Citizen science approaches for water quality measurements

Citizen science has become a widely used approach in water quality studies. Although there are literature reviews about citizen science and water quality assessments, an overview of the most commonly used methods and their strengths and weaknesses is still lacking. Therefore, we reviewed the scientific literature on citizen science for surface water quality assessments and examined the methods and strategies used by the 72 studies that fulfilled our search criteria. Special attention was given to the parameters monitored, the monitoring tools, and the spatial and temporal resolution of the data collected in these studies. In addition, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches used in water quality assessments and their potential to complement traditional hydrological monitoring and research

Developing new sulfate-resistant cements: a BaCO3 approach

ICCC 2015, Beijing, China, 13~16 October 2015; http://iccc2015.csp.escience.cn/dct/page/1OPC mortar and concretes can be attacked by sulphate solutions giving rise to different decaying processes, related with the formation of ettringite, gypsum, thaumasite etc. At present deterioration due to ettringite formation is avoided by limiting aluminate phase in clinker Portland, however it does not prevent other forms of sulphate attack. Barium carbonate has been used in several fields to eliminate sulphate ion from solutions due to it reacts with them and produces a very insoluble salt, BaSO4. There are in the literature studies demonstrating that ettringite as well as gypsum decompose in the presence of barium carbonate. Studies on the hydration rate of synthetic C3A in the presence of varying percentages of gypsum, BaCO3 or gypsum+BaCO3 revealed that BaCO3 neither regulated the speedy reaction of C3A with water nor reacted with the aluminate. Blends of gypsum plus BaCO3 proved able to regulate C3A hydration. The objective of this paper was to know the behavior of mortars elaborated with optimized mixes of clinker-gypsum-BaCO3 in 4.4 wt% Na2SO4 solution. For this four cements were elaborated by mix of: a) clinker M with 5% of gypsum; b) Clinker M with 3% of gypsum and 15% of BaCO3; c) clinker V and 7 wt% of gypsum; d) clinker V plus 3wt% of gypsum and 15% of BaCO3. Studies on durability were performed on mortar prisms of 10x10x60 mm size, with cement/sand ratio = 1/3 and water/cement ratio = 0.5. Cement Mortar prisms remained submerged under water and under sodium sulfate solution for one year. Samples were extracted from solution after 1,3,5,7 and 12 months and then mechanically tested. XRD and SEM/EDX were performed on the said samples. The compressive but mainly flexural strengths of mortars a), decreased from 5 months in contact with sulphate solution while in the mortars b) strengths remain unaltered after 12 months. Mechanical strengths of mortars c), decreased from 3 months in contact with sulphate solution and were completely destroyed after 12 months of exposition. BaCO3 fails as protector from sulphate attack in d) mortars which were cracked after one year of sulphate exposition. Correlations between mineralogical composition and microstructural changes in mortars along time of test were established.Peer Reviewe

Lmo2 expression defines tumor cell identity during T-cell leukemogenesis

The impact of LMO2 expression on cell lineage decisions during T-cell leukemogenesis remains largely elusive. Using genetic lineage tracing, we have explored the potential of LMO2 in dictating a T-cell malignant phenotype. We first initiated LMO2 expression in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and maintained its expression in all hematopoietic cells. These mice develop exclusively aggressive human-like T-ALL. In order to uncover a potential exclusive reprogramming effect of LMO2 in murine hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, we next showed that transient LMO2 expression is sufficient for oncogenic function and induction of T-ALL. The resulting T-ALLs lacked LMO2 and its target-gene expression, and histologically, transcriptionally, and genetically similar to human LMO2-driven T-ALL. We next found that during T-ALL development, secondary genomic alterations take place within the thymus. However, the permissiveness for development of T-ALL seems to be associated with wider windows of differentiation than previously appreciated. Restricted Cre-mediated activation of Lmo2 at different stages of B-cell development induces systematically and unexpectedly T-ALL that closely resembled those of their natural counterparts. Together, these results provide a novel paradigm for the generation of tumor T cells through reprogramming in vivo and could be relevant to improve the response of T-ALL to current therapies.J.H. has been supported by the German Cancer Aid (Project 110997 and Translational Oncology Program 70112951), the German Jose Carreras Leukemia Foundation (DJCLS 02R/2016), Deutsches Konsortium für Translationale Krebsforschung (DKTK), Joint funding (Targeting MYC L*10), the Kinderkrebsstiftung (2016/17), and the “Elterninitiative Kinderkrebsklinik e.V. Düsseldorf”. SG has been supported by a scholarship of the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg. AB has been supported by the German Children's Cancer Foundation and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Bonn, Germany. Research in ISG group is partially supported by FEDER and by MINECO (SAF2012-32810, SAF2015-64420-R, and Red de Excelencia Consolider OncoBIO SAF2014-57791-REDC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PIE14/00066), ISCIII- Plan de Ayudas IBSAL 2015 Proyectos Integrados (IBY15/00003), by Junta de Castilla y León (BIO/SA51/15, CSI001U14, UIC-017, and CSI001U16), Fundacion Inocente Inocente, and by the ARIMMORA project (European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 282891). ISG Lab is a member of the EuroSyStem and the DECIDE Network funded by the European Union under the FP7 program. AB and ISG have been supported by the German Carreras Foundation (DJCLS R13/26). IGR was supported by BES-Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (BES-2013-063789). AML and GRH were supported by FSE-Conserjería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León (CSI001-13, CSI001-15). Research in CVD group is partially supported by FEDER, “Miguel Servet” Grant (CP14/00082—AES 2013-2016) from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad), “Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias/Instituto de Salud Carlos III” (PI17/00167), and by the Lady Tata International Award for Research in Leukaemia 2016–2017

