Análisis de la producción de mezcal en San Diego La Mesa Tochimiltzingo, Puebla (Reserva Sierra del Tentzo), México

There is a high pressure on wild populations of Agave spp. leading to possible extinction in the region of San Diego La Mesa Tochimiltzingo, located at the Natural Protected Area “Sierra del Tentzo”, due to the increasing demand for mezcal production during the last 10 years. An analysis of the production process of mezcal was carried out through a socio-environmental diagnosis and the general population structure of wild Agave in order to determine actions for the sustainable use of mezcal production in the community. Techniques for participatory development were carried out with mezcal producers and field ecological techniques were used to assess an Agave population in the core area of the Reserve. It was determined that the main problem is the increasing scarcity of Agave, due to the extraction of wild specimens without suitable management techniques that allow the recovery of the resource, as well as the lack of training to grow their own plantations. An aggregate distribution was observed with individuals of different ages of A. angustifolia. A population density of 460 plants/ha was calculated, a value 60% lower than that recommended. No individuals of A. potatorum were found. An overexploitation of the resource was recorded, so it is urgent to establish measures for the conservation of wild Agave populations in the region.Derivado del aumento acelerado de la demanda de mezcal en los últimos 10 años, existe una mayor presión sobre las poblaciones silvestres de Agave spp., lo cual aumenta el riesgo de desaparecer en la región de San Diego La Mesa Tochimiltzingo, Puebla, ubicada en el Área Natural Protegida “Sierra del Tentzo”. Se realizó un análisis del proceso productivo del mezcal a través de un diagnóstico socioambiental y de la estructura poblacional general de Agave silvestre con el fin de determinar acciones para el aprovechamiento sustentable en la producción de mezcal en la comunidad. Para obtener la información, se llevaron a cabo técnicas de desarrollo participativo con los maestros mezcaleros y mediciones en campo de las especies de Agave en la zona núcleo de la Reserva. Se determinó que la principal problemática en la producción de mezcal es la cada vez mayor escasez de Agave, debido a la extracción de especímenes silvestres sin técnicas de manejo que permitan la recuperación del recurso, así como la falta de capacitación para realizar sus propias plantaciones. En la población evaluada se observó una distribución agregada con individuos de diferentes edades de A. angustifolia. Se calculó una densidad poblacional de 460 plantas/ha, valor 60% menor a lo recomendado. No se encontraron individuos de A. potatorum. Se registró una sobreexplotación del recurso, por lo que es urgente establecer medidas para la conservación del Agave silvestre en la región

Towards using segmentation-based techniques to personalize mobility behaviour Interventions

This paper describes our initial work towards a segmentation-based approach to personalized digital behavior change interventions in the domain of sustainable, multi-modal urban transport. Segmentation is a key concept in market research, and within the transport domain, Anable has argued that there are segments of travelers that are relatively homogenous in terms of their mobility attitudes and behaviors. We describe an approach aimed at tailoring behavior change notifications by using segmentation-based techniques for user profiling. We report results from a Mechanical Turk study in which we obtained a crowd-sourced categorization of motivational messages. This is a first step towards understanding how to better deliver persuasive messages to relevant users profiles and situational contexts in the urban mobility domain. We conclude by discussing future steps of our work that should inform the deployment of persuasion profiling techniques to achieve sustainable mobility goals

Análise de carbono elementar do Pantanal Mato-grossense através do Método de Análise de Espectro Singular (SSA)

Este estudo mostra como o método não paramétrico de Análise de Espectro Singular (SSA Singular Spectrum Analysis) pode ser utilizado para analisar a tendência do carbono elementar na série temporal dos anos 2012-2013. O método foi aplicado para analisar o comportamento dos valores de carbono elementar mensal registrado na estação Pantanal, localizada na Baía das Pedras, no Pantanal Mato-grossense, Brasil. Os resultados mostram que o período é capaz de extrair as componentes da tendência e ruídos das séries temporais. As séries reconstruídas reproduziram satisfatoriamente o comportamento não linear das séries originais, indicando que o método pode ser considerado como uma nova ferramenta de auxílio nas concentrações de carbono elementar

