Canna tandilensis Ciciar. (Cannaceae-Zingiberales), a new species from Argentina.

Canna tandilensis is proposed as a species new to science. Plants grow wild terrestrial, in rocky places exposed to solar radiation forming dense colonies whose individuals of small to medium length, produce reduced inflorescences with large and few yellow to bright orange flowers and narrow and reflexed staminodes. The specific epithet refers to the city of Tandil at the south of Buenos Aires Province where the holotype comes from. It is related to other species having reduced inflorescences, narrow leaves and staminodes, and nectar guides in androecium pieces such as C. lineata. A detailed description of the new species is given, along with a study of the morphological vegetative and floral characters. These characters were compared with those from two other species C. glauca and C. lineata. According to these new evidences two groups of similar species of the genus are suggested. The number of species surveyed until now in Argentina rises to sixteen.

Sistema integrado para empresas de construcción en Cusco

Actualmente las empresas requieren estrategias innovadoras, que permitan gestionar de forma integral, optimizando los recursos y maximizando los resultados. Siendo el objetivo del presente trabajo de investigación, diseñar un instrumento de gestión integral (gestión de la calidad, ambiental, seguridad y salud ocupacional) para el sector construcción en Cusco. Se realizó un análisis actual de la actividad de construcción, se planteó a diferencia de otras propuestas, el diseño que inicia con el diagnóstico, planificación, organización, ejecución, supervisión y optimización del sistema integral. Los resultados están expresados en el diagnóstico de los 3 sistemas, información clave, para el planteamiento y propuesta de las etapas posteriores; estructurando el planteamiento de los subprogramas basados en el diagnóstico integral, para finalmente determinar los lineamientos estratégicos, de implementación, evaluación y verificación del sistema, teniendo en cuenta la norma ISO 9001: 2008, ISO 14001:2004 y OSHAS 18001:2007; así como la legislación vigente para el Perú.

Uranium removal from contaminated groundwater by synthetic resins

Synthetic resins are shown to be effective in removing uranium from contaminated groundwater. Batch and field column tests showed that strong-base anion-exchange resins were more effective in removing uranium from both near-neutral-pH (6.5)- and high-pH (8)-low-nitrate-containing groundwaters, than metal-chelating resins, which removed more uranium from acidic-pH (5)-high-nitrate-containing groundwater from the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) Y-12 S-3 Ponds area in Tennessee, USA. Dowex 1-X8 and Purolite A-520E anion-exchange resins removed more uranium from high-pH (8)-low-nitrate-containing synthetic groundwater in batch tests than metal-chelating resins. The Dowex™ 21K anion-exchange resin achieved a cumulative loading capacity of 49.8 mg g^-1 before breakthrough in a field column test using near-neutral-pH (6.5)-low-nitrate-containing groundwater. However, in an acidic-pH (5)-high-nitrate-containing groundwater, metal-chelating resins Diphonix and Chelex-100 removed more uranium than anion-exchange resins. In 15 mL of acidic-pH (5)-high-nitrate-containing groundwater spiked with 20 mg L^-1 uranium, the uranium concentrations ranged from 0.95 mg L^-1 at 1-h equilibrium to 0.08 mg L^-1 at 24-h equilibrium for Diphonix and 0.17 mg L^-1 at 1-h equilibrium to 0.03 mg L^-1 at 24-h equilibrium for Chelex-100. Chelex-100 removed more uranium in the first 10 min in the 100 mL of acidic-(pH 5)-high-nitrate-containing groundwater (~5 mg L^-1 uranium); however, after 10 min, Diphonix equaled or out-performed Chelex-100. This study presents an improved understanding of the selectivity and sorption kenetics of a range of ion-exchange resins that remove uranium from both low- and high-nitrate-containing groundwaters with varying pHs..

The (in)visible scar. Representation of the body in blogs by women with breast cancer

In this paper we analyze the representation of the body in blogs by women with breast cancer. Taking into account both texts and images, we study the representation of the body on the basis of the body problems proposed by Frank (1995): control, body-relatedness, other-relatedness and desire. In the blogs studied we find a desiring and dyadic body, which is understood as part of a network of affection and care. The diagnosis of cancer can generate both dissociation, when the body is experienced as a threat, and association, a wish to be connected to it. In relation to control, a clear will of predictability is observed but traces of assumption of contingency also appear.

Lifelong learning through digital storytelling in corporate training

In this paper we discuss collaborative learning strategies based on the use of digital stories in corporate training and lifelong learning. The text starts with a concise review on theoretical and technical foundations about the use of digital technologies in collaborative strategies in lifelong learning. We will also discuss if the corporate training may be improved by the use of individual audio-visual experience in learning process. Careful planning, scripting and production of audio-visual digital stories can help in the construction of collaborative learning spaces in which adults are in the context of vocational training throughout life. Our analysis concludes emphasizing on the need to experience the routing performance of digital stories in the context of corporate training, following the reference levels mentioned here, so we can have in a future more theoretical and empirical elements for the validation and conceptualization in the use of digital stories in the context of corporate training. Ultimately we believe that lifelong learning can be improved with the use of strategies that promote the production of personal audio-visual for those involved in teaching and learning process in organizational context.

