Procesos urbanos y sistemas socioecológicos. Trayectorias sustentables de la agricultura de chinampa en Ciudad de México/ Urban Processes and Socioecological Agricultural Systems. Sustainable Trajectories of Chinampa Agriculture in Mexico City

El artículo analiza los ámbitos del desarrollo urbano y las perspectivas humano-ambientales en el marco de las relaciones entre los procesos urbanos y los sistemas socioecológicos. A partir de identificar algunas tendencias de los procesos de urbanización en América Latina y conforme a guías conceptuales y metodológicas para la generación de conocimiento interdisciplinario, se discuten las rutas temáticas de dos agendas multilaterales (HÁBITAT III y SIPAM) hacia el desarrollo urbano ambientalmente sustentable y resiliente, en particular en el contexto de los principios socioecológicos de la agricultura de chinampas en la Ciudad de México, incluyendo algunas directrices para su consolidación.   Abstract The article analyses the fields of urban development and human-environment perspectives in the framework of urban processes and socioecological systems relationships. From identifying some trends of urbanization processes in Latin America and according to conceptual and methodological guidelines for the generation of interdisciplinary knowledge, the thematic routes of two multilateral agendas (HÁBITAT III y GIAHS) for environmentally sustainable urban development and resilience are discussed, particularly in the context of the socioecological principles of chinampas agriculture in Mexico City, including some guidelines for its consolidation

Distribution and Outcomes of a Phenotype- Based Approach to Guide COPD Management: Results from the CHAIN Cohort

Rationale The Spanish guideline for COPD (GesEPOC) recommends COPD treatment according to four clinical phenotypes: non-exacerbator phenotype with either chronic bronchitis or emphy- sema (NE), asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS), frequent exacerbator phenotype with emphysema (FEE) or frequent exacerbator phenotype with chronic bronchitis (FECB). How- ever, little is known on the distribution and outcomes of the four suggested phenotypes. Objective We aimed to determine the distribution of these COPD phenotypes, and their relation with one-year clinical outcomes. Methods We followed a cohort of well-characterized patients with COPD up to one-year. Baseline characteristics, health status (CAT), BODE index, rate of exacerbations and mortality up to one year of follow-up were compared between the four phenotypes. Results Overall, 831 stable COPD patients were evaluated. They were distributed as NE, 550 (66.2%); ACOS, 125 (15.0%); FEE, 38 (4.6%); and FECB, 99 (11.9%); additionally 19 (2.3%) COPD patients with frequent exacerbations did not fulfill the criteria for neither FEE nor FECB. At baseline, there were significant differences in symptoms, FEV 1 and BODE index (all p<0.05). The FECB phenotype had the highest CAT score (17.1±8.2, p<0.05 compared to the other phenotypes). Frequent exacerbator groups (FEE and FECB) were receiving more pharmacological treatment at baseline, and also experienced more exacer- bations the year after (all p<0.05) with no differences in one-year mortality. Most of NE (93%) and half of exacerbators were stable after one year. Conclusions There is an uneven distribution of COPD phenotypes in stable COPD patients, with signifi- cant differences in demographics, patient-centered outcomes and health care resources use

Determination and analysis of plasma radiative properties for numerical simulations of laboratory radiative blast waves launched in xenon clusters

Radiative shock waves play a pivotal role in the transport energy into the stellar medium. This fact has led to many efforts to scale the astrophysical phenomena to accessible laboratory conditions and their study has been highlighted as an area requiring further experimental investigations. Low density material with high atomic mass is suitable to achieve radiative regime, and, therefore, low density xenon plasmas are commonly used for the medium in which the radiative shocks propagate. The knowledge of the plasma radiative properties is crucial for the correct understanding and for the hydrodynamic simulations of radiative shocks. In this work, we perform an analysis of the radiative properties of xenon plasmas in a range of matter densities and electron temperatures typically found in laboratory experiments of radiative shocks launched in xenon plasmas. Furthermore, for a particular experiment, our analysis is applied to make a diagnostics of the electron temperatures of the radiative shocks since they could not be experimentally measure

ANATOMICAL DESCRIPTION OF MUSCLES IN THE HIND LIMB AND TAIL OF CEBUS ALBIFRONS

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo realizar la descripción anatómica de los músculos del miembro posterior y cola del mono Machín Blanco (Cebus albifrons). Se utilizaron 4 monos castrados, adultos, con más de 3 años. Los monos fueron eutanasiados y embalsamados, y luego de 6 días se procedió a la divulsión de los miembros posteriores y la cola, describiéndose todos los músculos cutáneos superficiales y profundos, tomando como referencia estudios previos en el mono Rhesus (Maccaca mullata). Las regiones de la pelvis y muslo, pierna y pie presentaron 18, 12 y 11 músculos, respectivamente. No se encontró el músculo piriforme, peroneotibial, peróneo digital del IV dedo y el oponente del primer dedo. En la cola se hallaron 10 músculos, número mayor a lo encontrado en el mono Rhesus.The objective of this study was to perform the anatomic description of the muscles located in the hind limb and tail of Cebus albifrons. Four adult monkeys older than 3 years of age and castrated were used. The animals were euthanized and embalmed; then, after six days, the dissection of the hind limb and tail was carried out. Muscles were described in comparison with the Rhesus monkey (Maccaca mullata). The pelvis and thigh, leg and foot region presented 18, 12 and 11 muscles respectively. Piriformis, peroneotibialis, peroneus digiti quarti and the opponens digiti hallucis muscles were not present. The tail region presented 10 muscles, a higher number as compared to the Rhesus

