Robust and Sustainable Energy Pathways to Reach Mexico’s Climate Goals

As countries set climate change goals for adaptation and mitigation efforts, there are many questions regarding to how to reach these targets. These efforts will necessitate the transition of our electricity infrastructure from relying on conventional electricity generation technologies including natural gas, coal and oil, to clean energy generation with renewables. Through the three essays presented in this dissertation, we explore various pathways of development for the electricity system to reach long term climate change goals. We are interested in identifying: Is there a unique optimal development option or are there various? How do different mixes of electricity generation technologies affect the development of the electricity grid, transmission infrastructure, secondary infrastructure and sustainability? The goal of the dissertation is to present new insight to decision makers trying to develop future energy policy, to help facilitate reaching climate change goals and sustainable development. While this dissertation is focused on the Mexican electrical grid and climate change goals, the methodologies presented here can be applied more broadly to other electricity systems. In the first essay, we use a multi-model approach to study a series of development pathways to reach Mexico’s 2050 climate change goals. We create expansion plans for the various development pathways with the use of a detailed model of the Mexican electrical grid. In the second essay, we develop optimal carbon capture and storage networks for each expansion plan that was presented in the first essay. We identify whether robust options exist within the carbon capture and storage network and what potential impacts the development of these networks could have on local communities. The third essay uses the results obtained from the previous essays to perform a comprehensive sustainability and equity analysis, with seven criteria, on the various development pathways for the electricity system. This analysis allows us to better understand the tradeoffs between the different development options and how they can impact questions of equity

Necrotic enteritis in young calves

Non-enterotoxin (CPE)-producing Clostridium perfringens type A has been associated with enteritis in calves. Recent evidence has suggested that a novel toxin, named beta2 (CPB2), is implicated in the pathogenesis of this disease, although there is little evidence supporting this. In the current study, the role of C. perfringens type A in an outbreak of enteritis in calves was studied. Two 20-day-old dairy calves exhibiting apathy and reluctance to eat, with paresis of the anterior limbs, were euthanized for postmortem examination. Gross and histological changes compatible with acute enteritis, rumenitis, meningitis, and pneumonia were seen in both calves. Clostridium perfringens type A non-CPE, non-CPB2 was isolated from the abomasum and the small intestine. Escherichia coli ONT:H8 (with cdtBIII and f17 virulence genes detected by polymerase chain reaction) was also isolated from the brain, abomasum, and intestine from both calves. All the samples were negative for Salmonella spp. When the C. perfringens strain was inoculated into bovine ligated small and large intestinal loops, cell detachment, erosion, and hemorrhage of the lamina propria were observed, predominantly in the small intestine. The results suggest that non-CPE, non-CPB2 C. perfringens type A is able to induce pathologic changes in the intestine of calves, probably enhanced by other pathogens, such as some pathogenic E. coli strains.Fil: Morris, Winston Eduardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias; ArgentinaFil: Venzano, Agustín J.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias; ArgentinaFil: Elizondo, Ana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias; ArgentinaFil: Vilte, Daniel Alejandro. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias; ArgentinaFil: Mercado, Elsa Cristina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez Miyakawa, Mariano Enrique. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Análisis de la reparación administrativa en Colombia a la luz de la jurisprudencia de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos.

This article is part of a research project, which aims to analyze whether the Administrative reparation in Colombia is consistent with the Inter-American Court on Human Rights standards of reparation. This article identifies the integral reparation standards in light of the jurisprudence of that court.  It states the administrative reparation concept and its extent in Colombia, and it finally presents an analysis of compliance with the standards in the reparation granted to 50 victims of the armed conflict, who were assisted in the Consultorio Jurídico de Desplazamiento Forzado de la Universidad de Cartagena.El presente artículo hace parte del proyecto titulado de la misma manera,4 el cual tiene por objeto analizar si la reparación administrativa en Colombia se encuentra conforme con los estándares de reparación de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH). Específicamente, se identifican los estándares de reparación integral a la luz de la jurisprudencia de la citada Corte, se determina el concepto y alcance de la reparación administrativa en Colombia y finalmente se concreta el cumplimiento de los estándares en la reparación otorgada a 50 víctimas del conflicto armado, que fueron asistidas en el Consultorio Jurídico de Derecho y Desplazamiento de la Universidad de Cartagena

