Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity in rhizosphere spores versus roots of an endangered endemic tree from Argentina: is fungal diversity similar among forest disturbance types?

The aim of this study was to compare the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) community of the rhizosphere and inside the roots of the perennial Polylepis australis tree. Three forest types differing in their structural complexity due to anthropogenic disturbances were chosen at three different sites at the high mountains of central Argentina. Rhizosphere spores and P. australis roots of four randomly selected trees were isolated from 36 soil samples, DNA was extracted and the 18S rDNA fragments were amplified by nested-PCR. The products were analyzed by DGGE and the bands were excised for sequencing. In total, 36 OTUs were defined from 56 DGGE bands successfully sequenced. Forest disturbance types showed similar communities of AMF, as rhizosphere spores and within the roots of P. australis. However, DGGE clustering showed mainly differences between rhizosphere spores and root-colonizing AMF. Members of Glomeraceae, Pacisporaceae, Acaulosporaceae and Gigasporaceae were shown in rhizosphere spore samples. Root samples showed only members of Acaulosporaceae and Gigasporaceae, which might be complementary in terms of soil resources exploration. The prevalence of the root system with their community of symbionts might explain the resilience of AMF soil communities to forests structural changes. This study presents evidence of a possible preference in the AMF?P. australis interactio

A robust controller design method for feedback substitution schemes using genetic algorithms

Controllers for feedback substitution schemes demonstrate a trade-off between noise power gain and normalized response time. Using as an example the design of a controller for a radiometric transduction process subjected to arbitrary noise power gain and robustness constraints, a Pareto-front of optimal controller solutions fulfilling a range of time-domain design objectives can be derived. In this work, we consider designs using a loop shaping design procedure (LSDP). The approach uses linear matrix inequalities to specify a range of objectives and a genetic algorithm (GA) to perform a multi-objective optimization for the controller weights (MOGA). A clonal selection algorithm is used to further provide a directed search of the GA towards the Pareto front. We demonstrate that with the proposed methodology, it is possible to design higher order controllers with superior performance in terms of response time, noise power gain and robustness

A robust controller design method for feedback substitution schemes using genetic algorithms

Controllers for feedback substitution schemes demonstrate a trade-off between noise power gain and normalized response time. Using as an example the design of a controller for a radiometric transduction process subjected to arbitrary noise power gain and robustness constraints, a Pareto-front of optimal controller solutions fulfilling a range of time-domain design objectives can be derived. In this work, we consider designs using a loop shaping design procedure (LSDP). The approach uses linear matrix inequalities to specify a range of objectives and a genetic algorithm (GA) to perform a multi-objective optimization for the controller weights (MOGA). A clonal selection algorithm is used to further provide a directed search of the GA towards the Pareto front. We demonstrate that with the proposed methodology, it is possible to design higher order controllers with superior performance in terms of response time, noise power gain and robustness

A robust controller design method for feedback substitution schemes using genetic algorithms

Controllers for feedback substitution schemes demonstrate a trade-off between noise power gain and normalized response time. Using as an example the design of a controller for a radiometric transduction process subjected to arbitrary noise power gain and robustness constraints, a Pareto-front of optimal controller solutions fulfilling a range of time-domain design objectives can be derived. In this work, we consider designs using a loop shaping design procedure (LSDP). The approach uses linear matrix inequalities to specify a range of objectives and a genetic algorithm (GA) to perform a multi-objective optimization for the controller weights (MOGA). A clonal selection algorithm is used to further provide a directed search of the GA towards the Pareto front. We demonstrate that with the proposed methodology, it is possible to design higher order controllers with superior performance in terms of response time, noise power gain and robustness

Problemáticas del cambio climático en la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires - aportes de las cubiertas vegetadas en la regulación térmica

