 and the branching fractions via the resonant cc̄ states η c(1S) and ψ(2S) relative to the decay via a J/ψ intermediate state are [Equation not available: see fulltext.] Upper limits on the B + branching fractions into the η c(2S) meson and into the charmonium-like states X(3872) and X(3915) are also obtained

Observation of the decay Bc→J/ψK+K−π+B_c \rightarrow J/\psi K^+ K^- \pi^+

The decay $B_c\rightarrow J/\psi K^+ K^- \pi^+$ is observed for the first time, using proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3fb$^{-1}$. A signal yield of $78\pm14$ decays is reported with a significance of 6.2 standard deviations. The ratio of the branching fraction of \B_c \rightarrow J/\psi K^+ K^- \pi^+ decays to that of $B_c \rightarrow J/\psi \pi^+$ decays is measured to be $0.53\pm 0.10\pm0.05$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic.Comment: 18 pages, 2 figure