The credibility of the Venezuela crawling-band system

This paper studies the credibility of the Venezuela crawling-band exchange rate regime during the period July, 1996-February, 2002. We show that, introducing some modifications, the credibility analysis widely applied to target zone regimes can also be used in studying the credibility of crawling- band regimes. In analyzing the credibility of the Venezuela crawling band, first we use the so-called simple credibility tests developed by Svensson (1991). Additionally, we estimate the expected rate of realignment using the drift- adjustment method. Both the credibility tests and the drift-adjustment method give similar results, showing that the crawling-band system was highly credible during the period.crawling band exchange rate system, credibility, realignments

Susceptibility of pepper weevil (anthonomus eugenii cano) (coleoptera: curculionidae) to seven insecticides in rural areas of Baja California Sur, México

The susceptibility of the pepper weevil (Anthonomus eugenii), collected from Baja California Sur, Mexico, to seven insecticides was determined. Acontact, residual exposition method was used to obtain the lethal concentrations fifty (LC50) and the diagnostic concentration (LC95) of organophosphates (OF), carbamates (CA), pyrethroids (PIR), and organochlorine (OC) insecticides used to control pepper weevils from two agricultural areas (Los Planes and Todos Santos) in Southern Baja California Peninsula, as well as on a pepper weevil population not exposed to insecticides (PWIF) for two years. The highest LC50’s were obtained for methomyl (CA) and oxamyl (CA), followed by methamidophos (OF), endosulfan (OC), cyfluthrin (PIR) and azinphos-methyl (OF). The lowest LC50’s were observed for carbaryl (CA). The field population from Todos Santos showed lower susceptibility than the population from Los Planes to insecticides as methomyl, oxamyl, and carbaryl, while with methamidophos, azinphos-methyl, and cyfluthrin, the LC50 showed higher values. The PWIF population presented the lowest LC50 values of all three populations tested. However, in most cases, the difference was not significant in relation to the two field populations, thus the PWIF population needs to be kept free of insecticides for longer periods to establish a susceptibility baseline for Anthonomus eugenii

Obesity risk is associated with carbohydrate intake in women carrying the Gln27Glu beta2-adrenoceptor polymorphism.

Interindividual differences in the response to dietary intake are, in some cases, genotype dependent. Moreover, genotype-environment interactions may appear when the impact of lifestyle factors (e.g., diet) on a phenotype (e.g., BMI > 30 kg/m2) differs by genotype. A case-control study (obese subjects vs. normal weight controls) was conducted to assess a possible effect modification on obesity risk of the Gln27Glu polymorphism for the ß2-adrenoceptor gene depending on dietary intake. The sample included 159 subjects with BMI > 30 kg/m2 and 154 controls with BMI 49% energy (E)] had a higher obesity risk (OR = 2.56, P = 0.051). The product-term introduced in the logistic model to assess effect modification revealed a marginally significant interaction (P = 0.058) between both factors. Furthermore, a high intake of CHO (E > 49%) was associated with higher insulin levels among women carrying the Gln27Glu polymorphism (P < 0.01). This gene-nutrient interaction emphasizes the importance of examining the outcome of some obesity-related mutations depending on lifestyle (including diet) and may explain the heterogeneity of findings from previous studies

Variación del crecimiento en vivero entre procedencias de Pinus pseudostrobus Lindl.

