Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Context: In the last sixty years urbanization processes have increased considerably. In many of them, the number of inhabitants of the so-called "slums" amounts to more than 50% of the population. In addition, they are located in areas at risk.Objective: To determine and evaluate the monthly progression of the Damage Index (ID, in Spanish) of a group of houses located in a hillside area in the “Altos de la Estancia” sector in Bogotá, Colombia, during a period of four months.Method: The houses were classified according to their structural system in six groups: confined masonry (group A); structural masonry (group B); unreinforced masonry (group C); provisional materials (group D); reinforced concrete porches (group E); and prefabricated houses (group F). And we applied the methodology proposed by the Fund for the Prevention and Attention of Emergencies (FOPAE).Results: There was a constant increase in the ID of all groups. However, group C presented the highest values in the last sampling (2.6% of the households had high ID and 0.87% very high). In the other groups the observed ID was lower and no houses were found with records classified as very high.Conclusions: According to the results, dwellings built in unreinforced masonry show a greater degree of deterioration in short periods of time compared to those constructed with other structural systems.

Context: Shear wave velocity tests (Vs) are commonly used to estimate the increase in resistance of explosive densified soils. In some historical cases, Vs tests performed after the soil improvement process do not show a significant increase in soil resistance, even though the soil surface sits more than 0.50 m. It is believed that this response is due to the presence of gas on the soil mass.Method: This paper presents the results of monotonic triaxial tests performed on samples of dense gaseous sandy soils to evaluate the effect of occluded gas on the response to the shear wave velocity in densified sands with explosives. For sand sampling, it was collected from a loose sand deposit located in South Carolina, USA. These samples were densified in-situ with explosives, and consolidated to the in-situ effective stress conditions, which are considered representative in the conditions of effort at the moment of the densification with explosives.Results: Triaxial tests were performed under global non-drained conditions. The results of these tests show that gas causes the shear wave velocity values obtained for the gaseous sands to approximate the shear wave velocity values obtained in the saturated samples tested under drained conditions. In addition, behavior tends to be more pronounced as the soil is denser.Conclusions: These response may offer some insights as to why the shear wave velocity does not increase significantly in densified soils with explosives, even though the density increases considerably.

Context: Climate change effects, human interventions, and river characteristics are factors that increase the risk on the population and the water resources. However, negative impacts such as flooding, and river droughts may be previously identified using appropriate numerical tools.Objectives: The annual volume (Millions of m3/year) time series of the Magdalena River was analyzed by an ARIMA model, using the historical time series of the Calamar station (Instituto de Hidrología, Meteorología y Estudios Ambientales de Colombia - IDEAM), and looking for matching the modelling hypothesis with the data measured in the river.Methods: The ARIMA model is considered one of the most implemented approaches in hydrology and studies related to climatic variability because it considers non-stationary information.Results: The maximum volume forecasted of the Magdalena River from 2013 to 2024 oscillates between 289,695 million m3 and 309,847 million m3. The minimum volume forecast for the same period ranges from 179,123 million m3 to 157,764 million m3, with a decreasing trend of 106 million m3 in 100 years.Conclusions: The simulated results obtained with the ARIMA model compared to the observed data showed a fairly good adjustment of the minimum and maximum magnitudes. This allows concluding that it is a good tool for estimating minimum and maximum volumes, even though this model is not capable of simulating the exact behaviour of an annual volume time series.

Context: The developed scheme allows carrying out the assignment of several frequency channels (both contiguous and not contiguous) available to the secondary users that require a higher bandwidth, under an environment of equality.Objective: The following paper develops a multichannel assignment which allows taking in a more efficient way the spectral opportunities in cognitive radio networks.Method: The developed assignment model is composed by the K-Means algorithm, which is in charged of carrying out the grouping of channels through clusters for the best parameters, and another algorithm in charge of establishing an equal criteria for all the secondary users that wish to transmit. The reached results were evaluated with experimental spectral occupancy data taken from the GSM frequency band. The developed model was compared with the MFA-CRN algorithm.Results: The obtained measurements correspond to the average bandwidth, the average delay, and the fairness calculation in the assignment of several channels. The developed assignment model shows an improvement in the assignment of a higher transmission average bandwidth for each secondary user while maintaining the fairness criteria in the channel assignments.Conclusion: Despite the increasing in the number of handoffs, it is also observed that metrics such as average bandwidth, average throughput and average delay are never negatively impacted by this increase in handoffs.

Context: Studies of Science, Technology and Society are an approximation towards a third culture because they allow us to think the developments of science and technology with a humanistic and scientific approach.Method: This article presents and proposes an approach between the humanities and science. From this perspective, we develop throughout the text: First, a reflection on the social sciences, techno­logy and society; second, the definition of the third culture as the way of approaching the study of con­temporary techno-scientific developments in scien­ce and the humanities.Results: What results from this reflection allows us to progress significantly towards a new view from social science on the current developments of scien­ce and technology. It is possible to conclude that is urgent and pertinent that our students had a critical and proactive approach to the new challenges that science and technology poses.Conclusions: Science, and particularly social scien­ce, must be able to lead us to a third culture, so that we could aspire to a science with conscience to help citizens understand what science has learned about the functioning of the universe, Neuroscience on the human brain, geoengineering on climate change, synthetic biology on the new properties of matter, biotechnology on crops and transgenic foods, and so on.

