The Role of Science in Advising the Decision Making Process: A Pathway for Building Effective Climate Change Mitigation Policies in Mexico at the Local Level.

This study examines a pathway for building urban climate change mitigation policies by presenting a multi-dimensional and transdisciplinary approach in which technical, economic, environmental, social, and political dimensions interact. Now, more than ever, the gap between science and policymaking needs to be bridged; this will enable judicious choices to be made in regarding energy and climate change mitigation strategies, leading to positive social impacts, in particular for the populations at-risk at the local level. Through a case study in Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, we propose a multidimensional and transdisciplinary approach with the role of scientist as policy advisers to improve the role of science in decision-making on mitigation policies at the local level in Mexico.

Evaluación del programa de médico cirujano del Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas de la Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez / Assessment of the medical surgeon program of the Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez

Con el propósito de mejorar la calidad académica del programa de médico cirujano del Instituto de Ciencias de Biomédicas de la Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (UACJ), en México, se modificó la manera de evaluar a los graduados. El programa de médico cirujano comprendía tres procesos de evaluación, que se utilizaron durante el periodo 2006-2008 para conocer la pertinencia, eficacia y eficiencia de la formación profesional de sus graduados: el promedio general de salida (PGS) y el examen profesional ante pacientes (EPAP), evaluados por la UACJ, y el examen general para el obtención de la licenciatura (EGEL), evaluado por el Centro Nacional de Evaluación para la Educación Superior (CENEVAL). Se emplearon los procesos de evaluación con el fin de obtener un mejor perfil del grado. Se obtuvo una correlación entre el PGS y el EPAP, pero no con el EGEL, el cual tuvo una diferencia porcentual apreciable respecto a los otros dos procesos. Mientras que el EPAP reflejó los conocimientos obtenidos a lo largo del programa (comparado con el PGS), el EGEL mostró una diferencia marcada, probablemente, al evaluar con diversas puntuaciones las diferentes disciplinas del programa (AU)

In order to improve the program of surgeon of the Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (UACJ) the graduate evaluating procedure was modified. Three processes were selected for evaluation by the medical surgeon program during the period 2006-2008 to determine the relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of its graduates, which are: the overall grade point average (GPA) and the professional medical exam (PME) taken with real patients at a hospital, evaluated by the UACJ, and the general exam for graduates (GEG), evaluated by the National Center for the Evaluation of Higher Education (CENEVAL). The evaluation processes were used in order to get a better graduate profile. Correlation was obtained between the GPA and the PME but not with the GEG, which had a visible percentage difference with respect to the other two processes. While the PME reflected the knowledge gained throughout the program (PME vs. GPA), the GEG showed a considerable difference with respect to the other two, probably, because the different disciplines in the program are evaluated asymmetrically by the UACJ and CENEVAL (AU)

The Respiratory Exchange Ratio is Associated with Fitness Indicators Both in Trained and Untrained Men: A Possible Application for People with Reduced Exercise Tolerance.

BACKGROUND: The respiratory exchange ratio (RER) indirectly shows the muscle's oxidative capacity to get energy. Sedentarism, exercise and physically active lifestyles modify it. For that reason, this study evaluates the associations between RER during sub-maximum exercise and other well established fitness indicators (body fat, maximum heart rate, maximum O(2) uptake, workload, and lactate threshold), in physically active trained and untrained men. METHODS: The RER, O(2) uptake and blood lactate were measured in eight endurance trained and eight untrained men (age, 22.9 ± 4.5 vs. 21.9 ± 2.8 years; body mass, 67.1 ± 5.4 vs. 72.2 ± 7.7 kg; body fat, 10.6 ± 2.4% vs. 16.6 ± 3.8% and maximum O(2) uptake, 68.9 ± 6.3 vs. 51.6 ± 5.8 ml•kg(-1)•min(-1)), during maximum exercise test and during three different sub-maximum exercises at fixed workload: below, within or above the lactate threshold. RESULTS: Endurance trained men presented higher O(2) uptake, lower blood lactate concentrations and lower RER values than those in untrained men at the three similar relative workloads. Even though with these differences in RER, a strong association (p < 0.05) of RER during sub-maximum exercise with the other well established fitness indicators was observed, and both maximum O(2) uptake and lactate threshold determined more than 57% of its variance (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that RER measurement under sub-maximum exercise conditions was well correlated with other established physical fitness indicators, despite training condition. Furthermore, the results suggest that RER could help obtain an easy approach of fitness status under low exercise intensity and could be utilized in subjects with reduced exercise tolerance.

