A proposal for climate change resilience management through fuzzy controllers

We aim towards the implementation of a set of fuzzy controllers capable to perform automated estimation of the period of time necessary to recover a resilience level through the non-linear influence of a set of interrelated climate change resilience indicators constrained by social-based variables. This fuzzy controller set, working together with a fuzzy inference system type Mamdani, will be capable to estimate the proper adjustments to be done onto system’s elements in order to achieve a certain resilience level, while a general estimation of required costs is appraised. The final tool can then be used to provide guidelines for strategic vulnerability planning and monitoring through a clear understanding between investments and results, while an open evaluation and scrutiny of applied policies is made. In this paper the main strategy to achieve the mentioned objectives is presented and discussed.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Reproductive biology of Chlaenius velutinus (Duftschmid, 1812)(Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the south of the Iberian Peninsula

Se estudia la biología de reproducción de Chlaenius velutinus Duftschmid, 1812, especie bien representada en las comunidades de carábidos ripícolas del sur de la Península, en las que suele ser un elemento dominante. Se parte de muestreos sistemáticos efectuados en el arroyo Arenosillo (tributario de la cuenca del Guadalquivir por su margen derecho), de estudios anatómicos relativos a la edad y sexo de los ejemplares y al estado gonadal de las hembras y de cultivos de laboratorio. Los resultados indican que la actividad de los imagos se centra en primavera, con un máximo en abril y mayo, momento en que también es máxima la oviposición, que la fecundidad es elevada (10,05 huevos/hembra), que el período medio de desarrollo en el laboratorio es algo más de un mes y que la fase más crítica, en condiciones artificiales, es la eclosión del huevo. De todo lo anterior se deduce que el ciclo de vida de C. velutinus se ajusta al de los reproductores de primavera (Larsson, 1939)

Sustained exocytosis after action potential-like stimulation at low frequencies in mouse chromaffin cells depends on a dynamin-dependent fast endocytotic process

Under basal conditions the action potential firing rate of adrenal chromaffin cells is lower than 0.5 Hz. The maintenance of the secretory response at such frequencies requires a continuous replenishment of releasable vesicles. However, the mechanism that allows such vesicle replenishment remains unclear. Here, using membrane capacitance measurements on mouse chromaffin cells, we studied the mechanism of replenishment of a group of vesicles released by a single action potential-like stimulus (APls). The exocytosis triggered by APls (ETAP) represents a fraction (40%) of the immediately releasable pool, a group of vesicles highly coupled to voltage dependent calcium channels. ETAP was replenished with a time constant of 0.73 � 0.11 s, fast enough to maintain synchronous exocytosis at 0.2-0.5 Hz stimulation. Regarding the mechanism involved in rapid ETAP replenishment, we found that it depends on the ready releasable pool; indeed depletion of this vesicle pool significantly delays ETAP replenishment. On the other hand, ETAP replenishment also correlates with a dynamin-dependent fast endocytosis process (τ = 0.53 � 0.01 s). In this regard, disruption of dynamin function markedly inhibits the fast endocytosis and delays ETAP replenishment, but also significantly decreases the synchronous exocytosis during repetitive APls stimulation at low frequencies (0.2 and 0.5 Hz). Considering these findings, we propose a model in where both the transfer of vesicles from ready releasable pool and fast endocytosis allow rapid ETAP replenishment during low stimulation frequencies.Fil: Moya Diaz, José Abelino. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, Yanina Daniela. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Montenegro, Mauricio Norman. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Bayonés, Lucas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Belingheri, Ana Verónica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: González-Jamett, Arlek M.. Universidad de Valparaiso; ChileFil: Cárdenas, Ana M.. Universidad de Valparaiso; ChileFil: Marengo, Fernando Diego. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; Argentin

