Latin American drylands: Challenges and opportunities for sustainable development

Las zonas áridas de Latinoamérica sostienen la economía de sus países. Sin embargo, la gobernanza y los modelos económicos enfocados en el corto plazo y la exportación han resultado en injusticia ambiental, desarrollo no sostenible y promoción de la desertificación. Enfrentar los desafíos de desarrollo en ecosistemas donde el agua es limitante requiere un entendimiento profundo de las complejas interacciones socioambientales. En este artículo examinamos dos de las actividades económicas más importantes en zonas áridas de Latinoamérica: agricultura y minería, con casos representativos en Argentina, Bolivia, Chile y México, donde se aprecia la complejidad de las interacciones socioambientales, y donde además el cambio climático impacta en la disponibilidad del recurso hídrico y resulta en luchas de poder. Exponemos también cómo el enfoque de los servicios ecosistémicos y la investigación transdisciplinaria pueden resultar en modelos de desarrollo que beneficien y protejan las comunidades ancestrales y los ecosistemas que hacen únicos a estos territorios.; Les zones àrides de Llatinoamèrica sostenen l’economia dels seus països. No obstant això, la governança i els models econòmics enfocats al curt termini i l’exportació han resultat en injustícia ambiental, desenvolupament no sostenible i promoció de la desertificació. Fer front als desafiaments de desenvolupament en ecosistemes on l’aigua és limitant requereix un enteniment profund de les complexes interaccions socioambientals. En aquest article examinem dues de les activitats econòmiques més importants en zones àrides de Llatinoamèrica: agricultura i mineria, amb casos representatius a l’Argentina, Bolívia, Xile i Mèxic, on s’aprecia la complexitat de les interaccions socioambientals, i on a més el canvi climàtic impacta en la disponibilitat del recurs hídric i resulta en lluites de poder. Exposem també que l’enfocament dels serveis ecosistèmics i la investigació transdisciplinària poden produir models de desenvolupament que beneficien i protegisquen les comunitats ancestrals i els ecosistemes que fan únics aquests territoris.; The drylands of Latin America sustain their countries’ economies. However, governance and economic models focused on exports and the short term have resulted in environmental injustice, unsustainable development, and the promotion of desertification. Addressing development challenges in water-limited ecosystems requires a thorough understanding of their complex socio-environmental interactions. In this document, we examine two of the most important economic activities in Latin American drylands: agriculture and mining. We use representative cases from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Mexico to illustrate the complexity of socio-environmental interactions in which climate change affects the availability of water resources and results in power struggles. We also discuss how the approach to ecosystem services and transdisciplinary research can result in development models that benefit and protect ancestral communities and the ecosystems that make these territories unique

Prácticas de ahorro de agua doméstica y su relación con la micromedición y la percepción del cambio climático en hogares mexicanos

Una de las consecuencias más importantes del cambio climático para México se relaciona con un menor acceso a cantidades y calidades de agua suficientes para los usos humanos y ambientales. El ahorro de agua doméstica se enmarca en dicho contexto como una medida de adaptación frente el cambio climático. El objetivo de este trabajo es explorar los factores que afectan el ahorro de agua en hogares mexicanos. Para ello, se utilizan datos de más de 13 mil hogares de la Encuesta Nacional de los Hogares (ENH) desarrollada en 2017, y del Módulo de Hogares y Medio Ambiente aplicado ese año con la ENH. A través de análisis de regresión se prueba el efecto de factores sociodemográficos (edad, sexo, nivel educativo y tamaño de localidad), de gestión (forma de cobro del servicio) y climáticos (percepción de cambios en temperatura, precipitación y fenómenos extremos) como predictores de prácticas de ahorro de agua en hogares urbanos y rurales. Los hallazgos apuntan a un efecto estadísticamente significativo y positivo del cobro del agua a través de micromedición; así como efectos significativos, pero menores, de la percepción de mayor temperatura, cambios en la lluvia, e impactos de fenómenos climáticos en el hogar, como factores relacionados positivamente con prácticas de ahorro de agua doméstica

