274 research outputs found
The effect of minimum quantity lubrication in the intermittent turning of magnesium based on vibration signals
The present work shows an experimental investigation on intermittent turning based on vibration signals.
The dependence of vibrations on the feed rate, minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) flow rate and the type of the
interruption of the workpiece is evaluated. The results indicate that a part of the vibrations depends on the flow rate
of the MQL system and its interaction with the feed rate, finding no dependency on the type of interruption. The
influence of the MQL system is greater when machining at the lower feed rate. In addition, a strong relation between
surface roughness and vibrations is identified. However, this relation is quite different depending on the environment
used. In general, under dry conditions, the higher the vibrations the higher the surface roughness, while the opposite
occurs when the MQL system is used.publishe
Updating known distribution models for forecasting climate change impact on endangered species
To plan endangered species conservation and to design adequate management programmes, it is necessary to predict their
distributional response to climate change, especially under the current situation of rapid change. However, these
predictions are customarily done by relating de novo the distribution of the species with climatic conditions with no regard
of previously available knowledge about the factors affecting the species distribution. We propose to take advantage of
known species distribution models, but proceeding to update them with the variables yielded by climatic models before
projecting them to the future. To exemplify our proposal, the availability of suitable habitat across Spain for the endangered
Bonelli’s Eagle (Aquila fasciata) was modelled by updating a pre-existing model based on current climate and topography to
a combination of different general circulation models and Special Report on Emissions Scenarios. Our results suggested that
the main threat for this endangered species would not be climate change, since all forecasting models show that its
distribution will be maintained and increased in mainland Spain for all the XXI century. We remark on the importance of
linking conservation biology with distribution modelling by updating existing models, frequently available for endangered
species, considering all the known factors conditioning the species’ distribution, instead of building new models that are
based on climate change variables only.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and FEDER (project CGL2009-11316/BOS
A tese da judicialização da saúde pelas elites: os medicamentos para mucopolissacaridose
Estimating how inflated or obscured effects of climate affect forecasted species distribution
Climate is one of the main drivers of species distribution. However, as different environmental factors tend to co-vary, the
effect of climate cannot be taken at face value, as it may be either inflated or obscured by other correlated factors. We used
the favourability models of four species (Alytes dickhilleni, Vipera latasti, Aquila fasciata and Capra pyrenaica) inhabiting
Spanish mountains as case studies to evaluate the relative contribution of climate in their forecasted favourability by using
variation partitioning and weighting the effect of climate in relation to non-climatic factors. By calculating the pure effect of
the climatic factor, the pure effects of non-climatic factors, the shared climatic effect and the proportion of the pure effect of
the climatic factor in relation to its apparent effect (r), we assessed the apparent effect and the pure independent effect of
climate. We then projected both types of effects when modelling the future favourability for each species and combination
of AOGCM-SRES (two Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models: CGCM2 and ECHAM4, and two Special Reports on
Emission Scenarios (SRES): A2 and B2). The results show that the apparent effect of climate can be either inflated (overrated)
or obscured (underrated) by other correlated factors. These differences were species-specific; the sum of favourable areas
forecasted according to the pure climatic effect differed from that forecasted according to the apparent climatic effect by
about 61% on average for one of the species analyzed, and by about 20% on average for each of the other species. The pure
effect of future climate on species distributions can only be estimated by combining climate with other factors. Transferring
the pure climatic effect and the apparent climatic effect to the future delimits the maximum and minimum favourable areas
forecasted for each species in each climate change scenario.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and FEDER (project CGL2009-11316/BOS). D. Romero is a PhD student at the University of Malaga with a grant of the Ministerio de Educacio´n y Ciencia (AP 2007-03633
Abnormality in glutamine-glutamate cycle in the cerebrospinal fluid of cognitively intact elderly individuals with major depressive disorder: a 3-year follow-up study
Major depressive disorder (MDD), common in the elderly, is a risk factor for dementia. Abnormalities in glutamatergic neurotransmission via the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) have a key role in the pathophysiology of depression. This study examined whether depression was associated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of NMDA-R neurotransmission-associated amino acids in cognitively intact elderly individuals with MDD and age- and gender-matched healthy controls. CSF was obtained from 47 volunteers (MDD group, N = 28; age- and gender-matched comparison group, N = 19) at baseline and 3-year follow-up (MDD group, N = 19; comparison group, N = 17). CSF levels of glutamine, glutamate, glycine, L-serine and D-serine were measured by highperformance liquid chromatography. CSF levels of amino acids did not differ across MDD and comparison groups. However, the ratio of glutamine to glutamate was significantly higher at baseline in subjects with MDD than in controls. The ratio decreased in individuals with MDD over the 3-year follow-up, and this decrease correlated with a decrease in the severity of depression. No correlations between absolute amino-acid levels and clinical variables were observed, nor were correlations between amino acids and other biomarkers (for example, amyloid-β42, amyloid-β40, and total and phosphorylated tau protein) detected. These results suggest that abnormalities in the glutamine–glutamate cycle in the communication between glia and neurons may have a role in the pathophysiology of depression in the elderly. Furthermore, the glutamine/glutamate ratio in CSF may be a state biomarker for depression
The effects of rainfall and vegetation on litterfall production in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil
Electrical, mechanical, and thermal analysis of natural rubber/polyaniline-Dbsa composite
Co-administration of plasmid-encoded granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor increases human immunodeficiency virus-1 DNA vaccine-induced polyfunctional CD4+ T-cell responses
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