WHO CAN FISH WHAT AND WHERE: CHILE'S TRADEOFFS IN HIGH SEAS FISHING OF STRADDLING STOCKS

Chile has not yet ratified the U.N. 1995 Agreement on straddling/ highly migratory fish stocks. This paper discusses key economic issues at stake from the viewpoint of a coastal state with important stakes in a straddling stock. The Chilean jack mackerel stock, one of Chile's most important fish resources, is in this category. This stock is currently caught on adjacent high-seas only by a Chilean-flag fleet, and currently there is no evidence of imminent competition from distant water fishing nations (DWFNs). We argue that ratification of the Agreement could imply negative effects on: (i) coastal states' sovereignty upon management measures within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and (ii) national fishing companies' competitiveness. Despite this, the net cost/benefit balance depends on how binding the threat of DWFNs' fishing competition is expected to be. If the Agreement does go into force, coastal states with important stakes in straddling fish stocks will feel increased pressure to ratify as well. For the case of states that become parties to the Agreement, we discuss pending obstacles for achieving effective fishery management in the adjacent high-seas. We speculate about possible solutions to the 'New Member' and 'Interloper' problems. Regarding the former, enforceable closed access would seem to be legally feasible under the Agreement. In terms of effective enforcement against fishing by illegal interlopers, innovation in enforcement tools would be needed. In some cases, the latter may require further adjustments to the Law of the Sea Convention.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

A Flexible mmWave Layer 2 Protocol Implementation for Integrated Access and Backhaul Architecture

. This work was supported in part by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 under Project PID2020-113979RB-C21; and in part by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation and the European Union-NextGenerationEU under Project TSI-063000-2021-83 (DISRADIO). The work of Randy Verdecia-Peña was supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation under Contract PRE2018-085032. Publisher Copyright: © 2013 IEEEIn this paper, we present a 3GPP-inspired hardware implementation for the out-of-band Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) network, which serves as a solution to both coverage extension and capacity boosting in 5G and beyond networks. By employing an Ettus x310 software-defined radio (SDR) board, Pasternack's 60 GHz Transmitter (Tx) waveguide module, and MatlabTM software, we design and develop an easy-to-use out-of-band mmWave Layer 2 protocol. The proposed protocol decodes a frequency range 1 (FR1) 5G signal as input at 3.5 GHz, which is retransmitted to the UE as a frequency range 2 (FR2) 5G signal at 60 GHz. In the implementation of the Layer 2 protocol, the least squares (LS) estimator is adopted by considering the demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) and the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) as pilot symbols in real-world environments. To alleviate the performance degradation in the mmWave access link, a phase noise cancellation (PNC) algorithm based on the phase tracking reference signal (PT-RS) is implemented at the UE node where a PT-RS block structure is introduced in the mmWave Layer 2 protocol transmitter stage. We review and evaluate the key performance indicators (KPIs) of the proposed Layer 2 protocol in real non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environments and a comparison between the gNode-to-UE link is carried out. Our results indicate that the performance of the proposed Layer 2 protocol is similar to the obtained with the off-the-shelf equipment demonstrating the right functionality of the developed algorithms. Experimental results evidence the superiority of the proposed Layer 2 protocol over the gNodeB-to-UE link (direct link communication) and the best performance is obtained when the PNC algorithm is considered in the IAB architecture.publishersversionpublishe

Wind Speed Affects Pollination Success in Blackberries

Pollination of wild plants and agricultural crops is a vitally important ecosystem service. Many landscape and environmental factors influence the pollination success of crops, including distance from natural habitat, wind speed, and solar radiation. Although there is a general consensus that increasing distance from forest decreases pollination success, few studies have examined the influence of specific environmental factors. In this study, we examined which environmental factors influence the pollination success of blackberries (Rubus glaucus). We measured the number of fruitlets per berry, a proxy for pollination success, as well as the weight and sweetness of each berry. Our results indicate that number of fruitlets is positively correlated with wind speed, but number of unripe red berries per bush is negatively correlated with wind speed. In addition, sweetness increased with increasing numbers of red berries per bush but was lower when flowers and berries were present, though this result should be considered with caution due to methodological limitations. Our findings suggest that a little studied environmental factor, wind, has a large impact on the number of fruitlets in blackberries. Although our findings should be confirmed in other locations to draw broader conclusions, they suggest that producers should consider the effect of wind on blackberry yield to optimize blackberry production

Catalyzing personal and social change around gender, sexuality, and HIV: Impact evaluation of Puntos de Encuentro´s communication strategy in Nicaragua

