Animal behaviour: Shifting attention in order to disperse

New findings in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans identify neuromodulation of behavioural responses to pheromones as a mechanism for regulating dispersal and foraging strategies

Formulación de un aderezo a base de zapallo loche utilizando criterios de conservación y aceptación sensorial

In this investigation, a dressing based on loche squash was developed. Initially, nine formulations ere designed, being acidified with acetic acid until reaching a pH of 4.4. Sensory analyses were performed in four sessions by an untrained panel which assessed the characteristics of the formulations: appearance, aroma and flavor, the formulation with the highest degree of satisfaction being determined through the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and the Least Significant Difference (LSD) tests. Then, the formulation of greater satisfaction was subjected to three different heat treatments: 85°C for 10 min, 90°C for 6 minutes and 95°C for 3 minutes. Finally, two quality criteria were evaluated: Microbiological (mesophilic viable microorganisms) and enzymatic (pectinesterase), choosing the treatment of 90 °C for 6 minutes, which was subjected to physical and chemical tests. As a result, a loche squash dressing was obtained, preserving its initial organoleptic characteristics and achieving a safe product of good taste.En esta investigación se desarrolló un aderezo a base de zapallo loche; diseñándose nueve formulaciones iniciales, las cuales fueron acidificadas con ácido acético hasta llegar a un pH de 4.4. Se realizaron análisis sensoriales, donde jueces no entrenados, evaluaron en 4 sesiones los atributos de las formulaciones: Apariencia, aroma y sabor; determinando la formulación con mayor grado de satisfacción, a través  de Análisis de varianza (ANOVA) y Diferencia mínima significativa (DMS). Por consiguiente, la formulación de mayor grado de satisfacción, fue sometida a tres diferentes tratamientos térmicos: 85º C a 10 minutos; 90º C a 6 minutos y  95º C a 3 minutos.  Por último, se evaluaron dos criterios de calidad: Microbiológicos (microorganismos mesófilos viables) y enzimático (pectinesterasa), escogiendo el tratamiento de 90º C por 6 minutos, siendo sometido a pruebas físicas y químicas. Como resultado, se obtuvo un aderezo a base de zapallo loche, conservando características organolépticas iniciales y logrando un producto inocuo de  agradable sabor

Payments for Pioneers? Revisiting the Role of External Rewards for Sustainable Innovation under Heterogeneous Motivations

© 2017, Elsevier Acknowledging the diversity of preferences, goals and motivations of individuals is key to promote the effectiveness of incentive-based conservation interventions. This paper analyses the heterogeneity of motivations to adopt silvopastoral practices, a social-ecological innovation for soil conservation and carbon emission reduction. We use Q methodology to identify smallholders' views with regard to these practices in a community in the forest frontier in Chiapas (Mexico). The analysis uncovers three main perspectives: self-sufficient pioneers, environmentally-conscious followers and payment-dependent conservatives. We discuss these perspectives around three topics: smallholders' predisposition to adopt silvopastoral practices, their views about needing external payments to sustain their livelihood and the diffusion of innovative sustainable practices. We relate these perspectives with livelihood characteristics and with observed adoption levels under a pilot programme to promote silvopasture. Our findings suggest that incentives other than payments may be more appropriate for those more likely to adopt, and that payments could encourage rent-seeking strategies and not necessarily promote permanent behavioural change. We suggest ways for designing more effective and adaptive environmental conservation programmes to foster adoption and continuation of social-ecological innovations

Fiabilidad diagnóstica comparativa de la mielografía y de la tomografía axial computarizada en la hernia discal lumbar

