Estimación de la dispersión de metano, en zonas de influencia al relleno sanitario palangana de la ciudad de Santa Marta mediante el uso del modelo ISCST

En el Relleno Sanitario Palangana (RSP) de la ciudad de Santa Marta se carece de estudios que determinen la dispersión de Metano (CH4) emitido por la disposición final de residuos sólidos hacia las zonas de influencia directa e indirecta del relleno. Este tipo de estudio es importante para la toma de decisiones a futuro por parte de la empresa prestadora de servicio de recolección y disposición final de los residuos sólidos en relación al plan de Manejo Ambiental. Con el fin de determinar las zonas de influencia al RSP por la dispersión de CH4 en un periodo de estudio comprendido entre los meses Abril, mayo y junio, se implementó una metodología que plantea la utilización del modelo Industrial Source Complex Short Term 3 (ISCST3) de la Agencia Americana de Protección Ambiental, US EPA. Usando la modalidad de cálculo para fuentes puntuales agrupadas. En esta investigación se determinó cuáles eran las zonas de influencia que se encuentran más afectadas por la dispersión de CH4, en donde como zona de influencia directa se encuentra el área propia de las labores de operación del RSP. Se observó que en el periodo modelado la dispersión del CH4en las zonas de influencia tienen un comportamiento semejante, influenciado por la orografía de la zona, formándose un corredor de emisión que conduce pequeñas concentraciones de CH4directamente hacia la población aledaña al relleno, catalogando esta zona como indirecta, al igual que las demás áreas de estudio. Los resultados obtenidos podrán ser un instrumento que permita la implementación de metodologías y tecnologías para el adecuado manejo del CH4generado por el Relleno Sanitario y el inicio a otras investigaciones en torno a la salud ocupacional y pública

Disadvantageous decision-making as a predictor of drop-out among cocaine-dependent individuals in long-term residential treatment

Background: The treatment of cocaine-dependent individuals (CDI) is substantially challenged by high drop-out rates, raising questions regarding contributing factors. Recently, a number of studies have highlighted the potential of greater focus on the clinical significance of neurocognitive impairments in treatment-seeking cocaine users. In the present study, we hypothesized that disadvantageous decision-making would be one such factor placing CDI at greater risk for treatment drop-out. Methods: In order to explore this hypothesis, the present study contrasted baseline performance (at treatment onset) on two validated tasks of decision-making, the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and the Cambridge GambleTask (CGT) in CDI who completed treatment in a residentialTherapeutic Community (TC) (N=66) and those who dropped out ofTC prematurely (N=84). Results: Compared to treatment completers, CDI who dropped out ofTC prematurely did not establish a consistent and advantageous response pattern as the IGT progressed and exhibited a poorer ability to choose the most likely outcome on the CGT. There were no group differences in betting behavior. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that neurocognitive rehabilitation of disadvantageous decision-making may have clinical benefits in CDI admitted to long-term residential treatment programs

Erosivity indicators based on rainfall in Northwestern Mexico

This study is motivated by the problem of erosivity (R), exacervated in semiarid zones by intense seasonal storms. The purpose was to estimate the spatial variation of R in a coastal area covering 37500 km2 which is one of the most important agricultural areas in northwestern Mexico. Four methods were used. Rainfall data from 11 SMNCONAGUA weather stations (from 1966 to 2013) were used to calculate R. The annual average R1 was 1181.08, and R2 was 1084.51 MJ mm ha–1 h–1 with ranges of 2.35–5220.55 and 2.93–4711.38 MJ mm ha–1 h–1. Statistical tests showed that a transformation of the data of the form y = log (x), was appropriate for an ANOVA analysis of the data. The value of the test statistic was F = 1.77 with p = 0.149, showing interdependence between the indicators P (α = 0.05). The values of the correlation coefficients for the data were P vs. R1 = 0.96, P vs. R2 = 0.99, P vs. AIm = 0.98, P vs. MFI = 0.99. The classification of risk in this region showed that 2017.5 km2 of the study area was at a very high risk of rain erosion, 2407.5 km2 under high risk, 5662.5 km2 under medium to high risk, and 14250 km2 under low risk. The results are shown on 1:10,000 maps. Results are a set of useful information for soil management programs and for cultivation planning that takes the seasonal variation of R into account in this region where large volumes of extensive crops are grown.

Estimation of Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) mean length in sea cages by acoustical means

[EN] This paper proposes an indirect method to estimate Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) biomass in cages using acoustic techniques. Two Simrad EK60 echosounders working at 120 and 200 kHz and a stereo camera were used to obtain target strength (TS) to fork length (FL) relationships for both operating frequencies. The equipment was placed at the bottom of a floating cage, facing towards the surface to record the ventral aspect of fish. The acoustic and optical recordings were automatically analysed and the combination of acoustic and optical results provided unequivocal TS-FL assignments. Good relationships between TS and FL were obtained for both frequencies even without discriminating data from different fish tilts and without using beam directivity compensation. Stronger correlations were obtained for compensated TS at 200 kHz when reduced tuna swimming tilt was considered. TS measurements were compared to MFS numerical predictions for a Bluefin swimbladder model, with the simulation results showing good agreement with experimental measurements. The results allow the mean tuna length to be predicted in growing or fattening cages from acoustic data raising the possibility of improving production management and of providing a useful tool for catch control estimations made by international organisations (like ICCAT) and government bodies. (c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).This work was supported by funding from the ACUSTUNA pro-ject ref. CTM2015-70446-R (MINECO/ERDF, EU). The authors are grateful for the support provided by Grup Balfego for their collab-oration and implication in installing and maintaining of the exper-imental setup in their tuna cages at l'Ametlla de Mar and for providing an ABFT specimen for x-ray imaging.Puig Pons, V.; Muñoz-Benavent, P.; Pérez Arjona, I.; Ladino-Velásquez, A.; Llorens-Escrich, S.; Andreu García, G.; Valiente González, JM.... (2022). Estimation of Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) mean length in sea cages by acoustical means. Applied Acoustics. 197:1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2022.10896011319

Sequential separation of cobalt and lithium by sorption: Sorbent set selection

The sorption of cobalt and lithium was studied using low-cost natural (dolomite, diatomite, barite), commercial (13X zeolites and clinoptilolite) and synthesized (mesoporous carbon and NaY zeolite) sorbents. The pH of the medium was a key factor in the sorption process which can be modified due to the active chemical groups on the surface of the sorbents. Therefore, the doses of each sorbent were selected to avoid cobalt precipitation, working at pH below 8. Sorption with monometallic solution was carried out to select the best set of sorbents for subsequent selective separation. Only mesoporous activated carbon and dolomite allow to achieve significant cobalt removal, 85% and 65% respectively, with negligible lithium removal. 13X zeolite (high surface area and low Si/ Al molar ratio) removed both metals without selectivity. Therefore, dolomite and mesoporous activated carbon were selected for the selective separation of cobalt, as they allow to achieve an adsorbed Co2+/Li+ weight ratio of 16 and 4, respectively. 13X was selected to remove lithium once cobalt was removed from the solution. The best separation was carried out by a two-sequential sorption stage, using dolomite in a first stage to separate cobalt and 13X zeolite in a second stage to remove lithium, reaching an almost complete removal of both metals. The pH control for working with high doses of dolomite was achieved by means of a solid phase pH buffer (solid buffer) composed by a mixture of the dolomite itself and non-activated mesoporous carbon (without sorption capacity) in a 1:4 weight ratio. This solid buffer allowed the pH of the medium to be controlled to around 6.5

Factores de crecimiento en plasma rico en plaquetas de individuos sanos tratados con agentes antiplaquetarios

Las propiedades del plasma rico en plaquetas (PRP) son atribuidas especialmente a su alto nivel de factores de crecimiento (FCs), la acción de los agentes antiplaquetarios podría alterar la liberación de los FCs del PRP. Este estudio evaluó los niveles del factor de crecimiento derivado de plaquetas (PDGF-BB), factor de crecimiento endotelial vascular (VEGF-A) y factor de crecimiento epidérmico (EGF) en el PRP y plasma pobre en plaquetas (PPP) de 20 individuos sanos antes y después del tratamiento con agentes antiplaquetarios. A los 20 individuos se les extrajo una muestra de sangre venosa para la obtención del PPP y PRP mediante el método de centrifugación única de Anitua. Los mismos 20 individuos se dividieron en dos grupos: 10 recibieron una dosis oral diaria Aspirina (100 mg) y 10 de Clopidogrel (75 mg) por 7 días.  Luego del tratamiento se repitió el procedimiento de obtención del PRP y PPP. Se midieron los niveles de los FCs en las muestras usando la técnica de ELISA. Al comparar los niveles pretratamiento y postratamiento, hubo una disminución significativa en el grupo tratado con Aspirina en el PDGF-BB (PPP: <0,05) y EGF (PPP: <0,05/ PRP: <0,04) y el grupo tratado con Clopidogrel en el PDGF-BB (PPP: <0,009/ PRP:<0,0001), VEGF-A (PPP: <0,001/ PRP<0,01) y EGF (PPP: <0,04/ PRP<0,018). La disminución de los FCs después del tratamiento con ambos agentes antiplaquetarios, especialmente Clopidogrel, no permite asegurar que el efecto clínico de los FCs plaquetarios pueda verse afectado sensiblemente por lo que se necesitan futuros estudios clínicos.Properties of platelet rich plasma (PRP) were attributed specially of high levels of growth factors (GFs), action of antiplatelet agents could alter the release of GFs from PRP. This study assessed the level of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) from PRP of 20 healthy participants before and after treatment with antiplatelet agents. Venous blood samples were collected from the 20 participants to obtain PPP and PRP by the single centrifugation method of Anitua. The same 20 participants were divided in two groups: 10 received a dairy oral dose of Aspirin (100 mg) and 10 of Clopidogrel (75 mg) for 7 days. The procedure to obtain PPP and PRP was repeated after treatment. Levels of GFs were measured using the technique of ELISA. When pretreatment and posttreatment levels were compared, a significant decrease was found in the group treated with Aspirin in the PDGF-BB (PPP: <0,05) and EGF (PPP: <0,05/ PRP: <0,04) and group treated with Clopidogrel in PDGF-BB (PPP: <0,009/ PRP:<0,0001), VEGF-A (PPP: <0,001/ PRP<0,01) and EGF (PPP: <0,04/ PRP<0,018). Decreases in GFs after treatment of each antiplatelets agent, specially Clopidogrel, cannot ensure that clinical effect of platelet GFs would be completely affected, future clinical studies are needed

