Hyphessobrycon ocasoensis sp. n. (Teleostei, Characidae) una nueva especie para el Alto Cauca, Colombia

Hyphessobrycon ocasoensis n. sp. (Teleostei, Characidae) a new species from the Alto Cauca, Colombia Hyphessobrycon ocasoensis n. sp. (Characiformes, Characidae) from heterorhabdus group (Gery, 1977) is described from the upper Cauca River in Colombia. The new species is distinguished from all other known species by the following combination of characters: three unbranched and eight branched fins in the dorsal fin; short maxillary bone with one or no teeth; four small foramens in the maxillary bone, and five in the premaxillary; 5-17 scales with pores in the lateral line, six between the lateral line and anal-fin origin, six between the lateral line and pelvic-fin origin, and nine predorsals; depth of the caudal peduncle has a mean of 16.7% in standard length; interorbital width 50.6% in head; a dark spot on caudal peduncle and a dark lateral band that extends vertically from the dorsal–fin origin to the tips of the middle caudal fin rays. Physical and chemical data of their habitat are included

Persistent Vascular Collagen Accumulation Alters Hemodynamic Recovery from Chronic Hypoxia

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is caused by narrowing and stiffening of the pulmonary arteries that increase pulmonary vascular impedance (PVZ). In particular, small arteries narrow and large arteries stiffen. Large pulmonary artery (PA) stiffness is the best current predictor of mortality from PAH. We have previously shown that collagen accumulation leads to extralobar PA stiffening at high strain (Ooi et al. 2010). We hypothesized that collagen accumulation would increase PVZ, including total pulmonary vascular resistance (Z0), characteristic impedance (ZC), pulse wave velocity (PWV) and index of global wave reflections (Pb/Pf), which contribute to increased right ventricular afterload. We tested this hypothesis by exposing mice unable to degrade type I collagen (Col1a1R/R) to 21 days of hypoxia (hypoxia), some of which were allowed to recover for 42 days (recovery). Littermate wild-type mice (Col1a1+/+) were used as controls. In response to hypoxia, mean PA pressure (mPAP) increased in both mouse genotypes with no changes in cardiac output (CO) or PA inner diameter (ID); as a consequence, Z0 (mPAP/CO) increased by ∼100% in both genotypes (pZC, PWV and Pb/Pf did not change. However, with recovery, ZC and PWV decreased in the Col1a1+/+ mice and remained unchanged in the Col1a1R/R mice. Z0 decreased with recovery in both genotypes. Microcomputed tomography measurements of large PAs did not show evidence of stiffness changes as a function of hypoxia exposure or genotype. We conclude that hypoxia-induced PA collagen accumulation does not affect the pulsatile components of pulmonary hemodynamics but that excessive collagen accumulation does prevent normal hemodynamic recovery, which may have important consequences for right ventricular function

Bryconamericus macarenae n. sp. (Characiformes, Characidae) from the Güejar River, Macarena mountain range, Colombia

Bryconamericus macarenae sp. n. (Characiformes, Characidae) del río Güejar, sierra de La Macarana, Colombia Basándonos en 174 especímenes y utilizando características morfométricas, merísticas y osteológicas describimos una nueva especie: Bryconamericus macarenae, del río Güejar en la cordillera de La Macarena, cuenca del Orinoco, Colombia. Difiere de sus congéneres por tener: la línea lateral incompleta (comparado con línea lateral completa en todos excepto B. delta) y un número menor de perforaciones, y menos conspicuas, en el canal laterosensorial del hueso extraescapular (comparado con una perforación del canal laterosensorial conspicua). Posee cuatro o menos radios no ramificados en las aletas anales (comparado con cinco o más radios no ramificados de las aletas anales), un hueso extraescapular corto y engrosado sin proyecciones desde su margen posterior, o únicamente con una pequeña apófisis (comparado con proyecciones óseas extraescapulares irregulares y largas en sus márgenes, y una gran apófisis ondulada en su margen posterior). También difiere en su coloración en vivo. Se incluye una clave dicotómica de clasificación de las especies de Bryconamericus, pobladoras de la cuenca del Orinoco y del río Catatumbo. Palabras clave: Bryconamericus macarenae sp. n., Tropical, Río, Agua dulce, Osteología, Dientes.Basándonos en 174 especímenes y utilizando características morfométricas, merísticas y osteológicas describimos una nueva especie: Bryconamericus macarenae, del río Güejar en la cordillera de La Macarena, cuenca del Orinoco, Colombia. Difiere de sus congéneres por tener: la línea lateral incompleta (comparado con línea lateral completa en todos excepto B. delta) y un número menor de perforaciones, y menos conspicuas, en el canal laterosensorial del hueso extraescapular (comparado con una perforación del canal laterosensorial conspicua). Posee cuatro o menos radios no ramificados en las aletas anales (comparado con cinco o más radios no ramificados de las aletas anales), un hueso extraescapular corto y engrosado sin proyecciones desde su margen posterior, o únicamente con una pequeña apófisis (comparado con proyecciones óseas extraescapulares irregulares y largas en sus márgenes, y una gran apófisis ondulada en su margen posterior). También difiere en su coloración en vivo. Se incluye una clave dicotómica de clasificación de las especies de Bryconamericus, pobladoras de la cuenca del Orinoco y del río Catatumbo. Palabras clave: Bryconamericus macarenae sp. n., Tropical, Río, Agua dulce, Osteología, Dientes.Based on 174 specimens, using morphometric, meristic and osteological characters, we describe a new species: Bryconamericus macarenae from the Güejar River in La Macarena mountain range, Orinoco Basin, Colombia. It differs from congeners in having: an incomplete lateral line (vs. complete lateral line in all except B. delta) and fewer and less conspicuous perforations in the latero–sensorial canal of the extrascapular bone (vs. conspicuous latero–sensorial canal perforation). It has four or fewer unbranched anal-fin rays (vs. five or more unbranched anal–fin rays), a short, thickened extrascapular bone without projections from the posterior margin, or with only a reduced apophysis (vs. extrascapular long, irregular, bony projections on its margins, and with a large undulated apophysis on its posterior margin). It also differs in live coloration. A key of species of Bryconamericus known from the Orinoco Basin and the Catatumbo River is included. Key words: Bryconamericus macarenae n. sp., Tropical, River, Freshwater, Osteology, Teeth