Influence of coronary artery disease and subclinical atherosclerosis related polymorphisms on the risk of atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis

A genetic component influences the development of atherosclerosis in the general population and also in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, genetic polymorphisms associated with atherosclerosis in the general population are not always involved in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in RA. Accordingly, a study in North-American RA patients did not show the association reported in the general population of coronary artery disease with a series of relevant polymorphisms (TCF21, LPA, HHIPL1, RASD1-PEMT, MRPS6, CYP17A1-CNNM2-NT5C2, SMG6-SRR, PHACTR1, WDR12 and COL4A1-COL4A2). In the present study, we assessed the potential association of these polymorphisms with CVD in Southern European RA patients. We also assessed if polymorphisms implicated in the increased risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in non-rheumatic Caucasians (ZHX2, PINX1, SLC17A4, LRIG1 and LDLR) may influence the risk for CVD in RA. 2,609 Spanish patients were genotyped by TaqMan assays. Subclinical atherosclerosis was determined in 1,258 of them by carotid ultrasonography (assessment of carotid intima media thickness and presence/absence of carotid plaques). No statistically significant differences were found when each polymorphism was assessed according to the presence/absence of cardiovascular events and subclinical atherosclerosis, after adjustment for potential confounder factors. Our results do not show an association between these 15 polymorphisms and atherosclerosis in RA

A deletion at Adamts9-magi1 Locus is associated with psoriatic arthritis risk

Objective: Copy number variants (CNVs) have been associated with the risk to develop multiple autoimmune diseases. Our objective was to identify CNVs associated with the risk to develop psoriatic arthritis (PsA) using a genome-wide analysis approach. Methods: A total of 835 patients with PsA and 1498 healthy controls were genotyped for CNVs using the Illumina HumanHap610 BeadChip genotyping platform. Genomic CNVs were characterised using CNstream analysis software and analysed for association using the χ2 test. The most significant genomic CNV associations with PsA risk were independently tested in a validation sample of 1133 patients with PsA and 1831 healthy controls. In order to test for the specificity of the variants with PsA aetiology, we also analysed the association to a cohort of 822 patients with purely cutaneous psoriasis (PsC). Results: A total of 165 common CNVs were identified in the genome-wide analysis. We found a highly significant association of an intergenic deletion between ADAMTS9 and MAGI1 genes on chromosome 3p14.1 (p=0.00014). Using the independent patient and control cohort, we validated the association between ADAMTS9-MAGI1 deletion and PsA risk (p=0.032). Using next-generation sequencing, we characterised the 26 kb associated deletion. Finally, analysing the PsC cohort we found a lower frequency of the deletion compared with the PsA cohort (p=0.0088) and a similar frequency to that of healthy controls (p>0.3). Conclusions: The present genome-wide scan for CNVs associated with PsA risk has identified a new deletion associated with disease risk and which is also differential from PsC risk

Protective Role of the Interleukin 33 rs3939286 Gene Polymorphism in the Development of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the interleukin-33 (IL-33)-interleukin-1 receptor like 1 (IL-1RL1) signaling pathway is implicated in the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: A total of 576 Spanish RA patients from Northern Spain were genotyped for 6 well-known IL33-IL1RL1 polymorphisms (IL33 rs3939286, IL33 rs7025417, IL33 rs7044343, IL1RL1 rs2058660, IL1RL1 rs2310173 and IL1RL1 rs13015714) by TaqMan genotyping assay. The presence of subclinical atherosclerosis was determined by the assessment of carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) by carotid ultrasound (US). RESULTS: RA patients carrying the TT genotype of the IL33 rs3939286 polymorphism had lower cIMT values than those homozygous for the CC genotype (mean ± standard deviation (SD): 0.71 ± 0.14 mm versus 0.76 ± 0.16 mm, respectively) while patients carrying the CT genotype had intermediate cIMT values (mean ± SD: 0.73 ± 0.17 mm). Moreover, RA patients carrying the mutant allele T of the IL33 rs3939286 polymorphism exhibited significantly lower cIMT values than those carrying the wild allele C (mean ± SD: 0.72 ± 0.16 mm versus 0.75 ± 0.18 mm respectively; p = 0.04). The association of both genotype and allele frequencies of IL33 rs3939286 and cIMT levels remained statistically significant after adjustment for sex, age at the time of US study, follow-up and center (p = 0.006 and p = 0.0023, respectively), evidencing that the potential effect conferred by IL33 rs3939286 may be independent of confounder factors. No association with other IL33-IL1RL1 genetic variants was observed. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our results may suggest a potential protective effect of the IL33 rs3939286 allele T in the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with RA

Bones pràctiques en atenció compartida: recomanacions per a una gestió òptima dels PIIC

Bones pràctiques; Presa decisions; Plans d’intervenció individualitzats i compartitsBuenas prácticas; Toma de decisiones; Planes de intervención individualizados i compartidosGood practices; Decision making; Individualized and shared intervention plansAquest document és un instrument per a professionals de l'atenció sanitària per posar al dia els criteris de bon ús dels PIIC respecte a la revisió que es va publicar l’abril de 2015

Investigación joven con perspectiva de género II

Actas del II Congreso de jóvenes investigadorxs con perspectiva de género (Getafe, 26 y 27 de junio de 2017) organizado por el Instituto Universitario de Estudios de Género de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection