High mountain basins in nothern Chile: water balance problems in an arid volcanic area

In, the arid volcanic area of northem Chile, over 3,100 m, the overflow layer is very high and shows little variation in time. During dry years, it may exceed the precipitation layer and it seerns independent frorn rainfails. The natural overload is very scarce and the resources that actuaily are developed could be considerated as fossil groundwaters. To explain these anornalous vaiues of the water balance, the most likely hypotheses are three: 1 - rnissestirnation of actual precipitations (infiltration of snow cover); 2 - existence of extemai contribution (drainage frorn the east below the volcanic range); 3 - discharge of powerfulaquifers (lst, the clirnatic conditions in the Holocene have been rnuch wetter than previously considered; 2nd, thick detritic formations are interstratificated in the volcanic cornplex)

Sustainable management model based on renewable energies for the first capital of the Californias, Loreto, Mexico

The Mexican state of Baja California Sur has a high rate of population growth. It is also one of the states that are most vulnerable to climate change. Due to its location on the southern side of a roughly 900-mile long peninsula, and its natural separation from mainland Mexico, its power transmission networks are completely independent of the rest of the country. Thus, nearly all the energy used to generate electricity must be shipped to the state in the form of fossil fuels. The importation of energy supplies from the mainland results in higher costs for the state than in other areas of the country, causes greater environmental damage, and prevents a steady supply of energy to the state. This study’s objective is to propose a sustainable management model and to provide a reference to feasible sites available that could serve the Loreto region. An analytical model has been developed with multiple criteria and geographic information systems. This will allow for a wide range of spatial analysis of information covering the calculation of slopes, orientation, irradiation, infrastructure, etc. The municipal region of Loreto has roughly 288 square kilometres of land deemed suitable for the installation of solar plants. This area comprises 1.62% of the municipality. In 2016, the maximum electrical power demand for the entire state of Baja California Sur was 628 Megawatts per hour according to the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE). Loreto’s electrical capacity is currently 17 MWh. Based on calculations that one photovoltaic plant located on two acres of land can produce one MWh, solar plants in the region could, theoretically, produce up to 14,403.35 MWh. Clearly, this potential capacity would be well above the demands of the municipality, which encompasses 3.8% of the state territory

Spectroscopy of High-Redshift Supernovae from the ESSENCE Project: The First Two Years

We present the results of spectroscopic observations of targets discovered during the first two years of the ESSENCE project. The goal of ESSENCE is to use a sample of ~200 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) at moderate redshifts (0.2 < z < 0.8) to place constraints on the equation of state of the Universe. Spectroscopy not only provides the redshifts of the objects, but also confirms that some of the discoveries are indeed SNe Ia. This confirmation is critical to the project, as techniques developed to determine luminosity distances to SNe Ia depend upon the knowledge that the objects at high redshift are the same as the ones at low redshift. We describe the methods of target selection and prioritization, the telescopes and detectors, and the software used to identify objects. The redshifts deduced from spectral matching of high-redshift SNe Ia with low-redshift SNe Ia are consistent with those determined from host-galaxy spectra. We show that the high-redshift SNe Ia match well with low-redshift templates. We include all spectra obtained by the ESSENCE project, including 52 SNe Ia, 5 core-collapse SNe, 12 active galactic nuclei, 19 galaxies, 4 possibly variable stars, and 16 objects with uncertain identifications.Comment: 38 pages, 9 figures (many with multiple parts), submitted to A

A Cross Cultural Perspective of Adherence for Racial/Ethnic Minority Women with HIV, Living in the United States

HIV persists as a global public health tragedy, as more than 36 million lives have been lost to HIV/AIDS. A diagnosis of HIV can be treated as a chronic disease, for those who adhere to their medication regimens and other health recommendations. However, for racial/ethnic minorities living in the United States, many of whom face a multitude of barriers, adherence to medications and medical appointments can be a challenge. For racial/ethnic minority women, specifically, gender roles, HIV stigma, racism, inconsistent access to healthcare, financial and food insecurity are just a few of the barriers they experience, which may interfere with their ability to adhere to medical treatment. For immigrant women, low language literacy, which is linked to health literacy, may further exacerbate these lives where staff and services provide culturally and linguistically competent services. This paper reports parts of a larger mixed-methods inquiry. The goal is part of larger study to develop an intervention for racial/ethnic minority women with HIV, living in the Southeastern region of the United States

TCT-294: Long-Term (Three Years) Follow-Up of the Patients with Multiple Sirolimus Eluting Stent Implantation (Full-metal Jacket Patients)

1. The cost, usability and power efficiency of available wildlife monitoring equipment currently inhibits full ground-level coverage of many natural systems. Developments over the last decade in technology, open science, and the sharing economy promise to bring global access to more versatile and more affordable monitoring tools, to improve coverage for conservation researchers and managers. 2. Here we describe the development and proof-of-concept of a low-cost, small-sized and low-energy acoustic detector: 'AudioMoth'. The device is open-source and programmable, with diverse applications for recording animal calls or human activity at sample rates of up to 384kHz. We briefly outline two ongoing real-world case studies of large-scale, long-term monitoring for biodiversity and exploitation of natural resources. These studies demonstrate the potential for AudioMoth to enable a substantial shift away from passive continuous recording by individual devices, towards smart detection by networks of devices flooding large and inaccessible ecosystems. 3. The case studies demonstrate one of the smart capabilities of AudioMoth, to trigger event logging on the basis of classification algorithms that identify specific acoustic events. An algorithm to trigger recordings of the New Forest cicada (Cicadetta montana) demonstrates the potential for AudioMoth to vastly improve the spatial and temporal coverage of surveys for the presence of cryptic animals. An algorithm for logging gunshot events has potential to identify a shotgun blast in tropical rainforest at distances of up to 500 m, extending to 1km with continuous recording. 4. AudioMoth is more energy efficient than currently available passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) devices, giving it considerably greater portability and longevity in the field with smaller batteries. At a build cost of ~US$43 per unit, AudioMoth has potential for varied applications in large-scale, long-term acoustic surveys. With continuing developments in smart, energy-efficient algorithms and diminishing component costs, we are approaching the milestone of local communities being able to afford to remotely monitor their own natural resources

Propofol inhibits the voltage-gated sodium channel NaChBac at multiple sites.

Voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels are important targets of general anesthetics, including the intravenous anesthetic propofol. Electrophysiology studies on the prokaryotic NaV channel NaChBac have demonstrated that propofol promotes channel activation and accelerates activation-coupled inactivation, but the molecular mechanisms of these effects are unclear. Here, guided by computational docking and molecular dynamics simulations, we predict several propofol-binding sites in NaChBac. We then strategically place small fluorinated probes at these putative binding sites and experimentally quantify the interaction strengths with a fluorinated propofol analogue, 4-fluoropropofol. In vitro and in vivo measurements show that 4-fluoropropofol and propofol have similar effects on NaChBac function and nearly identical anesthetizing effects on tadpole mobility. Using quantitative analysis by 19F-NMR saturation transfer difference spectroscopy, we reveal strong intermolecular cross-relaxation rate constants between 4-fluoropropofol and four different regions of NaChBac, including the activation gate and selectivity filter in the pore, the voltage sensing domain, and the S4-S5 linker. Unlike volatile anesthetics, 4-fluoropropofol does not bind to the extracellular interface of the pore domain. Collectively, our results show that propofol inhibits NaChBac at multiple sites, likely with distinct modes of action. This study provides a molecular basis for understanding the net inhibitory action of propofol on NaV channels. © 2018 Wang et al

Implementation of AMI Systems in CFE-Distribution, Mexico

The Smart Grid concept has been conceived as the integration of the electrical grid (generation, transmission and distribution) and the communications network of an electric utility. Although, traditional communications interfaces, protocols and standards has been used in the electrical grid in an isolated manner, modern communications networks are considered as the fundamental enabling technologies within a Smart Grid environment. Emerging communications technologies, protocol architectures and standards can help to build a common communications network infrastructure for data transport between customer premises, power substations, power distribution systems, utility control centers and utility data centers. The Smart Grid will support traditional applications such as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), distribution automation (DA), energy management systems (EMS), demand site management (DSM) and automated meter reading (AMR), etc., as well as new applications like advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), substation automation (SA), microgrids, distributed generation (DG), grid monitoring and control, data storage and analysis, among others. To make this possible, the Smart Grid requires a two-way wide area communications network between different dispersed areas, from generation to consumer premises. An AMI system uses communication technologies for smart meter reading several times a day to get data consumption of electricity, as well as sending outage alarm information and meter tampering almost in real time, from the meter to the control center. Currently, there are various communication technologies to implement AMI systems. This paper presents an overview of the most relevant communications technologies that can be used to implement AMI communications infrastructure such as neighborhood area networks (NAN), field area networks (FAN) and wide area networks (WAN) using different transmission media such as fiber optics, spread spectrum radio frequency, microwave, WiMax, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, cellular, and power line carrier. In addition, a review of the current state of various AMI projects around the world, including the progress in the implementation of AMI systems in Mexico, besides the evaluation performance of CFE´s AMI networks

The Luminous Type Ic SN 1992ar at z=0.145

We present spectroscopic and photometric observations of SN1992ar, the more distant SN in the Calan/Tololo Survey. We compare its spectrum with those of nearby Type Ia and Ic SNe and conclude that the latter type is a better match to SN 1992ar. Using K-corrections based on the spectra of well observed Type Ic and Ia SNe we compute different possible rest frame light curves of SN 1992ar and compare them with those of representative SNe of each type observed in the nearby universe. From the photometry and the spectra, we are able to conclude that SN 1992ar cannot be matched by any known example of a Type Ia SN. Even though the data set collected is fairly complete (one spectrum and 10 photometric points), it is not possible to decide whether SN 1992ar was a fast Type Ic SN, like SN 1994I, or a slow one, like SN 1983V. The absolute V magnitudes at maximum implied by each of these possibilities are -19.2 and -20.2, respectively. The latter would make SN 1992ar one of the brightest SNe on record. SN 1992ar, hence, illustrates the problem of contamination faced by the high z Type Ia SNe samples whose luminosity distances are used to determine the cosmological parameters of the Universe. We present observational criteria to distinguish the two SN types when the SiII 6355 line is redshifted out of the sensitivity range of typical CCD detectors, and discuss the effect that these luminous Type Ic SNe would have on the measured cosmological parameters, if not removed from the High-z Type Ia SN samples.Comment: 40 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journa

Identification and characterization of microRNAs in Phaseolus vulgaris by high-throughput sequencing

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenously encoded small RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression. MiRNAs play essential roles in almost all plant biological processes. Currently, few miRNAs have been identified in the model food legume <it>Phaseolus vulgaris </it>(common bean). Recent advances in next generation sequencing technologies have allowed the identification of conserved and novel miRNAs in many plant species. Here, we used Illumina's sequencing by synthesis (SBS) technology to identify and characterize the miRNA population of <it>Phaseolus vulgaris</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Small RNA libraries were generated from roots, flowers, leaves, and seedlings of <it>P. vulgaris</it>. Based on similarity to previously reported plant miRNAs,114 miRNAs belonging to 33 conserved miRNA families were identified. Stem-loop precursors and target gene sequences for several conserved common bean miRNAs were determined from publicly available databases. Less conserved miRNA families and species-specific common bean miRNA isoforms were also characterized. Moreover, novel miRNAs based on the small RNAs were found and their potential precursors were predicted. In addition, new target candidates for novel and conserved miRNAs were proposed. Finally, we studied organ-specific miRNA family expression levels through miRNA read frequencies.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This work represents the first massive-scale RNA sequencing study performed in <it>Phaseolus vulgaris </it>to identify and characterize its miRNA population. It significantly increases the number of miRNAs, precursors, and targets identified in this agronomically important species. The miRNA expression analysis provides a foundation for understanding common bean miRNA organ-specific expression patterns. The present study offers an expanded picture of <it>P. vulgaris </it>miRNAs in relation to those of other legumes.</p

¿Y dónde quedó el reactivo limitante? Algunas preconcepciones sobre reactivo limitante detectadas en alumnos de licenciatura

El trabajo que se presenta forma parte de un proyecto de investigación educativa cuyo énfasis se centra en conocer algunos factores importantes que interfieren la comprensión de la reacción química. En este caso abordamos las preconcepciones, sobre el reactivo limitante, de un grupo piloto de alumnos de licenciatura de la Facultad de Química (UNAM). Se presenta el análisis de las respuestas después de aplicar un cuestionario de opción múltiple, en el que se solicitaba la justificación de la opción elegida así como de las entrevistas realizadas