The Author aims to show the results presented by the Clean development Mechanism (CDM) created under the Kyoto Protocol as tool to promote a flexible scheme to meet the commitments. After thirteen years of CDM operation, results exposed a discouraging panorama as GHG emissions keep increasing. The situation got complex as it has been some barriers that prevented CDM optimal operation. With a new second commitment period entering into force, CDM scheme provides an uncertain outlook so far. The first period results are shown along with the characteristics of the second one and the future CDM market trends. It is also reviewed the CDM background, following by the analysis of the periods’ situation and possible actions that can be taken in order to enhance CDM as emissions reduction strategy, finished by conclusions from the author.

We extend the Infinite N formalism so that it gives all of the stochastic properties of the primordial curvature perturbation if the initial ?eld perturbations are Gaussian. The calculation requires only the knowledge of some family of unperturbed universes. A formula is given for the normalization fNL of the bispectrum of, which is the main signal of non-Gaussianity. Examples of the use of the formula are given, and its relation to cosmological perturbation theory is explained.

Abstract: In this paper we introduce a c-derivation δc, Δc-rings and some basic properties. Finally, we prove that the radical of a Δc-ideal is also a Δc-ideal. Resumen: En este artículo introducimos una c-derivación δc, Δc-anillos y algunas propiedades básicas. Finalmente, como resultado general se demuestra que el radical de un Δc-ideal es también un Δc-ideal.

Miel I, a Roller Compact Concrete (RCC) dam located in Colombia, has operated for almost ten years and operational/commercial practices and hydrological behavior has been stable. However, during the last two years, Miel I has confront changes in these two aspects. Before these changes, Miel I spillway was used just in two occasions and during a short period of time. However, because these changes, the spillway was used during 30 days in 2010 and 47 days in 2011. Additionally, since August 2010, the reservoir has increased its tributaries due to the Guarino tunnel diverse project. All these aspects have changed the reservoir levels during all the year and especially during raining season and affected directly the dam behavior. Miel I has confront forces and solicitudes which was never exposed. As a product of this, small fissures and changes in some instrumentation levels were observed during this time. It is clear that these changes have not compromised the dam safety although, it is also true that the Miel I dam for first time in ten years has been request to work against reservoir highest levels. The information, analysis and conclusions collected during these periods of time will allow the maintenance group to define, in advance, practices for this new condition and more important, will close the gap between the operational practices and the dam safety standards.

Bogotá is facing the problem of a large and rapidly growth to its periphery, reducing green areas, affecting the environment and stressing the city’s infrastructure just to name some negative effects. This scenario is even worse when looking to the city centre in which many buildings are abandoned or not used to their full potential. Other buildings need an intervention in order to meet current legislation and activities requirements. Environmental architecture seems not to be part of the agenda. In the other hand, many of the new buildings are not aware of how the design can affect the quality of the space and the environmental performance of the building. Glazed facades facing all orientations, equal treatment to all facades, lack of solar control elements, heating and cooling in a climate where sometimes coupling with the outside is desirable are just some of the things that suggest a review of what is being done.

The Colombian composition, “Caimaré” (1949), by Luis Uribe Bueno (1916-2000) is a rare example of music written for saxophone and orchestra in Latin America. This piece reaches a particular importance in the repertoire for saxophone and orchestra because not only does it open a window into Colombian musical culture at the time, but it also presents a conciliation of the diverse musical elements that represented national identity of Colombia at that time. Additionally, the piece also raises some unsettling questions: Why did Luis Uribe Bueno compose music for saxophone and orchestra when the saxophone is an uncommon instrument in classical music and even more so in Andean Colombian music? Why did he write the piece? For whom? Was Caimaré just an isolated example, or were there other similar pieces? What were the music-cultural influences? In this paper, I will survey key aspects of Caimaré and its relationship to thehistory, composition, and performance of saxophone music in Colombia. I will show how the saxophone played a predominant role in the popular music of the Atlantic coastal region, as opposed to its relative rarity in the classical music tradition and in Andean folkloric contexts. My study will explore the role of the saxophone in one of the most representative tropical bands in Colombian music, Lucho Bermudez' s orchestra, and the influence that orchestra had on Uribe Bueno’s composition. Finally, this study will illustrate how Uribe Bueno combined traditional Spanish rhythms from the pasodoble and Caribbean influences from the Cuban bolero within the traditional Colombian pasillo in his representation of national music identity.