Un grupo de 137 pacientes con hernia discal lumbar fue estudiado retrospectivamente , contrastando los hallazgos quirúrgicos con los proporcionado s por la mielografía y la tomografía axial computarizada (TAC), con objeto de comparar la fiabilidad de ambas técnicas de diagnóstico. La hernia discal correspondió al nivel L5-S1 en 76 pacientes y al L4-L5 en 61. Preoperatoriamente se había efectuado una TAC lumbar en 99 paciente s y una mielografía en 77. En 39 casos se efectuaron ambas exploraciones. La fiabilidad diagnóstica cuantificada por el porcentaje de resultados "verdaderos positivos" fue similar en ambas exploraciones, elevándose al 89% y 90% para la TAC y la mielografía respectivamente . De los 39 paciente s a quiene s se le s practicó ambas exploraciones, en 12 (39%) de ellos no existía concordancia en el diagnóstico. No se registraron "falsos negativos" con la TAC. Como conclusión, ambas técnicas diagnósticas tienen una alta y similar fiabilidad para detectar hernias discale s a nivel lumbar. No obstante, las ventajas que aporta la TAC respecto a la mielografía en cuanto a confort para el pacient e y ausencia de reaccione s adversas hac e que esta técnica sea considerada como el método diagnóstico de elección. La mielografía queda relegada a casos con imágene s dudosas con la TAC.In orde r to compar e the diagnosti c accurac y of CT sca n and myelo - graphy, a series of 137 patients with herniated lumbar disc was retrospectively analyzed matching the surgical findings with the images obtained by both diagnostic techniques. Ther e wer e 7 6 herniate d disc s a t th e L5-S1 leve l an d 6 1 a t th e L4-L5. Preoperatively, 99 patients wer e assessed by CT scan and 77 by mielography. In 39 cases, both technique s wer e performed. The diagnosti c accuracy, quantified by the percentage of "true positive" results wa s similar in both techniques: 89% in CT scan and 90% in mielography . In 12 of the 39 patients explore d by bot h CT scan and myelo - graphy, the results wer e discordant. "False negative" case s wer e not found using CT scan. In conclusion, both CT scan and myelography provide equal high diagnosti c accuracy for lumbar herniated disc. However, CT scan has become the primary diagnostic tool because of several advantages, such as the confort for the patients and the lack of adverse reactions

Promoting urban regeneration and aging in place: APRAM – An interdisciplinary method to support decision-making in building renovation

Current European policies aim to promote the sustainable urban regeneration of housing stock while ensuring aging in place. Following these targets, this research proposes the Architectural and Psycho-environmental Retrofitting Assessment Method (APRAM) as an interdisciplinary decision support system, specifically designed to be applied in building renovation, which considers architectural demands and residents’ perceptions. This method generates an integral diagnosis that combines an architectural evaluation, through technical inspection grids, and psycho-environmental perceptions, by gathering residents’ responses from a participatory survey, in order to facilitate decision-making regarding renovation proposals. Retrofitting interventions, structured in public space, building, and dwelling scales, are assessed using architectural priority levels as well as social and engagement indicators of satisfaction, attachment, social need, and willingness to participate, thereby establishing a decision support system for property owners or public entities. APRAM is applied and tested in a residential neighbourhood of Lisbon (Portugal), for which its architectural, social and economic reports are defined in a summary table and a graphical display that show the integral performance of each intervention. Over 80% of responses involve major demands for which the proposed method shows close connections between the architectural diagnosis and residents’ perceptions for the decision-making process.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Molecular prototypes for spin-based CNOT quantum gates

We show that a chemically engineered structural asymmetry in [Tb2] molecular clusters renders the two weakly coupled Tb3+ spin qubits magnetically inequivalent. The magnetic energy level spectrum of these molecules meets then all conditions needed to realize a universal CNOT quantum gate.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Visible-light-promoted iridium(III)-catalyzed acceptorless dehydrogenation of N-Heterocycles at room temperature

An effective visible-light-promoted iridium(III)catalyzed hydrogen production from N-heterocycles is described. A single iridium complex constitutes the photocatalytic system playing a dual task, harvesting visible-light and facilitating C-H cleavage and H-2 formation at room temperature and without additives. The presence of a chelating C-N ligand combining a mesoionic carbene ligand along with an amido functionality in the Ir-III complex is essential to attain the photocatalytic transformation. Furthermore, the le l complex is also an efficient catalyst for the thermal reverse process under mild conditions, positioning itself as a proficient candidate for liquid organic hydrogen carrier technologies (LOHCs). Mechanistic studies support a light-induced formation of H-2 from the Ir-H intermediate as the operating mode of the iridium complex