Pinus pseudostrobus is a species with timber harvesting, distributed over a wide altitudinal gradient of 1,600-3,250 m, suggesting a genetic variance, which can be exploited by selecting trees that provide seeds in order to produce plants with high relative growth rates. Therefore, survival and early growth of Pinus pseudostrobus were evaluated under nursery conditions, based on the variation in offsprings of 38 outstanding trees (provenances) in natural stands from Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, Mexico. Seeds were sowing in February 2013 at a nursery located in Ixtlan de Juarez, near the collection site, to 2030 masl and a temperate climate. Survival from 54-166 days after planting (dap) was evaluated, five readings of plant height, basal stem diameter, four readings of number of brachyblasts were recorded, and the relative growth rate for plant height was estimated. Using analysis of variance and mean tests, significant differences among provenances were determined in all variables. In the evaluation, the plants in the nursery showed an exponential growth, an average of 0,8 to 1,5 mm in height/day of 54-166 dap and an average of 1-2 brachyblasts on primary and secondary branches per day in a range of 82-166 dap. From total provenances, four showed high growing rate.Pinus pseudotrobus es una especie con aprovechamiento maderable, distribuida en un amplio gradiente altitudinal, de 1.600 a 3.250 m, lo que sugiere una varianza genética que puede ser aprovechada mediante la selección de árboles que provean semillas que generen plantas con altas tasas de crecimiento relativo. Por lo anterior, se evaluó la sobrevivencia y crecimiento inicial de Pinus pseudostrobus en vivero, con base en la variación de progenies de 38 árboles sobresalientes (procedencias) en rodales naturales de la Sierra Norte de Oaxaca, México. La siembra se realizó en febrero de 2013 en un vivero localizado en Ixtlán de Juárez, cercano a la región de colecta, a 2030 msnm y un clima templado. Además de evaluar la sobrevivencia de 54 a 166 días después de la siembra (dds), se estimaron cinco lecturas de altura de planta, diámetro basal de tallo y cuatro lecturas de número de braquiblastos, y se calculó la tasa de crecimiento relativo para altura de planta. Mediante un análisis de varianza y comparación de medias se determinaron diferencias significativas entre procedencias, en todas las variables. En la evaluación se manifestó un crecimiento exponencial de plantas en vivero, con un promedio de 0,8 a 1,5 mm de altura/día de 54 a 166 dds y un promedio de 1 a 2 braquiblastos en ramillas primarias y secundarias por día en un intervalo de 82 a 166 dds. Del total de procedencias, cuatro de ellas mostraron una alta tasa de crecimiento

Highly-Efficient Holmium-Doped All-Fiber ~2.07-µm Laser Pumped by Ytterbium-doped Fiber Laser at ~1.13 µm

We report a 2.07-µm Holmium-doped all-fiber laser (HDFL) pumped by a 1.13-µm Ytterbium-doped fiber laser (YDFL). Home-made alumino-germano-silicate holmium-doped fiber (HDF) served here as active medium, optimized in terms of chemical composition and co-dopants’ concentrations. Laser action at 2.07 µm was assessed in simple Fabry–Perot cavity, formed by a couple of home-made fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), inscribed directly in the HDF; this allowed notable diminishing of intracavity loss of the 2.07-µm laser. HDF was in-core pumped by the 1.13-µm double-clad YDFL with power of ~12.5 W, in turn pumped in-clad by a laser diode (LD) operated at 0.97 µm with ~24.5-W output. Using optimal length (~5.0…5.5 m) of the HDF and employing FBG couplers with reflections of ~99% and ~33%, the HDFL provided ~5.0-W output at 2.07 µm. At these conditions, maximal absolute (slope) efficiencies at 2.07 µm of 39% (42%) and 20% (22%) were measured with respect to 1.13-µm (YDFL) and 0.97-µm (LD) pumps, respectively. Moreover, the record slope efficiency (48%) was obtained for the powers ratio of 2.07-µm output (HDFL) to launched 1.13-µm input (YDFL), which is only slightly less than theoretical quantum efficiency limit (53%) for this kind of pump schemes

The deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap: a review

Breast cancer is recognized worldwide as a major health problem among women due to its high incidence and high mortality and morbidity rates. Breast reconstruction is an approach of great value for those patients who underwent mastectomy, impacting their quality of life and psychological stress. The deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap was described as the preferred graft for breast reconstruction with an autologous flap by surgeons because it represented a decrease in complications for the time and obtained better results. DIEP flap reconstruction requires microsurgical skills as well as continuous monitoring of the patient to identify and resolve possible associated complications.

Guidelines for the definition of operational management units

The objective of fisheries management is the sustainable exploitation of the fish resources over the extent of their spatial distribution. Along with the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) objectives, the socio-economic viability of the fisheries exploiting the resource is also to be achieved. To reach these aims, managers need to define the management units they are going to work with. For the purpose of GEPETO project, we define a management unit (MU) as the set of fishing fleets exploiting a common pool of fish resources with strong spatial overlapping and sharing of habitats, which make them being typically fished together. In other words, a MU is the set of fishing fleets exploiting a common fish community over their spatial distribution. MUs have to be defined by the fish community, by the spatial range of distribution of the fish community, and by the set of fishing fleets sharing the exploitation of the fish communityL'objectif de gestion de la pêche est l'exploitation durable des ressources halieutiques sur l'étendue de leur répartition spatiale. Avec la nouvelle Politique Commune de la pêche (PCP) l' objectif de la viabilité socio-économique des pêcheries exploitant la ressource doit également être réalisé. Pour l'atteindre, les gestionnaires doivent définir des unités de gestion. Les partenaires du projet GEPETO, définissent une unité de gestion (MU) comme l'ensemble des flottes de pêche exploitant un pool commun de ressources halieutiques disponibles dans des habitats communs, ce qui les rend très imbriquées. En d'autres termes, un MU est l'ensemble des flottes de pêche exploitant une communauté de poissons ordinaires sur leur répartition spatiale. La MU peu être définie par la communauté de poissons, par la gamme spatiale de la distribution de la communauté de poissons, et par l'ensemble des flottes de pêche qui partagent l'exploitation de la communauté de poissons

