Este trabalho apresenta o dimensionamento otimizado de redes pressurizadas de distribuição de água em regime permanente para áreas de topografia relativamente plana. Além dos critérios tradicionais de dimensionamento hidráulico, o resultado ótimo é aquele com menor custo global, ou seja, onde a soma dos custos de implantação e de operação é mínimo. Para a determinação dos resultados, as equações que envolvem a perda de carga nos circuitos e vazões em cada nó foram solucionadas através da programação não linear com emprego de métodos matriciais. As principais variáveis analisadas foram os diferentes materiais das tubulações (PEAD, PVC e Ferro Fundido), tipos de superfície (terra, concreto, paralelepípedo e asfalto), locação da rede (passeio, viário pavimentado e sem pavimentação), tarifas de energia elétrica para concessionárias de água, vida útil usuais para o sistema de bombeamento e taxa de juros ao longo da operação do sistema. Os resultados obtidos através da metodologia proposta demonstraram que as principais variáveis em relação ao custo referencial unitário foram o custo da pressurização inicial, custo da tubulação, além do custo de remoção e recomposição de viário em pavimento asfáltico. / This work presents the optimal design of pressurized networks of water distribution in steady state flow to areas of relatively flat topography. In addition to the traditional hydraulic criteria for design, the optimal outcome is that with lower overall cost, in other words, where the sum of the costs of implementation and operation is minimal. To obtain the results, the equations that involving headloss in the circuits and flows at each node were solved by nonlinear programming with the use of matrix methods. The main variables studied were the different materials of pipes (HDPE, PVC and Cast Iron), surface types (clay, concrete and asphalt paving), network location (walk, paved and unpaved road), electricity tariffs for water utilities, normal life for the pumping system and interest rates along the system operation. The results obtained by the proposed methodology showed that the main variables in relation to the unit cost were the cost of initial pressurization, cost of the pipe, besides the cost of removal and restoration of roads in asphalt pavement.

Esta pesquisa procura reunir provas e evidências científicas contrárias à hipótese do aquecimento global antropogênico e elucidar seu significado na atualidade. Argumentamos que o clima está em permanente transformação, não podendo ser reduzido a um produto de variações das concentrações atmosféricas de dióxido de carbono e que a preocupação com mudanças climáticas não é uma novidade histórica mas, apesar disso, nosso desconhecimento sobre o funcionamento do sistema climático é ainda desafiador. Concluímos que a hipótese do aquecimento global antropogênico não é consensual e exerce hoje a função de ideologia legitimadora do capitalismo tardio, perpetuando a exclusão social travestindo-se de compromisso com as gerações futuras. / This research aims to gather scientific proofs and evidences against anthropogenic global warming hypothesis and to elucidate its meaning in the present. We argue that climate is in a permanent transformation, not resuming itself to a product of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration variations and that worries about climatic changes are not new but, despite this, our ignorance on the functioning of the climate system is still challenging. We conclude that anthropogenic global warming hypothesis is not consensual and exerts nowadays the function of late capitalism legitimating ideology, perpetuating social exclusion transvestiting itself as a commitment to future generations.

São inúmeras as atividades que fazem uso do sistema Global Navigation Satellite System - GNSS, sendo o Global Positioning System - GPS, desenvolvido pelos Estados Unidos, o mais utilizado. Na área de agricultura de precisão há a necessidade de posicionamento estático e cinemático com demandas de distintos níveis de acurácia e precisão para diferentes aplicações. A deficiência de informações técnicas dos fabricantes causa incertezas nos usuários, quanto à classe de receptor a ser utilizado para determinadas atividades agrícolas. Por esses motivos os objetivos deste trabalho foram: avaliar o uso de correções diferenciais através de ensaio estático, testar o uso do receptor GPS RTK como referência para avaliar o desempenho de receptores de baixo custo em condição cinemática e desenvolver uma plataforma instrumentada para avaliar os receptores de GPS sob condição cinemática representativa para operações agrícolas. No primeiro caso foram realizados ensaios com oito receptores, sobre uma torre livre de impedimentos físicos, na qual foi montada uma plataforma em formato de cruz e nos receptores foram ativadas e desativadas as correções diferenciais WAAS, EGNOS, SF1 e SF2 e também testadas as várias intensidades de filtragem disponíveis em alguns dos receptores. No ensaio cinemático utilizando um receptor GPS RTK como referência foram utilizados dois receptores de navegação, fixados sobre a cabine de um trator e foram coletados dados com diferentes freqüências. Para ensaios cinemáticos foi construída uma plataforma móvel instrumentada com um detector óptico de pulsos (encoder), um sensor foto elétrico e dois coletores de dados responsáveis por realizar o sincronismo entre os pulsos do encoder e as atualizações da sentença do GPS e armazenamento dos dados. Assim foi possível determinar as coordenadas de referência para o cálculo dos erros de precisão e acurácia do receptor GPS submetido à avaliação. Na avaliação dos receptores em ensaio estático os resultados mostraram que as correções WAAS e EGNOS não adicionam qualidade ao posicionamento na região de Piracicaba, SP. Com a ativação dessas correções os erros de precisão e de acurácia aumentaram. As correções diferencias SF1 e SF2 via satélite demonstraram ser mais acuradas que os demais sistemas ensaiados. O ensaio sob condição cinemática, com GPS RTK de referência, permitiu o cálculo de erros somente no sentido perpendicular ao percurso. A plataforma instrumentada funcionou, cumprindo as expectativas e permitindo o cálculo dos erros de precisão e acurácia, porém demonstrou problemas de robustez nos coletores de dados, necessitando de pequenas melhorias. / The activities that use the Global Navigation Satellite System - GNSS, are countless, and the Global Positioning System - GPS, developed by the United States is the most used today. In precision agriculture there is a need of static and cinematic positioning with demands of distinct levels of accuracy and precision for different applications. Technical information deficiencies from the manufacturers causes uncertainties to the users, as the receiver class to be used for certain agricultural activities. For these reasons the objectives of this work were: evaluate the use of differential corrections through static test, to test the use of RTK GPS as reference to evaluate the performance of low cost receivers under cinematic condition and develop an instrumented platform to evaluate GPS receivers under cinematic condition that represents agricultural operations. In the first case were realized tests with eight receivers, in the top of a tower free of physical obstacles, where it was mounted a platform with cross shape. The differential corrections WAAS, EGNOS, SF1 and SF2 were tested and also some intensities of filtering available in some of the receivers. In one of the cinematic tests, using a RTK GPS as reference, we used two navigation receivers, fixed over a tractor cabin and the data were collected with different frequencies. For the second cinematic test it was built a moving platform instrumented with a pulse optical detector (encoder), a photoelectric sensor and two data loggers, responsible for the synchronization between the encoder pulses and the GPS strings, and also log the data. With that it was possible to determine the reference coordinates to calculate the errors of precision and accuracy of the GPS receiver submitted to evaluation. The evaluation in static way showed that the corrections WAAS and EGNOS do not work in the region of Piracicaba, SP. Activating these corrections the precision and accuracy errors increased. The data collected with the satellite differential corrections SF1 and SF2 got closer to the real coordinate than the other evaluated systems. The test under cinematic condition, with the RTK GPS as reference, allowed the errors calculation only in the perpendicular direction of the course. The instrumented platform worked, accomplishing the expectation and allowing the errors calculation of precision and accuracy, however, showed problems of robustness in the data loggers, needing some improvement.

Este trabalho apresenta o dimensionamento otimizado de redes pressurizadas de distribuição de água em regime permanente para áreas de topografia relativamente plana. Além dos critérios tradicionais de dimensionamento hidráulico, o resultado ótimo é aquele com menor custo global, ou seja, onde a soma dos custos de implantação e de operação é mínimo. Para a determinação dos resultados, as equações que envolvem a perda de carga nos circuitos e vazões em cada nó foram solucionadas através da programação não linear com emprego de métodos matriciais. As principais variáveis analisadas foram os diferentes materiais das tubulações (PEAD, PVC e Ferro Fundido), tipos de superfície (terra, concreto, paralelepípedo e asfalto), locação da rede (passeio, viário pavimentado e sem pavimentação), tarifas de energia elétrica para concessionárias de água, vida útil usuais para o sistema de bombeamento e taxa de juros ao longo da operação do sistema. Os resultados obtidos através da metodologia proposta demonstraram que as principais variáveis em relação ao custo referencial unitário foram o custo da pressurização inicial, custo da tubulação, além do custo de remoção e recomposição de viário em pavimento asfáltico. / This work presents the optimal design of pressurized networks of water distribution in steady state flow to areas of relatively flat topography. In addition to the traditional hydraulic criteria for design, the optimal outcome is that with lower overall cost, in other words, where the sum of the costs of implementation and operation is minimal. To obtain the results, the equations that involving headloss in the circuits and flows at each node were solved by nonlinear programming with the use of matrix methods. The main variables studied were the different materials of pipes (HDPE, PVC and Cast Iron), surface types (clay, concrete and asphalt paving), network location (walk, paved and unpaved road), electricity tariffs for water utilities, normal life for the pumping system and interest rates along the system operation. The results obtained by the proposed methodology showed that the main variables in relation to the unit cost were the cost of initial pressurization, cost of the pipe, besides the cost of removal and restoration of roads in asphalt pavement.

<p>With sustainability means taking responsibility for the reality that you live and operate in. The concept sustainable development is defined as “development that meets the needs of the present world without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Elkington, 1999, p, 55).</p><p>Sustainable reporting means to extend the ordinary financial reporting to include both the environmental and social/ethical impacts that the organisation have, so called triple bottom line. We are in our essay discussing the element of sustainability reporting and how to perform one. Today there are an increased pressure from stakeholders on companies to express their values and ethical responsibility. This forces the organisations to extend their ordinary financial reporting to include environmental and social impacts that their operations have.</p><p>We have in our essay looked at the global ethical guidelines for sustainability reporting, the Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative and from these tried to examine how companies can establish a sustainability report. Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative are two voluntary codes that companies can draw inspire from when creating a sustainability report.</p><p>Our purpose with this essay is to examine the concept of sustainability reporting on the basis of observing three financial institutions and their sustainability reports. We have chosen to look at the three different banks, Rabobank Group, the Co-operative Financial Services and Swedbank, to compare how they have constructed their sustainability reports, and to see how they have drawn inspiration from the Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative.</p><p>The investigation is of a qualitative approach where the examined source is the companies’ sustainability reports. The reports have been analyzed and from the analysis have conclusions been drawn to try and interpret how the companies have acted towards the guidelines. Mainly we have been looking at the organisations and the existing balance between the economical, social and environmental aspects. Further we have also been looking at the organisational structure and the management’s attitude towards Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, and the progress to implement it within the organisations. Finally we have tried to observe the relationship between the organisations and stakeholders and the transparency in communicating about the measures being taken.</p><p>We have come to the conclusion that both Rabobank and Co-operative Financial Services, CFS, have a more developed sustainability report compared to Swedbank.</p><p>We believe the reason why can be found in many different aspects, since there is not just one component that makes a sustainability report. Both Rabobank and CFS are co-operative organisations that are being owned and controlled by its members, compared to Swedbank who is a public company that have obligations towards its shareholders. The managements’ attitude towards sustainability also has an effect of the outcome of the reports as well as attitudes from the society in which the company is operating.</p>

Das Ende des Nachkriegssystems der multilateralen Finanzorganisationen ist keines im eigentlichen Sinn des Wortes. Aber die Veränderungen im internationalen System sind evident und beschränken sich nicht auf Weltbank und Währungsfonds. Die entscheidende Verschiebung des globalen Machtgefüges findet außerhalb des multilateralen Systems der UNO statt. Es sind informelle Gruppen, die Gs in verschiedener Stärke: G-7/8 als westliches Auslaufmodell, der Newcomer G-20 und wenn Europa nicht aufpasst die G-2: Chinamerica.

