Multi Hazard Scenarios in the Mendoza/San Juan Provinces, Cuyo Region Argentina

This paper exposes major natural hazards inventory encountered in the two San Juan and Mendoza provinces, such as climatic, seismic, gravitational, and social/anthropic ones. The contrast between the high altitude of the region and low one is addressed in order to manage the inhomogeneity of prevention plans. The international road to Chile is greatly affected by gravitational hazards that proceed in out of run period and commercial traffic interruption, and large economic waste more than people vulnerability, as the urban areas are more affected by seismicity scenarios. But as gravitational hazard is affected by the seismicity it is proposed to analyze some co-hazard effect in a multi-scenarios approach from geology geography and mechanical modelling of events to explore the co-effects on the scenarios. Moreover, some similarities with the Rhone-Alpes region of France are evocated and may be of interest.Fil: Daudon, Dominique. University Grenoble Alpes; FranciaFil: Moreiras, Stella Maris. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Beck, Elise. University Grenoble Alpes; Franci

Physicochemistry in medicine: some selected examples

International audienc

Multi Hazard scenarios in the Mendoza/San Juan provinces, Cuyo Region Argentina

International audienceThis paper exposes major natural hazards inventory encountered in the two San Juan and Mendoza provinces, such as climatic, seismic, gravitational, and social/anthropic ones. The contrast between the high altitude of the region and low one is addressed in order to manage the inhomogeneity of prevention plans. The international road to Chile is greatly affected by gravitational hazards that proceed in out of run period and commercial traffic interruption, and large economic waste more than people vulnerability, as the urban areas are more affected by seismicity scenarios. But as gravitational hazard is affected by the seismicity it is proposed to analyze some co-hazard effect in a multi-scenarios approach from geology geography and mechanical modelling of events to explore the co-effects on the scenarios. Moreover, some similarities with the Rhone-Alpes region of France are evocated and may be of interest

PANDALP : a new penetrometer for snow investigation

This paper presents a new tool for snow investigation, issued from a portable dynamic penetrometer Panda with variable energy for soil investigation. After a brief presentation of this apparatus, a comparable study between this tool and other tests is carried out. The application of this apparatus in different sights shows that in couple with other tests such us nivological test or temperature test, we could use this portable machine to make snow investigation

High Zn content of Randall's plaque: A μ-X-ray fluorescence investigation

Kidney stone disease, or nephrolithiasis, is a common ailment. Among the different risk factors usually associated with nephrolithiasis are dehydration, metabolic defects (especially with regard to calcium and oxalate). The presence of a mineral deposit at the surface of the renal papilla (termed Randall's plaque) has all been recently underlined. Of note, Randall's plaque is made of the calcium phosphate, carbapatite, and serves as a nucleus for kidney stone formation. The process by which apatite nanocrystals nucleate and form Randall's plaque remains unclear. This paper deals with the possible relationship between trace elements and the formation of this mineral. The investigation has been performed on a set of Randall's plaques, extracted from human kidney stones, through μ-X-ray diffraction and μ-X-ray fluorescence analyses in order to determine the chemical composition of the plaque as well as the nature and the amount of trace elements. Our data provide evidence that Zn levels are dramatically increased in carbapatite of RP by comparison to carbapatite in kidney stones, suggesting that calcified deposits within the medullar interstitium are a pathological process involving a tissue reaction. Further studies, perhaps including the investigation of biomarkers for inflammation, are necessary for clarifying the role of Zn in Randall's plaque formation

Characterization and Some Physicochemical Aspects of Pathological Microcalcifications