SUSTENTABILIDAD Y EVALUACIÓN DEL IMPACTO OCASIONADO POR EL RELLENO SANITARIO DEL MUNICIPIO DE CARMEN EN CAMPECHE, MÉXICO

Los indicadores de sustentabilidad permiten evaluar los impactos ambientales relacionados con la estrategia del desarrollo sustentable. Este estudio se realizó en Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, que es considerada una isla de barrera que se localiza al sureste de México. El municipio canaliza la disposición final de los residuos sólidos urbanos (RSU) a través de un relleno sanitario el cual se encuentra ubicado en una zona de manglar, teniendo un impacto negativo en el medio ambiente lo que incide negativamente en el desarrollo sustentable. Mediante el análisis sedimentológico del subsuelo, se obtuvieron resultados que identificaron la dominancia de arenas carbonatadas, lo que permitió definir un rango de porosidad del 20,2 al 40,1%, y permeabilidad de 102-104 ms1 darcys, es decir, los sedimentos presentan una buena porosidad y una permeabilidad alta. Por su parte, mediante un análisis de la calidad del agua se detectaron concentraciones de Demanda Bioquímica de Oxígeno (DBO5) y Demanda Química de Oxígeno (DQO) de 63,06 y 1338,13 mg L1, respectivamente, así como la presencia de concentraciones de trazas de algunos metales pesados. Estos valores permitieron clasificarlo como un cuerpo de agua fuertemente contaminado.//The sustainability indicators allow the evaluation of the environmental impacts related to the sustainable development strategy. The research was conducted in ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, whichis considered a barrier island that is located at the southeast of Mexico. The municipality channels the final disposal of solid urban waste (MSW) through a sanitary landfill which is located in a mangrove area, having a negative impact on the environment, which negatively affects the sustainable development. This research identified a sequence of carbonated sands by means of subsoil sediment analysis, which allowed to define a porosity of 20.2 to 40.1% and a permeability of 102-104 ms1, i.e., the sediments have good porous and high permeability. On the other hand, and with respect to water quality, concentrations of BOD5 and COD in the mangrove were 63.06 and 1338.13 mg L1, respectively, as well as the presence of trace concentrations of some heavy metals. These values allowed to classify it as a strongly contaminated body of water

Data monitoring roadmap. The experience of the Italian Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders Register

Introduction Over the years, disease registers have been increasingly considered a source of reliable and valuable population studies. However, the validity and reliability of data from registers may be limited by missing data, selection bias or data quality not adequately evaluated or checked.This study reports the analysis of the consistency and completeness of the data in the Italian Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders Register.MethodsThe Register collects, through a standardized Web-based Application, unique patients.Data are exported bimonthly and evaluated to assess the updating and completeness, and to check the quality and consistency. Eight clinical indicators are evaluated.ResultsThe Register counts 77,628 patients registered by 126 centres. The number of centres has increased over time, as their capacity to collect patients.The percentages of updated patients (with at least one visit in the last 24 months) have increased from 33% (enrolment period 2000-2015) to 60% (enrolment period 2016-2022). In the cohort of patients registered after 2016, there were >= 75% updated patients in 30% of the small centres (33), in 9% of the medium centres (11), and in all the large centres (2).Clinical indicators show significant improvement for the active patients, expanded disability status scale every 6 months or once every 12 months, visits every 6 months, first visit within 1 year and MRI every 12 months.ConclusionsData from disease registers provide guidance for evidence-based health policies and research, so methods and strategies ensuring their quality and reliability are crucial and have several potential applications

The risk of stroke recurrence in patients with atrial fibrillation and reduced ejection fraction

