Adsorber o absorber ::::: To adsorb or to absorb

Reading a book, it's common to find words which we assume that are synonyms. That's not the case for "adsorb and absorb", they are similar but not equal.

Adsorb refers to an two-dimensional action, because it means to retain something on the surface, for example:

"Heavy metals are adsorbed by the cell", because they're on the surface, on the cell wall.

Absorb refers to an three-dimensional action because it means to get inside something that was out before, for example:

"Heavy metals are absorbed by the cell", because they are inside the cell, they were trapped in the cell.

See too http://buscon.rae.es/dpdI/SrvltConsulta?lema=adsorber


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Al leer un libro, es común encontrar palabras similares y asumimos que son sinónimos. Este no es el caso para "adsorber y absorber", que son similares pero no iguales.

Adsorber se refiere a una acción bidimensional, debido a que significa que se retiene algo en la superficie, por ejemplo:

"Los metales pesados son adsorbidos por la célula", porque están en la superficie, es decir, sobre la pared celular.

Absorber se refiere a una acción tridimensional, pues significa introducir algo que antes estaba afuera, por ejemplo:

"Los metales pesados son absorbidos por la célula", porque están dentro de la célula, fueron atrapados en ella.

Vé también http://buscon.rae.es/dpdI/SrvltConsulta?lema=adsorber

Welcome Back Christian and Gerardo

Christian and Gerardo are back in Torreon after their 5 month research stay at UGA, Athens, USA as a part of USAID-HED funded TIES program. I am sure it must be a great joy to their family. All of us at Bioremlaguna are very happy too to have them back among us. It has to be recorded here that both of them have got their own share of fans at UGA due to their hardwork. We wish both of them and their family all the best for this wonderful christmas and for the incoming New Year.

La otra contaminación :::: The other pollution

No todo es acerca de basura en las calles, derivados de petroleo sobre mares y tierra o emisión de gases invernadero, la emisión de ruido también es un contaminante más en nuestro planeta. El ruido es considerado un contaminante debido a que tiene la capacidad de alterar las condiciones normales del ambiente.Aunque el ruido no se acumula como el resto de contaminantes, este sí provoca diversas enfermedades a las personas y animales expuestos como el estrés y la sordera.

El problema no se limita a las zonas urbanas ni a la contaminación auditiva por medio del aire como vector de las ondas sonoras. El ruido también contamina el agua, y contamina puesto que afecta la calidad de vida de los animales que habitan los mares. En Génova, Italia existe un golfo en el cual es considerado santuario de ballenas, y el ruido de motores y demás artefactos utilizados en la industria marina y petrolera esta interfiriendo con los sonidos de baja frecuencia que utilizan los cetáceos para comunicarse. Así, cada vez más ballenas encallan desorientadas o no pueden encontrar pareja durante su ciclo reproductivo. Una hembra debedría ser capaz de escuchar a 500 Km el sonido de un macho, pero debido a la interferencia sonora, las ballenas han reducido en un 90% el alcance de su canto. El problema es también para los animales como el delfín, que utilizan ondas sonoras como herramienta en la caza de sus presas.



La ONU advierte además que los cambios en el pH del agua marina contribuyen al aumento de la contaminación acústica del océano, ya que el incremento de los niveles de acidez del agua del mar hacen que ésta absorba un diez por ciento menos sonidos de baja frecuencia.

Lee también acerca del tema en:
http://www.ecodigital.com.ar/Noticia.htm
http://weblogs.madrimasd.org/ciencia_marina/archive/2008/12/07/108855.aspx


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Not everything is about garbage on streets, petroleum derivate products above seas and earth or emission of green house effect gases, the noise emission is also one more pollutant in our planet. The noise is considered a pollutant due to is has the possibility to alter the normal conditions of environment. Though the noise doesn't accumulate as the other pollutant agents, it does cause illness to people and animals exposed to it like deafness and stress. The problem doesn't end in urban zones either as a pollutant through air as vector for the soundwave. The noise also pollutes water, and it does because it affects the life quality of animals which inhabit under the sea. In Genoa, Italy exists a gulf which is considered a whale sanctuary, and the noise of motors and other devices utilized in marine and petroleum business is interfering with the low frequency soundwaves that are emitted by cetacean to communicate among themselves. More whales are running aground disoriented or they cannot find partner to reproduce. A female whale should be able to listen at the sound of the male whale at 500 Km along but due to sound interference, whales have seen reduced in a 90% the range of listening. The problem is also for animals like dolphins that use wavesounds to localize its prey.