FreedomCAR Advanced Traction Drive Motor Development Phase I

The overall objective of this program is to design and develop an advanced traction motor that will meet the FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies (FCVT) 2010 goals and the traction motor technical targets. The motor specifications are given in Section 1.3. Other goals of the program include providing a cost study to ensure the motor can be developed within the cost targets needed for the automotive industry. The program has focused on using materials that are both high performance and low costs such that the performance can be met and cost targets are achieved. In addition, the motor technologies and machine design features must be compatible with high volume manufacturing and able to provide high reliability, efficiency, and ruggedness while simultaneously reducing weight and volume. Weight and volume reduction will become a major factor in reducing cost, material cost being the most significant part of manufacturing cost at high volume. Many motor technology categories have been considered in the past and present for traction drive applications, including: brushed direct current (DC), PM (PM) brushless dc (BLDC), alternating current (AC) induction, switched reluctance and synchronous reluctance machines. Of these machine technologies, PM BLDC has consistently demonstrated an advantage in terms of power density and efficiency. As rare earth magnet cost has declined, total cost may also be reduced over the other technologies. Of the many different configurations of PM BLDC machines, those which incorporate power production utilizing both magnetic torque as well as reluctance torque appear to have the most promise for traction applications. There are many different PM BLDC machine configurations which employ both of these torque producing mechanisms; however, most would fall into one of two categories--some use weaker magnets and rely more heavily on reluctance torque (reluctance-dominant PM machines), others use strong PMs and supplement with reluctance torque (magnet-dominant PM machines). This report covers a trade study that was conducted in this phase I program to explore which type of machine best suits the FCVT requirements

Dialogic science-policy networks for water security governance in the arid Americas

Addressing wicked problems challenging water security requires participation from multiple stakeholders, often with conflicting visions, complicating the attainment of water-security goals and heightening the need for integrative and effective science-policy interfaces. Sustained multi-stakeholder dialogues within science-policy networks can improve adaptive governance and water system resilience. This paper describes what we define as “dialogic science-policy networks,” or interactions -- both in structural and procedural terms -- between scientists and policy-makers that are: 1) interdisciplinary, 2) international (here, inter-American), 3) cross-sectoral, 4) open, 5) continual and iterative in the long-term, and 6) flexible. By fostering these types of interactions, dialogic networks achieve what we call the 4-I criteria for effective science-policy dialogues: inclusivity, involvement, interaction, and influence. Here we present several water-security research and action projects where some of these attributes may be present. Among these, a more comprehensive form of a dialogic network was intentionally created via AQUASEC, a virtual center and network initially fostered by a series of grants from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Subsequently, AQUASEC has significantly expanded to other regions through direct linkages and additional program support for the International Water Security Network, supported by Lloyd's Register Foundation and other sources. This paper highlights major scientific and policy achievements of a notable suite of science-policy networks, shared practices, methods, and knowledge integrating science and policy, as well as the main barriers overcome in network development. An important gap that remains for future research is the assessment and evaluation of dialogic science-policy networks' long-term outcomes.Fil: Lutz Ley, America N.. El Colegio de Sonora; MéxicoFil: Scott, Christopher A.. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Wilder, Margaret. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Varady, Robert G.. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Ocampo Melgar, Anahi. Universidad de Chile.; ChileFil: Lara Valencia, Francisco. Arizona State University; Estados UnidosFil: Zuniga Teran, Adriana. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Buechler, Stephanie. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Díaz Caravantes, Rolando. El Colegio de Sonora; MéxicoFil: Ribeiro Neto, Alfredo. El Colegio de Sonora; MéxicoFil: Pineda Pablos, Nicólas. El Colegio de Sonora; MéxicoFil: Martin, Facundo Damian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Ciencias Humanas, Sociales y Ambientales; Argentin

Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome type 2 manifests with fibrosing lung disease early in childhood

Background: Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS), a hereditary multisystem disorder with oculocutaneous albinism, may be caused by mutations in one of at least 10 separate genes. The HPS-2 subtype is distinguished by the presence of neutropenia and knowledge of its pulmonary phenotype in children is scarce. Methods: Six children with genetically proven HPS-2 presented to the chILD-EU register between 2009 and 2017; the data were collected systematically and imaging studies were scored blinded. Results: Pulmonary symptoms including dyspnea, coughing, need for oxygen, and clubbing started 3.3 years before the diagnosis was made at the mean age of 8.83 years (range 2-15). All children had recurrent pulmonary infections, 3 had a spontaneous pneumothorax, and 4 developed scoliosis. The frequency of pulmonary complaints increased over time. The leading radiographic pattern was ground-glass opacities with a rapid increase in reticular pattern and traction bronchiectasis between initial and follow-up Computer tomography (CT) in all subjects. Honeycombing and cysts were newly detectable in 3 patients. Half of the patients received a lung biopsy for diagnosis; histological patterns were cellular non-specific interstitial pneumonia, usual interstitial pneumonia-like, and desquamative interstitial pneumonia. Conclusions: HPS-2 is characterized by a rapidly fibrosing lung disease during early childhood. Effective treatments are required