A new endemic species of Bryconamericus (Characiformes, Characidae) from the Middle Cauca River Basin, Colombia

Una nueva especie endémica de Bryconamericus (Characiformes, Characidae) de la cuenca media del río Cauca, en Colombia Se describe una nueva especie, Bryconamericus caldasi, en la cuenca media del río Cauca en los Andes de Colombia. La nueva especie se distingue de todos sus congéneres por el número de escamas predorsales (15–17 vs. 9–14) y también por poseer el diente maxilar anterior ancho, al menos dos veces más ancho que el diente posterior; ambos son pentacúspides (vs. dientes del maxilar de igual tamaño) y por una banda lateral oscura que se solapa con la mancha peduncular y con un dibujo reticulado a ambos lados del cuerpo (vs. mancha peduncular y otros pigmentos no solapados sobre la banda lateral oscura). Se observaron diferencias que distinguen a la nueva especie de B. caucanus, el único congénere simpátrico: el número de escamas predorsales (15–17 vs.12–13), el perfil dorsal convexo (vs. oblicuo), el tamaño de la escama y el número de filas de escamas en la base de la aleta caudal (escamas pequeñas y ordenadas en dos o más filas vs. escamas largas y ordenadas en una sola fila), las aletas pectorales que no llegan a la inserción de las aletas pélvicas o llegan muy justo (vs. aletas pectorales que llegan a las inserciones de las aletas pélvicas) y la posición del origen de la aleta dorsal (en la vertical del extremo posterior de las aletas pélvicas vs. en la vertical del extremo anterior de las aletas pélvicas.Bryconamericus caldasi, a new species, is described from the Middle Cauca River drainage, Andean versant of Colombia. The new species is distinguished from all congeners by: the number of predorsal scales (15–17 vs. 9–14); a wide anterior maxilla tooth, at least twice as wide as the posterior tooth, both of which are pentacuspid (vs. maxilla teeth of same size); a dark lateral stripe overlaid by a peduncular spot; and a reticulated pattern on the sides of body (vs. peduncular spot and other body pigments not superimposed over a dark lateral stripe). We found several differences that distinguish the new species from B. caucanus, the only sympatric congener: number of predorsal median scales (15–17 vs. 12–13); convex predorsal profile (vs. oblique); scale size and number of scale rows at caudal–fin base (small scales arranged in two or more rows vs. large scales in just one row); pectoral fins not or just reaching pelvic fin insertions (vs. pectoral fins reaching posterior to pelvic–fin insertions); and dorsal–fin origin position (at vertical through posterior tip of pelvic–fin vs. at a vertical anterior to pelvic–fin tip).Una nueva especie endémica de Bryconamericus (Characiformes, Characidae) de la cuenca media del río Cauca, en Colombia Se describe una nueva especie, Bryconamericus caldasi, en la cuenca media del río Cauca en los Andes de Colombia. La nueva especie se distingue de todos sus congéneres por el número de escamas predorsales (15–17 vs. 9–14) y también por poseer el diente maxilar anterior ancho, al menos dos veces más ancho que el diente posterior; ambos son pentacúspides (vs. dientes del maxilar de igual tamaño) y por una banda lateral oscura que se solapa con la mancha peduncular y con un dibujo reticulado a ambos lados del cuerpo (vs. mancha peduncular y otros pigmentos no solapados sobre la banda lateral oscura). Se observaron diferencias que distinguen a la nueva especie de B. caucanus, el único congénere simpátrico: el número de escamas predorsales (15–17 vs.12–13), el perfil dorsal convexo (vs. oblicuo), el tamaño de la escama y el número de filas de escamas en la base de la aleta caudal (escamas pequeñas y ordenadas en dos o más filas vs. escamas largas y ordenadas en una sola fila), las aletas pectorales que no llegan a la inserción de las aletas pélvicas o llegan muy justo (vs. aletas pectorales que llegan a las inserciones de las aletas pélvicas) y la posición del origen de la aleta dorsal (en la vertical del extremo posterior de las aletas pélvicas vs. en la vertical del extremo anterior de las aletas pélvicas

