The Development of the Puerto Rico Lightning Detection Network for Meteorological Research

A land-based Puerto Rico Lightning Detection Network (PR-LDN) dedicated to the academic research of meteorological phenomena has being developed. Five Boltek StormTracker PCI-Receivers with LTS-2 Timestamp Cards with GPS and lightning detectors were integrated to Pentium III PC-workstations running the CentOS linux operating system. The Boltek detector linux driver was compiled under CentOS, modified, and thoroughly tested. These PC-workstations with integrated lightning detectors were installed at five of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) campuses distributed around the island of PR. The PC-workstations are left on permanently in order to monitor lightning activity at all times. Each is networked to their campus network-backbone permitting quasi-instantaneous data transfer to a central server at the UPR-Bayam n campus. Information generated by each lightning detector is managed by a C-program developed by us called the LDN-client. The LDN-client maintains an open connection to the central server operating the LDN-server program where data is sent real-time for analysis and archival. The LDN-client also manages the storing of data on the PC-workstation hard disk. The LDN-server software (also an in-house effort) analyses the data from each client and performs event triangulations. Time-of-arrival (TOA) and related hybrid algorithms, lightning-type and event discriminating routines are also implemented in the LDN-server software. We also have developed software to visually monitor lightning events in real-time from all clients and the triangulated events. We are currently monitoring and studying the spatial, temporal, and type distribution of lightning strikes associated with electrical storms and tropical cyclones in the vicinity of Puerto Rico

Design strategies to improve the image of hoteles: hotel case Brisas Trinidad del Mar (Cuba)

Esta investigación se enfoca a evaluar la imagen de hoteles en el proceso de dirección estraté‐ gica, saldando los vacíos teóricos y metodológicos relacionados con la gestión de este recurso intangible. La misma aporta un modelo conceptual que explica cómo la imagen de un hotel está determinada por factores subjetivos y objetivos. Otro resultado de esta investigación es el procedimiento que se propone, donde los instrumentos de medida que lo componen se aplican a 1395 encuestados y se somete al criterio de expertos para comprobar científicamente que con la evaluación de la imagen en la dirección estratégica de hoteles en Cuba es posible lograr su imagen deseada. En este estudio se expone además, de forma íntegra, la aplicación del procedimiento propuesto en el hotel: Brisas Trinidad del Mar.This research focuses on evaluating the image of hotels within the strategic management process, resolving the theoretical and methodological gaps relating to the treatment of this intangible resource. It provides a conceptual model that explains how the image of a hotel is determined by subjective and objective factors. It also proposes a procedure already experimented with in Cuba where the evaluatory measures were submitted to a total cohort of 1,395 respondents and subjected to expert analysis to verify scientifically that it is possible to achieve the desired image projection through strategic control within the hotel manage‐ ment process in Cuba.. The case used as an example was the Hotel Brisas Trinidad del Mar

Mejora de la imagen de hoteles desde la planeación estratégica

Se evaluó la imagen de hoteles en el proceso de planeación estratégica en Cuba, saldando los vacíos teóricos y metodológicos en la gestión de este recurso intangible. Para lograr este propósito se emplearon métodos de investigación teóricos y empíricos. El estudio aportó un modelo conceptual que explica cómo la imagen de un hotel está determinada por factores subjetivos y objetivos; elementos que se abordan desde la planeación estratégica. Otro resultado es el procedimiento propuesto, el cual indica que para lograr la imagen deseada se deben cambiar los paradigmas de análisis interno y externo del hotel, donde se incluyan las perspectivas de los clientes y empleados, en la determinación del rumbo estratégico, lo que permite trazar estrategias de imagen coherentes. Mediante la aplicación del procedimiento en ocho casos de estudio y considerando el criterio de expertos se pudo comprobar científicamente que con la evaluación de la imagen en la planeación estratégica de hoteles en Cuba es posible influir de manera positiva en el logro de la imagen deseada

Long-lasting memory deficits in mice withdrawn from cocaine are concomitant with neuroadaptations in hippocampal basal activity, GABAergic interneurons and adult neurogenesis

