Tekhné

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Authors: Joaquín Benítez

This paper intends to explore the links between the practice of the Environmental Impact Assessment with the principles of the Sustainable Development and the Bioethics. This research was made thru the revision of important references and authors who establish some significant links which were analyzed by the author. The more important characteristics of the Environmental Impact Assessment practice in Venezuela were described and the links with the Sustainable Development, thru the analysis of evidences provided by previous works was made, the results are linked with positive connections. Also were explored the links between the Environmental Impact Assessment practice and the Bioethics principles established by Potter and Alicardi, resulting in findings of several positive links.

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Authors: Luís Ramírez, Mayra Narváez, Joaquín Benítez, María Remedios

This document presents the results obtained after applying some of the indicators proposed by ISO 37120: 2014, referring to the sustainable development of the cities, in three Venezuelan localities, specifically the Municipality of Chacao, Guayana and Maracaibo city. The data processed corresponds to the 2011 National Census and references to City Halls and Municipalities. Some areas evaluated are the collection of waste, availability of drinking water and food, proportion of voters who exercised their right to vote in the elections of 2013, percentage of people below the poverty line, and others. The analysis is oriented in the comparison between each locality and the extreme values obtained, in order to make important findings for future investigations that deepen the continuous improvement in the quality of life of Venezuelan people.

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Authors: Heriberto Echezuría

Values of strong motion duration

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Authors: Rafael Muñíz

Biomimetics (of bios, life, and mimesis, imitate) is a new science based on the study of models, systems and processes of nature with the purpose of imitating them and thus pose possible solutions to practical problems to cover some of the human needs. Biomimetics is a method by which designers and engineers build on the knowledge of how organisms solve complex problems in their relationship with the environment throughout an evolutionary process of billions of years. To this end, scientists from different areas of knowledge have started the development of multiple projects aimed at emulating natural processes by introducing a series of new concepts that today are used by organizations worldwide in the construction of goods and services. Current design methods require new approaches to generate innovation. The methodological approaches presented in this article facilitate the conceptualization of product design strategies, based on the functional specifications provided by living beings.

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Authors: Beatriz Soledad-Rodríguez

The selective molecular recognition properties of the Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) make them highly sensitive and with high selectivity and affinity for the analyte. The molecular imprinting technique is based on the preparation of a highly crosslinked polymer around an analyte used as a template or template molecule. Initially the analyte is contacted with a suitable monomer in order to form a prepolymerization complex, subsequently is added the cross-linker, the initiator and the solvent (porogen) with which the polymerization is carried out. Once the polymer is obtained, the template molecule is extracted, releasing the specific recognition sites. It is because of these recognition sites within the polymer matrix (complementary to the molecule under analysis in the form and position of the functional groups) that selective molecular recognition occurs. Molecularly Imprinted Solid Phase Extraction (MISPE) is a technique frequently used for the analysis of environment, food and bioanalytical samples. Analyzing an analyte in complex mixtures often requires several pretreatment steps. If the compound to be analyzed is present in very low concentrations, it must be concentrated to be detected by standard analytical techniques. On the other hand, if the sample has other compounds, a previous step that involves its cleaning is necessary. Solid-phase extraction is a widely used technique for pre-treatment of samples, since it is flexible and easy to automate. This paper presents the molecular printing process and its applications in combination with solid phase extraction, to be used as an alternative for the pre-concentration of complex samples such as food and environment.