Abstract Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and congestive heart failure often coexist due to their shared risk factors leading to potential worse outcome, particularly cerebrovascular events. The aims of this study were to calculate the rates of ischemic and severe bleeding events in ischemic stroke patients having both AF and reduced ejection fraction (rEF) (⩽40%), compared to ischemic stroke patients with AF but without rEF. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis that drew data from prospective studies. The primary outcome was the composite of either ischemic (stroke or systemic embolism), or hemorrhagic events (symptomatic intracranial bleeding and severe extracranial bleeding). Results: The cohort for this analysis comprised 3477 patients with ischemic stroke and AF, of which, 643 (18.3%) had also rEF. After a mean follow-up of 7.5 ± 9.1 months, 375 (10.8%) patients had 382 recorded outcome events, for an annual rate of 18.0%. While the number of primary outcome events in patients with rEF was 86 (13.4%), compared to 289 (10.2%) for the patients without rEF; on multivariable analysis rEF was not associated with the primary outcome (OR 1.25; 95% CI 0.84–1.88). At the end of follow-up, 321 (49.9%) patients with rEF were deceased or disabled (mRS ⩾3), compared with 1145 (40.4%) of those without rEF; on multivariable analysis, rEF was correlated with mortality or disability (OR 1.35; 95% CI 1.03–1.77). Conclusions: In patients with ischemic stroke and AF, the presence of rEF was not associated with the composite outcome of ischemic or hemorrhagic events over short-term follow-up but was associated with increased mortality or disability

COVID-19 Severity in Multiple Sclerosis: Putting Data Into Context

Background and objectives: It is unclear how multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the severity of COVID-19. The aim of this study is to compare COVID-19-related outcomes collected in an Italian cohort of patients with MS with the outcomes expected in the age- and sex-matched Italian population. Methods: Hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death after COVID-19 diagnosis of 1,362 patients with MS were compared with the age- and sex-matched Italian population in a retrospective observational case-cohort study with population-based control. The observed vs the expected events were compared in the whole MS cohort and in different subgroups (higher risk: Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score > 3 or at least 1 comorbidity, lower risk: EDSS score ≤ 3 and no comorbidities) by the χ2 test, and the risk excess was quantified by risk ratios (RRs). Results: The risk of severe events was about twice the risk in the age- and sex-matched Italian population: RR = 2.12 for hospitalization (p < 0.001), RR = 2.19 for ICU admission (p < 0.001), and RR = 2.43 for death (p < 0.001). The excess of risk was confined to the higher-risk group (n = 553). In lower-risk patients (n = 809), the rate of events was close to that of the Italian age- and sex-matched population (RR = 1.12 for hospitalization, RR = 1.52 for ICU admission, and RR = 1.19 for death). In the lower-risk group, an increased hospitalization risk was detected in patients on anti-CD20 (RR = 3.03, p = 0.005), whereas a decrease was detected in patients on interferon (0 observed vs 4 expected events, p = 0.04). Discussion: Overall, the MS cohort had a risk of severe events that is twice the risk than the age- and sex-matched Italian population. This excess of risk is mainly explained by the EDSS score and comorbidities, whereas a residual increase of hospitalization risk was observed in patients on anti-CD20 therapies and a decrease in people on interferon

DMTs and Covid-19 severity in MS: a pooled analysis from Italy and France

We evaluated the effect of DMTs on Covid-19 severity in patients with MS, with a pooled-analysis of two large cohorts from Italy and France. The association of baseline characteristics and DMTs with Covid-19 severity was assessed by multivariate ordinal-logistic models and pooled by a fixed-effect meta-analysis. 1066 patients with MS from Italy and 721 from France were included. In the multivariate model, anti-CD20 therapies were significantly associated (OR = 2.05, 95%CI = 1.39–3.02, p < 0.001) with Covid-19 severity, whereas interferon indicated a decreased risk (OR = 0.42, 95%CI = 0.18–0.99, p = 0.047). This pooled-analysis confirms an increased risk of severe Covid-19 in patients on anti-CD20 therapies and supports the protective role of interferon