Benchtop flow-NMR for rapid online monitoring of RAFT and free radical polymerisation in batch and continuous reactors

A “Benchtop” NMR spectrometer is used for detailed monitoring of controlled and free radical polymerisations performed in batch and continuous reactors both offline and in real-time. This allows detailed kinetic analysis with unprecedented temporal resolution for reactions which reach near completion in under five minutes

Preformed portals facilitate dendritic cell entry into afferent lymphatic vessels

Although both processes occur at similar rates, leukocyte extravasation from the blood circulation is well investigated, whereas intravasation into lymphatic vessels has hardly been studied. In contrast to a common assumption—that intra- and extravasation follow similar molecular principles—we previously showed that lymphatic entry of dendritic cells (DCs) does not require integrin-mediated adhesive interactions. In this study, we demonstrate that DC-entry is also independent of pericellular proteolysis, raising the question of whether lymphatic vessels offer preexisting entry routes. We find that the perilymphatic basement membrane of initial lymphatic vessels is discontinuous and therefore leaves gaps for entering cells. Using a newly developed in situ live cell imaging approach that allows us to dynamically visualize the cells and their extracellular environment, we demonstrate that DCs enter through these discontinuities, which are transiently mechanically dilated by the passaging cells. We further show that penetration of the underlying lymphatic endothelial layer occurs through flap valves lacking continuous intercellular junctions. Together, we demonstrate free cellular communication between interstitium and lymphatic lumen

Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome type 2 manifests with fibrosing lung disease early in childhood

Background: Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS), a hereditary multisystem disorder with oculocutaneous albinism, may be caused by mutations in one of at least 10 separate genes. The HPS-2 subtype is distinguished by the presence of neutropenia and knowledge of its pulmonary phenotype in children is scarce. Methods: Six children with genetically proven HPS-2 presented to the chILD-EU register between 2009 and 2017;the data were collected systematically and imaging studies were scored blinded. Results: Pulmonary symptoms including dyspnea, coughing, need for oxygen, and clubbing started 3.3 years before the diagnosis was made at the mean age of 8.83 years (range 2-15). All children had recurrent pulmonary infections, 3 had a spontaneous pneumothorax, and 4 developed scoliosis. The frequency of pulmonary complaints increased over time. The leading radiographic pattern was ground-glass opacities with a rapid increase in reticular pattern and traction bronchiectasis between initial and follow-up Computer tomography (CT) in all subjects. Honeycombing and cysts were newly detectable in 3 patients. Half of the patients received a lung biopsy for diagnosis;histological patterns were cellular non-specific interstitial pneumonia, usual interstitial pneumonia-like, and desquamative interstitial pneumonia. Conclusions: HPS-2 is characterized by a rapidly fibrosing lung disease during early childhood. Effective treatments are required

A critical geopolitics of observant practice at British military airshows

ArticleCopyright © 2015 The Authors. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers)This paper demonstrates how visual cultures of militarism take shape as part of a ‘thick’ geopolitics of being-in-place. It draws on historical accounts of, and empirical observations at, British military airshows, which it interprets via the concept of ‘observant practice’. The paper argues that the imaginative and rhetorical force of military spectacle and popular militarism are tied to its markedly enclavic spatiality, i.e. to seeing and doing in-place. By taking seriously the spatial and sensory experience of British airshows, the paper extends recent work in critical geopolitics that questions the spatialised politics of experience, and brings them into dialogue with cultural geographies of tourism. It provides a brief history of the spectacular origins of aviation and of the use of airshows to the practice of statecraft, and demonstrates how airshows are an important element in the cultural phenomenon of militarisation. The paper takes forward debates around ‘the vision thing’ in critical geopolitics by illustrating why the notion of observant practice should not be dissociated from consideration of the spaces in and through which militaries become the object of visual curiosity. It expands, therefore, the potential of observant practice as a critique of popular military cultures.ESR