Experiences in Pumice Soil Characterization by Surface Wave Analysis

Guadalajara, México, is a large city located mainly over a thick deposit (up 100 m) of pumice, in a seismic zone. Then, besides the stiffness of pumice soils, it is important to predict their behavior under seismic movements. Pumice soils are so crushable that SPT or CPT does not adequately characterize them. As a complement or alternative to SPT, CPT and other field testing, in recent years there has been a gradual increment in the use of surface wave analysis for soil characterization, by measuring shear wave velocity (VS). ReMi is one of the surface wave analysis methods and have been used in different locations of Guadalajara for determining the stiffness of pumice soils, depth to bedrock, classify the soil according to IBC, and calculate fundamental periods. Also one-dimensional ground response seismic analysis of four different sites in Guadalajara, under two different seismic scenarios, is presented. From this seismic analysis there are five different response spectra and other parameters

Mercury emissions in equilibrium: a novel approach for the quantification of mercury emissions from contaminated soils.

Mercury emissions from soil samples with different mercury contents have been estimated using a closed circuit array. The samples were collected from the Almaden mercury mining district. The emissions confirmed that temperature and light radiation favour mercury desorption due to the increase in the mercury vapour pressure. An additional positive factor could be the photocatalytic reduction of soluble Hg2+ to volatile Hg0 at the soil surface. A physicochemical model based on mass transfer and equilibrium was developed and was used to reproduce the mercury emissions at the laboratory scale. The use of this model allowed us to obtain the unknown mass transfer coeficient (KL) and adsorption parameters required to quantify the possible gaseous mercury fluxes from these contaminated soils. Experimental results indicate that an equilibrium between the solid and gas phases was established. The proposed kinetic model reproduced perfectly the experimental data, with KL found to be proportional to the inverse of temperature and independent of the radiation. The concentration of mercury in the gas phase was mainly dependent on the soluble mercury content (HgS). Equilibrium data were #64257;tted by Langmuir and Freundlich models and the best fit was obtained using the multi-layer model attending to the convex shape of the curves, which is characteristic of non-porous or possibly macroporous materials having a low adsorption energy. The Freundlich constant (KF) was also fitted as a polynomial function with temperature and this gave a straight line for the light radiation and a second grade equation for dark conditions. Once the parameters had been obtained, the Hg emission fluxes from contaminated soils were estimated and the values were between two and three orders of magnitude higher than those published in the literature for non-contaminated soils

Vulnerabilidad de edificios ante resonancia sísmica en Guadalajara y Zapopan por el sismo del 11 de mayo de 2016 MW=4.9

El 11 de mayo de 2016 ocurrió un sismo Mw=4.9 en la zona metropolitana de Guadalajara. El sismo con una intensidad V-VI generó daños leves y fue registrado en dos estaciones en Guadalajara y Zapopan. Se obtuvieron los cocientes espectrales H/V, frecuencia y periodos fundamentales del suelo. Los periodos medidos en las dos estaciones se usan para analizar la respuesta sísmica de diferentes edificios ante resonancia. Alrededor de la estación Zapopan los edificios entre 12 y 30 m son los más vulnerables. Caso contrario para todas las tipologías de edificios entre 9 y 21 m cercanos a la estación Guadalajara

Subsoil classification and geotechnical zonation for Guadalajara City, México: Vs30, soil fundamental periods, 3D structure and profiles

Guadalajara, Jalisco, is the second largest city in Mexico with around 4.5 million inhabitants. A high seismic hazard exists in the city due to forces produced by the interaction between the Rivera, Cocos and North American plates and the smaller Jalisco Block. Guadalajara is one of the largest cities built over pumice soil deposits. Furthermore, the near‐surface phreatic level causes a high susceptibility to liquefaction. All these features can cause extreme earthquake site effects. Due to the fragile inner structure of pumice sands, traditional geotechnical tests are inappropriate to characterize the seismic response. Therefore, we propose the use of surface wave analysis methods (multichannel analysis of surface waves and refraction microtremor), which we applied in 33 sites to define the soil classification in terms of VS30 (the average shear wave velocity between the surface and 30 m depth), the bedrock depth and the fundamental period. From the soil classification, we construct a microzonation map consisting of four geotechnical zones, which we superimpose on the known construction systems within the city. The comparison between the construction period of the buildings and the fundamental frequencies of the soil indicates a high vulnerability to resonance in 1‐ to 4‐storied old buildings constructed of adobe and unreinforced masonry within zones II and III, followed by a medium vulnerability to seismic resonance in compact buildings of 1–4 stories within zone I and 1–12 stories within zones II and IV.TU Berlin, Open-Access-Mittel – 202

Communication patterns in the doctor–patient relationship: evaluating determinants associated with low paternalism in Mexico

Background: Paternalism/overprotection limits communication between healthcare professionals and patients and does not promote shared therapeutic decision-making. In the global north, communication patterns have been regulated to promote autonomy, whereas in the global south, they refect the physician’s personal choices. The goal of this study was to contribute to knowledge on the communication patterns used in clinical practice in Mexico and to identify the determinants that favour a doctor–patient relationship characterized by low paternalism/autonomy. Methods: A self-report study on communication patterns in a sample of 761 mental healthcare professionals in Cen‑ tral and Western Mexico was conducted. Multiple ordinal logistic regression models were used to analyse paternalism and associated factors. Results: A high prevalence (68.7% [95% CI 60.0–70.5]) of paternalism was observed among mental health profession‑ als in Mexico. The main determinants of low paternalism/autonomy were medical specialty (OR 1.67 [95% CI 1.16– 2.40]) and gender, with female physicians being more likely to explicitly share diagnoses and therapeutic strategies with patients and their families (OR 1.57 [95% CI 1.11–2.22]). A pattern of highly explicit communication was strongly associated with low paternalism/autonomy (OR 12.13 [95% CI 7.71–19.05]). Finally, a modifying efect of age strata on the association between communication pattern or specialty and low paternalism/autonomy was observed. Conclusions: Among mental health professionals in Mexico, high paternalism prevailed. Gender, specialty, and a pattern of open communication were closely associated with low paternalism/autonomy. Strengthening health professionals’ competencies and promoting explicit communication could contribute to the transition towards more autonomist communication in clinical practice in Mexico. The ethical implications will need to be resolved in the near future.This study was conducted with fnancial support from CONACyT-FOSISS 2016 (Project No. 272137) under the title “The burden of intellectual development disorders in Mexico: Situational diagnosis and proposed intervention in public policy

Borderline Intellectual Functioning: Consensus and good practice guidelines

Objectives: To elaborate a conceptual framework and to establish consensus guidelines. Method: A mixed qualitative methodology, including frame analysis and nominal groups techniques, was used. The literature was extensively reviewed in evidence based medical databases, scientific publications, and the grey literature. This information was studied and a framing document was prepared. Results: Scientific publications covering BIF are scarce. The term that yields a bigger number of results is ‘‘Borderline Intelligence’’. The Working Group detected a number of areas in which consensus was needed and wrote a consensus document covering the conclusions of the experts and the framing document. Conclusions: It is a priority to reach an international consensus about the BIF construct and its operative criteria, as well as to develop specific tools for screening and diagnosis. It is also necessary to define criteria that enable its incidence and prevalence. To know what interventions are the most efficient, and what are the needs of this population, is vital to implement an integral model of care centred on the individual

Desarrollo multidisciplinario en investigación y docencia del centro universitario UAEM Valle de México

DESARROLLO MULTIDISCIPLINARIO EN INVESTIGACIÓN Y DOCENCIA DEL CENTRO UNIVERSITARIO UAEM VALLE DE MÉXICOLa Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México ha evolucionado a través de sus 188 años de historia, dedicada a la educación, la investigación, la cultura y el deporte, como sus grandes ejes rectores, formadora de hombres y mujeres con un alto sentido humanista y ético, contribuyendo a lograr nuevas y mejores formas de existencia y convivencia social. Durante el proceso de desconcentración de la UAEM, se crearon las Unidades Académicas y Centros Universitarios para brindar el servicio de educación a más jóvenes en todo el Estado de México, este Centro Universitario fue uno de los primeros y a sus veinte años de existencia se está consolidando como uno de los mejores. Es en los últimos años que se ha venido impulsando la investigación al contar con cuerpos académicos, en formación y en consolidación, con infraestructura de primera tanto en equipo como en laboratorios especializados, con profesores de tiempo completo que participan en congresos, seminarios y presentan publicaciones en revistas indexadas. Por ello para celebrar esos veinte años de existencia de esta honorable institución, se planeó la compilación de esta obra que es parte del quehacer multidisciplinario en investigación y docencia como parte del Plan de Desarrollo 2013-2017, de esta administración. Esta obra reúne investigaciones tanto de profesores como de alumnos desde las diferentes ramas del saber en las que se inscriben sus siete licenciaturas, Actuaría, Administración, Contaduría, Derecho, Economía, Relaciones Económicas Internacionales e Informática Administrativa, tanto presencial como a distancia, así como sus tres ingenierías, Industrial, en Computación y Sistemas y Comunicaciones, así como gracias a la vinculación y colaboración académico – científica que se tiene con otras instituciones de educación superior a nivel nacional, como el Instituto Tecnológico de Orizaba, la Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, la Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Universidad Politécnica de Victoria, el Instituto Politécnico Nacional entre otras. En el capítulo 1 se abordan seis temáticas diferentes de vanguardia en el área de las Ingenierías, en los capítulos 2 y 3 se incluyen temas de interés y gran relevancia en materia de ciencias sociales, política y economía. Se hace extensivo un reconocimiento para todos los que participaron tanto en la revisión de los trabajos, como en la compilación del producto final de este Libro intitulado “Desarrollo Multidisciplinario en Investigación y Docencia del Centro Universitario UAEM Valle de México”