Helping HELP with limited resources: The Luquillo experience

By definition the HELP approach involves the active participation of individuals from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds, including representatives of industry, academics, natural resource managers, and local officials and community leaders. While there is considerable enthusiasm and support for the integrated HELP approach, a central problem for all HELP basins is how to effectively engage individuals and groups with few, if any financial resources. In the Luquillo HELP project we have managed this issue by focusing our efforts on holding small, public meetings and workshops with technocrats and managers who are engaged in local water resource management. To date several forums have been organised, including: technical meetings with the directors of natural resource agencies; presentations and panel discussions at the meetings of local professional societies, including the societies of Civil Engineers and Architects, the Commonwealth Association of Tourism, the Association of Builders and Developers, and the Puerto Rican Association of Lawyers. During these forums HELP specialists gave presentations and led discussions on how integrated watershed management can help resolve local problems. Because the audience are directly involved with these issues, they are quite responsive to these discussions and have often provided unique solutions to common problems. Technical workshops are co-sponsored by local municipalities – these day-long workshops are hosted by a municipality and include managers from other municipalities, the local water authority, and local community leaders. Additional activities include: technical advice on water infrastructure projects is given; there are educational exchanges between local and international students, scientists, natural resource managers, and community leaders; and synthesis publications relevant to integrated water resource management are produced. Other activities have included compiling oral environmental histories and organising watershed restoration activities. This paper describes these activities and discusses the benefits and costs of each approach.Keywords: integrated water resource management, tropical mountains, Puerto Ric

Cisatracurio

El cisatracurio es uno de los 10 isómeros que forman la mezcla racémica de atracurio (el 51W89 o 1R-cis, 1’Rcis atracurio). Se caracteriza por ser 3 veces más potente que el atracurio y por su estabilidad hemodinámica debido a la escasa liberación de histamina. Se hidroliza básicamente por la vía de Hofmann (77%) y en menor proporción se metaboliza de modo órgano-dependiente (fundamentalmente por el riñón [16%]). Debido a esto, apenas precisa modificaciones de la dosificación en caso de enfermedad hepática, renal o cardiovascular, o en los pacientes ancianos. La dosis eficaz 95 se ha calculado en 0,05 mg•kg-1 (0,04 mg•kg-1 en los niños), aunque clínicamente se utiliza de 2-4 veces esta dosis para reducir el tiempo necesario para la intubación traqueal debido a su lento inicio del bloqueo, especialmente si se compara con el rocuronio. Al incrementar la dosis se prolonga el período de bloqueo profundo (sin respuesta a la neuroestimulación), pero al iniciarse la recuperación cursa de forma dosis-dependiente, con índices de recuperación similares. La utilización del cisatracurio en cuidados intensivos ha resultado ser útil por su estabilidad hemodinámica, equiparable a los derivados esteroides, pero con recuperación más rápida del bloqueo al suspender su administración, y por su metabolismo predominante mediante la vía de Hofmann, con menor formación de laudanosina que el atracurio. El cisatracurio se perfila corno un miorrelajante no despolarizante de elección en procedimientos quirúrgicos de duración media-larga, en los pacientes hemodinámicamente inestables o con enfermedad renal o hepática y en el bloqueo neuromuscular en cuidados intensivos

Evidence of a massive planet candidate orbiting the young active K5V star BD+20 1790

Original article can be found at: http://www.aanda.org/ Copyright The European Southern Observatory (ESO). DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/200811000Context. BD+20 1790 is a young active, metal-rich, late-type K5Ve star. We have undertaken a study of stellar activity and kinematics for this star over the past few years. Previous results show a high level of stellar activity, with the presence of prominence-like structures, spots on the surface, and strong flare events, despite the moderate rotational velocity of the star. In addition, radial velocity variations with a semi-amplitude of up to 1 km s-1 were detected. Aims. We investigate the nature of these radial velocity variations, in order to determine whether they are due to stellar activity or the reflex motion of the star induced by a companion. Methods. We have analysed high-resolution echelle spectra by measuring stellar activity indicators and computing radial velocity (RV) and bisector velocity spans. Two-band photometry was also obtained to produce the light curve and determine the photometric period. Results. Based upon the analysis of the bisector velocity span, as well as spectroscopic indices of chromospheric indicators, Ca ii H & K, Hα, and taking the photometric analysis into account, we report that the best explanation for the RV variation is the presence of a substellar companion. The Keplerian fit of the RV data yields a solution for a close-in massive planet with an orbital period of 7.78 days. The presence of the close-in massive planet could also be an interpretation for the high level of stellar activity detected. Since the RV data are not part of a planet search programme, we can consider our results as a serendipitous evidence of a planetary companion. To date, this is the youngest main sequence star for which a planetary candidate has been reported.Peer reviewe

