HIDROQUÍMICA DAS ÁGUAS SUBTERRÂNEAS DO MÉDIO JEQUITINHONHA, MINAS GERAIS, BRASIL

A área de estudos é dominada por um clima semi-árido, com precipitação média de 808 mm/ano e evapotranspiração média de 1567 mm/ano. Esta consiste numa das regiões mais pobres do país, compreendendo 18 municípios que se estendem por 11.700 km2. A extração da água subterrânea por meio de poços tubulares é a principal alternativa de abastecimento, especialmente nas áreas rurais. Os aqüíferos explotados são predominantemente do tipo fraturado (granitóides e xistos), apresentando vazões da ordem de 8 m3/h. A elevada salinidade da água subterrânea é um dos motivos de abandono dos poços, se revertendo em prejuízos econômicos e sanitários às populações. O objetivo desse estudo é a caracterização hidroquímica das águas subterrâneas a partir de 255 poços tubulares. Foram investigadas correlações entre diversos parâmetros hidroquímicos, entre as características hidroquímicas e as litologias dos aqüíferos, e correlações da salinidade com os parâmetros climáticos. O cloreto é o principal responsável pelo caráter salobro das águas, predominando em 46,2% do conjunto das amostras com STD acima de 500 mg/L e em 71,4% das amostras com STD acima de 1000 mg/L. Águas cloretadas ocorrem indistintamente nos aqüíferos, entretanto, a baixa concentração do cloro nas rochas e a correlação significativa entre a precipitação e o cloreto, permitem inferir a influência do clima no processo de salinização dessas águas. ABSTRACT The area studied has a semi-arid climate, characterized by an average annual rainfall of 808 mm/yr and average annual transpiration of 1,567 mm/yr. This is one of the poorest regions in the country and has 18 municipalities covering 11,700 km2. The extraction of groundwater through wells is the main means of supply, especially in rural areas. The aquifers exploited are predominantly of the fractured type (granitoids and schists) with a flow of 8 m3/h. The high salinity of the groundwater is one of the reasons for the abandoning of the wells, which mean economic and sanitary losses for the population. The objective of this study is the hydrochemical characterization of groundwater analyzed from 255 wells. Correlations were studied between various hydrochemical parameters, between hydrochemical characteristics and the lithologies of the aquifers, and correlations of salinity with climatic parameters. chloride is the main factor responsible for the salinity of water, present in 46,2% of the set of samples with STD above 500 mg/L and in 71,4% of samples with STD above 1000 mg/L. Chlorinated water appears in all the aquifers, however, the low concentration of chloride in the rocks and the significant correlation between atmospheric precipitation and chlorate make it possible to infer the influence of the climate in the salinization process of these waters

Population homogeneity for the antibody response to COVID-19 BNT162b2/Comirnaty vaccine is only reached after the second dose across all adult age ranges

ABSTRACT: While mRNA vaccines are administrated worldwide in an effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the heterogeneity of the humoral immune response they induce at the population scale remains unclear. Here, in a prospective, longitudinal, cohort-study, including 1245 hospital care workers and 146 nursing home residents scheduled for BNT162b2 vaccination, together covering adult ages from 19 to 99 years, we analyse seroconversion to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and amount of spike-specific IgG, IgM and IgA before vaccination, and 3-5 weeks after each dose. We show that immunogenicity after a single vaccine dose is biased to IgG, heterogeneous and reduced with increasing age. The second vaccine dose normalizes IgG seroconversion in all age strata. These findings indicate two dose mRNA vaccines is required to reach population scale humoral immunity. The results advocate for the interval between the two doses not to be extended, and for serological monitoring of elderly and immunosuppressed vaccinees.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Biophilic architecture: a review of the rationale and outcomes

Contemporary cities have high stress levels, mental health issues, high crime levels and ill health, while the built environment shows increasing problems with urban heat island effects and air and water pollution. Emerging from these concerns is a new set of design principles and practices where nature needs to play a bigger part called “biophilic architecture”. This design approach asserts that humans have an innate connection with nature that can assist to make buildings and cities more effective human abodes. This paper examines the evidence for this innate human psychological and physiological link to nature and then assesses the emerging research supporting the multiple social, environmental and economic benefits of biophilic architecture

Body composition and body fat distribution are related to cardiac autonomic control in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Heart rate recovery (HRR), a cardiac autonomic control marker, was shown to be related to body composition (BC), yet this was not tested in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. The aim of this study was to determine if, and to what extent, markers of BC and body fat (BF) distribution are related to cardiac autonomic control in NAFLD patients. SUBJECTS/METHODS: BC was assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 28 NAFLD patients (19 men, 51±13 years, and 9 women, 47±13 years). BF depots ratios were calculated to assess BF distribution. Subjects’ HRR was recorded 1 (HRR1) and 2 min (HRR2) immediately after a maximum graded exercise test. RESULTS: BC and BF distribution were related to HRR; particularly weight, trunk BF and trunk BF-to-appendicular BF ratio showed a negative relation with HRR1 (r 1⁄4 0.613, r 1⁄4 0.597 and r 1⁄4 0.547, respectively, Po0.01) and HRR2 (r 1⁄4 0.484, r 1⁄4 0.446, Po0.05, and r 1⁄4 0.590, Po0.01, respectively). Age seems to be related to both HRR1 and HRR2 except when controlled for BF distribution. The preferred model in multiple regression should include trunk BF-to-appendicular BF ratio and BF to predict HRR1 (r2 1⁄4 0.549; Po0.05), and trunk BF-to-appendicular BF ratio alone to predict HRR2 (r2 1⁄4 0.430; Po0.001). CONCLUSIONS: BC and BF distribution were related to HRR in NAFLD patients. Trunk BF-to-appendicular BF ratio was the best independent predictor of HRR and therefore may be best related to cardiovascular increased risk, and possibly act as a mediator in age-related cardiac autonomic control variation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Exchange Bias and Vertical Shift in CoFe2O4 nanoparticles

Magnetic properties of core-shell cobalt ferrite nanoparticles 15 to 48nm prepared by a sol-gel route have been studied. It is shown that the coercivity follows non-monotonic size dependence varying as 1/d above the maximum (d is the particle size). Field cooled magnetization exhibited both horizontal (exchange bias) and vertical shifts. The exchange bias is understood as originating at the interface between a surface region with structural and spin disorder and a core ferrimagnetic region. The dependence of the exchange bias and vertical shifts on the particle sizes and cooling fields are found to have significant differences and the differences are explained in the light of recent results which suggest that both weakly and strongly pinned spins are present at the interface. It is suggested that the exchange bias is dominated by the weakly pinned spins while the vertical shift is affected by the strongly pinned ones.Comment: 2