Kernel Spectral Clustering and applications

In this chapter we review the main literature related to kernel spectral clustering (KSC), an approach to clustering cast within a kernel-based optimization setting. KSC represents a least-squares support vector machine based formulation of spectral clustering described by a weighted kernel PCA objective. Just as in the classifier case, the binary clustering model is expressed by a hyperplane in a high dimensional space induced by a kernel. In addition, the multi-way clustering can be obtained by combining a set of binary decision functions via an Error Correcting Output Codes (ECOC) encoding scheme. Because of its model-based nature, the KSC method encompasses three main steps: training, validation, testing. In the validation stage model selection is performed to obtain tuning parameters, like the number of clusters present in the data. This is a major advantage compared to classical spectral clustering where the determination of the clustering parameters is unclear and relies on heuristics. Once a KSC model is trained on a small subset of the entire data, it is able to generalize well to unseen test points. Beyond the basic formulation, sparse KSC algorithms based on the Incomplete Cholesky Decomposition (ICD) and $L_0$, $L_1, L_0 + L_1$, Group Lasso regularization are reviewed. In that respect, we show how it is possible to handle large scale data. Also, two possible ways to perform hierarchical clustering and a soft clustering method are presented. Finally, real-world applications such as image segmentation, power load time-series clustering, document clustering and big data learning are considered.Comment: chapter contribution to the book "Unsupervised Learning Algorithms

Performance of Anoxic-Oxic Sequencing Batch Reactor for Nitrification and Aerobic Denitrification

The biological nitrogen removal (BNR) involves two processes: nitrification and denitrification. Denitrification occurs almost exclusively under facultative anaerobic or microaerophilic conditions; however, aerobic denitrification can occur in aerated reactors. In this chapter, the feasibility of achieving nitrogen removal using a lab-scale biological sequencing batch reactor (SBR) exposed to anoxic/oxic (AN/OX) phases is described in order to attain aerobic denitrification. The SBR was fed with acetate and ammonium sulfate. Nitrite generation was controlled in order to avoid the N2O production by nitrifier denitrification. Experiments under four different operating conditions were carried out: low and high aeration, each one with low and high organic loads. For all the tested conditions, a complete COD removal was achieved. The highest inorganic N removal close to 80% was obtained at pH = 7.5, high organic load (880 mg COD/(L day)) and high aeration given by 12 h cycle, AN/OX ratio = 0.5:1.0, and dissolved oxygen concentration higher than 4.0 mg O2/L. Nitrification followed by high-rate aerobic denitrification took place during the aerobic phase. Denitrification took place mainly from the intracellular reserves of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) during the aerobic phase. The proposed AN/OX system constitutes a simple and potentially eco-friendly process for biological nitrogen removal, providing N2 as the end product and decreasing the formation of N2O, a powerful greenhouse gas

Testing common knowledge: are Northern Europeans and millennials more concerned about the environment?

This study explores whether there are differences in several environmental dimensions, when the European Region and Generation cohort are considered. In doing so, this study compares millennials in North and South Europe with members of Generation X in three environmental dimensions: attitudes, personal norms, and behavior. Using data from the European Social Survey (n = 6.216), the researchers tested the hypothesis that Northern Europeans and millennials have more pro-environmental standing than southerners and Generation Xers. The findings challenge the common belief that millennials are more committed to being environmentally conscious, showing that many millennials do not feel responsible for their climate footprint, nor do they behave in a way that shows more concern than previous generations to improve their environmental performance. Furthermore, contrary to expectations, Northern European participants are not the most committed, in all environmental dimensions, compared to Southern Europeans.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio