Papers by Alberto Fonseca
Intravascular ultrasound assessment of the novel AngioSculpt scoring balloon catheter for the treatment of complex coronary lesions
PubMed, 2008
Background: Despite the advances in interventional cardiology, stent expansion remains an importa... more Background: Despite the advances in interventional cardiology, stent expansion remains an important predictor of success, impacting restenosis and thrombosis rates after either bare-metal (BMS) or drug-eluting stent implantation. Especially for the treatment of complex lesions (e.g., calcified lesions, in-stent restenosis, etc.), adequate lesion preparation might help improve procedural results as well as clinical outcomes. We sought to investigate the safety, feasibility and mechanism of action of a new scoring-balloon catheter, the AngioSculpt, comprised of a semicompliant balloon and a nitinol spiral cage designed to address complex lesions. Methods: A total of 60 consecutive patients at two centers were prospectively enrolled in this first-in-man coronary study and divided into two groups according to the type of lesion treated: Group I: patients with de novo coronary lesions (n = 47) as a pretreatment strategy before BMS implantation, and Group II: patients with BMS restenosis (n = 17) as a standalone therapy. A subgroup of patients in each cohort was assigned to intravascular (IVUS) analysis. Patients in Group II were submitted to routine 6-month follow-up angiography. In Group I, angiographic restudy was contingent upon the presence of ischemia. Lesions longer than 20 mm in very tortuous vessels, in arterial or vein grafts, in the setting of acute myocardial infarction or with visible thrombus were excluded from this study. Results: Success was achieved in all cases. The mean age of the study populations was 62 +/- 11.6 years (Group I) and 53 +/- 9.4 years (Group II), with 26% and 18% diabetics, respectively. In Group I, 73% of lesions were diffuse and fibrocalcified, while in Group II, 72% were classified as diffuse. No serious complications were observed in either group. Balloon slippage (or the "watermelon seed" phenomenon) was not observed. Significant acute gain was achieved in both groups (0.7 mm in Group I and 1.64 mm in Group II). A minimum final area (in-stent) 6.5 mm2 was achieved in 85% of the cases in Group I and in 82% of the cases in Group II. Conclusions: In this preliminary in vivo study, the use AngioSculpt(R) proved to be feasible and safe for the treatment of complex coronary lesions. Six-month results suggest the use of this novel device as an attractive option for the percutaneous approach of restenotic coronary lesions and should be assessed in a larger, more complex cohort of patients.
“Ahora nos toca a nosotros”
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana eBooks, Nov 29, 2018
The Narco-Letrado
Palgrave Macmillan eBooks, Sep 5, 2014
Escribir sobre el narcotráfico: relatos adictivos
Aisthesis Revista Chilena de Investigaciones Estéticas, 2023
A partir de la popularización de las drogas a mediados del siglo XX y su impacto social, económic... more A partir de la popularización de las drogas a mediados del siglo XX y su impacto social, económico y cultural, todo el planeta se transformó. Colombia, por las condiciones específicas de su geografía y la idiosincrasia de sus gentes, ha sido un escenario idóneo para la producción, circulación, distribución y consumo de sustancias psicotrópicas. A lo largo de la historia reciente del país, periodistas, abogados y políticos, entre otros, han entendido que la ilegalidad de las drogas no admite concesiones, porque el narcotráfico se adapta con total facilidad a cualquier expresión de la violencia. Desde las periferias geográficas los artistas e intelectuales se han incluido en ese debate contribuyendo con un repertorio variado y sugestivo de obras. Esta revisión de archivo de las producciones culturales ligadas al tráfico de drogas busca la construcción de una cartografía que permita la orientación para encontrar la salida del laberinto. Con toda seguridad la visión específica del caso colombiano puede iluminar al resto de países de Latinoamérica.