REFERENCE ANATOMICAL STRUCTURES TO PERFORM A CRANIOTOMY IN THE PIG

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue determinar los puntos anatómicos de referencia para realizar la craneotomía en cerdos. Se utilizaron 44 cabezas de porcinos (machos = 2, hembras = 22, machos castrados = 20) entre 23 y 89 kg de peso vivo de la línea Landrace Pietrain y criollos. Los cuatro puntos anatómicos utilizados fueron P1: localizado a una distancia “a” del punto medio de la protuberancia occipital externa (PO) hacia oral, P2: localizado a una distancia “b” del punto medio de la PO hacia oral, P3 y P4: equidistantes, a una distancia “c” al punto de intersección formado por las línea imaginaria entre las apófisis supraorbitarias (AS) y la línea media entre los huesos frontales (LmhF). Se utilizó una fresa de perforación de 11 mm para ingresar a P1 y P2; y la pieza de mano para P3 y P4. Las variables analizadas fueron la longitudes entre el punto medio de PO hasta la punta de la nariz, entre las AS, entre el punto medio de la protuberancia occipital externa hasta el inicio del seno frontal (P2), la profundidad de P1, entre P1 y P3-P4, P2 y P3-P4. No hubo diferencia significativa entre machos castrados y hembras. Se recomienda cuatro puntos anatómicos de referencia para la craneotomía en cerdos: P1, machos castrados y hembras a una distancia de 2.98 y 2.73 cm de PO; P2, machos castrados y hembras a una distancia de 7.51, 37.72 cm de PO, repectivamente; y P3 y P4 a 3.8 cm de la intersección de la línea imaginaria entre la AS y la LmhF.The objective of this study was to determine the anatomic reference points to perform a craniotomy in pigs. Forty four heads of Landrace, Pietrain, and creole pigs of 22-89 kg of body weight (males = 2, females = 22, castrated males = 20) were used. The four anatomic points under evaluation were P1: at a distance “a” from the external occipital protuberance (OP) to cranial; P2: at a distance “b” from the OP point to cranial; P3 and P4: equidistant, at a distance “c” to intersection point formed by imaginaries lines between supraorbitary apophysis (SA) and the frontal bones half line (LmhF). A 11 mm perforation drilling (cutting) was used in order to enter inside P1 and P2, and a hand piece was used for P3 and P4. The variables under evaluation were the length between the OP to the end of the nose, between both AS, P1 depth, between P1 and P3-P4, P2 and P3-P4. No statistical difference between castrated males and females was found. It is recommended four anatomic reference points to perform a craniotomy in the pig: P1 in females and castrated males was at 2.73 and 2.98 cm from OP respectively; P2 in females and castrated males was 7.72 and 7.51 cm respectively; and P3 and P4 at 3.8 cm from the intersection point formed by imaginaries lines between SA and the LmhF

COPD Clinical Control: predictors and long-term follow-up of the CHAIN cohort

CHAIN Study Investigators.[Background] Control in COPD is a dynamic concept that can reflect changes in patients’ clinical status that may have prognostic implications, but there is no information about changes in control status and its long-term consequences.[Methods] We classified 798 patients with COPD from the CHAIN cohort as controlled/uncontrolled at baseline and over 5 years. We describe the changes in control status in patients over long-term follow-up and analyze the factors that were associated with longitudinal control patterns and related survival using the Cox hazard analysis.[Results] 134 patients (16.8%) were considered persistently controlled, 248 (31.1%) persistently uncontrolled and 416 (52.1%) changed control status during follow-up. The variables significantly associated with persistent control were not requiring triple therapy at baseline and having a better quality of life. Annual changes in outcomes (health status, psychological status, airflow limitation) did not differ in patients, regardless of clinical control status. All-cause mortality was lower in persistently controlled patients (5.5% versus 19.1%, p = 0.001). The hazard ratio for all-cause mortality was 2.274 (95% CI 1.394–3.708; p = 0.001). Regarding pharmacological treatment, triple inhaled therapy was the most common option in persistently uncontrolled patients (72.2%). Patients with persistent disease control more frequently used bronchodilators for monotherapy (53%) at recruitment, although by the end of the follow-up period, 20% had scaled up their treatment, with triple therapy being the most frequent therapeutic pattern.[Conclusions] The evaluation of COPD control status provides relevant prognostic information on survival. There is important variability in clinical control status and only a small proportion of the patients had persistently good control. Changes in the treatment pattern may be relevant in the longitudinal pattern of COPD clinical control. Further studies in other populations should validate our results.[Trial registration] Clinical Trials.gov: identifier NCT01122758.This study has been funded by AstraZeneca.Peer reviewe