Sistema de internet de las cosas (IoT) para el monitoreo de cultivos protegidos

Este trabajo presenta un sistema de Internet de las cosas para el monitoreo de cultivos protegidos,  a través del desarrollo de un sistema con capacidad de recolectar información de parámetros  relacionados con el desarrollo y crecimiento de los cultivos. Los datos obtenidos son enviados al servidor para ser procesadas y enviadas al usuario a través de los protocolos y procedimientos del Internet de las cosas (IoT). El propósito es recopilar datos en tiempo real para analizarlos y permitan la toma de decisiones por parte del mismo sistema y el agricultor.  El usuario puede interactuar con el sistema de manera remota y recibir las alertas y condiciones especificadas. Los resultados iniciales demuestran que el sistema provee completa información del estado de estos parámetros, ayudando en la tarea del manejo de este tipo de cultivos

Prevalence of juvenile idiophatic arthritis in Colombia

To estimate the prevalence of Juvenile Idiophatic Arthritis (JIA) in Colombia. This cross-sectional study identified patients with a diagnosis code for AIJ (ICD-10 M08-M09) using a nationally-representative database of health care resource utilization provided by the “Sistema Integral de Información de la Protección Social (SISPRO)” in 2017. In addition, estimated prevalence was contrasted using data of personal history of JIA using a database of patients with ≤ 16 years affiliated to a subsidized-regime insurance company (N = 397,160) of the Caribbean region of Colombia. The estimated prevalences were extrapolated to the overall Colombian population using the demographic projections of individuals with ≤ 16 years of age (14,588,845) provided by the Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadisticas (DANE). In 2017, the prevalence of JIA in the subsidized-regime company was 13 per 100,000 (52/397.160). According to the data of SISPRO the prevalence of JIA in Colombia was 10.9 per 100,000 (1,602/14,588,845). Extrapolating these estimations to the general population of Colombia, the estimated number of prevalent cases of JIA in Colombia could be approximately 1.602 and 1.896 cases, respectively. These estimations are lower in Colombia compared to previously reported prevalence globally (between 60 and 400 cases per 100,000)

Identification of Recurrent Mutations in the microRNA-Binding Sites of B-Cell Lymphoma-Associated Genes in Follicular Lymphoma

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is a common indolent B-cell lymphoma that can transform into the more aggressive transformed FL (tFL). However, the molecular process driving this transformation is uncertain. In this work, we aimed to identify microRNA (miRNA)-binding sites recurrently mutated in follicular lymphoma patients, as well as in transformed FL patients. Using whole-genome sequencing data from FL tumors, we discovered 544 mutations located in bioinformatically predicted microRNA-binding sites. We then studied these specific regions using targeted sequencing in a cohort of 55 FL patients, found 16 recurrent mutations, and identified a further 69 variants. After filtering for QC, we identified 21 genes with mutated miRNA-binding sites that were also enriched for B-cell-associated genes by Gene Ontology. Over 40% of mutations identified in these genes were present exclusively in tFL patients. We validated the predicted miRNA-binding sites of five of the genes by luciferase assay and demonstrated that the identified mutations in BCL2 and EZH2 genes impaired the binding efficiency of miR-5008 and miR-144 and regulated the endogenous levels of messenger RNA (mRNA)

Identification of Recurrent Mutations in the microRNA-Binding Sites of B-Cell Lymphoma-Associated Genes in Follicular Lymphoma

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is a common indolent B-cell lymphoma that can transform into the more aggressive transformed FL (tFL). However, the molecular process driving this transformation is uncertain. In this work, we aimed to identify microRNA (miRNA)-binding sites recurrently mutated in follicular lymphoma patients, as well as in transformed FL patients. Using whole-genome sequencing data from FL tumors, we discovered 544 mutations located in bioinformatically predicted microRNA-binding sites. We then studied these specific regions using targeted sequencing in a cohort of 55 FL patients, found 16 recurrent mutations, and identified a further 69 variants. After filtering for QC, we identified 21 genes with mutated miRNA-binding sites that were also enriched for B-cell-associated genes by Gene Ontology. Over 40% of mutations identified in these genes were present exclusively in tFL patients. We validated the predicted miRNA-binding sites of five of the genes by luciferase assay and demonstrated that the identified mutations in BCL2 and EZH2 genes impaired the binding efficiency of miR-5008 and miR-144 and regulated the endogenous levels of messenger RNA (mRNA)