Mining depletes, processes, and relocates mineral resources while profoundly changing landscapes ... more Mining depletes, processes, and relocates mineral resources while profoundly changing landscapes and socioeconomic patterns of affected regions and communities. For millennia these impacts have been "accepted" by society because of minerals' many benefits, but the growing environmental crisis is pushing up demand for socially responsible and ecologically viable mining practices. In reaction to these pressures, large mining corporations have been increasingly trying to make the business case for a sustainable mining industry. To demonstrate progress towards this "case", companies have started to publish sustainability reports based on a sustainability assessment and reporting tool called the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Framework. Many scholars have contested the effectiveness of that framework and argued that GRI-based reports can mislead decision-makers concerned with sustainability, or even camouflage unsustainable practices, particularly at the site level. Few scholars, however, have gone far beyond the realm of criticism to understand how to enhance that framework. This thesis addresses this gap. More specifically it sets out to answer the following questions: 1) what needs to be changed in mining corporations' approaches to assessing and reporting sustainability for the purpose of promoting more meaningful and reliable disclosures? And 2) what are the key practical and conceptual barriers to implementing those changes? This research adopted a qualitative grounded theory approach underpinned by systems theories to answer the questions. Data were collected through extensive literature reviews, 41 semistructured interviews and content analyses. The evaluation of data included software-aided techniques such as iterative coding, memo-writing, and diagramming. The four main contributions are as follows. First, the thesis presents an evaluation of the extent to which mining corporations' approaches to sustainability reporting meet eight principles (the BellagioSTAMP) of sustainability assessment and communication. In light of the identified gaps, the thesis outlines a number of specific changes that should be promoted in mining corporations' sustainability frameworks. Second, a critical evaluation is provided of the iv limitations of an industry initiative that is pushing for stronger GRI reporting. Proponents of that initiative are trying to standardize and enforce external verification of sustainability reports among large mining corporations, but, in doing so, they may reinforce a limited approach to sustainability reporting. Third, the thesis identifies and discusses the barriers that may emerge in the implementation of six additional guidance elements in the GRI framework that could promote sounder sustainability assessment and reporting processes. The many barriers are broadly categorized as motivational, structural and specific. Finally, the thesis specifies research implications for key stakeholder groups involved in sustainability reporting: standardsetters, industry associations, mining companies, external verifiers, investors, local communities, and scholars. Overall, this thesis corroborates the view that meaningful and reliable standardized disclosures of contributions to sustainability are unlikely to emerge any time soon. The geographical dispersion of mining corporations' facilities imposes substantial barriers to the contextualization and systematization of sustainability evaluations and communications. These barriers can be overcome with additional indicator systems and partnerships, but standardsetters, industry associations, and governments do not seem motivated to take up this challenge soon. This situation opens opportunities for individual mining corporations to enhance their particular approaches. This thesis provides important information that should be considered in the development of a much needed long-term strategy for stronger sustainability reporting in the sector.
The Narco-Letrado: Intellectuals and Drug Trafficking in Darío Jaramillo Agudelo’s Cartas cruzadas
Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks, 2014
Colombian narco-narratives clearly show the divergence of neoliberalism, globalization, and repre... more Colombian narco-narratives clearly show the divergence of neoliberalism, globalization, and repressive policies in the fight against drugs. On the one hand, the turn-of-the-century narco-narratives represent a capitalist logic, which sees in drug trafficking an economic dynamic of supply and demand that follows the directives of the market. On the other hand, this body of texts criticizes consumer practices that the same capitalist system engenders. In Colombia, the business of drug trafficking produced changes in the social and economic sphere, contributing to the emergence of a new value scale in which easy money and consumption impacted the way individuals think about their future. These factors also enter into dialogue with traditional social values, like hard work and study. This chapter studies Jaramillo Agudelo’s use of the figure of the intellectual in his fiction with the aim of understanding the position the lettered city has taken in the face of the drug trafficking phenomenon. Agudelo’s Cartas cruzadas (Exchanged Letters, 1995) signals the loss of position that the letrados suffer as guides in a neoliberal society and victims of narcotrafficking, and their transformation into what one might call neo-letrados.
Análisis de Firmas Hiperespectrales del pasto estrella africana (cynodon nlemfuensis) bajo régimen de pastoreo
Ingeniería: Revista de la Universidad de Costa Rica, 2021
Social and Environmental Responsibility in Metals Supply to the Electronic Industry
This study was commissioned by the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) and the Electronic I... more This study was commissioned by the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) and the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC). The overall objective was to help these organizations understand how aluminum, cobalt, copper, gold, palladium and tin are mined, recycled, purchased and where they are used in electronics products. Based on the study’s findings, conclusions are drawn and recommendations are made on whether and how the members of these organizations can effectively influence social and environmental issues associated with production of metals used in electronic products.
Viewpoint: The far-reaching dangers of rolling back environmental licensing and impact assessment legislation in Brazil
Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 2022
In the context of compounding health, environmental, and climatic crises, Brazil may witness two ... more In the context of compounding health, environmental, and climatic crises, Brazil may witness two of its most important environmental policy instruments, environmental licensing and impact assessment, be severely weakened. On May 13, 2021, the Chamber of Deputies passed a new General Law of Environmental Licensing, ignoring the concerns of civil society, scientists, and other relevant parties. If approved by the Senate and ratified by President Bolsonaro, this law will further undermine Brazil's increasingly fragile environmental protection and public participation in decision-making. Here, we review the bill's main provisions, highlighting potential far-reaching implications for environmental protection and governance, public participation in decision-making, and human rights in Brazil and beyond. Scientists can play an important role in debunking misinformation and advising Senators and the public opinion on the bill's dangerous effects.
Aldona Bialowas Pobutsky. Pablo Escobar and Colombian Narcoculture
Revista Iberoamericana, 2021
N/A
Ingeniería, 2021
La información espectral ha sido utilizada ampliamente en el estudio de las condiciones nutricion... more La información espectral ha sido utilizada ampliamente en el estudio de las condiciones nutricionales y en el desarrollo de diversos cultivos empleados en el ámbito agrícola, pero existe un vacío de investigación en especies forrajeras para condiciones tropicales. El presente estudio contempló la comparación de información multi e hiperespectral correspondientes al cultivo de pasto Estrella Africana (Cynodon nlemfuensis) dedicado a la alimentación de ganadería lechera usando espectroscopia de campo e información satelital de Sentinel-2. Se determinó que existe una heterogeneidad de la firma espectral del cultivo, debido al patrón aleatorio de alimentación por parte del ganado y la variación de las condiciones ambientales. Se generaron zonas con distintas alturas del cultivo, influyendo directamente en los valores de reflectancia, índice de área foliar e índices de vegetación. Se compararon los índices espectrales calculados con información de campo y satelital, obteniéndose valores ...
Verdades inconvenientes sobre a proposta de Lei Geral do Licenciamento Ambiental
Engenharia Sanitaria e Ambiental, 2018
RESUMO A privatização é frequentemente mencionada como uma potencial solução para os problemas do... more RESUMO A privatização é frequentemente mencionada como uma potencial solução para os problemas dos serviços de abastecimento de água. Todavia, são raros os estudos sobre os reais impactos da privatização, sobretudo no Brasil. O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar o desempenho dos prestadores públicos e privados no Brasil entre 2003 e 2013. A metodologia baseou-se na análise dos indicadores do Sistema Nacional de Informações sobre Saneamento, por meio de análises fatoriais e testes não paramétricos. Também testou-se a aplicação de modelos de regressão linear, embora sem sucesso. A análise visual dos boxplots sugeriram diferenças no desempenho entre prestadores público e privado em anos específicos. Essa situação foi confirmada por meio dos testes não paramétricos. Todavia, os serviços privatizados já tinham o melhor desempenho desde o início do período de análise, o que corrobora o argumento de que a privatização tende a ocorrer em municípios que já apresentam condições favoráveis d...
Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 2017
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) systems are under pressure in many countries, driven by a c... more Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) systems are under pressure in many countries, driven by a call for efficiency and streamlining. Such a phenomenon is particularly clear in Brazil, where, in the past few years, a number of influential associations put forward documents proposing significant changes to environmental licensing and impact assessment regulations. So far, there is no publicly available information about any initiative towards scrutinizing those proposals. The objective of this study was to critically review the merits and drawbacks of the changes proposed in those documents. The analysis triangulated content analysis, focus group and online survey data. The focus group included ten seasoned Brazilian EIA specialists; the survey, based on Likert-scale and open-ended questions, resulted in 322 valid responses from EIA professionals. Results show that the proposals generally agree that the current EIA system, while playing a key role in mitigating impacts and enhancing project design, needs many changes. Nonetheless, the proposals neither offered solutions to overcome political, technical and budget barriers, nor established a sense of priority of the most urgent issues. Findings from the focus group and the survey signaled that a number of proposed actions might face public outcry, and that those changes that do not depend on legislative action are more likely to be implementable. Previous studies about EIA reform focused mostly on the context of developed countries after changes had taken place. This study, while addressing the perspective of a large developing country in a "before-reform" stage, shows that capacity-building is a key requirement in EIA reform.
Revista Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos, 2006
Neste artigo, será evidenciada a existência de um importante episódio na história da gestão dos r... more Neste artigo, será evidenciada a existência de um importante episódio na história da gestão dos recursos hídricos no Brasil, ocorrido, durante o período colonial, nas minas de ouro de Minas Gerais. São apresentados os trabalhos de mineração e o modo como a água era utilizada nesses trabalhos. São apresentados, ademais, o controle que a Coroa portuguesa exerceu sobre o uso da água nessas minas e as conseqüências ambientais desse empreendimento, como o assoreamento e as alterações da paisagem. Ao final, conclui-se que a gestão dos recursos hídricos no Brasil não deve ser considerada um fenômeno recente, que surgiu ao longo do século XX, como sugerem ou divulgam, equivocadamente, algumas publicações do setor, mas sim um processo que foi inerente à colonização portuguesa, variando conforme as conjunturas sociais, políticas, econômicas e ambientais.
Revista Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos, 2008
Electronica E Telecomunicacoes, 1997
Resumo-O esquema de arbitragem tipicamente usado nos barramentos de campo "tempo-real" baseia-se ... more Resumo-O esquema de arbitragem tipicamente usado nos barramentos de campo "tempo-real" baseia-se num scheduler do tipo off-line que gera uma tabela estática e cíclica contendo a atribuição de tempo de barramento às transacções associadas a variáveis do processo. Esta abordagem, por exemplo usada no barramento de campo FIP (Factory Instrumentation Protocol) é altamente inflexível no sentido de que qualquer alteração ao sistema, tal como adicionar um sensor, obriga à interrupção do funcionamento do barramento. Neste artigo propomos a utilização de um scheduler do tipo planeamento para resolver esta inflexibilidade. Este scheduler representa uma situação de compromisso entre entre as vantagens e desvantagens do escalonamento (scheduling) dinâmico e estático típicos. É, também, apresentada uma condição suficiente de escalonabilidade (schedulability) que implica um custo de desempenho mínimo (overhead) e que, por essa razão, é adequada para a análise on-line. A possibilidade de utilização do scheduler de planeamento no contexto do barramento FIP também é descrita obtendo-se, desse modo, um barramento compatível tipo-FIP.
A realização deste trabalho teve o incentivo e a colaboração de várias pessoas, às quais quero aq... more A realização deste trabalho teve o incentivo e a colaboração de várias pessoas, às quais quero aqui expressar os meus sinceros agradecimentos. Começo por agradecer ao orientador deste trabalho, Mestre Eusébio Pires da Silva, pelo apoio, dedicação e pela inestimável contribuição que prestou na preparação e revisão efectuada, bem como pelo constante incentivo e interesse demonstrado na elaboração da dissertação. Agradeço à minha família, especialmente à minha esposa, filhos, pais e irmãos, por todo o apoio que me dedicaram ao longo da elaboração da dissertação, bem como pelo tempo que lhes foi retirado. Aos meus amigos e colegas do Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração de Lisboa, pelo seu contínuo incentivo, apoio e sugestões apresentadas durante o trabalho de investigação.
Stent fracture associated to restenosis in sirolimus eluting stent
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Papers by Alberto Fonseca