A comparison of a range of models for dispersion in a partially stratified room

A comparative study of models used to predict contaminant dispersion in a partially stratified room is presented. The experiments were carried out in a ventilated test room, with an initially evenly dispersed pollutant. Air was extracted from the outlet in the ceiling of the room at 1 and 3 air changes per hour. A small temperature difference between the top and bottom of the room causes very low air velocities, and higher concentrations, in the lower half of the room. Grid-independent CFD calculations were compared with predictions from a zonal model and from CFD using a very coarse grid. All the calculations show broadly similar contaminant concentration decay rates for the three locations monitored in the experiments, with the zonal model performing surprisingly well. For the lower air change rate, the models predict a less well mixed contaminant distribution than the experimental measurements suggest. With run times of less than a few minutes, the zonal model is around two orders of magnitude faster than coarse-grid CFD and could therefore be used more easily in parametric studies and sensitivity analyses. For a more detailed picture of internal dispersion, a CFD study using coarse and standard grids may be more appropriate.

Severe Vitamin E deficiency modulates airway allergic inflammatory responses in the murine asthma model

Allergic asthma is a complex immunologically mediated disease associated with increased oxidative stress and altered antioxidant defenses. It was hypothesized that a-tocopherol (a-T) decreases oxidative stress and therefore its absence may influence allergic inflammatory process, a pathobiology known to be accompanied by oxidative stress. Therefore, selected parameters of allergic asthma sensitization and inflammation were evaluated following ovalbumin sensitization and re-challenge of a-T transfer protein (TTP) knock-out mice (TTP-/-) that have greatly reduced lung a-T levels (e.g.

Agricultura urbana, condición para el desarrollo sostenible y la mejora del paisaje

Este artículo resulta de investigaciones en torno al “enverdecimiento” de las ciudades y las oportunidades de la agricultura urbana para la alimentación de una población en constante aumento que no trabaja la tierra. También es fruto de actividades de mejora de ambientes urbanos realizadas con la Escuela de Ingenieros Agrónomos de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. A través de casos de agricultura urbana, entendiendo por ella el conjunto de prácticas para la producción de alimentos y plantas ornamentales dentro de las ciudades y en sus entornos, se analizan alternativas para la recuperación de espacios construidos e incremento de la calidad de vida de la población. Todo ello se traduce, además, en creación de riqueza y mejora del paisaje urbano, siempre desde criterios de sostenibilidad que favorecen el desarrollo local desde la Cumbre de la Tierra de Río de 1992 y la Conferencia sobre Desarrollo Sostenible Río+20 de 2013.

A DFT study of the chain growth probability in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

The chain growth probability (alpha value) is one of the most significant parameters in Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis. To gain insight into the chain growth probability, we systematically studied the hydrogenation and C-C coupling reactions with different chain lengths on the stepped Co(0001) surface using density functional theory calculations. Our findings elucidate the relationship between the barriers of these elementary reactions and the chain length. Moreover, we derived a general expression of the chain growth probability and investigated the behavior of the alpha value observed experimentally. The high methane yield results from the lower chain growth rate for C-1 + C-1 coupling compared with the other coupling reactions. After C-1, the deviation of product distribution in FT synthesis from the Anderson-Schulz-Flory distribution is due to the chain length-dependent paraffin/olefin ratio. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

First-principles study of oxygenates on Co surfaces in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

Extensive density function theory calculations are performed to study the mechanism of the formation of aldehyde and alcohol on Co surfaces in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, a challenging issue in heterogeneous catalysis. Three possible pathways for the production of formaldehyde and methanol on flat and stepped Co(0001) surfaces are investigated: (i) CO + 4H -> CHO + 3H -> CH2O + 2H -> CH3O + H -> CH3OH; (ii) CO + 4H -> COH + 3H -> CHOH + 2H -> CH2OH + H -> CH3OH; and (iii) the coupling reactions of CH2 + O -> CH2O and CH3 + OH -> CH3OH. It is found that these pathways are generally favored at step sites, and the preferred mechanism is pathway (i) via CHO. Furthermore, the three traditional chain growth mechanisms in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis are semi quantitatively compared and discussed. Our results suggest that the two mechanisms involving oxygenate intermediates (the CO-insertion and hydroxycarbene mechanisms) are less important than the carbene mechanism in the production of long chain hydrocarbons. However, the CO-insertion mechanism may be responsible for the production of long-chain oxygenates.

Bronsted-Evans-Polanyi relation of multistep reactions and volcano curve in heterogeneous catalysis

Multistep surface processes involving a number of association reactions and desorption processes may be considered as hypothetical one-step desorption processes. Thus, heterogeneous catalytic reactions can be treated kinetically as consisting of two steps: adsorption and desorption. It is also illustrated that the hypothetical one-step desorption process follows the BEP relation. A volcano curve can be obtained from kinetic analysis by including both adsorption and desorption processes.