Hydraulic and biological aspects of fish passes for dams

The primary purpose of the dissertation is to quantify the efficiency and operation of various types of fish passes for dams. This is achieved through a novel experiment of testing juvenile salmon in a scale model fish-passes with a range of small structures including vertical slots, orifices, weirs and combinations of all three. Direct comparisons of the efficiency of each type of fish pass in terms of upstream migration. Two identical physical models were constructed, one at the Fisheries Research Services Freshwater Laboratory at Almondbank, Perth, Scotland where observations were made of fish behaviour. The other model at the University of Glasgow, Glasgow tested only hydraulic conditions. The physical models were simplified representations of a reach of a river downstream of a dam, weir or any other obstruction to fish migration. A removable cross wall incorporating one of the types of pass tested divided the flume into two pools. A significantly higher proportion of fish moved through submerged orifices or vertical slots than through weirs for a given flow rate and velocity. The orifice and vertical slot passing efficiencies are directly correlated to the velocities existing in their vicinity. To reach the weir/slot/orifice devices, salmon parr tended also to stay near the bottom of the flume and followed a path along the sides of the arena, which provided them with low velocities and cover. In the vicinity of the weir/orifice/slot devices, the movements of salmon parr were consistent with energy-conserving strategies. Clearly, the extrapolations of results from the behaviour of small to large salmon remains cautious, the intention of this research being to characterise the behaviour of small salmon and to develop clear testable hypotheses about how large salmon may respond to water flow. Preliminary field tests were then conducted at Tongland Dam fish pass to test the main recommendation extrapolated from the parr behavioural study. The particular situation of this fish pass, which contains both weirs and orifices, allows a comparison between the two. Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags together with antennae installed at a weir and an orifice were used to individually monitor the movement of wild spawning salmon passing through the fish pass. The results of the field test are as yet, inconclusive

A implantação dos instrumentos de gerenciamento dos recursos hídricos no estado do Rio Grande do Sul/Br

Apesar dos avanços na implementação dos instrumentos de planejamento, há ainda muito a ser feito para que os mesmos se efetivem completamente em todo o Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (RS). Entre as perspetivas ao gerenciamento está o incentivo atual na formulação e conclusão da Política Estadual de Recursos Hídricos e dos Planos de Bacia Hidrográfica. Este esforço permitirá consolidar o enquadramento legal e estabelecer as bases da outorga e cobrança. Além disso, verifica-se um esforço na consolidação do Sistema Estadual de Informação de Recursos Hídricos para sistematizar as informações e agilizar os processos. Neste contexto, pode-se verificar que o Estado do RS, mesmo sendo um dos pioneiros na questão das discussões dos recursos hídricos ainda passa por desafios e entraves a execução e efetivação da legislação dos recursos hídricos e várias são as questões a avançar e discutir. Com este artigo, temos por objetivo analisar o contexto da implantação dos instrumentos de gerenciamento dos recursos hídricos no Estado do RS/BR e pretendemos dar mais um contributo na discussão e reflexão da gestão da água no Brasil

Une offre de services adaptée aux chercheurs

Ayant l'un des groupes de lecteurs les plus exigeants dans le monde scientifique et des ressources comparables à celles d'une collection de moyenne bibliothèque universitaire, le Service de l'Information Scientifique du CERN utilise toute sa créativité pour ne pas disparaître entre l'offre et la demande. Le CERN a pour but d'être un centre d'excellence dans le domaine de la physique des hautes energies et des technologies connexes. Le Service d'Information Scientifique réalise cet objectif en préservant la mémoire des développements de la physique et en appliquant les technologies avancées des sciences de l'information et du commerce électronique

Effect Of Human Adipose Tissue Mesenchymal Stem Cells On The Regeneration Of Ovine Articular Cartilage

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Cell therapy is a promising approach to improve cartilage healing. Adipose tissue is an abundant and readily accessible cell source. Previous studies have demonstrated good cartilage repair results with adipose tissue mesenchymal stem cells in small animal experiments. This study aimed to examine these cells in a large animal model. Thirty knees of adult sheep were randomly allocated to three treatment groups: CELLS (scaffold seeded with human adipose tissue mesenchymal stem cells), SCAFFOLD (scaffold without cells), or EMPTY (untreated lesions). A partial thickness defect was created in the medial femoral condyle. After six months, the knees were examined according to an adaptation of the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS 1) score, in addition to a new Partial Thickness Model scale and the ICRS macroscopic score. All of the animals completed the follow-up period. The CELLS group presented with the highest ICRS 1 score (8.3 +/- 3.1), followed by the SCAFFOLD group (5.6 +/- 2.2) and the EMPTY group (5.2 +/- 2.4) (p = 0.033). Other scores were not significantly different. These results suggest that human adipose tissue mesenchymal stem cells promoted satisfactory cartilage repair in the ovine model.16112681326831Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)FAPESP [2011/17596-8

Acute ileitis facilitates infection with multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in human microbiota-associated mice

Background The rising incidence of multidrug resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria including Pseudomonas aeruginosa has become a serious issue in prevention of its spread particularly among hospitalized patients. It is, however, unclear whether distinct conditions such as acute intestinal inflammation facilitate P. aeruginosa infection of vertebrate hosts. Methods and results To address this, we analysed P. aeruginosa infection in human microbiota-associated (hma) mice with acute ileitis induced by peroral Toxoplasma gondii challenge. When perorally infected with P. aeruginosa at day 3 post ileitis induction, hma mice displayed higher intestinal P. aeruginosa loads as compared to hma mice without ileitis. However, the overall intestinal microbiota composition was not disturbed by P. aeruginosa (except for lowered bifidobacterial populations), and the infection did not further enhance ileal immune cell responses. Pro-inflammatory cytokines including IFN-γ and IL-12p70 were similarly increased in ileum and mesenteric lymph nodes of P. aeruginosa infected and uninfected hma mice with ileitis. The anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 increased multifold upon ileitis induction, but interestingly more distinctly in P. aeruginosa infected as compared to uninfected controls. Immune responses were not restricted to the intestines as indicated by elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in liver and kidney upon ileitis induction. However, except for hepatic TNF-α levels, P. aeruginosa infection did not result in more distinct pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion in liver and kidney of hma mice with ileitis. Whereas viable intestinal bacteria were more frequently detected in systemic compartments such as spleen and cardiac blood of P. aeruginosa infected than uninfected mice at day 7 following ileitis induction, P. aeruginosa infection did not exacerbate systemic pro- inflammatory sequelae, but resulted in lower IL-10 serum levels. Conclusion Acute intestinal inflammation facilitates infection of the vertebrate host with MDR bacteria including P. aeruginosa and might also pose particularly hospitalized patients at risk for acquisition. Since acute T. gondii induced inflammation might mask immunopathology caused by P. aeruginosa, a subacute or chronic inflammation model might be better suited to investigate the potential role of P. aeruginosa infection in the aggravation of intestinal diseas

Avaliação sobre Animação e Cinema de vida real: semelhanças e diferenças

O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar um levantamento sobre as similaridades e incongruências entre uma obra animada e uma realizada em live-action. No artigo, são consideradas questões relevantes sobre as características da animação e da captura fotográfica direta das imagens (no live-action) que contestam os cânones dos Film Studies: o movimento como elemento fundamental da Animação, e não do Cinema Live-Action. Também são analisadas as técnicas animadas e suas diferenças, a relação da animação com a imagem fotorrealista (segundo Roland Barthes, André Bazin e Edgar Morin), considerando o sentido de ilusão. Os estudos de Edmond Couchot e Jean Baudrillard são basilares para as análises sobre a simulação no Audiovisual, assim como os trabalhos de Christian Metz e Jacques Aumont para as avaliações sobre a verossimilhança, a impressão da realidade e a suspensão da descrença, para esses dois tipos de imagens. Ainda são avaliados o sentido de “ficção” das imagens naturalista e conotativa, tanto pela Animação como pelo Cinema Live-Action, observando também os estudos de Norman McLaren e Andrei Tarkovski. Ao final, o artigo conclui que a imagem animada é mais falsa do que a imagem filmada, sempre ligada ao sentido da materialidade cotidiana. Avaliando a forma de se obter uma e outra imagem, a potência da Animação e a contradição histórica da imagem fotorrealista ligada à conhecida como Animação 3D. O texto também finaliza com um resumo de todo o processo analítico, por meio de um enquadramento das características das imagens animadas e filmadas

Cold-Formed Steel Lipped Channel Columns Undergoing Local-Distortional-Global Interaction: Experimental and Numerical Investigation

Experimental and numerical results concerning the post-buckling behavior and strength of fixed-ended cold-formed steel lipped channel columns experiencing interaction involving local, distortional and global buckling (i.e., stemming from the closeness between the critical buckling stresses associated with these three buckling mode types), are reported. After briefly addressing the column specimen geometry selection, the paper presents and discusses the results of an experimental investigation carried out at COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ, Brazil) and involving 16 columns − its output consists of steel material properties, initial imperfection measurements, equilibrium paths and failure loads/modes. Then, some test results are compared with the values yielded by the corresponding ABAQUS shell finite element simulations. Finally, the paper closes with a brief account of the considerations prompted by the available experimental and numerical ultimate load values, concerning the Direct Strength Method (DSM) design of columns affected by triple (local-distortional-global) mode interaction