Application of the Lagrangian tracers model in Anegada Bay, Argentina

En el presente trabajo se ha realizado un experimento numérico utilizando un sistema de modelación hidrodinámico con trazadores lagrangianos para estudiar el transporte y circulación de partículas a partir de dos puntos de emisión. El objetivo fue establecer si las partículas pueden ser expulsadas de la Bahía Anegada (Argentina) dentro del plazo estimado para el período disponible antes de su sedimentación. Se obtuvo la distancia recorrida por las partículas, transportadas por las corrientes inducidas por la marea y el viento, y se determinó las posibles zonas de depósito. Se concluyó que las partículas emitidas en los dos puntos elegidos para este estudio permanecieron dentro de los límites de la Bahía Anegada.In this study we have applied a hydrodynamic numerical model of Lagrangian tracers to study the dispersion and subsequent settlement of particles from two different points of emission. The main objective was to define whether the particles, within the sedimentation period, could be exported out of the Anegada Bay (Argentina). We obtained the distance traveled by the particles, transported by currents induced by the tide and wind, and determined possible settlement areas. It was concluded that particles released from two different points do not leave Anegada Bay boundaries.Fil: Alvarez, Laura Inés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Cuadrado, Diana Graciela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; ArgentinaFil: Perillo, Gerardo Miguel E.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto Argentino de Oceanografía; Argentin

Quantification of Some Heavy Metals in Hair of Dairy Cows Housed in Different Areas from Sicily as a Bioindicator of Environmental Exposure—A Preliminary Study

Simple Summary: Heavy metals are considered one of the most critical pollutants that contaminate the environment through anthropogenic or natural activities. Animals are very good indicators of environmental pollution as they inhabit the same space as humans and are exposed to the same pollutants. The levels of selected heavy metals in hair samples of Holstein dairy cows are evaluated in this study. The gathered results would emphasize the usefulness of hair samples as possible bioindicators of heavy metal exposure that, in the long term, could be harmful to the final consumer. Moreover, this study gives an overview about the scenario of anthropogenic activity effects on heavy metal accumulation in dairy cows from Ragusa, a peculiar Sicilian province particularly dedicated to cow breeding for milk production. Abstract: The objective of this preliminary study was to evaluate the levels of selected heavy metals in hair samples of Holstein dairy cows reared on agricultural soils characterized by grassland subjected to anthropogenic impacts. Ninety Holstein-Friesian cows were enrolled in the study and divided into six groups according to farm origin. From each animal, hair samples were collected in order to determine the content of aluminum, chromium, iron, copper, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, and lead. One-way analysis of variance was applied to assess statistically significant differences in the studied heavy metals among the six groups. A significant effect of groups (p < 0.05) on all tested heavy metals was observed. In this study, the low concentration of heavy metals in the hair of the studied animals led us to think that the cows were subjected to low levels of these compounds, preventing them from bioaccumulating. Although the current study provides only preliminary results, it highlights the importance of investigating the concentration of heavy metals in cow hair to improve the health and welfare of both humans and animals

CdZnTe crystals for the realization of x-ray and gamma ray detectors

CdZnTe is a particularly suited material for the realization of room temperature x-ray and gamma ray detector. The properties that make CdZnTe (CZT) so promising are the high resistivity of the material (&#961;&#8805;1010 &#937;&#8729;cm), combined with a relatively small band gap (~1.6 eV at RT). Moreover the high atomic number (Z) of the material determines the application on a large range of energies. In this work the authors report on the crystal growth of several crystals of high resistivity Cd1-xZnxTe (x=0.1) by two vertical Bridgman technique: with and without the boron oxide encapsulation[1]. The ingots obtained have been extensively studied on both the crystal qualities and the detector performances. Using the PL mapping technique the interface shape was studied on many ingots, together with an accurate analysis of the Zn segregation along the growth axis [2]. The resistance of the devices was studied using the current-voltage characteristic in the low voltage range. The spectroscopic result of the CZT detector is satisfactory for both the growth techniques. Several x-ray sources have been used to characterize the ingots, ranging from 10 KeV up to 300 KeV. The &#956;&#964; product, a good indicator of the device transport properties, was measured with an alpha particle source, giving good results for the electronic &#956;&#964;, while holes &#956;&#964; still need to be improved

Management Factors Influence AnimalWelfare and the Correlation to Infectious Diseases in Dairy Cows

