Registro de un coyote (canis latrans) blanco en el desierto chihuahuense de Durango, México

The presence and geographic location of a white-colored coyote in the Chihuahuan Desert of Durango, Mexico is recorded

The pitfall-trap of species conservation priority setting

This an accepted author's manuscript (AAM) version of an article published in Biodiversity and Conservation, 20 (2011): 663-68

Identifying past social-ecological thresholds to understand long-term temporal dynamics in Spain

A thorough understanding of long-term temporal social-ecological dynamics at the national scale helps to explain the current condition of a country’s ecosystems and to support environmental policies to tackle future sustainability challenges. We aimed to develop a methodological approach to understand past long-term (1960-2010) social-ecological dynamics in Spain. First, we developed a methodical framework that allowed us to explore complex social-ecological dynamics among biodiversity, ecosystem services, human well-being, drivers of change, and institutional responses. Second, we compiled 21 long-term, national-scale indicators and analyzed their temporal relationships through a redundancy analysis. Third, we used a Bayesian change point analysis to detect evidence of past social-ecological thresholds and historical time periods. Our results revealed that Spain has passed through four socialecological thresholds that define five different time periods of nature and society relationships. Finally, we discussed how the proposed methodological approach helps to reinterpret national-level ecosystem indicators through a new conceptual lens to develop a more systems-based way of understanding long-term social-ecological patterns and dynamicsThis work was supported by the Biodiversity Foundation (http://www.fundacion-biodiversidad.es/) of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Partial financial support was also provided by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain (project CGL2014-53782-P: ECOGRADIENTES). The Spanish National Institute for Agriculture and Food Research and Technology (INIA) funded Marina García-Llorente as part of the European Social Fund. Blanca González García-Mon participated in this article as a “la Caixa” Banking Foundation scholar. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, preparation of the report, or the decision to submit the study for publicatio

Characterization of Carbon Fibers Recovered by Pyrolysis of Cured Prepregs and Their Reuse in New Composites

The applications of composite materials are rapidly growing. In the aeronautical sector, composites account for up to 50% of the weight of a modern typical commercial aircraft. However, the amount of composites currently recycled is less than 5% of the total amount produced. With environmental concerns becoming an increasingly influential topic, recyclability of composite materials is a key issue. Furthermore, several related European laws have been passed to minimize the environmental impact of composite structures and to make rational use of landfills. In this chapter, the authors analyze recycling techniques for carbon fiber composites with thermoset polymer matrix. The objective is to reuse the fibers in new, lower cost composites with similar properties. Starting from a pyrolysis step, followed by oxidation, an evaluation of the different parameters of the recycling process has been performed. The characterization of the fibers includes tensile tests, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The recycled fibers presented a reduction of their initial tensile strength lower than 10%. Then, remanufacturing of laminates using the recycled fibers was achieved by resin film infusion, obtaining laminates with properties similar to the brand-new composites. These results have the potential to be exploited by the automotive, aeronautical, wind energy, construction, and other sectors

Evaluating Ecosystem Services in Transhumance Cultural Landscapes: An Interdisciplinary and Participatory Framework

Following the concept of ecosystem services, we propose in this article an interdisciplinary and participatory methodological framework for ecosystem services assessment and participatory decision-making in Mediterranean cultural landscapes linked with transhumant pastoralism. It is based on four sequential phases: 1. characterisation of the social-ecological network associated with transhumance, 2. preliminary identification and characterisation of ecosystem services, 3. evaluation of ecosystem services (in biophysical, socio-cultural, and economic terms), and 4. future scenario planning for the analysis of social conflicts related to ecosystem services use and trade-offs as well as the proposal of management strategies. Applying the framework to a case study on one of the major transhumance landscapes in Spain, we could identify and evaluate more than 30 ecosystem services. The framework facilitated the design of robust policy measures that aim to maintain this livestock raising model and its associated flow of ecosystem services. It also contributes to provide the basis for the implementation of adaptive co-management strategiesThis research has been financed by the Spanish Ministry for the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs (Project 079/RN08/02.1

Infection by <i>Salmonella enterica</i> Promotes or Demotes Tumor Development

Cancer is a disease that claims the lives of millions of people every year around the world. To date, multiple risk factors that may contribute to its development have been described. In recent years, a factor that has been associated to cancer development is the presence of bacterial infections that could contribute to its occurrence not only by favoring the inflammatory process, but also through the release of proteins that trigger tumorigenesis. One of the bacterial species that have recently generated interest due to its possible role in cancer development is Salmonella enterica. Nevertheless, for more than a decade, attenuated strains of Salmonella enterica have been proposed as a treatment for different neoplasms due to its bacterium tropism for the tumor microenvironment, its oncolytic activity and its ability to activate the innate and adaptive immune responses of the host. These two facets of Salmonella enterica are addressed in detail in this chapter, allowing us to understand its possible role in cancer development and its well-documented antitumor activity

Estudio de la biocompatibilidad in vitro de polimeros metacrílicos derivados de pirrolidona-ina

Este estudio analiza la biocompatibilidad de nuevos biomateriales a base de hidrogeles metacrílicos como el poli-[metacrilato de 2-etil-(2-pirrolidona)] (PEPM) y la poli-[metacrilato de 2-etil-(2-pirrolidina)], en comparación con referentes comerciales tales como la poli-(vinil pirrolidona) (PVP) y la poli-(N-N´-dimetilacrilamida) (PDMA). Se utilizaron propiedades bioquímicas, mediante los ensayos de MTT y Alamar Blue, para conocer el efecto de citotoxicidad y proliferación en cultivo de fibroblastos (células VERO), sobre los biomateriales metacrílicos. Adicionalmente, por microscopía óptica y electrónica fueron analizados el grado de adhesión, morfología, muerte celular, proliferación, contracción celular, etc. Además se estudiaron las relaciones entre citotoxicidad y estructura química. En el MTT y en el análisis óptico se obtuvo baja citotoxicidad para PEPM y PVP, media en PEPyM y alta en PDMA. En el Alamar Blue y SEM se produjo una media proliferación-adhesión en PEPM y PEPyM, alta en PVP y muerte celular en PDMA. Sus apropiadas características físico-químicas y su aceptable grado de biocompatibilidad les hacen buenos candidatos en aplicaciones tales como lentes de contacto, sistemas de liberación de fármacos e ingeniería de tejidos.This study analyzed biocompatibility of new biomaterials based on the methacrylic hydrogels derived poly-[2-ethyl-(2-pyrrolidone) methacrylate] (PEPM) and poly-[2-ethyl-(2-pyrrolidine) methacrylate] (PEPyM), in comparison with references such as commercial poly-(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and poly-(N, N-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA). The biochemical properties were used to know citotoxicity and proliferation effect over fibroblast culture (VERO cells) in contact with the methacrylic biomaterials, using MTT and Alamar Blue assays. Additionally, were analyzed adhesion grade, morphology, death cell presence, proliferation, cell contraction, etc, by optical and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). The relationships between their chemical structures and cytotoxicity were studied. In MTT and optical analysis, low cytotoxicity was found for PEPM and PVP, medium in the case of PEPyM, and high for PDMA. In Alamar Blue and SEM, were produced a medium proliferation and adhesion rate for PEPM and PEPyM, high in PVP, and cellular death for PDMA. Their appropriates physico-chemical characteristics and approval biocompatibility grade make them good candidates in applications such as contact lenses, drug release systems and tissue engineering

Impact of 3D EM model configuration on the direct optimization of microstrip structures

We apply the classical Nelder-Mead optimization algorithm to a low fidelity EM model, using different mesh and bounding-box configurations. We demonstrate that the interaction of the coarse mesh with the bounding box size can determine whether the optimization is successful or not.ITESO, A.C.Intel Lab

Papel del logopeda en un centro gerontológico de estancias diurnas

[Resumen] El aumento de población anciana en nuestra sociedad es un hecho que ha provocado la aparición de nuevos recursos socio-sanitarios que cubran sus necesidades. El Centro Gerontológico de Estancias Diurnas es un servicio multidisciplinar diurno que se ocupa de la atención social y sanitaria, con actuación terapéutica y preventiva, de los mayores facilitando la vida laboral de las personas que se ocupan ordinariamente de su cuidado. Los centros de día deben proporcionar una atención integral debiendo, por tanto, estar constituidos por un equipo profesional multidisciplinar en el que la figura del logopeda esté presente desarrollando una labor específica. Parece, por tanto, interesante delimitar las funciones básicas a desempeñar, los trastornos más comunes susceptibles de intervención, así como, algunas directrices a tener en cuenta.[Abstract] The increase of the senior population in our society is an event that has provoked the appeareance of a new sort of social and sanitary recource, a structure that has to be concerned with the needs of this population. The gerontologic day-center is in brief a multidisciplinar service, that works during day time, treating the social and sanitary occupation of our elder with both therapeutic and preventive acts. This to provide a normal working life for the people who are usually taking care of these people. Day-centers have to answer these needs with a complete service, and for that reason they have to apile to a multidisciplinar staff in wich the speech-therapist develops a specific role. It seems though interesting to define the basic functions that a professional speech-therapist has to perform, such as the most common disorders capable of treatment and general intervention, as well derectives to bear in mind