197-209La urbanización se define como el crecimiento físico de las áreas urbanas. Alrededor de la mitad de la población del mundo vive en ciudades. Se espera que esta aumente al 61 por ciento para el 2030. Las ciudades, pese a su diversidad presentan características ambientales comunes en muchas partes del mundo, como por ejemplo la presencia de la Isla de Calor Urbana (ICU). La ICU evidencia el impacto del hábitat construido sobre el medio físico y el aumento de temperatura que produce. La mayoría de las emisiones de gas de efecto invernadero que contribuyen al cambio climático global, provienen de zonas urbanas. El cambio climático está afectando el clima a escala global y en las ciudades no solo modifica las condiciones del ciclo hidrológico, sino también afecta la ICU. Para Buenos Aires se está pronosticando, en el período 2020-2029, un aumento de las temperaturas promedio máximas en 0,6°C hasta más de 2°C. La ley N° 3.871, de adaptación y mitigación al cambio climático en Buenos Aires, propone medidas mínimas de adaptación. Una de ellas son las cubiertas verdes, las cuales, ayudarían principalmente a amortiguar las temperaturas extremas y la isla de calor urbano. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue determinar si, para las condiciones climáticas de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA), las cubiertas vegetadas (con las características del sitio de estudio), pueden significar un aporte a la regulación de temperatura. El estudio permite afirmar, para las condiciones climáticas, período y tipo de cubierta estudiada, que las mismas pueden ser un aporte a la regulación térmica de las edificaciones

Problemáticas del cambio climático en la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires - aportes de las cubiertas vegetadas en la regulación térmica

197-209La urbanización se define como el crecimiento físico de las áreas urbanas. Alrededor de la mitad de la población del mundo vive en ciudades. Se espera que esta aumente al 61 por ciento para el 2030. Las ciudades, pese a su diversidad presentan características ambientales comunes en muchas partes del mundo, como por ejemplo la presencia de la Isla de Calor Urbana (ICU). La ICU evidencia el impacto del hábitat construido sobre el medio físico y el aumento de temperatura que produce. La mayoría de las emisiones de gas de efecto invernadero que contribuyen al cambio climático global, provienen de zonas urbanas. El cambio climático está afectando el clima a escala global y en las ciudades no solo modifica las condiciones del ciclo hidrológico, sino también afecta la ICU. Para Buenos Aires se está pronosticando, en el período 2020-2029, un aumento de las temperaturas promedio máximas en 0,6°C hasta más de 2°C. La ley N° 3.871, de adaptación y mitigación al cambio climático en Buenos Aires, propone medidas mínimas de adaptación. Una de ellas son las cubiertas verdes, las cuales, ayudarían principalmente a amortiguar las temperaturas extremas y la isla de calor urbano. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue determinar si, para las condiciones climáticas de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA), las cubiertas vegetadas (con las características del sitio de estudio), pueden significar un aporte a la regulación de temperatura. El estudio permite afirmar, para las condiciones climáticas, período y tipo de cubierta estudiada, que las mismas pueden ser un aporte a la regulación térmica de las edificaciones

A new picture of the Lifshitz critical behavior

New field theoretic renormalization group methods are developed to describe in a unified fashion the critical exponents of an m-fold Lifshitz point at the two-loop order in the anisotropic (m not equal to d) and isotropic (m=d close to 8) situations. The general theory is illustrated for the N-vector phi^4 model describing a d-dimensional system. A new regularization and renormalization procedure is presented for both types of Lifshitz behavior. The anisotropic cases are formulated with two independent renormalization group transformations. The description of the isotropic behavior requires only one type of renormalization group transformation. We point out the conceptual advantages implicit in this picture and show how this framework is related to other previous renormalization group treatments for the Lifshitz problem. The Feynman diagrams of arbitrary loop-order can be performed analytically provided these integrals are considered to be homogeneous functions of the external momenta scales. The anisotropic universality class (N,d,m) reduces easily to the Ising-like (N,d) when m=0. We show that the isotropic universality class (N,m) when m is close to 8 cannot be obtained from the anisotropic one in the limit d --> m near 8. The exponents for the uniaxial case d=3, N=m=1 are in good agreement with recent Monte Carlo simulations for the ANNNI model.Comment: 48 pages, no figures, two typos fixe

Recognizing thyrotoxicosis in a patient with bipolar mania: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A thyroid stimulating hormone level is commonly measured in patients presenting with symptoms of mania in order to rule out an underlying general medical condition such as hyperthyroidism or thyrotoxicosis. Indeed, many cases have been reported in which a patient is initially treated for bipolar mania, but is later found to have a thyroid condition. Several case reports have noted the development of a thyroid condition in bipolar patients either on lithium maintenance treatment or recently on lithium treatment.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We review a case in which a patient with a long history of bipolar disorder presents with comorbid hyperthyroidism and bipolar mania after recent discontinuation of lithium treatment.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Physicians should consider a comorbid hyperthyroidism in bipolar manic patients only partially responsive to standard care treatment with a mood stabilizer and antipsychotic.</p