The Northern and Central Oases of the Province of Mendoza (Argentina): water resources and sustainability challenges

International audiencePendant les dernières décennies du 20ème siècle, les oasis de Mendoza, au coeur de la diagonale aride sudaméricaine, ont connu de profondes mutations de leur modèle socio-économique, fondé sur l'agriculture et les industries agro-alimentaires. La mondialisation, Mendoza l'a connue assez brutalement : la crise économique du Mercosur des années 2000 - suivant de près celle des marchés asiatiques (1997-98) - a entrainé un afflux massif d'investissements internationaux, malheureusement localisés sur l'oasis Centre, aux dépens de l'oasis historique, l'Oasis Nord. Tandis que celle-ci subit une très forte pression démographique et industrielle entraînant une pollution marquée de l'eau d'irrigation, l'oasis Centre connaît un véritable boom économique. C'est ainsi toute la structure sociale de la province qui est bouleversée, ce qui se manifeste géographiquement par une inversion des centralités-périphéries

Risk of autism in the use of assisted reproduction techniques: An analysis from the Transcurssive Logic

This paper investigates the existence of a relationship between assisted reproductive technology (ART), such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and the birth of autistic children. Based on abundant bibliography (Danan et al, 1999; Cummins, 2000; Riva & Giorgi, 2000; Palmen, 2004; Allen, 2005; Tavano et al, 2007; Palmieri & Persico, 2010; Bolduc et al., 2011, 2012; Stoodley et al., 2012; Konopka, 2013; Lyall et al, 2013; Sandin et al, 2013; Chen et al., 2015; Fountain et al., 2015; Siddiqui et al., 2016; Punamäki et al, 2016; Liu et al, 2017; Babinská et al, 2017; Griffiths & Levy, 2017; Liang et al., 2017) propose that the possibility of transference of paternal mitochondrial DNA through these techniques is a determining factor to be taken into account in the alteration of Ca++ homeostasis that has been detected in some autistic patients. This condition would facilitate, according to the theory of psychic functioning (Salatino, 2013, 2016), the cancellation of low frequencies (20 Hz) in the brain, which manage the sociocultural system. If we add to this the decrease in the cerebellar Purkinje cells that are usually found in patients with autism, it would explain the alterations of the psychic structure and function that produce deterioration or lack of language and social treatment shown by these patients. Taking Hempel's nomological-deductive method as a guide and complementing it with transcurssive logic, a reasonable explanation can be given to the following hypothetical case: after the use of the ICSI technique, an autistic child was born. Since this technique gives the possibility that part of the paternal mitochondrial DNA, contained in the sperm, passes to the ovule upon fertilization, and produce a case de paternal heteroplasmy. By reviewing the aforementioned etiological aspects, we were able to predict the appearance of the psychic disorders of these children, taking into account structural and functional aspects of the psychic apparatus, with firm neurobiological bases. The hypothetical case analyzed justifies paternal heteroplasmy as one of the possible causes of autism, according to some of the statistics presented by other authors

Prevalence of Blood Types and Alloantibodies of the AB Blood Group System in Non-Pedigree Cats from Northern (Lombardy) and Southern (Sicily) Italy

The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of A, B and AB blood types and alloantibodies in non-pedigree cats from two regions, one in Northern and one in Southern Italy (Lombardy and Sicily, respectively). A total of 448 samples (52.0% from Northern and 48.0% from Southern Italy) were blood typed. The prevalence of A, B and AB blood types in northern and southern cats were 91.0%, 5.2%, 3.8%, and 77.2%, 12.1% and 10.7%, respectively. The prevalence of type-A blood in southern cats was significantly lower (p = 0.0001) than in northern cats, while type-B and AB blood were significantly higher (p = 0.0085 and p = 0.0051, respectively) in Southern compared to Northern Italian cats. Alloantibodies against type-A blood were found in 94.1% of type-B cats, 11.2% of type-A cats had alloantibodies against type-B blood, while no type-AB cats had alloantibodies with no significant difference between the two Italian populations. Type-AB prevalence in non-pedigree cats in Southern Italy was the highest reported in Europe. Italian type-A cats had the lowest worldwide prevalence of alloantibodies against type-B blood. These results highlight the usefulness of regional studies to report different prevalences in feline blood types and reinforce the importance of blood typing cats before transfusions and mating

Aplicación de índices integradores de calidad hídrica al piedemonte andino argentino

Este trabajo presenta los resultados de la aplicación del Water Quality Index (WQI) del Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment, con el objeto de caracterizar de manera sintética y gráfica la calidad del agua, considerando un conjunto de parámetros biológicos, físicos y químicos en grandes cuencas. Este índice deja a criterio del investigador la elección de aquellos parámetros que resulten importantes para la zona y que además sean representativos de los distintos usos del agua. Se presentan aquí los resultados obtenidos a partir de una base de datos de calidad de agua de riego de dos cuencas del piedemonte andino argentino, considerando diferentes parámetros y límites sugeridos por el Departamento General de Irrigación de la provincia de Mendoza, un organismo internacional (FAO), las agencias de agua (AE) francesas y un país como Marruecos, cuyo entorno medioambiental es muy similar al analizado. Se concluye que la metodología lleva a una sobrevaloración del Factor 1 del WQI y permite a) manipular los resultados al incluir en la construcción del índice parámetros más/menos favorables; b) modificar dicho factor para disminuir su peso en el cálculo del índice, y c) no obstante todas las limitaciones detectadas, resulta útil para la comparación de la calidad del agua entre distintos sitios y/o cuencas regadías

Constituents and antiproliferative activity of extracts from leaves of Croton macrobothrys

Croton macrobothrys Baill, Euphorbiaceae, is a tree from the Atlantic Forest in Southern Brazil, used in traditional medicine and popularly known as "dragon's blood" and "pau-sangue". Leaf n-hexane, dichloromethane and methanol extracts were analyzed by GC/MS and evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative activity on cell lines 786-0 (kidney), HT-29 (colon), K562 (leukemia), NCI-ADR/RES (drug resistant ovary), NCI-H460 (lung), MCF-7 (mammary), PC-3 (prostate), OVCAR-3 (ovary), U251 (glioma) and UACC-62 (melanoma). The dicloromethane extract exhibited activity against all cell lines at the concentration 25 µg/mL, in particular on cell lines NCI-H460 (GI50 0.33 μg/mL) and K5662 (GI50 0.91 μg/mL). Relevant constituents in dichloromethane extract are the alkaloids corydine and salutaridine, as well as the diterpenes geranylgeraniol and crotonin-derived clerodanes

Constituents and antiproliferative activity of extracts from leaves of croton macrobothrys

Croton macrobothrys Baill, Euphorbiaceae, is a tree from the Atlantic Forest in Southern Brazil, used in traditional medicine and popularly known as "dragon's blood" and "pau-sangue". Leaf n-hexane, dichloromethane and methanol extracts were analyzed by GC/MS and evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative activity on cell lines 786-0 (kidney), HT-29 (colon), K562 (leukemia), NCI-ADR/RES (drug resistant ovary), NCI-H460 (lung), MCF-7 (mammary), PC-3 (prostate), OVCAR-3 (ovary), U251 (glioma) and UACC-62 (melanoma). The dicloromethane extract exhibited activity against all cell lines at the concentration 25 µg/mL, in particular on cell lines NCI-H460 (GI50 0.33 μg/mL) and K5662 (GI50 0.91 μg/mL). Relevant constituents in dichloromethane extract are the alkaloids corydine and salutaridine, as well as the diterpenes geranylgeraniol and crotonin-derived clerodanes216972977CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQCOORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPSem informaçãoSem informação08/10595-3; 08/09942-

Constituents and antiproliferative activity of extracts from leaves of Croton macrobothrys

Croton macrobothrys Baill, Euphorbiaceae, is a tree from the Atlantic Forest in Southern Brazil, used in traditional medicine and popularly known as "dragon's blood" and "pau-sangue". Leaf n-hexane, dichloromethane and methanol extracts were analyzed by GC/MS and evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative activity on cell lines 786-0 (kidney), HT-29 (colon), K562 (leukemia), NCI-ADR/RES (drug resistant ovary), NCI-H460 (lung), MCF-7 (mammary), PC-3 (prostate), OVCAR-3 (ovary), U251 (glioma) and UACC-62 (melanoma). The dicloromethane extract exhibited activity against all cell lines at the concentration 25 µg/mL, in particular on cell lines NCI-H460 (GI50 0.33 μg/mL) and K5662 (GI50 0.91 μg/mL). Relevant constituents in dichloromethane extract are the alkaloids corydine and salutaridine, as well as the diterpenes geranylgeraniol and crotonin-derived clerodanes.21697297

Antiproliferative Activity Of Flavonoids From Croton Sphaerogynus Baill. (euphorbiaceae).

Croton sphaerogynus is a shrub from the Atlantic Rain Forest in southeastern Brazil. A lyophilized crude EtOH extract from leaves of C. sphaerogynus, obtained by maceration at room temperature (seven days), was suspended in methanol and partitioned with hexane. The purified MeOH phase was fractionated over Sephadex LH-20 yielding five fractions (F1-F5) containing flavonoids, as characterized by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS analyses. The antiproliferative activity of the crude EtOH extract, MeOH and hexane phases, and fractions F1-F5 was evaluated on in vitro cell lines NCI-H460 (nonsmall cell lung), MCF-7 (breast cancer), and U251 (glioma). The MeOH phase showed activity (mean log GI50 0.54) higher than the hexane phase and EtOH extract (mean log GI50 1.13 and 1.19, resp.). F1 exhibited activity against NCI-H460 (nonsmall cell lung) (GI50 1.2 μg/mL), which could be accounted for the presence of flavonoids and/or diterpenes. F4 showed moderate activity (mean log GI50 1.05), while F5 showed weak activity (mean log GI50 1.36). It is suggested that the antiproliferative activity of the crude EtOH extract and MeOH phase is accounted for a synergistic combination of flavonoids and diterpenes.201521280

Antiproliferative activity of flavonoids from croton Sphaerogynus baill. (euphorbiaceae)

Croton sphaerogynus is a shrub from the Atlantic Rain Forest in southeastern Brazil. A lyophilized crude EtOH extract from leaves of C. sphaerogynus, obtained by maceration at room temperature (seven days), was suspended in methanol and partitioned with hexane. The purified MeOH phase was fractionated over Sephadex LH-20 yielding five fractions (F1-F5) containing flavonoids, as characterized by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS analyses. The antiproliferative activity of the crude EtOH extract, MeOH and hexane phases, and fractions F1-F5 was evaluated on in vitro cell lines NCI-H460 (nonsmall cell lung), MCF-7 (breast cancer), and U251 (glioma). The MeOH phase showed activity (mean log GI(50) 0.54) higher than the hexane phase and EtOH extract (mean log GI(50) 1.13 and 1.19, resp.). F1 exhibited activity against NCI-H460 (nonsmall cell lung) (GI(50) 1.2 mu g/mL), which could be accounted for the presence of flavonoids and/or diterpenes. F4 showed moderate activity (mean log GI(50) 1.05), while F5 showed weak activity (mean log GI(50) 1.36). It is suggested that the antiproliferative activity of the crude EtOH extract and MeOH phase is accounted for a synergistic combination of flavonoids and diterpenes2015COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPsem informação2012/10079-

Co-firing of biomass and other wastes in fluidised bed systems

A project on co-firing in large-scale power plants burning coal is currently funded by the European Commission. It is called COPOWER. The project involves 10 organisations from 6 countries. The project involves combustion studies over the full spectrum of equipment size, ranging from small laboratory-scale reactors and pilot plants, to investigate fundamentals and operating parameters, to proving trials on a commercial power plant in Duisburg. The power plant uses a circulating fluidized bed boiler. The results to be obtained are to be compared as function of scale-up. There are two different coals, 3 types of biomass and 2 kinds of waste materials are to be used for blending with coal for co-firing tests. The baseline values are obtained during a campaign of one month at the power station and the results are used for comparison with those to be obtained in other units of various sizes. Future tests will be implemented with the objective to achieve improvement on baseline values. The fuels to be used are already characterized. There are ongoing studies to determine reactivities of fuels and chars produced from the fuels. Reactivities are determined not only for individual fuels but also for blends to be used. Presently pilot-scale combustion tests are also undertaken to study the effect of blending coal with different types of biomass and waste materials. The potential for synergy to improve combustion is investigated. Early results will be reported in the Conference. Simultaneously, studies to verify the availability of biomass and waste materials in Portugal, Turkey and Italy have been undertaken. Techno-economic barriers for the future use of biomass and other waste materials are identified. The potential of using these materials in coal fired power stations has been assessed. The conclusions will also be reported