Cocaine addiction disorder is notably aggravated by concomitant cognitive and emotional pathology that impedes recovery. We studied whether a persistent cognitive/emotional dysregulation in mice withdrawn from cocaine holds a neurobiological correlate within the hippocampus, a limbic region with a key role in anxiety and memory but that has been scarcely investigated in cocaine addiction research. Mice were submitted to a chronic cocaine (20 mg/kg/day for 12 days) or vehicle treatment followed by 44 drug-free days. Some mice were then assessed on a battery of emotional (elevated plus-maze, light/dark box, open field, forced swimming) and cognitive (object and place recognition memory, cocaine-induced conditioned place preference, continuous spontaneous alternation) behavioral tests, while other mice remained in their home cage. Relevant hippocampal features [basal c-Fos activity, GABA+, parvalbumin (PV)+ and neuropeptide Y (NPY)+ interneurons and adult neurogenesis (cell proliferation and immature neurons)] were immunohistochemically assessed 73 days after the chronic cocaine or vehicle protocol. The cocaine-withdrawn mice showed no remarkable exploratory or emotional alterations but were consistently impaired in all the cognitive tasks. All the cocaine-withdrawn groups, independent of whether they were submitted to behavioral assessment or not, showed enhanced basal c-Fos expression and an increased number of GABA+ cells in the dentate gyrus. Moreover, the cocaine-withdrawn mice previously submitted to behavioral training displayed a blunted experience-dependent regulation of PV+ and NPY+ neurons in the dentate gyrus, and neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Results highlight the importance of hippocampal neuroplasticity for the ingrained cognitive deficits present during chronic cocaine withdrawal

Los microplásticos en el entorno acuático: Un vistazo a la cinética, mecanismo de degradación, impacto ambiental y en la salud humana: Microplastics in the aquatic environment: An overview of kinetics, degradation mechanism, environmental and human health impact

Desde su origen en la década de los años 50’s, los plásticos se han convertido en un material omnipresente en la vida diaria de nuestras sociedades. A pesar de su amplia gama de usos, la lenta degradación de estos materiales en el ambiente ha ocasionado un problema de contaminación emergente de consecuencias aún desconocidas. El objetivo de esta revisión es el de evaluar el impacto que ha tenido la introducción de los microplásticos en nuestros ecosistemas. Reportes recientes indican que la presencia de microplásticos se ha extendido hasta ambientes prístinos como los polos del planeta. La degradación de los materiales plásticos, en partículas de menor tamaño llamados microplásticos cuando su diámetro es menor a 5 mm y su ingesta por organismos diversos plantea la pregunta de cuál es el efecto a largo plazo en la salud de los ecosistemas. Efectos adversos en el metabolismo de microorganismos, peces y en el ser humano han sido ampliamente documentados. Igualmente, se ha reportado la capacidad de estas partículas de movilizar contaminantes ambientales como metales pesados, hidrocarburos, e incluso virus. Entre estos efectos adversos se incluyen alteraciones metabólicas, formación de especies reactivas de oxígeno y modificación de procesos inflamatorios. Podemos concluir que la presencia de las partículas de microplásticos están presentes en diversos nichos de los ecosistemas terrestres y que su degradación introduce compuestos químicos potencialmente disruptivos en ellos. Por lo que entender el origen, transformación, rol en el transporte y liberación de contaminantes en el ambiente nos permitirá diseñar estrategias para minimizarlos.Since their origin in the 1950s, plastics have become a ubiquitous material in the daily life of our societies. Despite their wide range of uses, the slow degradation of these materials in the environment has led to an emerging pollution problem with unknown consequences. The objective of this review is to assess the impact of the introduction of microplastics into our ecosystems. Recent reports indicate that microplastics have spread to pristine environments such as the planet's poles. The degradation of plastic materials into smaller particles called microplastics when their diameter is less than 5 mm and their ingestion by various organisms raises the question of is the long-term effect on ecosystem health. Adverse effects on the metabolism of microorganisms, fish, and humans have been widely documented. The ability of these particles to mobilize environmental pollutants such as heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and even viruses has also been reported. These adverse effects include metabolic alterations, formation of reactive oxygen species, and modification of inflammatory processes. We can conclude that microplastic particles are present in various niches of terrestrial ecosystems and that their degradation introduces potentially disruptive chemical compounds into them. Understanding the origin, transformation, and role in transporting and releasing pollutants into the environment will allow us to design strategies to minimize them

The Combination of Galanin (1–15) and Escitalopram in Rats Suggests a New Strategy for Alcohol Use Disorder Comorbidity with Depression