Potential of Chilopsis linearis for gold phytomining: using XAS to determine gold reduction and nanoparticle formation within plant tissues.

This study reports on the capability of the desert plant Chilopsis linearis (Cav.) Sweet (desert willow) to uptake gold (Au) from gold-enriched media at different plant-growth stages. Plants were exposed to 20, 40, 80, 160, and 320 mg Au L(-1) in agar-based growing media for 13, 18, 23, and 35 d. The Au content and oxidation state of Au in the plants were determined using an inductively coupled plasma/optical emission spectrometer (ICP/OES) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), respectively. Gold concentrations ranging from 20 to 80 mg Au L(-1) did not significantly affect Chilopsis linearis plant growth. The concentration of gold in the plants increased as the age of the plant increased. The Au concentrations in leaves for the 20, 40, 80, and 160 mg Au L(-1) treatments were 32, 60, 62, and 179 mg Au kg(-1) dry weight mass, respectively, demonstrating the gold uptake capability of desert willow. The XAS data indicated that desert willow produced gold nanoparticles within plant tissues. Plants exposed to 160 mg Au L(-1) formed nanoparticles that averaged approximately 8, 35, and 18 A in root, stem, and leaves, respectively. It was observed that the average size of the Au nanoparticles formed by the plants is related to the total Au concentration in tissues and their location in the plant

Biosorption of Cd(II), Cr(III), and Cr(VI) by saltbush (Atriplex canescens) biomass: thermodynamic and isotherm studies.

The biosorption data of Cd(II), Cr(III), and Cr(VI) by saltbush leaves biomass were fit on the Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption isotherms at 297 K. The Cd(II) and Cr(III) solutions were adjusted to pH 5.0 and the Cr(VI) solution was adjusted to pH 2.0. The correlation coefficient values indicated that the data fit better the Freundlich model. The maximal capacities (K(F)) were found to be 5.79 x 10(-2), 3.25 x 10(-2), and 1.14 x 10(-2) mol/g for Cr(III), Cd(II), and Cr(VI), respectively. Similar results were obtained using the Langmuir and the Dubinin-Radushkevick equations. Thermodynamic parameters calculated from the Khan and Singh equation and from the q(e) vs C(e) plot show that the equilibrium constants for the biosorption of the metals follow the same order of the maximal capacities. The negative Gibbs free energy values obtained for Cd(II) and Cr(III) indicated that these ions were biosorbed spontaneously. The mean free energy values calculated from the Dubinin-Radushkevick equation (10.78, 9.45, and 9.05 for Cr(III), Cr(VI), and Cd(II), respectively) suggest that the binding of Cd(II), Cr(III), and Cr(VI) by saltbush leaves biomass occurs through an ionic exchange mechanism.

Determination of equilibrium and kinetic parameters of the adsorption of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions to Agave Lechuguilla biomass.

This investigation reveals the capability of Agave lechuguilla for trivalent and hexavalent chromium removal from aqueous solutions. Experimentation included pH profile, time dependence, adsorption capacity (K(F) and Q(L)), adsorption intensity (n and R(L)) and saturation capacity (q(s)) studies. Batch experiments were conducted at 22( composite function)C to characterize and model the adsorption equilibrium as well as biomass adsorption rates. pH 4 was the optimum for Cr(III) binding, while Cr(VI) optimum binding was at pH 2. Time profile experiments indicated that the adsorption of Cr(VI) by lechuguilla biomass was time-dependent and that of Cr(III) was not. Kinetic models demonstrated that a pseudo-second order reaction model best described the kinetic data for Cr(VI). The adsorption isotherms showed that the binding pattern for Cr(VI) followed the Freundlich isotherm model, while that for Cr(III) followed the Langmuir isotherm.