La variolacion y el advenimiento de la vacuna contra la viruela

La revisión de algunos cuadernos históricos de Medicina, tesis de grado y otros artículos científicos tuvo como objetivo describir diferentes proce-dimientos de variolación, utilizados por la Humanidad hasta el advenimiento de la vacuna contra la viruela. Consideramos que la variolación constituyó un incentivo importante en el advenimiento de otro proceder más inocuo, seguro y eficaz: la vacunación

Pre-anesthesia evaluation in patients with chronic renal disease (emphasis on cardiovascular risk)

Chronic renal disease is a public health problem worldwide. Several times these patients will undergo surgical procedures related to dialysis or surgeries related to their co-morbidities. The purpose of the pre-anesthesia evaluation is to assess the risk of cardiovascular events and initiate interventions that may influence morbidity and mortality. This article describes the relevant epidemiological data of chronic kidney disease and its cardiovascular risk and provides a guide on clinical assessment, diagnostic tools and strategies to reduce surgical risk. This narrative literature review is based on articles written in both English and Spanish limited to the last 10 years, information from basic textbooks and primary databases (i.e., PUBMED - EMBASE - LILACS), supported by articles referenced in the above-mentioned search.La enfermedad renal crónica es un problema de salud pública mundial. En varias ocasiones los pacientes son llevados a cirugías relacionadas con su diálisis con operaciones propias de sus comorbilidades. El propósito de la valoración preanestésica es asesorar el riesgo de eventos cardiovasculares e iniciar las intervenciones que puedan influir en su morbimortalidad El presente artículo describe datos epidemiológicos relevantes de la enfermedad renal crónica, así como su riesgo cardiovascular, y nos orienta en su valoración clínica, ayudas diagnósticas y estrategias para reducir el riesgo quirúrgico. La presente revisión narrativa de la literatura fue desarrollada con artículos escritos en inglés y español, limitados a los últimos 10 años, información referenciada en textos guía y bases de datos primaria

Hexavalent Chromium (VI) Removal by Penicillium sp. IA-01

The objective of this work was to study the removal of chromium (VI) in aqueous solution by the fungus Penicillium sp. IA-01, isolated from polluted air with industrial vapors. To obtain the fungal biomass, pre-inoculums were performed in thioglycolate broth from a strain isolated from vapours contaminated with Cr (VI). The fungus was incubated for four weeks at ambient temperature, filtered, and washed three times with trideionized water. In preparing cellullar fractions, it was necessary to break the fungal cells with glass beads using a homogenizer being careful to keep the samples in frosty cold ice. To obtain the fungal biomass, the fungus was filtered and stored in an oven at 80°C, allowing it to dry for 48 h. Removal of Cr (VI) in vitro was evaluated using different cellular fractions and dead fungal biomass. We determine the optimal characteristics for metal removal in the reaction mixture. Concluding that the ideal conditions for the removal of Cr (VI) in the cell extracts were 37°C and pH 7.0, also we observ that the highest enzyme activity was in the mixed membrane fraction. In dead fungal biomass, the ideal conditions for removal of metal are 60°C and pH 1.0

Physical, chemical and microbiological evaluation of cassava silage with cowpea and microbial culture

The aim of this work was to evaluate the physical, microbiological, fibrous and lactic acid changes of cassava silage with cowpea used on biological mix. Fifty kg whole cassava (root, stem and leaves), 20 kg of cowpea flour and 4 L of microbial culture containing Lactobacillus acidophillus, Streptococcus thermophillus and Klyumyces fragilis (L-4 UCLV) were used. The evaluated treatments were: Y100integral cassava (Y100), integral cassava more 20% cowpea (Y+C), and integral cassava more 20% cowpeas and 8% of microbial culture (Y+C+BP). The ensiled material was preserved in sterile glass bottles with wide mouth. A completely randomized design was used. The physicochemical, microbiological, fibrous and lactic acid characteristics were evaluated. For 18 months, the dry matter, crude and true protein, lactic acid contents and the microbial viability was higher (