Simple Summary: To investigate the relationship between some infectious diseases (Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, Chlamydiophila abortus, Neospora caninum, bovine viral diarrhea virus, and the bovine herpesvirus) and the dairy farms’ welfare scores, 36 dairy farms were monitored using the Italian National AnimalWelfare Reference Center (CreNBA) checklist. Farms and their animals were scored in five different areas, namely: Area A, “Farm management and personnel”; Area B, “Facilities and equipment”; Area C, “Animal-based measures”; Area D, “Inspection of microclimatic environmental conditions and alarm systems”; and Area E, “Biosecurity”. The recorded scores were compared between two farming conditions (access to pasture and indoor housing) and correlated with the serum data. Our results indicated that an accurate application of the checklist could be an instrument to prevent and control the spread of infections in dairy farms. Abstract: The present study assessed dairy cow welfare through the application of the Italian National Animal Welfare Reference Center (CReNBA) checklist in 36 dairy farms located in Ragusa (Italy) subjected to two different management conditions, housing with free access to pasture (Group 1, farms n = 17) and indoor housing (Group 2, farms n = 19). Five areas of investigation were considered: Area A, “Farm management and personnel”; Area B, “Facilities and equipment”; Area C, “Animal-based measures”; Area D, “Inspection of microclimatic environmental conditions and alarm systems”; and Area E, “Biosecurity”. Blood samples were collected by coccygeal venipuncture from all animals (4081 cows). The specific antibodies against Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, Chlamydiophila abortus, Neospora caninum, bovine viral diarrhea virus, and the bovine herpesvirus were assessed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) serological test. Group 1 (access to pasture) showed a lower value of percentage score recorded in Area A (p = 0.02) and E (p = 0.01) than Group 2 (indoor housing). Herpesvirus (Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis - IBR - detection of gB antibodies/IBR-gB) blood concentrations were higher in the cows housed indoor versus those with access to pasture (p = 0.01). Farm management and personnel (score A) was correlated with the level of bovine viral diarrhea virus ( = 0.3754) and bovine-herpesvirus-specific antibodies (IBR-gB) ( = 0.4159). “Biosecurity” percentage score showed a significant correlation with Chlamydiophila abortus ( = 0.4621) in the cows with access to pasture and IBR-gB ( = 0.3435) in the cows housed fully indoors. Group 2 showed a significantly reduced level of antibodies against Neospora caninum. In conclusion, differences in the welfare assessment score were observed in the “Farm management and personnel” and “Biosecurity” between the two management conditions. It had an effect on the prevalence of herpesvirus, which occurred more in cattle with access to pasture. Therefore, an accurate application of the checklist could be an instrument to prevent and control the spread of infections in farms

Componentes del balance de calor estival diurno en la playa de Pehuén-Co (Argentina)

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Determinants of maxillary canine impaction : retrospective clinical and radiographic study

The aim of this study is to evaluate determinants of maxillary canine impaction taking into account both canine position related variables and the pattern of facial growth. A retrospective clinical and radiographic analysis was carried out on 109 patients aged between 9 and 10 years at the time of first evaluation. At baseline, SN-GoMe angle, the interincisal angle, the canine angle ? and the canine distance d were used to characterize canine location and vertical facial growth. At the end of a two years follow up period the eruption state of each canine of each patient was recorded and accordingly classified as erupted or impacted on a clinical and radiographic basis. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were performed, including correlation among the studied variables and principal components analysis; several machine learning methods were also used in order to built a predictive model. At the end of the two years follow up period after the first examination, 54 (24.77%) canines were classified as impacted. Except for Angle ? values, there were no statistically significant differences between impacted and erupted canines. The studied variables were not significantly correlated, except for the SN-GoMe Angle and the distance d in the impacted canine group and the angle ? and the distance d in erupted canines group. All variables, except for SN-GoMe Angle in erupted canines, have a partial communality with the first two principal components greater than 50%. Among the learning machine methods tested to classify data, the best performance was obtained by the random forest method, with an overall accuracy in predicting canine eruption of 88.3%. The studied determinants are easy to perform measurements on 2D routinely executed radiographic images; they seems independently related to canine impaction and have reliable accuracy in predicting maxillary canine eruption

Experimental results and strength model identification of pure iridium

Intense and high energy proton beams are impacted with fixed materials (targets) in order to produce new particles and secondary beams at CERN. In some of these targets, the requirement of reaching high yield production of secondary particles points out to the use of high density materials. The interaction of the beam with the atoms and nuclei of these materials produce extremely fast depositions of energy, highly soliciting them from thermo-structural point of view due to subsequent rise of temperature and pressure waves. Iridium is a good candidate material since exhibits very high density, high melting point, good strength and stability at high temperature, and resistance to thermal shock. The main goal of this study is the investigation of the mechanical behaviour at different temperatures and strain-rates in tensile loading condition of pure iridium. A series of tests at room temperature at different strain-rates (from 10-3 s-1 up to 104 s-1) was performed in order to obtain information about strain and strain-rate sensitivity of the material. In addition, a series of tests at different temperatures in both quasistatic and high strain-rate loading conditions was performed in order to obtain information about the thermal softening of the material (from room temperature up to 1250 °C). The experimental data were used to identify a strength model able to predict the material behaviour over wide ranges of variation of the variables of interest