Context: This work shows a novel navigation approach based on images for an assistant hybrid robot composed by a humanoid and an omnidirectional platform.Method: This approach introduces a complex space analysis, using Zeros and Poles attraction-repulsion principle. In order to perform the algorithm, an integrated system is developed; this system includes: an external camera to take a global navigation surface view, the assistant robot, and communication devices. Navigation is supported by some digital image processing algorithms and performed using the root location technique.Results: An integrated system of global navigation with external sensors was successfully implemented for the proposed hybrid robot.Conclusions: Some simulation and experimental tests will be discussed in order to validate this proposal and the whole system. Additionally, some suggestions for future research are proposed.

Context: This paper focuses on providing a functional analysis of smart grids, with the purpose of establishing a framework to identify the main characteristics of the current electric interconnection system in Colombia. It also names the positive incentives proposed by the Colombian government to support both research and development projects that implement non-conventional energy sources and promoting energy management based on efficiency.Method: An architecture model that describes the components interoperability of a smart grid is presented using a descriptive methodology.Results: The results include a list of the objectives established by the Colombian public and private entities related to energy development, specially focusing on the opportunities to provide some kind of artificial intelligence to the current electrical system.Conclusions: It is necessary for the Colombian energy system to supply the energy demand considering electrical safety, social equity, and the minimum environmental impact. These restrictions impose new challenges for the energy system itself: From a technical point of view, the traditional electrical grid must be outfitted with the characteristics of a smart grid, and from a legal perspective, it is essential to generate a clear regulatory framework that promotes the development of this type of technology.

Context: Management to care for the environment and the Earth (geo) can be source of inspiration for developing models that allow addressing complexity issues; the objective of this research was to develop an additional aspect of the inspired models. The geoinspired model has two features, the first covering aspects related to environmental management and the behavior of natural resources, and the second has a component of spatial location associated with existing objects on the Earth's surface.Method: The approach developed in the research is descriptive and its main objective is the representation or characterization of a case study within a particular context.Results: The result was the design of a model to emulate the natural behavior of the water tributaries of the Amazon foothills, in order to extend the application of the inspired models and allow the use of elements such as geo-referencing and environmental management. The proposed geoinspired model is called “natural vectors agents inspired in environmental management”.Conclusions: The agents vectors naturals inspired by the environmental are polyform elements that can assume the behavior of environmental entities, which makes it possible to achieve progress in other fields of environmental management (use of soil, climate, flora, fauna), and link environmental issues with the structure of the proposed model.

Context: To build a successful relationship management (CRM), companies must start with the identification of the true value of customers, as this provides basic information to implement more targeted and customized marketing strategies. The RFM methodology, a classic analysis tool that uses three evaluation parameters, allows companies to understand customer behavior, and to establish customer segments. The addition of a new parameter in the traditional technique is an opportunity to refine the possible outcomes of a customer segmentation since it not only provides a new element of evaluation to identify the most valuable customers, but it also makes it possible to differentiate and get to know customers even better.Method: The article presents a methodology that allows to establish customer segments using an extended RFM method with new variables, selected through multivariate analysis.. Results: The proposed implementation was applied in a company in which variables such as profit, profit percentage, and billing due date were tested. Therefore, it was possible to establish a more detailed customer segmentation than with the classic RFM.Conclusions: the RFM analysis is a method widely used in the industry for its easy understanding and applicability. However, it can be improved with the use of statistical procedures and new variables, which will allow companies to have deeper information about the behavior of the clients, and will facilitate the design of specific marketing strategies.

Context: The care of the ozone layer is an activity that contributes to the planet's environmental stability. For this reason, the Montreal Protocol is created to control the emission of substances that deplete the ozone layer and reduce its production from an organizational point of view. However, it is also necessary to have control of those that are already circulating and those present in the equipment that cannot be replaced yet because of the context of the companies that keep it. Generally, the control mechanisms for classifying the type of substances, equipment and companies that own them, are carried in physical files, spreadsheets and text documents, which makes it difficult to control and manage the data stored in them.Method: The objective of this research is to computerize the process of control of substances that deplete the ozone layer. An evaluation and description of all process to manage Ozone-Depleting Substances (ODS), and its alternatives, is done. For computerization, the agile development methodology SCRUM is used, and for the technological solution tools and free open source technologies are used.Result: As a result of the research, a computer tool was developed that automates the process of control and management of substances that exhaust the ozone layer and its alternatives.Conclusions: The developed computer tool allows to control and manage the ozone-depleting substances and the equipment that use them. It also manages the substances that arise as alternatives to be used for the protection of the ozone layer.