UN advices that changes in pH of sea water contributes with sound pollution in sea, because the increase in acidity of sea water makes it to absorb 10% less low frequency wave sounds.

Read also about this topic at:
http://www.ecodigital.com.ar/Noticia.htm
http://weblogs.madrimasd.org/ciencia_marina/archive/2008/12/07/108855.aspx

Trópico de cáncer : : : : Tropic of cancer

This a song I have been listening since several years ago, it is from 1994 year in that Cafe Tacuba launched its CD called Re. It is a kind of ecologist song and I hope you like it as much as I like. Here is the lyric and enjoy it:



Como es que te vas Salvador de la compañia,
How is that Salvador you're leaving the company
si todavia hay mucho verdor.
if there's still a lot of green

Si el progreso es nuestro oficio
if the progress is our profession
y aún queda por ahi mucho indio*
and there are still around there many indian*
que no sabe lo que es vivir en una ciudad
who don't know what is to live in a city
(como la gente)
(like people)

Que no ves que eres un puente
You don't know you're a bridge
entre el salvajismo y el modernismo,
among the savagery and the modernism
salvador el ingeniero, salvador de la humanidad.
saviour the engineering, savior of the mankind

Esta muy bien lo que tu piensas
It's very good what you think
pero porque no tu te acuerdas
but why don't you remember
que la nuestra es una civilización muy avanzada
that our civilization is a very advanced one
(como dice la gente)
(as they say)

Que no ves que nuestra mente
You don't see that our mind
no debe tomar en cuenta
doesn't have to take care about
ecologistas, indigenistas, retrogradistas ni humanistas.
ecologists, indigenous studiers, retrogrades either humanists.

Ay mis ingenieros, civilies y asociados
Ay my engineers, civil and associated
no crean que no me duele,
don't think it doesn't hurt me
irme de su lado, pero es que yo pienso,
going from your side, but what I think is,
que ha llegado el tiempo,
the time has arrived
de darle lugar, a los espacios sin cemento,
to give importance, to places with no cement,

Por eso yo ya me voy,
For that reason, I'm leaving
no quiero tener nada que ver
I don't want to have any relation
con esa fea relación de acción, contrucción, destrucción
with that nasty relation about action, construction, destruction

Como es que te vas Salvador de la compañía
How is that you Salvador are leaving the company
si todavia hay mucho verdor.
if there's still a lot of green.

Ay mis compañeros Petroleros Mexicanos,
Ay my partners Petroleros Mexicanos
no crean que no extraño, el olor a oleo puro,
don't think I don't miss, the pure oil odor
pero es que yo pienso que nosotros los humanos,
but I think we as human beings
no necesitamos, más hidrocarburos
don't need, more hydrocarbons

Por eso yo ya me voy,
For that reason, I'm leaving
no quiero tener nada que ver
I don't want to have any relation
con esa fea relación de acción, contrucción, destrucción...
with that nasty relation about action, construction, destruction...



*indio. Indio es un adjetivo usado en México para discriminar indigenas que "se supone" son ignorantes.
* indian. Indian is and adjective used in Mexico to discriminate natives who "are supposed" to be ignorants.

Just a small step to become engineers

Last week we celebrate our traditional "quema de batas" or "burn of robe" every year the school of biological sciences makes this big party in honor of the students graduating . It was a lot of fun breaking the piñata, burning the robe, dancing and singing with mariachis. I think we all should feel proud of our school, and realize all the knowledge that we gain. Thanks to all our profesors, our classmates and friends. Now we are about to get into the real world .. lets keep the hard work. Congratulations to Susan, Lucy, and Cheve that are graduating this december, and to my other classmates..we made it guys !!

Crazy green idea

Hello everybody!!

I was looking at videos in Youtube this morning and I found a very interesting one. Is about an organization named X Prize that called on youtube viewers for their crazy green ideas. Many people uploaded their videos and now this organization has 3 finalist for us to vote. All the videos are intersting. I am posting the link so that you could follow it and vote.

http://www.xprize.org/crazy-green-idea

Would be great if we all as a group could prepare one video with our ideas for environmental care.

Scanning Electron Microscope.

This last week was an amazing one for our experience in our 5 months intership at the University of Georgia at Athens, Georgia.
Our professor Dr. Nagamani spend 2 weeks of hard work with us at the laboratory, he found very interesting facts about our preliminary results obtained from our research on anaerobic co-digestion of dairy manure-algae and poultry litter-dairy manure, so we decided to make a checking on a fluorescence microscope, we found a very pretty Methanosarcina archea present in most of the reactors. So this lead us to realize a more specific analysis, and we had one of greatest experience in life science, checking our anaerobic consortium in an Electron Microscope or Scanning Electron Microscope.
We realized all the process on preparing our samples to this fascinating analysis.
It consist in 1) Fixation of our sample, this step is to maintain intact all the sample structure, 2) Critical Point Drying, this is necessary to keep our sample without moisture after fixation because it can affect our sample structure. 3) Gold coating, we realized a gold coating to make our sample visible to the Electron microscope, without this it can not be possible to observe the sample structure. We realized this sample preparation in the Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Division of Biological Sciences and Center for Ultrastructural Research, under the direction of Dr. John Shields. And we realized the scanning at the School of Veterinary in the Electron Microscope Laboratory. We found a lot of small aggregation form of methanosarcina sp in the dairy manure-algae reactors, and a lot of big aggregation forms of methanosarcina sp in the poultry litter-dairy manure reactors. We want to say thank you to our professor Dr. Nagamani Balagurusamy for all his support and suggestions to our research. And I just want to say that we have a lot of work to do in our laboratory (Bioremediation Group Laguna) to make our planet a better place to live and make all the effort to convert our lab in one of the most important Environmental Biotechnology labs in Mexico and why not one the best in the world...

Just little about informatics :::: Solo un poco de informatica

Around three months ago I discovered the concept of free software throughout Ubuntu (and a Colombian man who talked about it with us). Ubuntu is an operative system based on Linux, or with core in it, I'm not good in this. So the point is that I decided to try a new OS because I was tired of virus in my laptop with XP, so as the last resource I looked at it. But what was my sorprise when I realized that Ubuntu worked much better than Windows XP in my laptop, it never broke down, it didn't have virus, and even there were many useful programms which ran better and had more options and utilities. The only problem was that I downloaded a newer version of the Ubuntu that didn't worked with my laptop and by that moment I had three OS Ubuntu 8.04, the newer Ubuntu and Windows XP. So I decided to change to Win Vista which was very heavy, what did my computer slower than before. So, again I returned to Windows XP.

Now I worked with XP but today I looked for some programms that I used to use in Ubuntu like Pidgin, that launch accounts of Gtalk, msn, yahoo messenger, My space and more in the same messenger program; Open Office that is almost the same than Microsoft Office, but totally free; Gimp, a powerful image editor, just to mention some of them. So I let my self to suggest you to use free software and you won't have to look for serials illegally any more. Jaja

Well if you want to try some of those programms, this web site will be perfect to begin http://softlibrewin.org.ar, thanks.

Cerca de tres meses atràs, descubrí el concepto de software libre a través de Ubuntu (y un Colombiano que nos hablo al respecto). Ubuntu es un sistema operativo basado en Linux o con al menos con su núcleo, no soy bueno en esto. Pero bueno, el punto es que decidí probar un nuevo OS debido a que estaba fastidiado de los virus en my laptop con XP, así que como último recurso lo probé. Pero cual fue mi sorpresa cuando me dí cuenta que Ubuntu trabajaba mucho mejor que Windows XP en mi laptop, nunca se trababa, no tenía virus, e incluso había muchos programas útiles que corrían mejor y tenían mas utilidades y opciones. El único problema fue que baje una versión más nueva de Ubuntu que no funcionó en mi laptop y entonces ya tenía tres sistemas operativos, Ubuntu 8.04, la nueva versión de Ubuntu y Windows XP, lo que hacía mi computadora un poco lenta. Así, decidí cambiar a Windows Vista, el cual era muy pesado, así que regrese a Windows XP.

Ahora trabajo con Windows XP, pero hoy busqué algunos de los programas que usaba en Ubuntu como Pidgin, que carga cuentas de Gtalk, MSN, Yahoo, messenger, My Space y más en el mismo mensajero; Open Office que es casi igual a Microsoft Office pero totalmente gratis; Gimp, un poderoso editor de imagenes, solo por mencionar algunos. Así que me permito sugerirles usar software libre y ya no tendrán que buscar más numeros de serie ilegalmente. Jajaj

Bueno si quieren probar algunos de esos programas, esta página será perfecta para iniciar http://softlibrewin.org.ar, gracias.

A rather nice looking picture ::: Una foto mas bien chida

At work, waiting for the hour to get out of there, I discovered this picture that I saw nice. The important point is to support Argelia about Batopilas where is one of the biodigesters of La Laguna; don't forget that there's also biodigesters in San Rafael and some farms in Gomez Palacio like Los Olivos, which we have visited.

Well, just enjoy the image I found


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En el trabajo, esperando la hora de salir de ahí, descubrí esta foto que me pareció bonita. Lo importante de esto es apoyar a Argelia en lo de Batopilas donde esta uno de los biodigestores de La Laguna; no olviden que también hay biodigestores en San Rafael y en otras granjas de Gomez Palacio como en Los Olivos, las cuales hemos visitado.

Bueno solo disfruten a imagen que encontré.



More information visit http://www.nomadica.com.mx/38_01.html

Para más información visiten http://www.nomadica.com.mx/38_01.html

Methanogen cartoon

I prepared this video with some help of my brother

You will find it also in this link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrpKD5L626c

Best wishes to everybody

TIES INTERNS VISIT LOCAL SCHOOL TO DISCUSS BIOENERGY

As a part of the TIES program between the University of Georgia and Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila in Mexico, we went to the Fowler Drive Elementary School to present a Powerpoint and experimental demonstration about How important Bioenergy is, make conscience on children and what we're doing to improve our environment by saving Methane emissions and animal waste management. 4th and 5th grade students attended this presentation, they were very excited when we selected a couple of students to prepare a biodigester with cow manure, we were very excited too because they were very interested making questions about Bioenergy, cow manure and enviromental care.
Here is a link to the review on the webpage of the Biorefining and Carbon Cycling Program at the University of Georgia:
http://www.biorefinery.uga.edu/outreach.html.

Great participation on the First Meeting of Students for Science Expression

Aimed on encourage the expression of scientific research done by students on areas of Natural Science at the Universidad Autònoma de Coahuila, its going to take place  the First Meeting of Students for Sciene Expression

Thanks to the interest of the students of this university, we have received 30 presentations, 12 posters and 15 experiments designs to present on October 16 & 17.

Marco Antonio Taméz Ceballos, coordinator of Saltillo Campus said that the participants comes from the high schools on Saltillo Campus, as well as from faculties of Dentistry, Medicine,  Nursery, Psychology, Physic-Mathematics Science, Chemical Science,Social work and from the School of Biological Science from Torreòn.

 

The coordinator highlighted that the woks are original and un published, and were evaluated for a committee on each school or faculty participating.

The publication of the works will be on the magazine of this university "CienciaAcierta" of the General Coordination of Graduate School and Research.

This event is arranged by the direction of academics affairs, the General Coordination of Graduate School and Research on Saltillo Campus and Outreach, and the academy of Natural Science.

AbOuT BaToPiLas CoAhUiLA!!!

I spent this evening looking for the location of Batopilas, and at the end of the day I realized that I've always knew it. But well, that's not the important thing about  I wanna talk. What really matters is why I feel very interested about Batopilas.

So this is the happy story :)

Batopilas is a little town located in Francisco I. Madero in Coahuila. This is the first farming community in Mexico to develop energy from cow manure. This is possible by anaerobic digestion of cow manure through biodigesters. An engine burns methane and release CO2 and the energy is transformed in to electricity for the community. There is less negative impact to environment due to this effort by this community.

Because of this technology Batopilas habitants have saved 94 000 pesos on CFE bill!!!. Other advantages are potential production of organic fertilizers and clean water.

I found this very interesting because it is related with we are doing. I also think we must take a venture and go on excursion as sooner as we can to Batopilas in order to get a full idea about how this little town works.

So now I wonder what could happen if every house in Torreon have adapted a biodigestor? mmm interesting.... :)

We must feel proud for having these witty minds in Coahuila, which are trying to implement sustainable development strategies in our region. We also can accomplish many things by collaborating in the struggle to have a better world.

HaVe a Happy Week !!!!

This is the exact location of Batopilas.. we don´t need to search more :)

http://mexico.pueblosamerica.com/i/batopilas/

Molecular Microbial Ecology- A New thrust to our team

Dr. Whitman, the leading scientist as well as the authority on methanogens is joining our collaborative team with Dr. K.C. Das.  Sarahi will be the main link for this joint effort that includes both Professors from UGA and our lab. Although Sarahi is yet to define her research work, it will be on molecular analysis of microbial communities in anaerobic digesters/ ecosystems.

A brief history of time : : : : : Una brevísima historia del tiempo

Have you listened about black holes? Do you know the antimatter and it's effects? When did the time begin? All these questions, I mean these though question are really quiet common but no one has been able to answer them. That's because it's impossible to imagine or to probe the different theories, although mankind is always answering itself about the origin of everything what bring just more and more questions.
Stephen Hawking is maybe the most intelligent man in history whom is member of the royal society of arts the same in which Sir Isaac Newton was the first distinguished member, and by 70's he was named as one of the youngest member of the organism. By 1988 he wrote one of the best books ever written A brief history of time which stayed 237 weeks as the bestseller on Britain. Well I'd just advice you to read it, in some periods the book is difficult to understand but don't stress because almost anyone is able to do it, despite of Hawking told that the book is available for general people.



¿Has escuchado acerca de los hoyos negros? ¿Sabes que es la antimateria y cuales son sus efectos? ¿Cuando comenzo el tiempo? Todas estas preguntas, quiero decir estas dificiles preguntas son realmente comunes pero nadie ha podido responderlas. Esto debido a que es imposible imaginar o comprobar las diferentes teorías, sin embargo la raza humana siempre esta preguntandose a si misma acerca del origen de todo lo que solo trae más y más preguntas.
Stehpen Hawking es tal vez el hombre más inteligente de la historia quien es miembro de la Real Sociedad de las Artes la misma en la que Sir Isaac Newton fue el primer miembro distinguido, y para los 70's èl fue nombrado uno de los miembros más jovenes de la organización. Para 1988 escribió uno de los mejores libros jamás escritos Una brevísima historia del tiempo que se colocó entre los más vendidos por 237 semanas en Gran Bretaña. Bueno solo sugeriría que lo lean, a veces el libro es dificíl de entender pero no se presionen porque casi nadie puede entenderlo, a pesar de que Hawking dijo que el libro es apto para el público en general.

Si quieres leerlo intenta una busqueda en Google o en http://www.taringa.net/posts/links/1077208/Stephen-Hawkins---Historia-del-tiempo.html, pero si lo deseas y puedo pasarte el pdf sin ningún problema.
If you want to read it try on a search on Google or http://www.taringa.net/posts/links/1077208/Stephen-Hawkins---Historia-del-tiempo.html, but if you wish I could give an pdf with no problem.

Good luck

Our best wishes to Sarahi on her trip to Athens, GA, USA for her MS (Biological Engineering) program at the University ofGeorgia. We are confident that she will bring more laurels to our team, school and to Mexico. Our prayers to GOD to support & protect her in all walks of her life.

Bon Voyage

Christian and Gerardo has left today for their 5 months internship at Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Georgia University with Dr. K. C. Das under TIES project funded by USAID-HED. Phase III.

Our best wishes to both of them for a happy stay and a rewarding experince.

Welcome back

Natalia and Ulises have returned back today after their 5 months internship with Dr. K.C. Das at The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA under the USAID-HED funded TIES phase III project. Bioremediation Group Laguna at Escuela de Ciencias Biologicas de la Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila in Torreon welcomes them back with much happiness and is looking forward to share their experiences.

Hope this experience helped them to develop their ideas, personality, future plans and motivated them to do their best for themselves, their family and to Mexico.

Producción de Metano en BIológicas ::::: Methane production at Biologicas

En pruebas hechas por el Dr. Nagamani, Gerardo y Christian se pudo notar que la producción de metano en su proyecto va viento en popa asi que felicidades chavos por el trabajo hecho hasta ahora tanto los que andan en EU como los que estan disfrutando de sus ultimos días de Torreón.

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On trials did by Dr. Nagamani, Gerardo and Christian it was evident the production of methane and their project is working, so congratulations gays for your work done until now by people in US as well as people who are enjoying their last days on Torreón.

PNUMA, Atlas de nuestro cambiante medio ambiente ::::: PNUMA, Atlas of our changing environment

Existe una división de las Naciones Unidas dedicada al monitoreo del medio ambiente global para garantizar que las contingencias sean atendidas en forma adecuada por los diferentes gobiernos. Uno de los documentos informativos acerca de los cambios más significativos en el mundo es el llamado Atlas de nuestro cambiante medio ambiente, en el cual se muestran en imagenes de satelite con la ayuda de GoogleMaps los 120 lugares en que se presentó de 1973 al 2004 un cambio realmente significativo en agricultura, atmosfera, biodiversidad, energía, bosques, pastizales, eventos extremos, población, contaminación, agua entre otros. En México existen cinco lugares señalados por PNUMA que presentan diversos problemas ambientales:

• Angangueo: Lugar donde anualmente llegan las mariposas Monarca en Michoacan ha sufrido un cambio forestal y por lo tanto de biodiversidad ha sido afectada.
• Frontera sur: La frontera entre Guatemala y México ha sido objeto del nacimiento de nuevos tiraderos de basura producto del crecimiento urbano, lo que a traído consigo una deforestación importante.
• Lago de Chapala: En Jalisco el lago más grande de la república ha sido disminuido debido al crecimiento urbano de ciudades de la zona metropolitana de Guadalajara.
• Ciudad de México: La mancha urbana vista desde el espacio es impresionante el D.F. es la segunda ciudad más poblada del mundo solo por debajo de Tokyo, Japón.
• Torreón: Es señalado por PNUMA en su atlas gracias al problema de agua que hay en mi querida ciudad.

Así pues, para mi fue sorprendente que mi ciudad, el lugar donde he pasado toda mi vida, sea señalado por una organización de orden mundial gracias a problemas ambientales que se viven a diario y que tal vez muchos de los que vivimos aqui no nos dabamos cuenta de la magnitud del problema. Solo queda que todos nos pogamos a actuar a favor de la ciudad que nos ha dado lo que tenemos.


Para más información visita

http://unepatlas.blogspot.com/search/label/Torre%C3%B3n
http://na.unep.net/digital_atlas2/webatlas.php?id=70#



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Exists a division from United Nations dedicated to monitoring of global environment to garanted that contingencies be attended in a proper form by governments. One of the informative documents about the most significative changes in the world is the Atlas of our changing envornment in which are showed trough satellital images with help of GoogleMaps the 120 sites where were evident since 1973 to 2004 significative changes on agriculture, atmosphere, biodiversity, energy, forests, grasslands, extreme events, population, pollution, water between others. In Mexico exists five sites pointed by PNUMA that present some environmental problems:

• Angangueo: Site where each year Monarch butterflies comed has suffered a forest change and therefore biodiversity has been affected.
• Southern border: The border of Guatemala and Mexico has been affected by the emergence of droplands product of urban growth what have taken with it a important decrease of rain forest.
• Chapala lake: On Jalisco the biggest lake of the republic has been decreased due to urban growth from the metropolitan area of Guadalajara.
• Mexico city: The urban stain watched from space is awsome, due to D.F. is the second most populated city just behind Tokyo, Japan.
• Torreón: Is pointed by PNUMA in its atlas thanks to water problem that there's on my dear city.

Well, for me it was amazing that my city, the site where I have spent all my life, was pointed by a global organization due to environmental problems which are present daily and perhaps many indivuduals from here didn't realize of the sheer size of the problem. It is just for everyone to act together for our city which has given to us everything we have.


For more information visit


http://unepatlas.blogspot.com/search/label/Torre%C3%B3n
http://na.unep.net/digital_atlas2/webatlas.php?id=70#

Un poco de calentamiento global en Biodiversa::: A little about global warming at Biodiversa

Biodiversa es un encuentro sobre biodiversidad y desarrollo sostenible que se realiza en La Laguna anualmente desde el año 2003 en el ITESM Campus Laguna y en la edición de este año se esta presentado el Foro Mesoamericano de Cambio Climatico: Desafios y Compromisos de los Grupos Principales. El evento esta programado para los días 18 y 19 de junio. En el día 18 de junio se habló principalmente de calentamento global y los cambios significativos que ha traido al ambiente. En las conferencias impartidas se dieron algunos datos concretos y muy interesantes como por ejemplo:

• La concentración de CO2 se ha incrementado de 265 ppm en el inicio de la era industrial a 360 ppm en la actualidad.
• Los 11 años más calientes en la historia se han dado de 1990 a la fecha.
• Si se duplican las concentraciones de gases inveradero en el siglo XXI, con relación a 1750 la temperatura se incrementarà en 3ºC.
• En los diferentes modelos que predicen las condiciones ambientales a un plazo no mayor de 50 años, se presenta a México como un lugar con disminución en la frecuencia de lluvias aunque con aumento de tormentas y prolongación de sequías.
• De seguir la tendencia actual, los mares crecerán hasta 98cm y Tabasco sería una de las areas más afectadas por tal hecho.
• Con respecto a la huella de carbono, el límite es de 2 ton/día/persona y el promedio es de 4 ton/día/persona.

Pero no se asusten, no todo fue tan pesimista. Se mencionó también que nuestra querido Torreón, Coahuila ha sido pionero en Latinoamerica siendo La Laguna la primer región enunciada como región de carbono neutro siendo un importante acuerdo entre los alcaldes de Torreón, Gomez Palacio y Lerdo en el que se comprometen los diferentes gobiernos a por lo menos no aumentar las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero.