Evaluation of aflatoxin and fumonisin co-exposure in urine samples from healthy volunteers in northern Mexico

Aflatoxins (AF) and fumonisins (FB) are common contaminants of maize and have been associated with cancer, immune suppression, and growth stunting. In this work, AFM(1) and FB(1) were measured in urine samples of healthy volunteers from the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Mexico, while AF and FB were detected in foods collected near the sampling zone. Urine samples from 106 adults were analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and toxins in foods were measured by fluorometry. The mean value of AFM(1) and FB(1) was 4.3 pg/mg creatinine from 76 samples (72 %), and 50 pg/mg creatinine from 75 samples (71 %), respectively. More than half of the samples (n = 56, 53 %) had detectable levels of both AFM(1) and FB(1). No differences in toxin levels were found between males and females or between age groups, but AFM(1) and FB(1) levels were higher (p < 0.01) when detected as a single exposure compared to co-exposed. Some significant results were found when comparing AFM(1) and FB(1) levels among groups of people assigned to levels of food consumption. Food samples had average concentrations of 5.3 μg/kg for AF and 800 μg/kg for FB. The results showed that co-exposure to AF and FB is common in the metropolitan area of Monterrey

Activity patterns of tayra (Eira barbara) across their distribution

Species' activity patterns are driven by the need to meet basic requirements of food, social interactions, movement, and rest, but often are influenced by a variety of biotic and abiotic factors. We used camera-trap data to describe and compare the activity patterns of the relatively poorly studied tayra (Eira barbara) across 10 populations distributed from the south of Mexico to the north of Argentina, and attempted to identify biotic or abiotic factors that may be associated with variation in level of diurnality. In a subset of sites we also aimed to document potential seasonal variation in activity. We used a kernel density estimator based on the time of independent photographic events to calculate the proportion of diurnal, crepuscular, and nocturnal activity of each population. Tayras were mostly active during diurnal periods (79.31%, 759 records), with a lower proportion of crepuscular activity (18.07%, 173 records) yet we documented some variation in patterns across the 10 study areas (activity overlap coefficient varied from Δ4 = 0.64 to Δ1 = 0.95). In northern localities, activity peaked twice during the day (bimodal) with most activity ocurring in the morning, whereas closer to the geographical equator, activity was constant (unimodal) throughout the day, peaking at midday: activity either was unimodal or bimodal in southern localities. Despite investigating multiple potential abiotic and biotic predictors, only latitude was associated with variation in the proportion of diurnal activity by tayras across its range, with increased diurnal activity closer to the equator. Seasonal comparisons in activity showed a tendency to reduce diurnality in dry versus rainy seasons, but the pattern was not consistently significant. This is the most comprehensive description of tayra activity patterns to date, and lends novel insight into the potential flexibility of the species to adapt to local conditions.Fil: Villafañe Trujillo, Álvaro José. Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro.; MéxicoFil: Kolowski, Joseph M.. Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas; BrasilFil: Cove, Michael V.. University of Belize; BeliceFil: Medici, Emilia Patricia. Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas; BrasilFil: Harmsen, Bart J.. University of Belize; BeliceFil: Foster, Rebbeca J.. University of Belize; BeliceFil: Hidalgo Mihart, Mircea G.. Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco,; MéxicoFil: Espinosa, Santiago. Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí; MéxicoFil: Ríos Alvear, Gorky. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: Reyes Puig, Carolina. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: Reyes Puig, Juan Pablo. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: Da Silva, Marina Xavier. Universidad Central del Ecuador; EcuadorFil: Paviolo, Agustin Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical; ArgentinaFil: Cruz, Paula Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical; ArgentinaFil: López González, Carlos Alberto. Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro.; Méxic