Characterization of NKG2-A/-C, Kir and CD57 on NK Cells Stimulated with pp65 and IE-1 Antigens in Patients Awaiting Lung Transplant

Introduction: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading opportunistic infection in lung transplant (LTx) recipients. CMV is associated with graft failure and decreased survival. Recently, new antiviral therapies have been proposed. The present study aimed to investigate NK and T cell subsets of patients awaiting LTx. We analyzed the cellular populations between reactive and non-reactive QuantiFERON (QF) CMV patients for the prediction of immunological response to infection. Methods: Seventeen pre-LTx patients and 15 healthy controls (HC) have been enrolled. QF and IFN-gamma ELISA assay detections were applied. NK cell subsets and T cell and proliferation assay were detected before and after stimulation with pp-65 and IE-1 CMV antigens after stratification as QF+ and QF-. Furthermore, we quantified the serum concentrations of NK- and T-related cytokines by bead-based multiplex analysis. Results: CD56(br)CD16(low)NKG2A(+)KIR(+) resulted in the best discriminatory cellular subsets between pre-LTx and HC. Discrepancies emerged between serology and QF assay. Better proliferative capability emerged from patients who were QF+, in particular in CD8 and CD25-activated cells. CD56(br)CD16(low), adaptive/memory-like NK and CD8Teff were highly increased only in QF+ patients. Conclusions: QF more than serology is useful in the detection of patients able to respond to viral infection. This study provides new insights in terms of immunological responses to CMV in pre-LTX patients, particularly in NK and T cells biology

Ponderação dos impactos e transmutação da saúde mental no decurso da pandemia de covid-19

A atual pandemia da COVID-19 iniciou com um surto da doença declarado na província chinesa de Wuhan, sendo o vírus espalhado ao redor do mundo rapidamente. O impacto desse contexto refletiu também psicologicamente: a angústia de conviver com um vírus desconhecido, vivenciar o isolamento e o medo inerente de perder entes queridos e até a própria vida gerou uma crise no ser humano. A situação é ainda pior para os profissionais de saúde, que trabalham em pressão extrema e tomam decisões importantes ao manejar seus pacientes. Além disso, as redes sociais e sua sobrecarga de informações (até mesmo fake news), podem ser gatilhos para a piora do estado mental. Diante desse cenário, a abordagem do tema é necessária ao se considerar seu impacto mental e comportamental a curto e longo prazo. Identificar as alterações de saúde mental provocadas pela pandemia de COVID-19. Realizou-se um estudo bibliográfico qualitativo a partir da análise de artigos publicados no ano de 2020 e nas línguas portuguesa, inglesa e espanhola. Foram utilizadas as bases de dados Google Scholar, LILACS, PubMed e SciELO, e os seguintes Descritores em Ciências da Saúde (DeCS): “COVID-19”, “mental health”, “depressão”&nbsp; e “ansiedade”. Desde março de 2020 são relatados níveis crescentes de ansiedade, tristeza, solidão e depressão entre jovens, pessoas de meia-idade e idosos. Com base nos estudos realizados, 27% dos adultos relataram piora da saúde mental e 14% relataram piora da saúde comportamental dos filhos. Além disso, em todas as faixas etárias indivíduos com altos níveis de comorbidade, ansiedade e tristeza também tinham maiores escores de autopercepção negativa do envelhecimento, o que ratifica a ideia de perceber negativamente o envelhecer prejudicar a saúde mental e explica a questão de idosos relatarem menor sofrimento psicológico que demais faixas etárias. Também foram avaliados fatores como nível de escolaridade, exposição à redes sociais e viver em&nbsp; zona rural ou urbana. De acordo com as pesquisas, a exposição constante a redes sociais não está diretamente relacionada com a depressão, mas sim com aumento no risco de desenvolver ansiedade. Em relação ao nível de escolaridade, índices menores de depressão e ansiedade estavam entre os que tinham maior tempo de estudo. Quanto aos habitantes de diferentes zonas, os de zonas rurais apresentaram menores índices de depressão do que os de zonas urbanas. O foco intenso em medidas de contenção da transmissão do vírus, pode muitas vezes negligenciar o impacto psicossocial da pandemia na população. Observa-se que os efeitos envolvem diversas famílias mas são heterogêneos, afetando com maior intensidade quem se encontra em condições de saúde, sociais e econômicas mais vulneráveis. Dessa forma, é importante a promoção de meios práticos de preservação da saúde mental recomendadas por profissionais, uma vez que as consequências do exposto podem ser duradouras