Para más información:
http://www.torreon.gob.mx/prensa/noticia.php?not_id=1641
http://www.lag.itesm.mx/biodiversa

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Biodiversa is an event about biodiversity and sustainable development which is carried out in La Laguna every year since 2003 in ITESM Campus Laguna and in the edition of this year is being presented the Foro Mesoamericano de Cambio Climatico: Desafios y Compromisos de los Grupos Principales. The event is scheduled for June 18th and 19th. On June 18th it was about, mostly about global warming and significative changes that have been carried to environment. At imparted conferences were given some specific and interesting data, for example:

• CO2 concentration has been increased from 256 ppm at the beginning of industrial age to now-a-days.
• The warmest 11 years of history have been from 1990 to now-a-days.
• If green house gases are dobbled in XXI century, relating 1750, temperature will increase 3ºC.
• On different models which predict environment conditions in a no longer period than 50 years, Mexico is presented as a place with decrease on rain rate although with a increase of storms and longer droughts.
• Weather current trend go on, oceans will grow up to 98cm and Tabasco would be one of the most affected areas of it.
• About the "footprint carbon", the limit is of 2 tons/day/person and the average is 4 tons/day/person.

But don't be afraid, not everything was so pessimistic. It was mentioned too that our dear Torreón, Coahuila has been pioneer in Latinamerica for be the first region enunciated as a neutral carbon region being an important agreement between the majors from Torreón, Goméz Palacio and Lerdo in which governments are according at least no to increase green house gases emissions.

For more information:
http://www.torreon.gob.mx/prensa/noticia.php?not_id=1641
http://www.lag.itesm.mx/biodiversa

Ranas, sapos y anfibios ::: Frogs, toads and amphibians

Actualmente existen muchas especies de anfibios en america que estan en peligro de extinción. La cifra es terrible ya que cerca de la mitad de las especies de anfibios que habitan en el continente estan en peligro de extinción segun informaron la organización NatureServe y de la Unión Mundial para la Naturaleza, y a proposito México se encuentra entre los países con mayor indice de especies extintas y en peligro de extinición. De las 669 especies de anfibios existentes, se cuenta con suficiente información sobre 539 como para evaluar su estado de conservación. Por desgracias se ha encontrado que 257 especies se encuentran amenazadas con la extinción, lo que representa el 48% de las especies documentadas. Sobre otras 130 especies no se tiene información, pero se teme que la tendencia sea la misma. En México se sabe de la existencia de 324 especies de anfibios, de las cuales se tiene suficiente información de algunas 276 por lo que se puede asegurar que 1 especie se ha extinguido definitivamente y 137 estan amenazadas. Solo resta cuidar el ambiente en lo que a cada individuo le sea posible.

Para más información visita http://www.ambiente-ecologico.com/ediciones/2003/086_01.2003/086_InfoGral08.php3

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Currently exists a lot of species of amphibians in America which are on danger of extinction. The figure is terrible due to around the half of amphibians species that inhabit the American continent are on danger of extinction as the Organization NatureServe and the Union Mundial para la Naturaleza informed, and by the way Mexico is between the countries with the higher rates of extinguished and on danger species. Of 669 amphibian species, there is enough information about 539 for evaluate its preservation state. Unfortunately it has founded that 257 species are on threat by extinction, what represents the 48% of documented species. About other 130 species there isn't information but is feared the trend be the same. Mexico is known for the existence of 324 amphibian species, from which there is enough information of some 276 for what is possible to say that 1 specie has extinguished definitely and 137 are threated. It's just for wait to take care of environment in what be possible for each individual.

For more information visit http://www.ambiente-ecologico.com/ediciones/2003/086_01.2003/086_InfoGral08.php3

teacher´s day

hello everybody this picture is about the may fifteen that in mexico we celebrate the teachers, for the students is an important day because we thanks to this people that help us to have a new knowlege and improve ourselves. For this reason we organized a party in Nagamany´s house and passed a good time. was so fun because lee and susan cooked and we kept a good conversation.

thanks dr Nagamany you are an excellent teacher and patient with your students,we really apreciate all that you do for us

Boiling frog :::: Rana hervida

They say that if you put a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will leap out right away to escape the danger. But, if you put a frog in a kettle that is filled with water that is cool and pleasant,and then you gradually heat the kettle until it starts boiling, the frog will not become aware of the threat until it is too late. The frog's survival instincts are geared towards detecting sudden changes.
This is a story that is used to illustrate how people might get themselves into terrible trouble.This parable is often used to illustrate how humans have to be careful to watch slowly changing trends in the environment, not just the sudden changes. It's a warning to keep us paying attention not just to obvious threats but to more slowly developing ones.

