Impact of Climate Change on Zoonotic Diseases in Latin America

La Convención Marco de Naciones Unidas sobre el Cambio Climático (CMNUCC), con sede en Bonn, Alemania, define el cambio climático como "un cambio de clima atribuido directa o indirectamente a la actividad humana que altera la composición de la atmósfera mundial y que se suma a los recursos naturales variabilidad del clima observada durante períodos de tiempo comparables ". Aunque muchas otras definiciones se pueden encontrar y se han declarado por muchos autores y grupos de investigación, el mensaje clave importante, es que el cambio climático supone una seria amenaza para el mundo, que puede generar agitación social, los desplazamientos de población, las dificultades económicas y ambientales la degradación, entre muchas otras consecuencias relevantes. Con el fin de llegar a un verde como World menos impacto antropogénico, de acuerdo con las nuevas tendencias ecológicas en la sociedad, la mitigación del cambio climático debe ser una prioridad para la sociedad y sus gobiernos (Rodríguez-Morales, 2011). Como se ha indicado anteriormente, el cambio climático ya es un problema ampliamente conocido por múltiples disciplinas (Rodríguez-Morales, 2005). Aunque sus orígenes pueden converger en un complejo de múltiples fenómenos de interacción, para algunas disciplinas, como las ciencias biológicas y médicas, sus consecuencias son más estudiados y destacan por sus implicaciones actuales y más.Aún más, sus impactos y chillidos son motivo de preocupación a nivel global (Rodríguez-Morales et al, 2010 ). Esta amenaza creciente constituye en el siglo XXI un reto importante para la humanidad. Sus efectos aún son muchos los aspectos que se han estudiado no por la sociedad en diferentes niveles.The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), located in Bonn,Germany, defines climate change as “a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods”. Although many other definitions can be found and have been stated by many authors and research groups, the important key message, is that global climate change poses a serious threat to the World, which can generate social upheaval, population displacement, economic hardships, and environmental degradation, among many other relevant consequences. In order to reach a green as less anthropogenically impacted World, according to the new ecological trends in the society, mitigation of global climate change should be a priority for the society and its governments (Rodriguez-Morales, 2011). As has been previously stated, climate change is already a widely known problem to multiple disciplines (Rodriguez-Morales, 2005). Although its origins can converge in a complex of multiple interacting phenomena, for some disciplines, such as biological and medical sciences, their consequences are more studied and highlighted for their current and further implications. Even more, its impacts and squeals are cause of concern at a global level (Rodriguez-Morales et al, 2010). This growing threat represents in the XXI century a significant challenge for the humankind. Its effects even include many aspects that have been not studied by the society at different levels

Efectos económicos, distributivos y ambientales de la eliminación de las exoneraciones del pago del impuesto único a los combustibles

Ante la oportunidad de promover medidas de descarbonización de la economía de Costa Rica, la Contraloría General de la República ha mostrado interés en realizar análisis que documenten los posibles efectos económicos, distributivos y ambientales de la aplicación de instrumentos económicos con ese propósito. Para ello, en este documento se estudian los efectos de la eliminación de las excepciones del pago del impuesto único a los combustibles establecidas en la Ley de Simplificación y Eficiencia Tributarias, que incluyen las actividades realizadas por las líneas aéreas y buques mercantes o de pasajeros en líneas comerciales y por la pesca artesanal. Para estudiar los posibles efectos económicos, distributivos y ambientales de una eliminación de dichas exoneraciones, se utiliza una metodología de análisis económico y ambiental que opera en dos escalas: una macroeconómica y una microeconómica. Para el análisis macroeconómico se realiza el cálculo de una matriz de contabilidad social para 2016 existente en la literatura. Para el análisis microeconómico se recurre a la utilización de elasticidades en el uso de combustibles en los sectores de transporte internacional —aéreo y marítimo— y pesca artesanal.Introducción .-- I. Antecedentes del proyecto .-- II. Estado del arte y metodología para la medición de los efectos económicos, distributivos y ambientales .-- III. Medición microeconómica .-- IV. Medición de impacto ambiental

Absolute dimensions of the G7+K7 eclipsing binary star IM Virginis: Discrepancies with stellar evolution models

We report extensive spectroscopic and differential photometric BVRI observations of the active, detached, 1.309-day double-lined eclipsing binary IM Vir, composed of a G7-type primary and a K7 secondary. With these observations we derive accurate absolute masses and radii of M(1) = 0.981 +/- 0.012 M(Sun), M(2) = 0.6644 +/- 0.0048 M(Sun), R(1) = 1.061 +/- 0.016 R(Sun), and R(2) = 0.681 +/- 0.013 R(Sun) for the primary and secondary, with relative errors under 2%. The effective temperatures are 5570 +/- 100 K and 4250 +/- 130 K. The significant difference in mass makes this a favorable case for comparison with stellar evolution theory. We find that both stars are larger than the models predict, by 3.7% for the primary and 7.5% for the secondary, as well as cooler than expected, by 100 K and 150 K, respectively. These discrepancies are in line with previously reported differences in low-mass stars, and are believed to be caused by chromospheric activity, which is not accounted for in current models. The effect is not confined to low-mass stars: the rapidly-rotating primary of IM Vir joins the growing list of objects of near-solar mass (but still with convective envelopes) that show similar anomalies. The comparison with the models suggests an age of 2.4 Gyr for the system, and a metallicity [Fe/H] of approximately -0.3 that is consistent with other indications, but requires confirmation.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap

Exploring the Design of Highly Energy Efficient Forestry Cranes using Gravity Compensation

Although most mechanized forestry work relies heavily on cranes for handling logs along the supply chain, there has been little research on how to improve cranes design. In addition, the available research has mainly focused on improving current designs, so there is a lack of application of modern methods for designing cranes with improved efficiency. This paper analyzes how a mechanical engineering design method, known as gravity compensation, can be used to make a new generation of highly energy efficient forestry cranes. To introduce this design approach, a standard forwarder crane with two booms is used as a model system on which to apply gravity compensation concepts. The design methodology follows a procedure based on physics and mathematical optimization, with the objective of minimizing the energy needed to move the crane by using gravity compensation via counterweights. To this end, we considered to minimize mechanical power, because this quantity relates to how fuel and hydraulic fluid are converted into mechanical motion. This analysis suggests that using gravity compensation could reduce energy consumption due to crane work by 27%, at the cost of increasing the crane total mass by 57%. Thus, the original crane mass of 559 kg increases to 879 kg after applying gravity compensation with counterweights. However, overall reductions in energy consumption would depend on both the crane work and the extraction distance. The greater the extraction distance, the lower the total savings. However, energy consumption savings of around 2% could be achieved even with an extraction distance of 1 km. From a design perspective, this study emphasized the need to consider gravity compensation in the design philosophy of forestry cranes, not only for its ability to minimize energy consumption, but also due to all the inherited properties it provides. This initial study concludes that designing cranes with a combination of gravity compensation concepts could yield a new generation of highly energy efficient cranes with energy savings exceeding those reported here

Clinical infections by herpesviruses in patients treated with valproic acid: A nested case-control study in the Spanish Primary Care Database, BIFAP

The objective of this study is to evaluate the risk of clinical infections by herpesviruses in patients exposed to valproic acid (VPA).We performed a case-control study nested in a primary cohort selected from the Spanish primary care population-based research database BIFAP (Base de datos para la Investigación Farmacoepidemiológica en Atención Primaria) over the period 2001–2015. The events of interest were those diseases caused by any herpesviruses known to infect humans. For each case, up to 10 controls per case matched by age, gender, and calendar date were randomly selected. A conditional logistic regression was used to compute adjusted odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Current use of VPA was associated with a trend towards a reduced risk of clinical infections by herpesviruses as compared with non-users (OR 0.84; CI 95% 0.7–1.0; p = 0.057). Among current users, a trend to a decreased risk with treatment durations longer than 90 days was also observed. The results show a trend to a reduced risk of clinical infection by herpesviruses in patients exposed to VPA. These results are consistent with those in vitro studies showing that, in cultured cells, VPA can inhibit the production of the infectious progeny of herpesviruses. This study also shows the efficient use of electronic healthcare records for clinical exploratory research studie

Registros notables de Panthera onca y Taxidea taxus (Carnivora: Mammalia) en Oaxaca, México

On October 23, 2015, traces of a large feline were found (Figure 1A) during a tour along the banks of the Sabino River, Municipality of Santa María Tecomavaca, District of Teotitlán (17 ° 51'52 ”N and 97 01'50.6 "W; 615 masl; Figure 2). Photographs and measurements (length and width) were taken from each footprint. It was determined that the footprints belong to a jaguar by a set of qualitative and quantitative characteristics: they were wider than long, almost round; the upper part of the plantar bearing is not concave and the fingers were not pointed, as in the puma; the lower lobes of the plantar bearing are not marked; the bearings tend to have lower lobes that are better defined and less wide; the proportion of the first third of the fingers was greater than its lengthEl 23 de octubre de 2015, se encontraron huellas de un felino grande (Figura 1A) durante un recorrido a lo largo de la ribera del río Sabino, Municipio de Santa María Tecomavaca, Distrito de Teotitlán (17°51’52” N y 97°01’50.6” W; 615 msnm; Figura 2). De cada huella se tomaron fotografías y medidas (largo y ancho). Se determinó que las huellas pertenecen a un jaguar por un conjunto de características cualitativas y cuantitativas: fueron más anchas que largas, casi redondas; la parte superior del cojinete plantar no es cóncavo y los dedos no fueron puntiagudos, como en el puma; los lóbulos inferiores del cojinete plantar no están marcados; los cojinetes tienden a presentar lóbulos inferiores mejor definidos y menos anchos; la proporción del primer tercio de los dedos fue mayor que su longitu

Evolución del control de la corrupción desde la Carta Magna; perspectivas filosófica, ética y constitucional

La Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Relaciones Internacionales de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León en su responsabilidad de socializar y difundir el conocimiento y en conmemoración del Centenario de la Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, generó el presente libro buscando llevar a los lectores, las diferentes vertientes que ha generado la carta magna