Recommendations for Capacity Development in Water Resources Engineering and Environmental Management in Latin America

Socioeconomic development often causes environmental and water related problems. Any solution requires knowledge, willingness and sufficient financial and technical means. Such capacity is limited in many developing and threshold countries. To identify opportunities for strengthening capacity in water and environmental management, we analysed University curricula, identified synergies between Universities and practice, explored the potential of vocational training and awareness raising, and developed regional concepts for risk communication. The results present ways how Universities can make capacity development in the water sector in Latin America more efficient. We recommend to modernize curricula, to strengthen vocational training, to intensify public involvement and cooperation with practice, and provide methodological advice for implementation.     

Surfactant-free synthesis of metallic bismuth spheres by microwave-assisted solvothermal approach as a function of the power level

In the present work, the synthesis of micro- and nano-sized spheres of metallic bismuth by microwave-assisted solvothermal method is reported. The synthesis method was carried out at different power levels and at a unique frequency of microwave irradiation. The sphere sizes were controlled by the microwave power level and the concentration of dissolved precursor. Structural and morphological characterization was performed by SEM, HRTEM, EELS and XRD. The results demonstrated that rhombohedral zero valent Bi spheres were synthesized after microwave radiation at 600 and 1200 W. However, if the power level is decreased to 120W, a monoclinic phase of Bi₂O₃ is obtained with a flake-like morphology. In comparison with a conventional hydrothermal process, the microwave-assisted solvothermal approach provides many advantages such as shorter reaction time, optimum manipulation of morphologies and provides a specific chemical phase and avoids the mixture of structural phases and morphologies which is essential for further applications such as drug delivery or functionalization with organic materials, thanks to its biocompatibility.     

Professional Personae ‐ How Organizational Identification Shapes Online Identity in the Workplace

As organizations become increasingly mediatized, the roles of professionals are reshaped and negotiated, and the boundaries between professional and private relationships are blurred. In this context, the extent to which one identifies with his or her organization might play an important role. This paper investigates how professionals construct their digital identities on social media sites, focusing in particular on their willingness to overlap private and work profiles to create a univocal online persona. Based on a sample of 679 communication and marketing managers, the paper analyzes the self‐representational choices of professionals and demonstrates how organizational identification influences professionals' tendency to combine their domains under one online persona, and their confidence to use social media in a professional context.     

Optimum pixel size for hyperspectral studies of ecosystem function in southern California chaparral and grassland

Hyperspectral remotely sensed data are useful for studying ecosystem processes and patterns. However, spatial characterization of such remotely sensed images is needed to optimize sampling procedures and address scaling issues. We have investigated spatial scaling in ground-based and airborne hyperspectral data for canopy- to watershed-level ecosystem studies of southern California chaparral and grassland vegetation. Three optical reflectance indices, namely, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Water Band Index (WBI) and Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) were used as indicators of biomass, plant water content and photosynthetic activity, respectively. Two geostatistical procedures, the semivariogram and local variance, were used for the spatial scaling analysis of these indices. The results indicate that a pixel size of 6 m or less would be optimal for studying functional properties of southern California grassland and chaparral ecosystems using hyperspectral remote sensing. These results provide a guide for selecting the spatial resolution of future airborne and satellite-based hyperspectral sensors.     

Continuing education in cultural competence for community mental health practitioners.

Continuing education in cultural competence is a key strategy for enhancing provider effectiveness in working with culturally diverse clients. In the mental health field, a majority of published works address training issues related to students in graduate programs. Few articles, however, discuss specific models or methods of continuing education for practitioners working in community-based settings. The authors present a case example of an interactive workshop in cultural competence for community mental health practitioners. They discuss key modules of this workshop, including (a) cultural competence and outreach principles, (b) cultural identity and worldview, (c) stereotyping and automatic thinking, (d) dynamics of difference, and (e) application exercises. Recommendations are offered for administrators, direct care staff, trainers, and researchers who may be interested in undertaking or participating in cultural competence continuing education efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Change in dynamic parameters and safety assessment of civil structures

Information about safety degradation over time is needed when estimating the residual lifetime of a civil structure, which must be a factor in the assessment of the overall economic utility of a strengthening intervention. Changes in the structure’s dynamic properties may often provide quantitative evidence that damaging phenomena are underway. In this paper, two symptoms, namely the reduction in stiffness and the increase in energy dissipation, were assumed to be directly associated with structural damage and safety degradation. In the last part of the paper, in order to show possible strategies for relating dynamic measurements to damage, the analysis of a bridge pier subjected to periodic monitoring is reported.