An Analysis of Renewable Resource Development Alternatives for the Northern Arid Region of Mexico: Study Prospectus

In 1980, IIASA joined with the Centro de Investigation en Quimica Aplicada (CIQA) in order to study alternative production chains based on the renewable resources of the Northern Arid Region of Mexico. This study applied the "WELMM Approach" developed at IIASA. Its objective was to account for the basic resources used and processed along alternative production chains, from cultivation and harvesting of the plants to the final products. WELMM analyses of each of the production chains are now being completed, and IIASA and CIQA have decided to expand their cooperative efforts to include an analysis of alternative development projects for the Northern Arid Region based on these production chains. This paper presents a prospectus for the expanded study

Decay of correlations for maps with uniformly contracting fibers and logarithm law for singular hyperbolic attractors

We consider two dimensional maps preserving a foliation which is uniformly contracting and a one dimensional associated quotient map having exponential convergence to equilibrium (iterates of Lebesgue measure converge exponentially fast to physical measure). We prove that these maps have exponential decay of correlations over a large class of observables. We use this result to deduce exponential decay of correlations for the Poincare maps of a large class of singular hyperbolic flows. From this we deduce logarithm laws for these flows.Comment: 39 pages; 03 figures; proof of Theorem 1 corrected; many typos corrected; improvements on the statements and comments suggested by a referee. Keywords: singular flows, singular-hyperbolic attractor, exponential decay of correlations, exact dimensionality, logarithm la

Specific detection of Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli strains by using ELISA with bacteriophages as recognition agents

The use of bacteriophages, instead of antibodies, in the ELISA-based detection of bacterial strains was tested. This procedure appeared to be efficient, and specific strains of Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli could be detected. The sensitivity of the assay was about 105 bacterial cells/well (106/ml), which is comparable with or outperforms other ELISA tests detecting intact bacterial cells without an enrichment step. The specificity of the assay depends on the kind of bacteriophage used. We conclude that the use of bacteriophages in the detection and identification of bacteria by an ELISA-based method can be an alternative to the use of specific antibodies. The advantages of the use of bacteriophages are their environmental abundance (and, thus, a possibility to isolate various phages with different specificities) and the availability of methods for obtaining large amounts of phage lysates, which are simple, rapid, cheap, and easy

Radiation-induced neurovascular injury

International audienc

How can Automatic Identification System (AIS) data be used for maritime spatial planning?

Although the importance of Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) as a concept is know acknowledged and the legal framework is in place, the task of applying it remains a delicate one. One of the keys to success is having pertinent data. Knowing how maritime uses unfold in a spatio-temporal context, and what conflicting or synergistic interactions exist between activities, is crucial. However, this information is especially hard to obtain in a marine environment. As a result this information has often been identified as the missing layer in information systems developed by maritime stakeholders. Since 2002, the Automatic Identification System (AIS) has been undergoing a major development. Allowing for real time geo-tracking and identification for equipped vessels, the data that issues from AIS data promises to map and describe certain marine human activities. After recapitulating the main characteristics of MS and the data it provides, this article proposes to evaluate how MS is currently used in MSP at a European level, and to concisely present a series of methods and results obtained within the framework of several operational research projects. The objective is to illustrate how the MS data processing and analysis can produce adequate information for MSP: maritime traffic density, shipping lanes and navigation flows, hierarchical network of maritime routes, alleged fishing zones, spatio-temporal interactions between activities (potential conflicting uses or synergies). The conclusion looks in particular at the legal questions concerning the use of MS

How can Automatic Identification System (AIS) data be used for maritime spatial planning?

International audienc

Involvement of the central nervous system in radiation-induced multi-organ dysfunction and/or failure.

International audienceThe presence of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) in victims of the recent accidents in Nesvizh and Tokai-mura suggests that radiation-induced systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) occurs in acute radiation sickness (ARS). Multiple organ failure (MOF) refers to the gradual and sequential failure of organs occurring after a wide spectrum of insults. MOF is believed to be the consequence of the host's response to the insult and is strongly linked to SIRS. It is believed that SIRS is mediated by endogenous regulators that are released during the acute phase reaction. The resulting interplay of cytokines may compromise homeostasis of various organ systems, resulting in MODS. In the classical description of ARS, the role of the central nervous system (CNS) has been underestimated. Today, it is recognised that the CNS is a radiosensitive organ whose degree of dysfunction can be quantified by electrophysiological, biochemical and/or behavioural parameters. Abnormalities in CNS function defined by these parameters may occur at a low dose of whole body radiation. The evolving concept of radiation-induced MODS in ARS provides a framework for evaluating injury to the CNS. Ionising radiation also induces an inflammatory response that may be specific to the CNS. This response is observed after either local irradiation of the CNS or whole body irradiation. The relationship between inflammatory responses in the CNS and the peripheral nervous system is undefined. Whether or not the CNS inflammatory response syndrome is a consequence of SIRS or is an independent syndrome remains an open question. The answer to this question may have implications regarding therapy and medical management of irradiated victims