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is highly prevalent, and over 50% of AUD patients also suffer major depressive disorders. Selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can reduce rodent ethanol drinking but exert modest clinical efficacy in alcoholic individuals. Finding new pharmacological strategies that could modulate alcohol consumption and depression is necessary. We have analyzed the effect of Galanin (1–15) [GAL(1–15)] on escitalopram (ESC)-mediated effect in alcohol consumption using the alcohol self-administration test, the nuclei involved in the effect, and whether GAL(1–15) + ESC modulated the response in despair or anxiety tests in animals under chronic alcohol intake. GAL(1–15) + ESC combination substantially reduced alcohol intake in the alcohol self-administration test and, moreover, enhanced the reduction of reward capacity of ESC on different reinforcers such as sucrose or saccharine. GAL(1–15) + ESC coadministration significantly decreases the number of C-Fos-IR TH cell bodies in the VTA, and PCA analysis suggests that one functional network, including VTA, RMTg and DR, is involved in these effects. Significantly in rats with chronic alcohol consumption, GAL(1–15) reversed adverse ESC-mediated effects in the depression-related behavioural test and forced swimming test. The results open up the possibility of using GAL(1–15) in combination with the SSRI Escitalopram as a novel strategy in AUD comorbidity with depression

Neuroprotective effects of insulin-like growth factor II in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease

Progressive degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway is a core, currently irreversible pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD) that leads to a variety of motor and non-motor symptoms. Here, we aimed to study the potential neuroprotective effects of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) in a PD mouse model based on the chronic administration of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine and probenecid (MPTP/p), which induces loss of dopaminergic neurons in the Substantia Nigra pars compacta (SNc). Male C57BL6/J mice (N=36) received a 5-week treatment with MPTP/p (or vehicle) and were co-treated with chronic IGF-II (or saline) from either the beginning of the procedure (plus an additional week, days 1-44) or once the MPTP/p insult was already triggered (days 21-44). Baseline and post-treatment measurements for motor performance in the Rotarod and self-grooming in an Open Field were taken. Likewise, dopaminergic (TH, DAT) and neuroinflammatory-related (GFAP) markers in the SNc and the dorsal striatum were studied by immunohistochemistry. Our results revealed that both early and delayed IGF-II co-treatment were successful in preventing motor and behavioral impairment in the MPTP/p model. Moreover, chronic IGF-II protected against MPTP/p-induced loss of dopaminergic neurons in the SNc and promoted a significant recovery of dopaminergic activity in the terminals located in the dorsal striatum, further reducing reactive astrocytosis in these brain regions. Thus, we demonstrated the neuroprotective role of IGF-II in a mouse model of PD, highlighting its potential as a promising therapeutical target for treating this disease. Funding: UMA18-FEDERJA-004, PID2020-113806RB-I00. Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

XIPE: the X-ray Imaging Polarimetry Explorer

X-ray polarimetry, sometimes alone, and sometimes coupled to spectral and temporal variability measurements and to imaging, allows a wealth of physical phenomena in astrophysics to be studied. X-ray polarimetry investigates the acceleration process, for example, including those typical of magnetic reconnection in solar flares, but also emission in the strong magnetic fields of neutron stars and white dwarfs. It detects scattering in asymmetric structures such as accretion disks and columns, and in the so-called molecular torus and ionization cones. In addition, it allows fundamental physics in regimes of gravity and of magnetic field intensity not accessible to experiments on the Earth to be probed. Finally, models that describe fundamental interactions (e.g. quantum gravity and the extension of the Standard Model) can be tested. We describe in this paper the X-ray Imaging Polarimetry Explorer (XIPE), proposed in June 2012 to the first ESA call for a small mission with a launch in 2017 but not selected. XIPE is composed of two out of the three existing JET-X telescopes with two Gas Pixel Detectors (GPD) filled with a He-DME mixture at their focus and two additional GPDs filled with pressurized Ar-DME facing the sun. The Minimum Detectable Polarization is 14 % at 1 mCrab in 10E5 s (2-10 keV) and 0.6 % for an X10 class flare. The Half Energy Width, measured at PANTER X-ray test facility (MPE, Germany) with JET-X optics is 24 arcsec. XIPE takes advantage of a low-earth equatorial orbit with Malindi as down-link station and of a Mission Operation Center (MOC) at INPE (Brazil).Comment: 49 pages, 14 figures, 6 tables. Paper published in Experimental Astronomy http://link.springer.com/journal/1068