Incorporating different kinds of micro-theories of cognition and modulating several mechanisms to unify all the recommended actions and outputs of an Intelligent System when a huge amount of environmental variables are changing continuously with increasing complexity, may become a very comprehensive task. The presented framework proposes an Hybrid Cognitive Architecture that relies on integrating of emergent systems approaches —connectionist and autopoietic systems—, and cognitivist approaches, in order to combine implicit and explicit processes necessary in developing cognitive skills. The proposed architecture includes different kinds of learning capabilities at each cognitive level which grant to the architecture a big plasticity. In addition, the propounded attention module includes an evolutionary mechanism based on gene expression programming to evolve a set of eligibility conditions in charge of modulating the coalition/ subordination of specialized behaviours, taking into consideration the theatre metaphor for consciousness. Finally, a co-evolutionary mechanism is proposed to propagate behaviours and knowledge between cognitive systems —Agents— on the basis of memetic engineering. The proposed architecture was proved in an animat environment using a multi-agent platform where several emergent properties of self-organization arose.

Transcriptional activity of Forkhead box transcription factor class O (FOXO) proteins can result in a variety of cellular outcomes depending on cell type and activating stimulus. These transcription factors are negatively regulated by the phosphoinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)–protein kinase B (PKB) signaling pathway, which is thought to have a pivotal role in regulating survival of tumor cells in a variety of cancers. Recently, it has become clear that FOXO proteins can promote resistance to anti-cancer therapeutics, designed to inhibit PI3K–PKB activity, by inducing the expression of proteins that provide feedback at different levels of this pathway. We questioned whether such a feedback mechanism may also exist directly at the level of FOXO-induced transcription. To identify critical modulators of FOXO transcriptional output, we performed gene expression analyses after conditional activation of key components of the PI3K–PKB–FOXO signaling pathway and identified FOXP1 as a direct FOXO transcriptional target. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next-generation sequencing, we show that FOXP1 binds enhancers that are pre-occupied by FOXO3. By sequencing the transcriptomes of cells in which FOXO is specifically activated in the absence of FOXP1, we demonstrate that FOXP1 can modulate the expression of a specific subset of FOXO target genes, including inhibiting expression of the pro-apoptotic gene BIK. FOXO activation in FOXP1-knockdown cells resulted in increased cell death, demonstrating that FOXP1 prevents FOXO-induced apoptosis. We therefore propose that FOXP1 represents an important modulator of FOXO-induced transcription, promoting cellular survival.

The purpose of my research is to identify the legal actions and/or administrative mechanisms established by the Colombian regulation that seek the prevention of the so-called orphan environmental damages caused by the exploration and exploitation of minerals by illegal miners within the territory. Moreover, I will determine whether or not landowners should be responsible for the environmental damage caused by illegal miners, in the case where they do not denounce the illegal activities occurring on their property to the government. In other words, the idea is to review the current regulation, and determine whether landowners should be responsible for the activities caused by third parties (illegal miners) on their properties, and if so, which legal actions should be filed by landowners in order to avoid responsibility in those cases. Hence, I will review which special duties landowners may have with respect to illegal mining on their properties, and which legal actions they should file before competent governmental authorities in order to inform them of these illegal activities. This would have the purpose of helping the government to stop the illegal activities by having the information about where these activities are being carried out, and therefore, prevent the appearance of new environmental damages. By this point, it may be clear that denouncing illegal activities is just a small part of the solution. In order to stop illegal mining it would be also necessary to reflect on the current environmental, social, economical, and cultural policies, strategies and programs. However, the law might contribute to find out a plausible solution. Notwithstanding the above, it is important to point out that I will focus my research only on the identification of the different legal actions, and not on their application and enforcement. Hence, the questions that I will try to resolve will be: (i) whether or not landowners have any special duty of denouncing the illegal mining activities that might take place on their properties (based on the ecological function of the property constitutional principle) (ii) which are the available legal actions and administrative mechanisms under Colombian regulation that should be used by a landowner in order to avoid responsibility and prevent orphan environmental damages caused by the performance of illegal mining activities on their property. I will however not analyze the application of these actions on a day-to-day basis; I will address some of the concerns with respect to the current system.

This article examines the existing arguments of the Democratic Peace Theory on why democracies do not fight each other. It aims to summarize the most important aspects of the theory, and to provide adequate counterarguments. First, it explains the general implications of the theory, including its origins and explanations. Second, it explores the related critiques and controversies. Third, it identifies the theory’s practical application. Finally, it offers conclusions on how effective this theory could be during the present days.