Somos Diferentes, Somos Iguales (SDSI) is a communication for social change strategy whose objective is to prevent future HIV infections in Nicaragua, through mass communication actions that include educational entertainment programs, strengthening of local capacity, and the development of alliances within the communities. This report presents the results of an interinstitutional evaluation to explore the impact of SDSI on gender equity, stigma reduction, personalization of risk perception, knowledge and use of services, interpersonal communication, HIV prevention practices, and individual and collective effectiveness for HIV prevention. The impact evaluation showed that the SDSI strategy made a great contribution in key aspects of HIV prevention. In addition to individual changes in behavior directly associated with greater exposure to SDSI and changes at the social level identified in qualitative studies, the results validate the conceptual framework, of both the intervention and the evaluation

Numerical Solution of an Axisymmetric Eddy Current Model with Current and Voltage Excitations

This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10915-022-01780-4The aim of this paper is to study the numerical approximation of an axisymmetric time-harmonic eddy current problem involving an in-plane current. The analysis of the problem restricts to the conductor. The source of the problem is given in terms of boundary data currents and/or voltage drops defined in the so-called electric ports, which are parts of the boundary connected to exterior sources. This leads to an elliptic problem written in terms of the magnetic field with nonlocal boundary conditions. First, we prove the existence and uniqueness of the solution for a weak formulation written in terms of Sobolev spaces with appropriate weights. We show that the magnetic field is not the most appropriate variable to impose the boundary conditions when Lagrangian finite elements are used to discretize the problem. We propose an alternative weak formulation of the problem which allows us to avoid this drawback. We compute the numerical solution of the problem by using Lagrangian finite elements ad hoc modified on the vicinity of the symmetry axis. We provide a convergence result under rather general conditions. Moreover, we prove quasi-optimal order error estimates under additional regularity assumptions. Finally, we report numerical results which allow us to confirm the theoretical estimates and to assess the performance of the proposed method in a physical application which is the motivation of this paper: the computation of the current density distribution in a steel cylindrical bar submitted to electric-upsetting.R. Rodríguez was partially supported by CONICYT-Chile through project AFB170001. P. Venegas was partially supported by FONDECYT-Chile project 1211030 and by Centro de Modelamiento Matemático (CMM), FB210005, BASAL funds for centers of excellence from ANID-Chile. B. López-Rodríguez was partially supported by Universidad Nacional de Colombia through Hermes project 52759.S

Trends and factors related to adolescent pregnancies: an incidence trend and conditional inference trees analysis of northern Nicaragua demographic surveillance data

Background We aimed to identify the 2001-2013 incidence trend, and characteristics associated with adolescent pregnancies reported by 20-24-year-old women. Methods A retrospective analysis of the Cuatro Santos Northern Nicaragua Health and Demographic Surveillance 2004-2014 data on women aged 15-19 and 20-24. To calculate adolescent birth and pregnancy rates, we used the first live birth at ages 10-14 and 15-19 years reported by women aged 15-19 and 20-24 years, respectively, along with estimates of annual incidence rates reported by women aged 20-24 years. We conducted conditional inference tree analyses using 52 variables to identify characteristics associated with adolescent pregnancies. Results The number of first live births reported by women aged 20-24 years was 361 during the study period. Adolescent pregnancies and live births decreased from 2004 to 2009 and thereafter increased up to 2014. The adolescent pregnancy incidence (persons-years) trend dropped from 2001 (75.1 per 1000) to 2007 (27.2 per 1000), followed by a steep upward trend from 2007 to 2008 (19.1 per 1000) that increased in 2013 (26.5 per 1000). Associated factors with adolescent pregnancy were living in low-education households, where most adults in the household were working, and high proportion of adolescent pregnancies in the local community. Wealth was not linked to teenage pregnancies. Conclusions Interventions to prevent adolescent pregnancy are imperative and must bear into account the context that influences the culture of early motherhood and lead to socioeconomic and health gains in resource-poor settings

Caracterización epidemiológica, clínica, endoscópica e histológica del cáncer gástrico

Gastric cancer is a health problem worldwide. In order to characterize the disease, a descriptive prospective study was conducted at the Arnaldo Milian Castro and the Celestino Hernández Robau University Hospitals during 2009. It measured socio-demographic, clinical, endoscopic and histological variables. The most common risk factors in patients with gastric cancer were the male sex (64.3%), an age between 51 and 60 years (35.7%), insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables (81.0%), blood group A (45.2%) and chronic gastritis (26.2%). The main symptom was epigastric pain (64.3%) and the predominant signs were hematemesis and melena, both in 16.7% of cases. The main endoscopic findings were the ulcerated type of gastric cancer and a location at the level of the body (56.1% and 29.3% respectively). The diffuse-type adenocarcinoma was the predominant histologic type (56.4%), and the early diagnosis of gastric cancer is the key to a successful  treatment.El cáncer gástrico constituye un problema de salud a nivel mundial; con el objetivo de caracterizar la enfermedad se realizó un estudio descriptivo prospectivo en los Hospitales Provinciales Universitarios “Arnaldo Milián Castro” y “Celestino Hernández Robau” durante el año 2009 que midió variables sociodemográficas, clínicas, endoscópicas e histológicas. El sexo masculino (64.3%), la edad entre 51 y 60 años (35.7%), el consumo insuficiente de frutas y vegetales (81.0%), el grupo sanguíneo A (45.2%) y la gastritis crónica (26.2%) fueron los factores de riesgo mayormente encontrados en los pacientes con cáncer gástrico; el principal síntoma fue la epigastralgia (64.3%) y los signos que predominaron fueron la melena y la hematemesis, ambos en 16.7%; el cáncer gástrico de tipo ulcerado y la localización a nivel del cuerpo fueron los principales hallazgos endoscópicos (56.1% y 29.3% respectivamente); el adenocarcinoma de tipo difuso fue el tipo histológico que predominó (56.4%) y el diagnóstico precoz del cáncer gástrico constituye el éxito del tratamiento

Implantable SDF-1α-loaded silk fibroin hyaluronic acid aerogel sponges as an instructive component of the glioblastoma ecosystem: between chemoattraction and tumor shaping into resection cavities

In view of inevitable recurrences despite resection, glioblastoma (GB) is still an unmet clinical need. Dealing with the stromal-cell derived factor 1-alpha (SDF-1α)/CXCR4 axis as a hallmark of infiltrative GB tumors and with the resection cavity situation, the present study described the effects and relevance of a new engineered micro-nanostructured SF-HA-Hep aerogel sponges, made of silk fibroin (SF), hyaluronic acid (HA) and heparin (Hep) and loaded with SDF-1α, to interfere with the GB ecosystem and residual GB cells, attracting and confining them in a controlled area before elimination. 70 µm-pore sponges were designed as an implantable scaffold to trap GB cells. They presented shape memory and fit brain cavities. Histological results after implantation in brain immunocompetent Fischer rats revealed that SF-HA-Hep sponges are well tolerated for more than 3 months while moderately and reversibly colonized by immuno-inflammatory cells. The use of human U87MG GB cells overexpressing the CXCR4 receptor (U87MG-CXCR4+) and responding to SDF-1α allowed demonstrating directional GB cell attraction and colonization of the device in vitro and in vivo in orthotopic resection cavities in Nude rats. Not modifying global survival, aerogel sponge implantation strongly shaped U87MG-CXCR4+ tumors in cavities in contrast to random infiltrative growth in controls. Overall, those results support the interest of SF-HAHep sponges as modifiers of the GB ecosystem dynamics acting as “cell meeting rooms” and biocompatible niches whose properties deserve to be considered toward the development of new clinical procedures

Improvements to water purification and sanitation infrastructure may reduce the diarrheal burden in a marginalized and flood prone population in remote Nicaragua

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The isolated northern region of Nicaragua has one of the highest rates of diarrheal disease in Central America. Political and environmental hardships faced by inhabitants of this region are contributing factors to this health inequity. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between water and latrine infrastructure and the prevalence of diarrhea in this region.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A population-based, cross-sectional survey of women of reproductive age was conducted in the Sahsa region of northern Nicaragua in July, 2009. Households were selected by two stage cluster sampling methodology. A questionnaire was administered in Spanish and Miskito with assessment of household and socioeconomic conditions, sanitation practices, and health care access. Diarrhea prevalence differences at the household level over a two week reporting period were estimated with a standardized instrument which included assessment of water treatment and latrine use and maintenance.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were 189 women enrolled in the current study. The use of water purification methods, such as chlorine and filters, and latrine ownership were not associated with reduced prevalence of household diarrhea in the two week reporting period. Latrine overflow, however, was associated with an increased prevalence of diarrhea during the same two week period [adjusted prevalence difference and 95% CI: 0.19 (0.03, 0.36)].</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Simple, low cost interventions that improve water and latrine infrastructure may reduce the prevalence of diarrheal disease in the isolated regions of Nicaragua and Central America.</p