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Earthquakes can produce important damage in civil infrastructure, including buildings and bridges, representing an important impact on the economy of many countries. The damage is particularly severe when the dominant frequency of the quake approaches one of the resonant frequencies of the structure. One typical failure occurs through the weakening of some beam‐column joints, generally along with the presence of cracking. The standard procedure for repairing this is by reinforcing the damaged zone with steel plates, sleeves or by means of a new section of reinforced concrete covering the old one. These arrangements change the mechanical stiffness and the mass of the structure itself. Accordingly, this work aims to study these mass and stiffness changes of structures through a non‐linear optimization of the modal analysis of the structure.

The paper analyzes the potential shifts in natural frequencies of the structure and thus proposes the best conditions under which a damaged bridge could be repaired efficiently.

In the cases analyzed a similar tendency was observed, namely, that the natural frequencies increase (i.e. diminish their period) with the increase of mass of the bottom columns and with the reduction of the uppers ones. The increase of frequencies by increasing the bottom sections seems to be a viable solution. It is observed that by carrying out the presented procedure it is possible to include more variables, in particular to consider not only the first frequency, but also higher orders.

A purely theoretical approach has been taken in this study.

If confirmed by experimentation this study would have considerable interest to engineers undertaking repair works on earthquake damaged structures.

This chapter draws on analysis of the spatial and material configuration as well as analysis of use to establish whether and how open spaces contribute to an increased spatial justice in Comuna 13. Location, and visual and physical accessibility have been found to be limiting factors for the spaces’ usability by diverse user groups. Regulations and management issues have also been found to be highly influential on the sites’ usability, the diversity of its users or the regulation of behaviour deemed ‘inappropriate’, such as informal trade. On the other hand, design and spatial organisation into subspaces increased the spaces’ usability and accessibility for a diversity of user groups, thus increasing spatial justice. Analysis of use underlines the multifunctionality of people’s everyday spaces for pedestrian traffic, recreation and socialising as well as informal trade. It also shows that not all new spaces are accepted equally, and that new spaces fall into disuse especially if they fail to provide a design and functionality that relate to people’s everyday activities.

This review aims to summarize some of the relevant methodologies used to study traditional foods evaluated from the consumers' perspective. The analysis provided in this review will shed light on the methods as a valuable tool to stimulate research in traditional to promote cultural and nutritional revaluation of these products.

A systematic literature review was performed on 60 articles related to the study of traditional foods from the consumer's perspective.

Ten methodologies were found that address the study of this product category. European countries lead the research in traditional foods while research in Latin America, Africa and Asia is still incipient.

This review shows the potential of each method to be applied in the study of traditional foods as well as the positive implications that research about these products could bring to regions/countries with a great diversity of traditional products.

This review reveals the need to approach the study of traditional foods and encourage future research on them, which in turn, will contribute to the cultural and integral development of local communities, even to the recovery of ingredients and local raw materials.

This chapter presents the topic of the ‘new generation’ of upgrading initiatives in informal settlements in Latin America and the rationale for this book, its objectives and research questions, focusing on the issues of spatial justice and public open spaces in informal settlements. It also provides a short insight into the research setting, i.e. the social, economic and physical characteristics of the case study location, Comuna 13 in Medellín, including short descriptions about the three spaces that were investigated in detail. It also provides a brief overview of the research methodology applied.

This chapter is the first of three analytical chapters which explore the research findings. Drawing on data gained through community guided walks and mental maps workshops, the chapter examines the diversity of everyday spaces in Comuna 13 and the practices of use the inhabitants develop in them. It establishes them as important social spaces, defined by their material configuration and the activities taking place in them. Streets, paths and stairs, front gardens, sports fields, play areas, squares, parks, green setbacks, leftover open spaces and leftover landscape are presented as the main categories of open spaces, some of them developed formally, while others established informally through the residents of Comuna 13, and some of them more publicly usable, while others more private. Additionally, other important community spaces mentioned in the data-gathering activities are portrayed.

This paper aims to evaluate the protective potential of prickly pear cactus fresh cladodes (opuntia ficus indica (OFI)) on glycemic disorders, dyslipidemia, prooxidant/antioxidant stress biomarkers and reverse cholesterol transport (by evaluating the activity of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT)) and paraoxonase (PON1) in rats prematurely exposed to cafeteria diet (CD).

Sixteen young rats were divided into two groups fed CD containing 50 per cent of hyperlipidic diet (HLD) and 50 per cent of junk food mix supplemented or not with 50 g of fresh young cladodes of OFI to 100 g of CD, during 30 days.

OFI cladodes supplementation decreased significantly body weight (p < 0.001), food intake (p < 0.05), adipose tissue weight (p < 0.01), fasting glycemia and glycosylated hemoglobin (p < 0.01), homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) and insulinemia (p < 0.001), levels of cholesterol (C) (p < 0.05) and triacylglycerols (TG) (p < 0.01) in serum and in very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL-C p < 0.05 and VLDL-TG p < 0.01) and improves reverse cholesterol transport by increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesteryl-esters concentrations (p < 0.001) and by stimulating LCAT activity. Moreover, they attenuated lipid peroxidation in VLDL and low-density lipoproteins by increasing atheroprotective activity of PON-1 and in liver and adipose tissue by enhancing enzymatic antioxidant defence.

The young cladodes of OFI because of their antiobesity benefits could constitute a novel functional ingredient in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.

Young cladodes of OFI in rat precociously submitted to a hyperlipidic diet/junk food (cafeteria model) seem to prevent metabolic disorders associated with obesity.