Concentrations of heavy and precious metals in animals from hydrothermal vents of the Axial Seamount (Juan de Fuca Ridge) and Guaymas Basin (Gulf of California)

A series of samples of inhabitants of hydrothermal vents were collected during the 12-th cruise of R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh in Guaymas Basin (the Gulf of California) and the Axial Seamount area (Juan de Fuca Ridge). Concentrations of trace and heavy metals in the tissues of Ridgeia piscesae, Riftia pachyptila, and Paralvinella palmiformis were analyzed. Neutron-activation analysis revealed significantly higher concentrations of uranium in tissues of Paralvinella palmiformis as compared to ambient seawater. Possible reasons for such phenomenon are discussed. The data obtained by neutron-activation method are compared with those obtained by atomic-absorption method for the same tissues analyzed.

Cuba's social policy after the disintegration of the Soviet Union -- social development as legitimacy of regime and its economy effectiveness

Since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Cuba has experienced a severe economic crisis, and the country's social policy has played an important role in showing the people a raison-d'etre for the revolution. This role has become even stronger in recent years, as internal and external actors demand political reforms and economic liberalization. This article first examines the Cuban government's use of social development to counter the demands for changes. It then looks at the extent that government social policy contributes economically to improving the Cuban living standard. The article demonstrates empirically how the leadership emphasizes their social accomplishments whenever demands for change come, and then shows that after the suspension of Soviet aid, Cuban social policy has been able to provide services mainly by relying on human capital and reducing quality materially because of the shortage of foreign reserves. This has limited the economic effectiveness of the services.

En el límite de la arquitectura-paisaje : las Escuelas Nacionales de Arte de La Habana

it's been 50years since the world witnessed the triumph of one of the iast revoiutíons of the twentieth-century starring a group of bearded men who descended from the mountains of Cuba and who wouid end up overthrowing the Batista regime. Ricardo Porro was a Cuban architect exiied for his revoiutionary ideais. Vittorio Garatti and Roberto Gottardi were itaiian immigrant architects. The three coincided in the effervescent city of Caracas in the iate 50's within the circie of friends of Carios Raui de Viiianueva, who had at that tí me, finished one of his most significant works, the City University of Caracas. United by a common circie of friends, they wouid soon receive their dream assignment: an Academy ofArt for the chiidren of workers in the revoiutionary Havana. The idea was directiy based on the triumphant ideoiogist of the revoiutíon: Fidei Castro and Che Guevara. Aii schoois had to represent the image of the new society. They wouid immediateiy depart for Havana. The year was 1961 and they had oniy a few months to pian and carry out the project. The schoois were officiaiiy opened in 1965 without having been compieted. The set was iocated in the Goif Course Country Ciub of Havana. The iands- cape of the goif course and the understanding of the piace, by the three architects, was the origin of the projects. initíaiiy, they worked with some common principies that conditíoned its architecturai answer and gave the group the homogeneity of a singie project: the integratíon with the iandsca- pe, the same constructíon system and a singie materiai. This research anaiyzes the conditíons used by the three architects in order to investígate the responses from the point of view of architecturai design. Han pasado más de 50 años desde que el mundo contempló el triunfo de una de las últimas revoluciones del siglo XX, protagonizada por un grupo de barbudos que descendían de la sierra de Cuba y que acabaría con el derrocamiento del régimen de Batista. Ricardo Porro era un arquitecto cubano exiliado por sus ideales revolucionarios. Vittorio Garatt y Roberto Gottardi eran arquitectos italianos emigrantes. Los tres coincidieron en la efervescente Caracas de Anales de los años 50 en torno a la figura de Carlos Raúl de Villanueva que terminaba en esa época una de sus obras más significativas, la Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas. Unidos por un círculo común de amistades pronto recibirán el encargo soñado: una Academia de las Artes para los hijos de los trabajadores en La Habana revolucionaria. La idea partia directamente de los ideólogos triunfantes de la revolución: Fidel Castro y el Che Guevara. El conjunto de las escuelas tenía que representar la imagen de la nueva sociedad. Inmediatamente partirán rumbo a La Habana. Corría el año 1961 y dispo¬nían de unos pocos meses para proyectar y ejecutar las obras. Las escuelas fueron oficialmente inauguradas en 1965 sin haberse concluido. El conjunto se ubicó en el campo de golf del Country Club de La Habana. El paisaje del campo de golf y el entendimiento del lugar, por parte de los tres arquitectos, fue el origen de los proyectos. Trabajaron inicialmente con unas premisas comunes que condicionaron su respuesta arquitectónica y le dieron al conjunto la homogeneidad de un único proyecto: la integración con el paisaje, un mismo sistema constructivo y un único material. Este trabajo de investigación parte de los condicionantes a los que se enfrentaron los tres arquitectos para así analizar las respuestas dadas desde el punto de vista del proyecto arquitectónico.

Fungal biodeterioration of colour cinematographic films of the cultural heritage of Cuba

Until recently, cinematographic film was largely cellulose-triacetate-based. However, this material is highly susceptible to biodeterioration, thus placing historic film collections, an important part of the cultural heritage of many countries, at risk. In the present study, samples taken from several biodeteriorated color cinematographic films belonging to the collection of the Cuban Institute for Cinematographic Industry and Arts (ICAIC) were investigated. Infrared spectroscopy showed that all films were of the same composition, i.e., a gelatin emulsion coating one side of a cellulose-triacetate-based film support. The films were analyzed by environmental scanning electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy to determine the degree of biodeterioration and the type of colonizing microorganisms. Significant fungal colonization was found on both sides of the films in all samples, with a higher concentration of fungi on the gelatin emulsion side. Epifluorescence microscopy of fluorochrome-dyed films demonstrated that some of the fungi were still active, indicating that the films under study, and probably others at the ICAIC, are at risk of further deterioration. Fungi were identified by molecular biology techniques. The fungi mainly responsible for the observed biodeterioration were those belonging to the genera Aspergillus and Cladosporium, although other genera, such as Microascus and Penicillium, were identified as well. In accordance with the findings described herein, the existing guidelines for the prevention and control of film biodeterioration are discussed.

Primera [-segunda] parte del preste Juan de las Indias : trobada

Pie de imp. consta en col

Segunda parte del preste Juan de las Indias : trobada

Pie de imp. consta en col

Comparison of implicit and explicit FSI coupling strategies in cardiovascular system = Comparación de las estrategias implícitas y explícitas de acoplamiento FSI en el sistema cardiovascular

Comparación de los esquemas de integración temporal explícito e implícito, en la simulación del flujo sanguíneo y su interacción con la pared arterial. There are two major strategies in FSI coupling techniques: implicit and explicit. The general difference between these methodologies is how many times the data is exchanged between the fluid and solid domains at each FSI time-step. In both coupling strategies, the pressure values coming from fluid domain calculations at each time-step are exported to the solid domain, and consequently, the solid domain is analyzed with these imported forces. In contrast to the explicit coupling, in the implicit approach the fluid and solid domain’s data is exchanged several times until the convergence is achieved. Although this method may boost the numerical stabilization, it increases the computational cost due to the extra data exchanges. In cardiovascular simulations, depending on the analysis objectives, one may choose an explicit or implicit approach. In the current work, the advantage of an explicit coupling strategy is highlighted when simulation of pulsatile blood flow in elastic arteries is desired.