Discovery of a nitrogen-enhanced mildly metal-poor binary system: Possible evidence for pollution from an extinct AGB star

We report the serendipitous discovery of a nitrogen-rich, mildly metal-poor ([Fe/H] = -1.08) giant star in a single-lined spectroscopic binary system found in the SDSS-IV Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE-2) survey, Data Release 14 (DR14). Previous work has assumed that two percent of halo giants with unusual elemental abundances have been evaporated from globular clusters, but other origins for their abundance signatures, including binary mass transfer, must also be explored. We present the results of an abundance reanalysis of the APOGEE-2 high-resolution near-infrared spectrum of 2M12451043+1217401 with the Brussels Automatic Stellar Parameter (BACCHUS) automated spectral analysis code. We manually re-derive the main element families, namely light elements (C, N), elements (O, Mg, Si), the iron-peak element (Fe), s-process element (Ce), and light odd-Z element (Al). Our analysis confirms the N-rich nature of 2M12451043+1217401, which has a [N/Fe] ratio of +0.69, and shows that the abundances of C and Al are slightly discrepant from those of a typical mildly metal-poor red giant branch star, but exhibit Mg, Si, O and s-process abundances (Ce) of typical field stars. We also detect a particularly large variability in the radial velocity of this star over the period of the APOGEE-2 observations; the most likely orbit fit to the radial velocity data has a period of 730.89 +/- 106.86 days, a velocity semi-amplitude of 9.92 +/- 0.14 km s(-1), and an eccentricity of similar to 0.1276 +/- 0.1174. These data support the hypothesis of a binary companion, which has probably been polluted by a now-extinct asymptotic giant branch star

Effect of a dietary intervention based on the mediterranean diet on the quality of life of patients recovered from depression: analysis of the PREDIDEP randomized trial

Introduction: There is substantial evidence supporting that improving diet quality leads to improved healthrelated quality of life (HRQoL). Our major aim was to assess the effectiveness of a Mediterranean diet–based nutritional intervention to improve HRQoL in the context of a secondary prevention trial of depression. Secondarily to assess its effectiveness among adults aged 60 or more years. Methods: The PREDIDEP study is a 2-year multicentre, randomized, single-blinded nutritional trial. At baseline and at 1-year and 2-year follow-up, SF-36 health survey questionnaire was collected to evaluate participants' HRQoL (total and specific range for each of the 8 dimensions: 0 to 100 points). Mixed effect linear models were used to assess changes in HRQoL according to adherence to the Mediterranean diet. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03081065. Results: After 2 years of intervention, the Mediterranean Diet intervention group compared to control group (without nutritional intervention, only usual clinical care) showed an improvement in some dimensions of HRQoL such as Mental Health (7.22; 95 % CI = 2.22–12.22) (between-group difference: 6.79; 95 % CI − 0.14–13.73, p = 0.055); Vitality (9.51; 95 % CI = 4.00–15.03) (between-group difference: 9.00; 95 % CI 1.75–16.25, p = 0.020); Mental Summary Component (2.83; 95 % CI = 0.55–5.11) (between-group difference: 1.17; 95 % CI = − 1.96–4.30, p = 0.462); and General Health (10.70; 95 % CI = 5.58–15.81) (between-group difference: 6.20; 95 % CI = − 0.89–13.28, p = 0.086). Similar results were observed for participants aged 60 or more years. Conclusion: The intervention based on Mediterranean diet in patients with previous depression seems to be effective in improving HRQoL, especially the mental dimensions. This effect is also observed among participants aged 60 or more years.This study was externally funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Carlos III National Health Institute-ISCIII), PI16/01274