A Proposed Approach to Chronic Airway Disease (CAD) Using Therapeutic Goals and Treatable Traits: A Look to the Future

© 2020 Pérez de Llano et al.Chronic airflow obstruction affects a wide range of airway diseases, the most frequent of which are asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis; they are clearly identifiable in their extremes, but quite frequently overlap in some of their pathophysiological and clinical characteristics. This has generated the description of new mixed or overlapping disease phenotypes with no clear biological grounds. In this special article, a group of experts provides their perspective and proposes approaching the treatment of chronic airway disease (CAD) through the identification of a series of therapeutic goals (TG) linked to treatable traits (TT) – understood as clinical, physiological, or biological characteristics that are quantifiable using biomarkers. This therapeutic approach needs validating in a clinical trial with the strategy of identification of TG and treatment according to TT for each patient independently of their prior diagnosis

Long Term Ground Deformation in Volcanic Islands: Tenerife and La Palma, Canaries

Canary Islands form a volcanic archipelago with 7 major islands with a long-standing history of volcanic activity that began more than 40 million years ago More than a dozen eruptions have occurred on the islands of Tenerife, Lanzarote, and La Palma since the 16 th century. We used several geodetic techniques in order to achieve ground deformation on those islands. We propose that the measured deformation is directly related to gravitational sinking of the intrusive core the island into a weak lithosphere. We favour this thesis, relative to that of spreading, because neither the published data on the geology of Tenerife show evidence of compressional structures around the base of the island nor the GPS data indicate significant radial displacements, which would have been present in the case of spreading. In adition, given that the crust has been inflected under the mass of Tenerife, following Borgia (1994), we propose that the volcanic edifice is in a state of compression, which, in some volcanoes, has in the past been associated with hazardous explosive eruptions

Exfoliation of Alpha-Germanium: A Covalent Diamond-Like Structure

2D materials have opened a new field in materials science with outstanding scientific and technological impact. A largely explored route for the preparation of 2D materials is the exfoliation of layered crystals with weak forces between their layers. However, its application to covalent crystals remains elusive. Herein, a further step is taken by introducing the exfoliation of germanium, a narrow-bandgap semiconductor presenting a 3D diamond-like structure with strong covalent bonds. Pure α-germanium is exfoliated following a simple one-step procedure assisted by wet ball-milling, allowing gram-scale fabrication of high-quality layers with large lateral dimensions and nanometer thicknesses. The generated flakes are thoroughly characterized by different techniques, giving evidence that the new 2D material exhibits bandgaps that depend on both the crystallographic direction and the number of layers. Besides potential technological applications, this work is also of interest for the search of 2D materials with new properties

Natural Course of the Diffusing Capacity of the Lungs for Carbon Monoxide in COPD: Importance of Sex

[Background] The value of the single-breath diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (Dlco) relates to outcomes for patients with COPD. However, little is known about the natural course of Dlco over time, intersubject variability, and factors that may influence Dlco progression.[Research Question] What is the natural course of Dlco in patients with COPD over time, and which other factors, including sex differences, could influence this progression?[Study Design and Methods] We phenotyped 602 smokers (women, 33%), of whom 506 (84%) had COPD and 96 (16%) had no airflow limitation. Lung function, including Dlco, was monitored annually over 5 years. A random coefficients model was used to evaluate Dlco changes over time.[Results] The mean (± SE) yearly decline in Dlco % in patients with COPD was 1.34% ± 0.015%/y. This was steeper compared with non-COPD control subjects (0.04% ± 0.032%/y; P = .004). Sixteen percent of the patients with COPD, vs 4.3% of the control subjects, had a statistically significant Dlco % slope annual decline (4.14%/y). At baseline, women with COPD had lower Dlco values (11.37% ± 2.27%; P < .001) in spite of a higher FEV1 % than men. Compared with men, women with COPD had a steeper Dlco annual decline of 0.89% ± 0.42%/y (P = .039).[Interpretation] Patients with COPD have an accelerated decline in Dlco compared with smokers without the disease. However, the decline is slow, and a testing interval of 3 to 4 years may be clinically informative. The lower and more rapid decline in Dlco values in women, compared with men, suggests a differential impact of sex in gas exchange function.[Trial Registry] ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01122758; URL: www.clinicaltrials.govThis study was funded in part by an unrestricted grant from AstraZeneca, and also by the COPD Research Program of the Spanish Respiratory Society (PII de EPOC of SEPAR).Peer reviewe