Incorporating evolutionary and threat processes into crop wild relatives conservation.

Crop wild relatives (CWR) intra- and interspecific diversity is essential for crop breeding and food security. However, intraspecific genetic diversity, which is central given the idiosyncratic threats to species in landscapes, is usually not considered in planning frameworks. Here, we introduce an approach to develop proxies of genetic differentiation to identify conservation areas, applying systematic conservation planning tools that produce hierarchical prioritizations of the landscape. It accounts for: (i) evolutionary processes, including historical and environmental drivers of genetic diversity, and (ii) threat processes, considering taxa-specific tolerance to human-modified habitats, and their extinction risk status. Our analyses can be used as inputs for developing national action plans for the conservation and use of CWR. Our results also inform public policy to mitigate threat processes to CWR (like crops living modified organisms or agriculture subsidies), and could advise future research (e.g. for potential germplasm collecting). Although we focus on Mesoamerican CWR within Mexico, our methodology offers opportunities to effectively guide conservation and monitoring strategies to safeguard the evolutionary resilience of any taxa, including in regions of complex evolutionary histories and mosaic landscapes.

Modelling and experimental validation of Textile Pockets based active inflatable device.

This paper aims with the mathematical modelling of an active inflatable device. This device is composed of a compressor, an Electro-pneumatic Pressure Converter (EPC) and an Inflatable Textile fabric Pocket (ITP). The later has interesting mechanical properties and is fabricated using Jacquard knitting technique which allows automatic production of unlimited varieties of pattern weaving without any mould. Thanks to these features, these ITPs have provided a better alternative to the classical airbags made by stretchable polymer material. The proposed mathematical model is obtained by combining sub-models of two main parts of the whole system. In this way, a generalised and flexible model is obtained which can easily take into consideration the ITPs of different shapes. The pressure dynamics inside the ITP are considered by taking into account the air flow rate, variation of the volume of ITP and the length of pneumatic lines joining ITP with compressed air source. The parameters of the whole mathematical model are obtained via identification techniques. The effectiveness of the model is assessed through several experimental tests with the help of a servo hydraulic fatigue testing machine.

Perfil clínico y demográfico de pacientes atendidos en los servicios de urgencias, por intoxicación aguda con sustancias psicoactivas. Bogotá D.C, julio 2010junio 2011 / Clinical and demographic profile of patients nursed in urgency services due to acute intoxication with psychoactive substances in Bogotá

Antecedentes. El uso de sustancias psicoactivas es un problema de salud pública en el mundo, afectan al individuo y a la sociedad. Se estima que contribuyen a la rápida propagación de enfermedades infecciosas, como VIH y hepatitis; es por ello que la sociedad debe abordar su uso indebido. Objetivo. Determinar el perfil clínico y demográfico de pacientes atendidos en los servicios de urgencias, por intoxicación aguda con sustancias psicoactivas en Bogotá, 20102011. Material y métodos. Estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo, derivado de la revisión de 1073 registros del Sistema Nacional de Vigilancia en Salud Pública relacionados con los casos de intoxicaciones por sustancias psicoactivas, atendidos en los servicios de urgencias de Bogotá, 20102011. Se revisaron historias clínicas correspondientes, para establecer el perfil clínico de los pacientes. Se calcularon las frecuencias simples y estratificadas con intervalos de confianza de 95% (IC95%) de las variables sociodemográficas, tipo de sustancia psicoactiva y manifestación clínica. Resultados. El mayor número de consultas (73%) se presentaron en hombres, con edades comprendidas entre 25 a 34 años, predominando las intoxicaciones con fines delictivos (58%). Las benzodiacepinas son las sustancias implicadas en el 83% de los casos. Las manifestaciones clínicas, correspondieron en su mayoría 80% a manifestaciones neurológicas. Conclusión. El tipo de exposición con intencionalidad delictiva, predominante en los resultados de este trabajo, es un fenómeno no documentado en la literatura científica revisada. Las benzodiazepinas, como sustancia implicada en los casos de intoxicación son consecuentes con el tipo de exposición evidenciado en los resultados aportados por este estudio, similares a los obtenidos por Uribe y cols (2005), y lo documentado en otros estudios.

Background. Psychoactive substance use is public health problem around the world, affecting individuals and society in general. It has been estimated that it contributes towards the rapid propagation of infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. Society thus cannot afford to ignore such threat and must address such abuse. Objective. Determining the clinical and demographic profile of patients suffering acute psychoactive substance poisoning who were attended by emergency services in Bogotá, 20102011. Methods. This was a descriptive, retrospective study which emerged from reviewing 1,073 records kept by the Colombian Public Health Surveillance System (Sistema Nacional de Vigilancia en Salud Pública) related to cases of people suffering from psychoactive substance poisoning who had been attended by emergency services in Bogotá, 20102011. The corresponding clinical histories were reviewed to establish the patients' clinical profile. Simple and stratified frequency were calculated, using 95% confidence intervals (95%CI), for sociodemographic variables, type of psychoactive substance and clinical manifestation. Results. Males aged 2534 years old consulted most (73%), intoxication for criminal purposes predominating (58%) having been drugged to reduce resistance to assault. Benzodiazepines were implicated in 83% of the cases; 80% of clinical manifestations were neurological. Conclusion. Exposure with criminal intent predominated in this work's results; it would seem to be a phenomenon which has not been documented in the scientific literature reviewed here. Benzodiazepine exposure (the substance implicated in poisoning cases) was similar to that obtained by Uribe et al., (2005) and that found in other substancerelated disorder studies.