Hygrothermal Performance of Worship Spaces: Preservation, Comfort and Energy Consumption

The energy problem, one the most important on a global scale, greatly affects the environment. Much of the current energy consumption occurs in existing buildings, including heritage buildings with varying protected status. Energy intervention and heritage conservation conflict to some extent, as research focuses more on the search for improved energy efficiency solutions for materials and systems than on their application to heritage buildings. This study describes experimental research on environmental conditioning techniques in spaces of worship in a temperate climate in southern Spain. Buildings were monitored and assessed in the implementation of different environmental techniques—active and combined (passive and active)—with the aim of improving the thermal comfort conditions of the faithful while preserving the cultural heritage of these buildings. The need for a control system of RH and the air system was concluded, as well as radiant floors and radiators, which, in the considered case studies, would barely affect the artworks. 24- and 12-h operation are better suited to heritage preservation than occasional use. All operation schedules are valid for thermal comfort.Universidad de Malaga Universidad de Sevill

Derecho al voto de los condenados en Colombia

66 p. Recurso Electr?nicoExperiencia laboral en algunas c?rceles de Colombia y la disciplina de referencia (Derecho) de uno de los investigadores conduce a la pregunta: ?por qu? los condenados a prisi?n quedan inhabilitados para ejercer su derecho al voto?, siendo la democracia uno de los objetivos de la educaci?n y esta uno de los pilares de la resocializaci?n que les permitir? a los condenados, una vez cumplida su pena, reintegrarse a la sociedad. De ah? parte un proceso en el que se busca: en primer lugar, determinar las razones (si las hay) de la cuestionada prohibici?n de votar (electoral); enseguida, indagar sobre las acciones que se pueden emprender a fin de contribuir a la restituci?n del derecho vulnerado (el voto de los condenados); luego, estudiar y analizar los casos en los que el sufragio de los condenados es permitido y la forma como se alcanz? esa reivindicaci?n electoral y, finalmente, analizar los contenidos y los principios que sustentan las acciones consideradas viables para lograr el restablecimiento del derecho al voto de los condenados. El proceso es orientado por el an?lisis de contenidos que permite evidenciar en el universo de los derechos pol?ticos cuatro categor?as de an?lisis: el derecho al voto, la dignidad humana, la inclusi?n social y a resocializaci?n; cuyas unidades de an?lisis est?n fundamentadas en lo jur?dico partiendo de lo universal para arribar a lo local y hacer de este un proceso s?lido en cualquier contexto democr?tico. El tipo de investigaci?n a desarrollar es cualitativo considerada como ?alternativas cre?bles y v?lidas en el an?lisis de la realidad humano-social? (L?pez Noguero, 2005), en el que se generan las correspondientes fichas de an?lisis y gr?ficas elaboradas a partir de la herramienta Atlas ti 7.0.Work experience in some prisons in Colombia and the reference discipline ( law ) of one of the researchers leads to the question : why are sentenced to prison are disabled to exercise their right to vote?, democracy being one of the objectives education and is one of the pillars of resocialization that will allow convicted after serving his sentence , reintegrate into society . From there, a process which seeks to: first, determine the reasons (if any) of the disputed ban on vote (electoral); immediately, investigate the actions that can be undertaken to contribute to the restoration of violated rights (the vote of those convicted); then study and analyze the cases in which the vote of the condemned is allowed and how the electoral claim was reached and finally analyze the contents and the principles underlying the actions considered feasible to achieve the restoration of voting rights of the damned. The process is guided by the content analysis that allows evidence in the universe of political rights four categories of analysis: the right to vote, human dignity, social inclusion and social rehabilitation; whose analysis units are grounded in the legal basis of the universal to arrive at the local and make this a solid process in any democratic context. The type of research to develop is qualitative considered "credible alternatives and valid analysis of social human reality" (Lopez Noguero, 2005), in which the corresponding tabs analysis and graphs made from the tool are generated Atlas ti 7.0. Keyworks: Right to vote, convicted, resocialization, social inclusion, human dignity, citizenship

The Automated Root Exudate System (ARES): a method to apply solutes at regular intervals to soils in the field.

Root exudation is a key component of nutrient and carbon dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems. Exudation rates vary widely by plant species and environmental conditions, but our understanding of how root exudates affect soil functioning is incomplete, in part because there are few viable methods to manipulate root exudates in situ. To address this, we devised the Automated Root Exudate System (ARES), which simulates increased root exudation by applying small amounts of labile solutes at regular intervals in the field. The ARES is a gravity-fed drip irrigation system comprising a reservoir bottle connected via a timer to a micro-hose irrigation grid covering c. 1 m2; 24 drip-tips are inserted into the soil to 4-cm depth to apply solutions into the rooting zone. We installed two ARES subplots within existing litter removal and control plots in a temperate deciduous woodland. We applied either an artificial root exudate solution (RE) or a procedural control solution (CP) to each subplot for 1 min day-1 during two growing seasons. To investigate the influence of root exudation on soil carbon dynamics, we measured soil respiration monthly and soil microbial biomass at the end of each growing season. The ARES applied the solutions at a rate of c. 2 L m-2 week-1 without significantly increasing soil water content. The application of RE solution had a clear effect on soil carbon dynamics, but the response varied by litter treatment. Across two growing seasons, soil respiration was 25% higher in RE compared to CP subplots in the litter removal treatment, but not in the control plots. By contrast, we observed a significant increase in microbial biomass carbon (33%) and nitrogen (26%) in RE subplots in the control litter treatment. The ARES is an effective, low-cost method to apply experimental solutions directly into the rooting zone in the field. The installation of the systems entails minimal disturbance to the soil and little maintenance is required. Although we used ARES to apply root exudate solution, the method can be used to apply many other treatments involving solute inputs at regular intervals in a wide range of ecosystems

The impact of adjusting for baseline in pharmacogenomic genome-wide association studies of quantitative change.

