Erosion and Water Quality as Modeled by Creams: A Case Study of the Sedlicky Catchment

In the process of verifying and validating the models of agricultural nonpoint source pollution at IIASA, a study was made of the Sedlicky brook (Bohemia, Czechoslovakia) case. The CREAMS model, verified at the Samsin research area (Czechoslovakia) has been used as the mathematical instrument. The validation results of the CREAMS model for the boundary conditions between the field level and the watershed level seem to show that under certain conditions, it can be applied to small watersheds. For large watersheds, modification of the hydrology submodel is necessary in order to describe the comprehensive hydrologic phenomena, particularly, the interflow and some of the subsurface flow

Stochastic Water Requirements for Supplementary Irrigation in Water Resource Systems

In the semi-humid and humid climate of the temperate zone, supplementary irrigation water requirements depend on meteorological conditions. A mathematical model is developed for the assessment of monthly time series of irrigation water requirements, based on Penman's equation and calibrated on the basis of the data obtained from irrigation systems in Czechoslovakia. In the model, monthly time series of temperature, relative humidity, sunshine, wind velocity, and precipitation are used as input data. On account of the persistence phenomena often noted in irrigation policies, the correlation between the current irrigation water requirements and those of the previous month was taken into account. The statistical properties of irrigation water requirements have been analyzed as the basis for the generation of a synthetic water requirement time series. The model can be used for long-term planning of water resources systems incorporating supplementary irrigation water use, as is shown in the case of the Labe catchment area in Czechoslovakia

Hardness of Potable Water in Southwestern Skane

This paper is concerned with water hardness in the municipal water supply systems. After a general overview of the health aspects of water hardness, this issue is discussed in the specific context of Southwestern Skane, Sweden

Atypical presentations of malignant otitis externa

Abstract Introduction: Malignant otitis externa is a life-threatening infection of the skull base. Its presentation is not always typical. Case reports: We report three cases of malignant otitis externa which illustrate the diversity of its clinical manifestations and the difficulties in its diagnosis. Discussion: The perception of malignant otitis externa as an infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in diabetic patients is not always correct. The adoption of diagnostic criteria could be helpful in identifying atypical case

Stochastic Programming in Water Resources System Planning: A Case Study and a Comparison of Solution Techniques

To analyze the influence of increasing needs upon a given water resources system in Eastern Slovakia and to get a decision on the system development and extension, several stochastic programming models can be used. The two selected models are based on individual probabilistic constraints for the minimum storage and for the freeboard volume supplemented by one joint probabilistic constraint on releases or by a nonseparable penalty term in the objective function. Suitable numerical techniques for their solution are applied to alternative design parameter values. As a result, the paper gives an answer to the case study which is based on multi modeling within the framework of stochastic programming and, at the same time, it gives a comparison of various solution techniques partly included in the SDS/ADO collection of stochastic programming codes

Status of BetaCage: an Ultra-sensitive Screener for Surface Contamination

BetaCage, a gaseous neon time-projection chamber, has been proposed as a viable screener for emitters of low-energy alphas and electrons to which commercial radioactivity counting techniques are insensitive. Using radiopure materials for construction, active and passive shielding from extrinsic backgrounds, large counting area and minimal detector mass, BetaCage will be able to achieve sensitivities of 10^(−5) counts keV^(−1) kg^(−1) day^(−1) in a few days of running time. We report on progress in prototype development work since the last meeting of this workshop

Procedures, Numerical Parameters and Coefficients of the Creams Model: Application and Verification in Czechoslovakia

Problems of agricultural nonpoint source pollution have been investigated by the Resources and Environment Area (Task 2) at IIASA. The CREAMS model has been used as a mathematical aid to arrive at an in-depth understanding of erosion and to predict its influence on agriculture. The CREAMS model was created using data from North America. Investigations of its general use and verification under various conditions were useful. This paper summarizes the results of the verification of this model in a research area in Czechoslovakia and focuses attention on certain points which must be carefully considered during application of this model

CTSH (cathepsin H)

Review on CTSH (cathepsin H), with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated

CSTB (cystatin B (stefin B))

Review on CSTB (cystatin B (stefin B)), with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated

A pilot investigation of differential hydroxymethylation levels in patient-derived neural stem cells implicates altered cortical development in bipolar disorder

Introduction: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic mental illness characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression and associated with social and cognitive disturbances. Environmental factors, such as maternal smoking and childhood trauma, are believed to modulate risk genotypes and contribute to the pathogenesis of BD, suggesting a key role in epigenetic regulation during neurodevelopment. 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) is an epigenetic variant of particular interest, as it is highly expressed in the brain and is implicated in neurodevelopment, and psychiatric and neurological disorders. Methods: Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were generated from the white blood cells of two adolescent patients with bipolar disorder and their same-sex age-matched unaffected siblings (n = 4). Further, iPSCs were differentiated into neuronal stem cells (NSCs) and characterized for purity using immuno-fluorescence. We used reduced representation hydroxymethylation profiling (RRHP) to perform genome-wide 5hmC profiling of iPSCs and NSCs, to model 5hmC changes during neuronal differentiation and assess their impact on BD risk. Functional annotation and enrichment testing of genes harboring differentiated 5hmC loci were performed with the online tool DAVID. Results: Approximately 2 million sites were mapped and quantified, with the majority (68.8%) located in genic regions, with elevated 5hmC levels per site observed for 3\u27 UTRs, exons, and 2-kb shorelines of CpG islands. Paired t-tests of normalized 5hmC counts between iPSC and NSC cell lines revealed global hypo-hydroxymethylation in NSCs and enrichment of differentially hydroxymethylated sites within genes associated with plasma membrane (FDR = 9.1 × 10-12) and axon guidance (FDR = 2.1 × 10-6), among other neuronal processes. The most significant difference was observed for a transcription factor binding site for the KCNK9 gene (p = 8.8 × 10-6), encoding a potassium channel protein involved in neuronal activity and migration. Protein-protein-interaction (PPI) networking showed significant connectivity (p = 3.2 × 10-10) between proteins encoded by genes harboring highly differentiated 5hmC sites, with genes involved in axon guidance and ion transmembrane transport forming distinct sub-clusters. Comparison of NSCs of BD cases and unaffected siblings revealed additional patterns of differentiation in hydroxymethylation levels, including sites in genes with functions related to synapse formation and regulation, such as CUX2 (p = 2.4 × 10-5) and DOK-7 (p = 3.6 × 10-3), as well as an enrichment of genes involved in the extracellular matrix (FDR = 1.0 × 10-8). Discussion: Together, these preliminary results lend evidence toward a potential role for 5hmC in both early neuronal differentiation and BD risk, with validation and more comprehensive characterization to be achieved through follow-up study