Unconfined aquifer vulnerability related to topical pollution – Montes Torozos (Spain)

Este artigo deriva de uma comunicação apresentada em International workshop “Uranium, Environment and Public Health”In this paper it is shown the vulnerability model fitted to the unconfined aquifer of Montes Torozos (Spain). The most dangerous elements were taken under consideration (e.g. Hydrocarbons, explosives, radioactive materials). The identification of their source location and the transportation of dangerous goods across them has been the starting point of this study. The simulations took into consideration the connection between the capital of the province (Valladolid) to Villanubla airport and between Valladolid to the electrical transformer substation, located in the south-west edge of the hydrogeological unit of the Montes Torozos

Spatio-temporal vulnerability assessment in fractured groundwater systems

Governance reforms are required to demonstrate adaptive and resilient urban water resource management that considers complexity, uncertainty in immediate and long term change. Contamination of groundwater is a complex process and full of uncertainty at local and regional scale. The main objective of this research is the study of vulnerability to pollution in an unconfined karstic aquifer. Mainly it is addressed vulnerability integration, in relation to policy, specifically in risk evaluation and risk–benefit considerations. Development of an integrated vulnerability assessment methodology can be useful to effectively manage and protect this valuable freshwater source. The research insights suggest that the establishment of a pattern of effective governance is mandatory as the future highway, the prison and the airport are overlaying the most vulnerable areas of the aquifer and therefore provide policy makers guidance in overcoming urban water governance challenges.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Aquifer vulnerability mapping and associated spatial uncertainty

Quantitative estimation of water resources is indispensable when it comes to getting the sustainability of aquifers through planning. This becomes an essential aspect in areas whose primary economic activity is agriculture, in which ensure the availability of water means ensuring the sustainability of the societal and economic systems. This is the example of the Cuellar Moor karstic aquifer, located in the international Duero watershed, in which more than 80% of its surface is aimed to agricultural use. The main goal of this research is the introduction of a new vulnerability index, which gathers together the hydrogeological covariates and the spatial uncertainty associated with the estimation of groundwater level and nitrate concentration. An optimized monitoring network to piezometric level and nitrate concentration control is required, as well as, to determine the vulnerability associated with pumping wells.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cuando “MicroMundo” llegó a la Universidad de León: MicroMundo@ULe

p. 60-61De una forma muy breve se puede decir que el proyecto MicroMundo constituye una forma de aprendizaje activo y colaborativo entre estudiantes de diferentes niveles a través del reto mundial de la crisis antibiótica, sumergiendo a sus participantes (estudiantes pre-universitarios y universitarios, profesores e investigadores, y a la sociedad en general) en una experiencia real encaminada a la búsqueda de nuevos antibióticos eficaces y al uso racional de los existentes.S

An alternative method to measure electrical conductivity (EC) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) in salt-affected soil extracts

Soil degradation due to salts affects over 100 countries, especially in arid and semi-arid regions where salts migrate to the plant root zone via capillary action when evapotranspiration exceeds rainfall. Soil salinity reduces germination, growth, and root development, impacting crop yields, while excess sodium decreases water movement into the soil. Soil properties, namely, electrical conductivity (ECe), sodium adsorption ratio (SARe), and pH (pHe), affected by sparingly and soluble salts, are typically analyzed using soil saturated paste (SP). However, a simpler and cost-effective alternative is assessing soil salinity using soil:water solutions at ratio 1:5 (SW). This study developed empirical models between EC1:5-ECe, SAR1:5-SARe, and pH1:5-pHe to monitor soil salinity and sodicity in Lajas Valley, Puerto Rico, an agricultural reserve with 1,140 mm of mean annual rainfall and soils classified as saline and/or sodic. The ECe Sampling, Assessment, and Prediction software for Response Surface Sampling Design (ESAP-RSSD) optimized soil sampling with 48 points. Measurements of EC, pH, cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+), and SAR were conducted using SP and 1:5 SW extracts. Simple linear regression models estimated ECe (R2 > 0.93, p < 0.0001) and SARe (R2 > 0.98, p < 0.0001) from 1:5 extracts. The pHe models varied with depth, showing a strong correlation (R2 > 0.62, p < 0.0001) from 0 to 30 cm and weakening (R2 > 0.27, p < 0.0022) from 90 to 120 cm. The simple linear regression models generally perform well for EC and pH variables, with better performance observed at shallower depths. SW proves to be a practical, cost-effective, and efficient method for assessing salt-affected soils in Lajas Valley. By enabling regular soil salinity analysis, the developed estimation models combined with SW extraction could improve soil management practices and agricultural productivity

The nature of the Cygnus extreme B supergiant 2MASS J20395358+4222505

2MASS J20395358+4222505 is an obscured early B supergiant near the massive OB star association Cygnus OB2. Despite its bright infrared magnitude (Ks = 5.82) it has remained largely ignored because of its dim optical magnitude (B = 16.63, V = 13.68). In a previous paper, we classified it as a highly reddened, potentially extremely luminous, early B-type supergiant. We obtained its spectrum in the U, B and R spectral bands during commissioning observations with the instrument MEGARA at the Gran Telescopio CANARIAS. It displays a particularly strong Hα emission for its spectral type, B1 Ia. The star seems to be in an intermediate phase between supergiant and hypergiant, a group that it will probably join in the near (astronomical) future. We observe a radial velocity difference between individual observations and determine the stellar parameters, obtaining Teff = 24 000 K and log gc = 2.88 ± 0.15. The rotational velocity found is large for a B supergiant, v sin i = 110 ± 25 kms−1⁠. The abundance pattern is consistent with solar, with a mild C underabundance (based on a single line). Assuming that J20395358+4222505 is at the distance of Cyg OB2, we derive the radius from infrared photometry, finding R = 41.2 ± 4.0 R⊙, log(L/L⊙) = 5.71 ± 0.04 and a spectroscopic mass of 46.5 ± 15.0 M⊙. The clumped mass-loss rate (clumping factor 10) is very high for the spectral type, M˙ = 2.4 × 10−6 M⊙ a−1. The high rotational velocity and mass-loss rate place the star at the hot side of the bi-stability jump. Together with the nearly solar CNO abundance pattern, they may also point to evolution in a binary system, J20395358+4222505 being the initial secondary.SS-D and AH acknowledge support from the Spanish Government Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación through grants PGC-2018-091 3741-B-C22 and CEX2019-000920-S and from the Canarian Agency for Research, Innovation and Information Society (ACIISI), of the Canary Islands Government, and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), under grant with reference ProID2020010016. MG and FN acknowledge financial support through Spanish grant PID2019-105552RB-C41 (MINECO/MCIU/AEI/FEDER) and from the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) through the Unidad de Excelencia ‘María de Maeztu’-Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA) project No. MDM-2017-0737. SRB acknowledges support by the Spanish Government under grants AYA2015-68012-C2-2-P and PGC2018-093741-B-C21/C22 (MICIU/AEI/FEDER, UE). SRA acknowledges funding support from the FONDECYT Iniciación project 11171025 and the FONDECYT Regular project 1201490. JIP acknowledges finantial support from projects Estallidos6 AYA2016-79724-C4 (Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad), Estallidos7 PID2019-107408GB-C44 (Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion), grant P18-FR-2664 (Junta de Andalucía), and grant SEV-2017-0709 ‘Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa Program’ (Spanish Science Ministry). AGP, SP, AG-M, JG and NC acknowledge support from the Spanish MCI through project RTI2018-096188-B-I00

Ruxolitinib in refractory acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease : a multicenter survey study

Graft-versus-host disease is the main cause of morbidity and mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. First-line treatment is based on the use of high doses of corticosteroids. Unfortunately, second-line treatment for both acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease, remains a challenge. Ruxolitinib has been shown as an effective and safe treatment option for these patients. Seventy-nine patients received ruxolitinib and were evaluated in this retrospective and multicenter study. Twenty-three patients received ruxolitinib for refractory acute graft-versus-host disease after a median of 3 (range 1-5) previous lines of therapy. Overall response rate was 69.5% (16/23) which was obtained after a median of 2 weeks of treatment, and 21.7% (5/23) reached complete remission. Fifty-six patients were evaluated for refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease. The median number of previous lines of therapy was 3 (range 1-10). Overall response rate was 57.1% (32/56) with 3.5% (2/56) obtaining complete remission after a median of 4 weeks. Tapering of corticosteroids was possible in both acute (17/23, 73%) and chronic graft-versus-host disease (32/56, 57.1%) groups. Overall survival was 47% (CI: 23-67%) at 6 months for patients with aGVHD (62 vs 28% in responders vs non-responders) and 81% (CI: 63-89%) at 1 year for patients with cGVHD (83 vs 76% in responders vs non-responders). Ruxolitinib in the real life setting is an effective and safe treatment option for GVHD, with an ORR of 69.5% and 57.1% for refractory acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease, respectively, in heavily pretreated patients