With sustainability means taking responsibility for the reality that you live and operate in. The concept sustainable development is defined as “development that meets the needs of the present world without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Elkington, 1999, p, 55). Sustainable reporting means to extend the ordinary financial reporting to include both the environmental and social/ethical impacts that the organisation have, so called triple bottom line. We are in our essay discussing the element of sustainability reporting and how to perform one. Today there are an increased pressure from stakeholders on companies to express their values and ethical responsibility. This forces the organisations to extend their ordinary financial reporting to include environmental and social impacts that their operations have. We have in our essay looked at the global ethical guidelines for sustainability reporting, the Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative and from these tried to examine how companies can establish a sustainability report. Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative are two voluntary codes that companies can draw inspire from when creating a sustainability report. Our purpose with this essay is to examine the concept of sustainability reporting on the basis of observing three financial institutions and their sustainability reports. We have chosen to look at the three different banks, Rabobank Group, the Co-operative Financial Services and Swedbank, to compare how they have constructed their sustainability reports, and to see how they have drawn inspiration from the Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative. The investigation is of a qualitative approach where the examined source is the companies’ sustainability reports. The reports have been analyzed and from the analysis have conclusions been drawn to try and interpret how the companies have acted towards the guidelines. Mainly we have been looking at the organisations and the existing balance between the economical, social and environmental aspects. Further we have also been looking at the organisational structure and the management’s attitude towards Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, and the progress to implement it within the organisations. Finally we have tried to observe the relationship between the organisations and stakeholders and the transparency in communicating about the measures being taken. We have come to the conclusion that both Rabobank and Co-operative Financial Services, CFS, have a more developed sustainability report compared to Swedbank. We believe the reason why can be found in many different aspects, since there is not just one component that makes a sustainability report. Both Rabobank and CFS are co-operative organisations that are being owned and controlled by its members, compared to Swedbank who is a public company that have obligations towards its shareholders. The managements’ attitude towards sustainability also has an effect of the outcome of the reports as well as attitudes from the society in which the company is operating.

The immense inequalities between the world’s poor and the world’s rich have compelledphilosopher Thomas Pogge to develop a moral framework based on the Universal Declarationof Human Rights that challenges our most commonsense political moral views. Poggedisputes minimally and universally that we all have a negative duty not to harm so long as theharm is foreseeable and avoidable, rather than a positive duty to do well. Furthermore Poggeargues for an institutional view of negative duties flown from the fact that we all shape,uphold and impose institutions.With the help of three philosophers; Polly Vizard, Tim Hayward and Mathias Risse, Idebate a number of their raised objections to Thomas Pogge’s theory of institutional globaljustice which all focus on the controversial causal claim that the present global order causesglobal poverty. The objections discussed are (a) Vizard’s scrutinizing of Pogge’s notion ofresponsibility (b) Hayward’s call for a full causal account of how the global order is harmingthe poor and (c) Risse’s alternative baseline for harm. I argue that although Pogge has somepotential problems, he nevertheless is not contradicted by these objections to the extent thatthey themselves claim. I hold that the debated criticism appeals for further investigation andthat in light of the arguments in this thesis we have a negative duty not to harm and a positiveobligation to reform global unjust institutions in responding to global poverty.

Use Gary Gereffi's Global Commodity Chains to explain and analyse Global apparel industry and Taiwan apparel industry,besides to describe the transitionary role of Taiwan in Global apparel Commodity Chains.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of community college general education faculty members regarding their perceptions of the importance of internationalizing the general education curriculum and to what extent those perceptions are related to their attitudes toward globalization. The study further examined the degree to which faculty members perceive that they are incorporating the teaching of global competencies into their courses. Finally, the study looked at faculty members' perceptions of administrative support - both from the perspective of what they felt their college should be doing to support internationalization and what their college was actually doing to support internationalization efforts. No studies were found that examined the importance of internationalizing the general education curriculum in Florida community colleges. Quantitative data were collected using an online survey instrument sent to full-time and part-time general education faculty members teaching at community colleges in the State of Florida. The data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and regression tables and descriptive statistics were also reported. Results showed that respondents generally believed that globalization and internationalization are important; however, respondents were not incorporating international instructional strategies at a level that correlated with their attitudes toward globalization and internationalization. Among those faculty members who were incorporating international instructional strategies, results indicated that the more years' experience in higher education a respondent had, the more likely they were to be incorporating these strategies in the classroom. Respondents also indicated that they would like more support from administration to internationalize the curriculum than they believe they are receiving. Release time, and professional development and training experiences are strategies colleges could use to help improve instruction in international education. Providing opportunities for faculty members to travel to conferences and meetings with a global/international scope would also help faculty to have a better understanding of international issues.