In pharmacogenomic studies of quantitative change, any association between genetic variants and the pretreatment (baseline) measurement can bias the estimate of effect between those variants and drug response. A putative solution is to adjust for baseline. We conducted a series of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) response to statin therapy in 34,874 participants of the Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging (GERA) cohort as a case study to investigate the impact of baseline adjustment on results generated from pharmacogenomic studies of quantitative change. Across phenotypes of statin-induced LDL-C change, baseline adjustment identified variants from six loci meeting genome-wide significance (SORT/CELSR2/PSRC1, LPA, SLCO1B1, APOE, APOB, and SMARCA4/LDLR). In contrast, baseline-unadjusted analyses yielded variants from three loci meeting the criteria for genome-wide significance (LPA, APOE, and SLCO1B1). A genome-wide heterogeneity test of baseline versus statin on-treatment LDL-C levels was performed as the definitive test for the true effect of genetic variants on statin-induced LDL-C change. These findings were generally consistent with the models not adjusting for baseline signifying that genome-wide significant hits generated only from baseline-adjusted analyses (SORT/CELSR2/PSRC1, APOB, SMARCA4/LDLR) were likely biased. We then comprehensively reviewed published GWASs of drug-induced quantitative change and discovered that more than half (59%) inappropriately adjusted for baseline. Altogether, we demonstrate that (1) baseline adjustment introduces bias in pharmacogenomic studies of quantitative change and (2) this erroneous methodology is highly prevalent. We conclude that it is critical to avoid this common statistical approach in future pharmacogenomic studies of quantitative change

Identification of potentially harmful bacterial genera of veterinary relevance in the Llanquihue urban wetlands

Water bodies constitute natural, social, and ecological heritage under constant threat from the footprint of human action. They are the habitats of many species and play a key role in sustaining biodiversity in different ecosystems. However, anthropogenic activity can result in eutrophication of water bodies, favoring the excessive growth of microorganisms, which can be a risk factor for animal, human, and environmental health. The Agricultural and Livestock Service [Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero, (SAG)] of Chile developed a list of Mandatory Reportable Diseases (MRD) to report suspected contagious diseases of veterinary relevance. In this sense, the detection of microorganisms in water bodies for the characterization of their sanitary status is important for the development of monitoring strategies and the prevention of possible diseases. This study aimed to determine the presence of potentially harmful bacteria in Llanquihue urban wetlands. Here, we used metagenomic sequencing of amplicons to characterize the composition of microorganisms in three urban wetlands in the city of Llanquihue, which could be a risk factor for animal health. Our main finding was the detection of genera that may be associated with MRD, in addition to other microbial genera that have pathogenic potential. On the other hand, we also report the presence of cyanobacteria genera that can be involved in toxin production in water bodies as another potential source of risk. This is the first study to use massive sequencing techniques to analyze the sanitary status of urban wetlands in the city of Llanquihue.

Neighborhood sampling: how many streets must an auditor walk?

This study tested the representativeness of four street segment sampling protocols using the Pedestrian Environment Data Scan (PEDS) in eleven neighborhoods surrounding public housing developments in Houston, TX. The following four street segment sampling protocols were used (1) all segments, both residential and arterial, contained within the 400 meter radius buffer from the center point of the housing development (the core) were compared with all segments contained between the 400 meter radius buffer and the 800 meter radius buffer (the ring); all residential segments in the core were compared with (2) 75% (3) 50% and (4) 25% samples of randomly selected residential street segments in the core. Analyses were conducted on five key variables: sidewalk presence; ratings of attractiveness and safety for walking; connectivity; and number of traffic lanes. Some differences were found when comparing all street segments, both residential and arterial, in the core to the ring. Findings suggested that sampling 25% of residential street segments within the 400 m radius of a residence sufficiently represents the pedestrian built environment. Conclusions support more cost effective environmental data collection for physical activity research

An exploratory study of engagement in a technology-supported substance abuse intervention

BACKGROUND: The continuing gap between the number of people requiring treatment for substance use disorders and those receiving treatment suggests the need to develop new approaches to service delivery. Meanwhile, the use of technology to provide counseling and support in the substance abuse field is exploding. Despite the increase in the use of technology in treatment, little is known about the impact of technology-supported interventions on access to services for substance use disorders. The E-TREAT intervention brings together the evidence-based practice of Motivational Interviewing and theories of Persuasive Technology to sustain clients' motivation to change substance use behaviors, provide support for change, and facilitate continuity across treatment settings. METHODS: This study used descriptive statistics, tests of statistical significance, and logistic regression to explore the characteristics and perceptions of the first 157 people who agreed to participate in E-TREAT and the predictors of their active engagement in E-TREAT services. In addition, responses to open-ended questions about the participants' experiences with the intervention were analyzed. RESULTS: The data reveal that clients who engaged in E-TREAT were more likely than those who did not engage to be female, have children and report a positive relationship with their recovery coach, and were less likely to have completed treatment for a substance use disorder in the past. A majority of people engaging in E-TREAT reported that it was helpful to talk with others with similar problems and that the program assisted them in developing a sense of community. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that technology-assisted interventions hold promise in expanding access to treatment for substance use disorders especially for women and parents. Further, the characteristics of the relationship with a coach or helper may be critical to engagement in technology-supported interventions. Additional investigation into ways technology may be useful to enhance treatment access for certain subgroups is needed