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Se dice que si pones una rana dentro de una olla con agua hirviendo, la rana saltará fuera para escapar del peligro. Pero, si pones una rana en una vasija llena de agua fresca y placentera, y entonces gradualmente la calientas hasta que empiece a hervir, la rana no se percatara de la amenaza hasta que sea demasiado tarde. Los instintos de supervivencia de la rana estan previstos hacia la detección de cambios repentinos. Esta es una historia que es usada para ilustrar como los humanos tienen que ser cuidadosos para ver detenidamente las tendencias de cambio en el ambiente, no solo los cambios repentinos. Es una advertencia para mantenernos atentos no solo ante amenazas obvias sino más aún a aquellas que se desarrollan lentamente.

What do you think? ::: ¿Tú qué piensas?

Una organización defensora de los animales esta, a mi punto de vista, cometiendo un grave error al ofrecer un millón de dólares a quien sea capaz de "fabricar" carne artificial. El reto fue lanzado debido a que según la PETA (por sus siglas en inglés, Personas por un trato ético a los animales) cada año se están sacrificando más de 40,000 millones de animales de manera horrible por lo que según la organización estadounidense la idea de consumir carne fabricada in vitro no es una idea descabellada. Así pues tu tienes la mejor opinión. Para más información visita http://www.losandes.com.ar/notas/2008/4/21/un-355170.asp

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An organization of animals is, according to my point of view, doing a serious mistake by offering one million dollars whom be able to "manufacture" artificial meat. The challenge was given due to, according to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) each year are sacrified more than 40,000 million in animals in horrible conditions for what the American organization is saying that the idea of consuming manufactured meat in vitro is not a preposterous idea. Thus you have the best opinion. For more information visit http://www.losandes.com.ar/notas/2008/4/21/un-355170.asp

WORKSHOP

hello everybody

I traveled to Charleston, West Virginia during the first week of April to participate in a workshop on "Microarrays".

Microarrays help us to study the interaction between genes and the control cell using a software, which can identify the hibridization with the cDNA which have a fluorescent marker that indicate which genes are turned on or turn off. The applications of microarrays are: gene expression studies, microorganisms identification, DNA firgerprint barcoding.

In the workshop i learnt this technique. Lot of advances continue to take place every day on this technology and help us to use it in differents areas like genomics, biomedicals, biotechnology and others.

Friends, it is so important that we continue taking these oportunities and face it. In my case, it was complete a new experience and i have good memories about it. I met new people and learned much about each one.

Thanks to Ciencias Biologicas UA de C and West Virginia State University for giving me this opportunity and Dr Nagamani for trust in me...

Lucy Tello

TIES Symposium

A one day symposium on "Energy & Environmenal Technologies for Sustainable Devlopment" is to be held at Driftmier Auditorium, Driftmier Engineering Centre, University of Georgia, Athens, USA on 17th April, 2008. It is organized by Dr. K. C. Das and Dr. Nagamani Balagurusamy under the TIES project funded by USAID-HED.

Is CO2 good for something? ::: Es el CO2 bueno para algo?

Recently Toshiyasu Sakakura and his collegues of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tsukuba in Japan developed a catalyst reaction to convert CO2 into a plastic precursor, synthesis of which currently requires phosgene. This fact is important due to two aspects: first, human consumption of plastic products is huge and excess release of CO2 and methane result in global warming. Maybe the best part of the production of plastics through CO2 and methane is that the wastes produced by the processes are simply water, which is the cleanest refuse, but never imagined.


Recientemente Toshiyasu Sakakura y sus colegas del Instituto Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología Industrial Avanzada de Tsukuba, Japón desarrollaron una reacción catalitica para convertir CO2 en un precursor de plástico para cuya sintesis actualmente se requiere "phosgene". Este hecho es importante debido a dos aspectos: primeramente, el consumo de plásticos por humanos es enorme y la producción de CO2 y metano permite que el calentamiento global crezca y crezca. Tal vez lo mejor de la producción de plásticos a tráves de CO2 y metano es que los desechos producidos por los procesos son simplemente agua que es el desperdicio más limpio jamás pensado.

International Workshop on Microarrays

Best wishes to Ms. Lucia for a happy journey and a useful stay at Charleston, WV, USA. Hope she will bring us new ideas on the application of Microarray technology in our research area after attending the "International Workshop on Microarrays", to be held at West Virginia State University, Institute, WV from 2nd to 5th April, 2008. Dr. Umesh Reddy is organizing this Workshop and our thanks to him for extending the invitation to us for participation.

Rumen Fluid

Hello Every Body!

We would like to tell you about a out campus visit we had, at a beef farm 30 miles from Athens.

We met Dr. Mark A. Froetschel a Senior professor at Dairy Science school, who needed to take some samples of rumen liquid and manure.

Here are some photos and videos.