A distinctive new species of flowerpecker (Passeriformes: Dicaeidae) from Borneo

The enigmatic ‘Spectacled Flowerpecker’—a probable new bird species from the island of Borneo—was first sighted in the Danum Valley of Sabah, Malaysia in 2009. However, the absence of a holotype specimen has prevented its formal scientific description. Since then only a handful of reports from widely disparate localities across the island have emerged, all from lowland sites and often in close association with fruiting mistletoe. Here, we report the long-awaited capture of a specimen of this putative new species and confirm its morphological and molecular distinctiveness as a novel species in the genus Dicaeum

Application of Electrical Bio-Impedance for the Evaluation of Strawberry Ripeness

"This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in González-Araiza, José Raymundo, María Coral Ortiz-Sánchez, Francisco Miguel Vargas-Luna, and José Manuel Cabrera-Sixto. 2016. Application of Electrical Bio-Impedance for the Evaluation of Strawberry Ripeness. International Journal of Food Properties 20 (5). Informa UK Limited: 1044 50. doi:10.1080/10942912.2016.1199033, available online at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10942912.2016.1199033."[EN] Electrical bio-impedance measurements were conducted on local strawberry fruits. A non-destructive device was designed to obtain the impedance spectrum of the whole fruit. Four electrical variables were tested: low frequency resistor R0 (related to extracellular resistances), the high frequency resistor R∞ (related to intracellular resistances), and constant phase element (magnitude and phase, related to the membrane capacitances and heterogeneity, respectively). In parallel with the electrical bio-impedance measurement, color and firmness were correlated to the ripeness stage. The results indicated that the strawberries at the highest stage of ripeness had significantly lower constant phase element and R0 values.The authors would like to express their gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Abraham from Irapuato, Mexico for providing the fruits, and to Mr. Juan Manuel Noriega from the University of Guanajuato for his technical support. The authors would like to thank the University of Guanajuato for the financial support.Gonzalez-Araiza, J.; Ortiz Sánchez, MC.; Vargas-Luna, F.; Cabrera-Sixto, J. (2017). Application of Electrical Bio-Impedance for the Evaluation of Strawberry Ripeness. International Journal of Food Properties. 20(5):1044-1050. https://doi.org/10.1080/10942912.2016.1199033S10441050205Cordenunsi, B. R., Nascimento, J. R. O., & Lajolo, F. M. (2003). Physico-chemical changes related to quality of five strawberry fruit cultivars during cool-storage. Food Chemistry, 83(2), 167-173. doi:10.1016/s0308-8146(03)00059-1Sacks, E. J., & Shaw, D. V. (1994). Optimum Allocation of Objective Color Measurements for Evaluating Fresh Strawberries. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 119(2), 330-334. doi:10.21273/jashs.119.2.330Harker, F. R., & Forbes, S. K. (1997). Ripening and development of chilling injury in persimmon fruit: An electrical impedance study. New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 25(2), 149-157. doi:10.1080/01140671.1997.9514001Bauchot, A. D., Harker, F. R., & Arnold, W. M. (2000). The use of electrical impedance spectroscopy to assess the physiological condition of kiwifruit. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 18(1), 9-18. doi:10.1016/s0925-5214(99)00056-3Harker, F. R., & Maindonald, J. H. (1994). Ripening of Nectarine Fruit (Changes in the Cell Wall, Vacuole, and Membranes Detected Using Electrical Impedance Measurements). Plant Physiology, 106(1), 165-171. doi:10.1104/pp.106.1.165Fang, Q., Liu, X., & Cosic, I. (s. f.). Bioimpedance Study on Four Apple Varieties. 13th International Conference on Electrical Bioimpedance and the 8th Conference on Electrical Impedance Tomography, 114-117. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-73841-1_32Vozáry, E., & Benkó, P. (2010). Non-destructive determination of impedance spectrum of fruit flesh under the skin. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 224, 012142. doi:10.1088/1742-6596/224/1/012142Harker, F. R., Elgar, H. J., Watkins, C. B., Jackson, P. J., & Hallett, I. C. (2000). Physical and mechanical changes in strawberry fruit after high carbon dioxide treatments. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 19(2), 139-146. doi:10.1016/s0925-5214(00)00090-9Juansah, J., Budiastra, I. W., Dahlan, K., & Seminar, K. B. (2014). Electrical Properties of Garut Citrus Fruits at Low Alternating Current Signal and its Correlation with Physicochemical Properties During Maturation. International Journal of Food Properties, 17(7), 1498-1517. doi:10.1080/10942912.2012.723233O’Toole, M. D., Marsh, L. A., Davidson, J. L., Tan, Y. M., Armitage, D. W., & Peyton, A. J. (2015). Non-contact multi-frequency magnetic induction spectroscopy system for industrial-scale bio-impedance measurement. Measurement Science and Technology, 26(3), 035102. doi:10.1088/0957-0233/26/3/035102Gore, C. M., White, J. O., Wachsman, E. D., & Thangadurai, V. (2014). Effect of composition and microstructure on electrical properties and CO2 stability of donor-doped, proton conducting BaCe1−(x+y)ZrxNbyO3. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2(7), 2363. doi:10.1039/c3ta12668

Displasia Ectodérmica Anhidrótica

El presente trabajo tiene por finalidad difundir el caso clínico de una displasia ectodérmica anhidrótica con importantes manifestaciones bucales. Esta enfermedad se caracteriza por la ausencia o la disminución del pelo, dientes, uñas, glándulas sudoríparas y sebáceas, anomalías de la nariz, pabellones auriculares, labios y sistema dentario, signos que acompañan a trastornos del sistema nervioso central.La displasia ectodérmica anhidrótica, se trata de un síndrome heredo familiar, transmitido como un rasgo recesivo ligado al cromosoma X, que afecta en el 90% de los casos a los varones. El resto corresponde a mujeres portadoras que presentan sintomatología escasa.El reconocimiento de las manifestaciones clínicas generales y bucales nos permitirá instituir una conducta terapéutica adecuada

The use of dose quantities in radiological protection: ICRP publication 147 Ann ICRP 50(1) 2021.

The International Commission on Radiological Protection has recently published a report (ICRP Publication 147;Ann. ICRP50, 2021) on the use of dose quantities in radiological protection, under the same authorship as this Memorandum. Here, we present a brief summary of the main elements of the report. ICRP Publication 147 consolidates and clarifies the explanations provided in the 2007 ICRP Recommendations (Publication 103) but reaches conclusions that go beyond those presented in Publication 103. Further guidance is provided on the scientific basis for the control of radiation risks using dose quantities in occupational, public and medical applications. It is emphasised that best estimates of risk to individuals will use organ/tissue absorbed doses, appropriate relative biological effectiveness factors and dose-risk models for specific health effects. However, bearing in mind uncertainties including those associated with risk projection to low doses or low dose rates, it is concluded that in the context of radiological protection, effective dose may be considered as an approximate indicator of possible risk of stochastic health effects following low-level exposure to ionising radiation. In this respect, it should also be recognised that lifetime cancer risks vary with age at exposure, sex and population group. The ICRP report also concludes that equivalent dose is not needed as a protection quantity. Dose limits for the avoidance of tissue reactions for the skin, hands and feet, and lens of the eye will be more appropriately set in terms of absorbed dose rather than equivalent dose

A simple and economical device to process Ti cylinders with elongated porosity by freeze-casting techniques: design and manufacturing [Póster]

Design, manufacture and validation of a simple and economic device that allows producing Ti cylinders with directed porosity applying the freeze-casting technique, and the study of the influence on the internal structure of the Ti porous samples when different materials are used for the vessel (alumina or Teflon).Junta de Andalucía (Spain) Grant No. P12-TEP-1401Ministry of Economy and Innovation of Spain project MAT2015-71284-