Environmental Implications of Peri-urban Sprawl and the Urbanization of Secondary Cities in Latin America

This paper examines the environmental and social implications of peri-urban growth in small to medium sized cities in Latin America and the Caribbean and proposes approaches to address this challenge. Key recommendations include cities should stimulate strategies for compact growth and efforts to regularize existing irregular settlements should be strongly supported, among other recommendations.Environment & Natural Resources, Urban Development, IDB-TN-237

Quantal distribution functions in non-extensive statistics and an early universe test revisited

Within the context of non-extensive thermostatistics, we use the factorization approximation to study a recently proposed early universe test. A very restrictive bound upon the non-extensive parameter is presented: $|q-1| < 4.01 \times 10^{-3}$.Comment: 4 pages, prl revtex style, no figures. To appear in Physica A, 199

A symmetric quantum calculus

We introduce the $\alpha,\beta$-symmetric difference derivative and the $\alpha,\beta$-symmetric N\"orlund sum. The associated symmetric quantum calculus is developed, which can be seen as a generalization of the forward and backward $h$-calculus.Comment: Submitted 26/Sept/2011; accepted in revised form 28/Dec/2011; to Proceedings of International Conference on Differential & Difference Equations and Applications, in honour of Professor Ravi P. Agarwal, to be published by Springer in the series Proceedings in Mathematics (PROM

La lógica argumentativa y proposicional en el proceso de construcción de argumentos científico-filosóficos

En este artículo se presenta un análisis epistemológico de las contribuciones de la lógica argumentativa y la lógica proposicional, basado en estructuras proposicionales que componen los argumentos lógicos, como modelos para la construcción de argumentos en los textos científicos y filosóficos. El objetivo de la investigación fue identificar las perspectivas comunes teóricos de la lógica argumentativa y la lógica proposicional, que contribuyen a los procesos cognitivos de razonamiento lógico y su transposición al lenguaje lógico, que muestran cómo utilizar la estructura proposicional y argumentativa en la construcción de textos científicos y filosóficos, para comunicar sus ideas con coherencia, claridad, objetividad y la cohesión. Las razones para el estudio se derivan de la práctica de las obras de terminación de la orientación de los cursos de graduación, en los que era posible percibir las dificultades de los estudiantes de educación superior para construir textos con coherencia lógica necesaria y suficiente para la comprensión del lector. La base teórica de la investigación fue reflejada por los conceptos, las ideas y las teorías de filósofos, matemáticos e investigadores dedicados al estudio de la lógica, especialmente Aristóteles (2010), Kant (1992), Frege (2009), Copi (1981) y Weston ( 1996). El enfoque metodológico se guio por las reglas de la investigación cualitativa, lo que permite la interpretación de los procesos lógicos que pueden contribuir a la construcción de argumentos en el texto enfoque científico-filosófica de la investigación se basó en el método deductivo, con la composición de argumentos lógicos e informales el uso de los procedimientos de observación y la literatura. Los resultados indicaron que la estructura proposicional de los argumentos deductivos se puede utilizar para construir argumentos lógicos informales, siendo útil para sintetizar la información y comunicar ideas y teorías, textos científicos y filosóficos con niveles de mayor comprensión para el lector. // The article presents an epistemological analysis of the contributions of argumentative logic and propositional logic, based on propositional structures that make up the logical arguments, as models for the construction of arguments in scientific and philosophical texts. The aim of the research was to identify the common theoretical perspectives of argumentative logic and propositional logic, which contribute to the cognitive process of logical reasoning and its transposition into logical language, which demonstrate how to use the propositional and argumentative structure in the construction of scientific and philosophical texts, to communicate their ideas with consistency, clarity, objectivity and cohesion. The reasons for the study was derived from the practice of orientation completion works of the undergraduate courses, where it was possible to perceive the difficulties of higher education students to build texts with necessary and sufficient logical consistency to the reader’s understanding. The theoretical basis of the research was based on concepts, ideas and theories of philosophers, mathematicians and researchers dedicated to the study of logic, especially Aristotle (2010), Kant (1992), Frege (2009), Copi (1981) and Weston (1996). The methodological approach was ushered by the proceedings of qualitative research, enabling the interpretation of the logical processes that can contribute to the construction of arguments in text scientific-philosophical approach the research was based on the deductive method, with the composition of logical reports arguments and the use of the procedures of observation and literature. The results indicated that the propositional structure of deductive arguments can be used to build logical arguments reports, and useful to synthesize information and communicate ideas and theories, scientific and philosophical texts with levels of greater comprehensibility for the reader

Revisão epidemiológica da esclerose múltipla

Trabalho de mestrado integrado em Medicina (Neurologia), apresentado à Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de CoimbraIntrodução: A Esclerose Múltipla é uma doença desmielinizante do Sistema Nervoso Central, imuno-mediada e crónica, altamente incapacitante, que afecta mais de 1 milhão de pessoas em todo o mundo. Os diversos estudos epidemiológicos realizados ao longo dos anos têm fornecido indícios sobre a sua possível etiologia, mas nunca de uma forma assertiva. Objectivos: Realização de uma actualização de conceitos e conhecimentos na área da patogénese da Esclerose Múltipla, abordando os mais recentes e relevantes dados epidemiológicos (factores genéticos e ambientais) e como a sua interpretação nos ajuda a compreender as diversas dimensões desta patologia, no sentido de encontrar novas armas terapêuticas. Desenvolvimento: Vários factores ambientais e genéticos têm sido descritos como possíveis agentes etiopatogénicos mas a variedade fenotípica, genética e imunológica que caracterizam esta doença, tornam a sua abordagem complexa. Conclusões: Os dados decorrentes dos estudos epidemiológicos são fundamentais para a compreensão da Esclerose Múltipla. A heterogeneidade que a caracteriza parece dever-se a interacções multifactoriais entre um componente poligénico e factores ambientais como a Vitamina D e o Vírus Epstein-BarrIntroduction: Multiple Sclerosis is a demielynating, imuno-mediated, chronic disease of the central nervous system, highly disabling, afecting more than one million of people worldwide. All over the years, several epidemiologic studies have been providing clues about its aetiology, but never in an assertive way. Aims: In this review, we look forward to update concepts and acquirements in Multiple Sclerosis pathogenesis, adressing the novel and most relevant epidemiologic data (both genetics and environmental factors) and how its reading lead us to understand the multiple dimensions of this disease, aiming new therapeutic weapons. Development: Both genetic and environmental factors have been implied as potencial etiopathogenic agents, but its phenotipic, genetic and immunologic variety, becomes a difficult task. Conclusions: Epidemiological studies are crucial to understand Multiple Sclerosis. The heterogeneity that characterizes it seems to be due to multifactorial interactions between a polygenic component and environmental factors such as Vitamin D and Epstein-Barr virus