Sustentabilidad y tecnología. Herramientas para la gestión segura y eficiente del hábitat

Por décadas permeó una visión de la tecnología como una de las principales fuentes del ataque al medio ambiente y de su degradación. Hoy se le considera como un aliado para combatir los efectos negativos de la perenne negligencia ecológica humana. El uso de la tecnología para la implementación de estrategias innovadoras y eficaces en favor del medio ambiente, un hábitat seguro y sustentable, se abordó en el Congreso Internacional sobre Sustentabilidad en los Hábitats, realizado en 2016. De este encuentro entre estudiantes, especialistas, autoridades y organizaciones civiles de América Latina, Asia y Europa emana este libro, que incluye dos ejes de relevancia global: los retos en el manejo sustentable de los recursos naturales y el uso de tecnologías para la edificación sustentable. En el primero se atienden desde los riesgos asociados al crecimiento demográfico desproporcionado hasta acciones de carácter remedial para la contaminación; mientras que en el segundo se aborda el desarrollo de tecnología e infraestructura para mejorar el hábitat urbano, así como procesos donde alumnos y profesores confeccionan soluciones para la sustentabilidad energética. En su conjunto, es una obra de consulta que busca ser un detonador para generar nuevas líneas de trabajo, repensar las soluciones y dialogar con lectores interesados en la construcción de un mundo mejor.Consejo Estatal de Ciencia y Tecnología de Jalisc

The genomic basis of parasitism in the Strongyloides clade of nematodes.

Soil-transmitted nematodes, including the Strongyloides genus, cause one of the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases. Here we compare the genomes of four Strongyloides species, including the human pathogen Strongyloides stercoralis, and their close relatives that are facultatively parasitic (Parastrongyloides trichosuri) and free-living (Rhabditophanes sp. KR3021). A significant paralogous expansion of key gene families--families encoding astacin-like and SCP/TAPS proteins--is associated with the evolution of parasitism in this clade. Exploiting the unique Strongyloides life cycle, we compare the transcriptomes of the parasitic and free-living stages and find that these same gene families are upregulated in the parasitic stages, underscoring their role in nematode parasitism

Pore characterization of heterogeneous building materials: Pyroclastic arid-based concrete

© SAGE Publications. In this article, the results of the hygroscopic characterization of a building material called 'picón', consisting of cement mortar and pyroclastic deposits from volcanic eruptions, are presented. The material obtained is used for the manufacture of blocks used in the construction of buildings in the Canary Islands. Picón is a heterogeneous material with uncontrolled particle size, having a pore system of very scattered sizes, what affects the moisture behaviour of the blocks. This heterogeneity results in a pore structure that affects the determination of the moisture properties of the material. In this work, this difficulty is faced, separately studying the pore structure of the cement paste and the aggregates, to come to a better interpretation of the concrete behaviour. The results indicate that the pore structure of the heterogeneous concrete differs from what could be expected from separately obtained porosimetry of each component of the concrete.status: publishe

Co-creation of local eco-rehabilitation strategies for energy improvement of historic urban areas

Energy performance and thermal comfort in historic and traditional urban environments are important because of the social and cultural requirement to conserve these areas as living entities, but also for the environmental obligation to decrease the impact of existing buildings globally. The objective of ENERPAT approach is to address this global challenge from the local perspective, through the co-creation of efficient solutions that improve the energy performance of historic areas considering local techniques and skills, taking into account the whole life cycle of the solutions, and supporting local economy and business. The objective is to test the efficiency and suitability of eco-renovation strategies that have been co-created with local stakeholders and are based on traditional energy conservation measures, as a way to work with locally-based business models that can safeguard cultural aspects and enable economic development. Two living labs have been established in the cities of Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain) and Cahors (France) in two representative buildings of the historic urban area of each city. The living labs operate as inclusive multi-agent discussion arenas with a long-term vision, where multi-criteria co-creation processes are implemented to select conservation-friendly solutions based on local materials including criteria such as operational energy, impact on heritage values, quality of life, socio-economic development and easy logistics. The energy behaviour of the buildings and the hygrothermal performance of the external walls have been studied using on-site and laboratory experiments, through an efficient partnership between local authorities and universities. Likewise, local-based refurbishment solutions that were designed in the co-creation processes have been thermally characterised in the laboratory, through thermal conductivity and guarded hot box tests. Finally, the energy improvement of the whole renovation strategy has been simulated showing the enhancement of the two buildings