Several major diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular abnormalities, may be linked to pathological deposition of minerals or organic compounds in various tissues. Thus, the detection of such minerals or compounds and understanding the physicochemical processes associated with their formation are essential. As underlined by Schmidt et al., in Europe and the U.S., breast cancer will occur in 1 in 10 women. If clustered calcifications are one of the mammographic signs of early breast cancer, their chemical nature must be determined. More precisely, calcium phosphates (CaPs) are frequently associated with malignancy, but calcium oxalates are present in benign lesions. From a medical viewpoint, pathological calcifications refer to at least three very different families of biominerals: concretions, metastatic calcifications and dystrophic calcifications. Concretions are found in hollow organs or ducts of the body. For example, kidney stones are solid concretions of dissolved minerals in urine found in the kidney. In contrast, metastatic and dystrophic calcifications, which can be considered ectopic calcifications, are defined as unexpected biomineralization occurring in soft tissues. In the absence of a systemic mineral imbalance, dystrophic calcification is often associated with tissue alteration or necrosis. In contrast, metastatic calcifications resulting from mineral imbalance are more systemic and affect various tissues (e.g., vessels, lungs, kidneys). A fourth family can be considered physiological calcification (bone), which becomes pathological with diseases such as arthrosis or osteoporosis

Solid state NMR of salivary calculi: Proline-rich salivary proteins, citrate, polysaccharides, lipids, and organic–mineral interactions

Solid state NMR (ssNMR) can characterize mineral (31P) and organic (13C) components of human salivary stones (n = 8). All show apatitic 31P spectra. 13C ssNMR indicates more protein, of more consistent composition, than apatitic uroliths, with signals from Tyr, Phe and His prominent. Citrate and lipid, identified by dipolar dephasing (DD), and polysaccharides are also observable in varying amounts. 13C{31P} rotational echo double resonance (13C{31P} REDOR) identifies carbon atoms in close (< ca. 0.5 nm) proximity to phosphorus and therefore probably binding with mineral. Citrate, sugar and carboxylate signals undergo strong 13C{31P} REDOR, also seen to signals between 50 and 60 ppm, from protein α- carbons and, possibly, phosphoserines and phospholipids, and sometimes to a 35 – 40 ppm envelope containing Asp-Cβ and Glu-Cγ signals. Amino acid analysis indicates high proline and aromatic content. 13C ssNMR and amino acid composition is consistent with preponderance of proline-rich salivary proteins such as statherin.The U.K. EPSRC (Y. L.) and MRC (D. G. R.) for fundingThis is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.crci.2015.07.00

Oak Foundation Environment Programme Evaluation: Executive Summary

This is an Executive Summary of a full evaluation conducted for the Oak Foundation in 2015. The evaluation provided an external assessment of the impact of the Oak Foundation's climate and marine philanthropy from 2009 to 2014, and the effectiveness of the strategies, internal structures, and approaches deployed. The lessons learned are also intended to guide the formation of a new strategic framework to guide grant-making to 2020. Thus, this review was intended to not only reflect on past programming and the Oak Foundation's role in environmental philanthropy, but also to update the understanding of baseline conditions, highlight important trends, needs, and opportunities, and identify ways to increase impact. The evaluation method was centered on interviews, desktop research, and a document review. The scope was not comprehensive; it focused on grants and initiatives that were of most interest to Oak leadership, and that had not been subject to a recent in-depth project evaluation. This Executive Summary is intended for external audiences, and does not include the sections covering the Foundation's internal processes and operations

Therapy modifies cystine kidney stones at the macroscopic scale. Do such alterations exist at the mesoscopic and nanometre scale?

International audienceWith an incidence of 1:7000 births, cystinuria, the most frequent cause of stone formation among genetic diseases, represents a major medical problem. Twentyfive cystine stones randomly selected from cystinuric patients were investigated. From a crystallographic point of view, cystine stones are composed of micrometre size crystallites, which are made up of an aggregation of nanocrystals. Through scanning electron microscopy, the morphology and size of the crystallites have been described, while the size of the nanocrystals was investigated by means of powder neutron diffraction. Powder neutron diffraction analysis and/or scanning electron microscopy examination of cystine stones provide evidence that usual alkalinization by sodium bicarbonate associated with high diuresis significantly reduces the size of both nanocrystals and crystallites, while for other treatments, including alkalinizing drugs and thiol derivatives, the data suggest mainly changes in the topology of crystallites. Alkalinization with sodium bicarbonate affects cystine kidney stones at the mesoscopic and nanoscopic scales, while other medical treatments only alter their surface. Such an approach may help to assess the interaction between drugs and cystine stones in cystinuric patients