Salinity, nutrient and chlorophyll a vertical variations in the Ebro River plume

Four water sampling campaigns in the Ebro River Plume were carried out, in spring, summer and autumn of 1999 and winter of 2000. In these campaigns salinity, nutrient and chlorophyll spatial distributions in the water column of river plume area were studied (where salinity values increase with depth). The sampling within the first meter of water column was carried out with a specifically designed device (SWAS). This device was designed by Dr. Jean Jacques Naudin to sample in the Rhone River Plume, although some modifications were introduced in the equipment to adapt it to Ebro River Plume conditions in order to obtain a very high vertical resolution in the sampling of the upper water column. Water samples could be acquired simultaneously at eight different depths (0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.20, 0.30, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 m) plus another additional at 5.0 meters. Salinity, concentration of ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, reactive soluble phosphorus (RSP), total dissolved phosphorus (TDP), total phosphorus (TP), ortosilicic acid and chlorophyll were measured in each water sample. The results of sample analysis allowed to obtain salinity profiles of this surface layer, clearly showing the reduced thickness of river plume when the sea is under low energetic conditions, with a sharp rise of salinity in the first centimeters of water column. Some discontinuities in this pattern were identified, specially when wind blew from the sea, introducing waters of higher salinity and temperature in the upper part of the water column. In most of the sampling stations, nutrient profiles showed a generally decreasing trend of their concentrations with the water depth, although several deviations of this pattern could be observed. These deviations were not due to freshwater load variations and many of them took place in the first 20 centimeters of water column. Since these variations in nutrient concentrations are not apparently related to freshwater loads and/or chlorophyll level changes, the origin of these variations could be planktonic organisms motions in this thin layer and activity changes due to these movements.Romero Gil, I.; Falco Giaccaglia, SL.; Rodilla Alamá, M.; Sierra, J.; González Del Rio Rams, J.; Mösso, C. (2006). Salinity, nutrient and chlorophyll a vertical variations in the Ebro River plume. Journal of Coastal Research. SI39:1828-1832. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/36178S18281832SI3

Spatial and temporal patterns of water quality in Cullera Bay

[EN] The Júcar River, characterized by a very irregular freshwater flow, discharges into the Spanish Mediterranean coastal waters. However, the flow at its mouth is usually insignificant due to the overexploitation of upstream water. Under normal conditions, the final stretch of the river (downstream from the Cullera weir) is nurtured only by water released from the weir and small discharges from lateral irrigation channels. During periods of heavy rain, however, a significant amount of water flows through the Cullera weir. An analysis of data acquired during several field campaigns in Cullera Bay clearly reveals a zonal distribution of nutrients and chlorophyll-a within the bay: a southern area of continental influence, located near the mouth of the Júcar River; a region affected by karst filtrations and minor freshwater inputs, located to the north of the bay around Cullera Cape; and a third zone in between, characterized by higher salinities. Spatial salinity distribution is indicative of the spatial distribution of some of the nutrients discharged by the river, particularly nitrite, nitrate, orthosilicic acid and total phosphorus (TP), since it has been shown that their behavior is inverse to that of salinity. However, neither soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) nor ammonium, which are mainly affected by biological activity, show this type of behavior. Five different conditions/scenarios were identified during the overall sampling period based on the time-series analysis of wind parameters, rainfall, freshwater flow, salt-wedge thickness at the measuring station on the river, and by comparing the average surface salinity at the sea stations with the values obtained at the coastal stations.This study was financed by the European Union as a part of the ECOSUD project ("Estuaries and Coastal Areas. Basis and Tools for a More Sustainable Development". Reference no. ICA4-CT-2001-10027), AQUAS project ("Water quality and sustainable aquaculture. Links and implications". Reference no. INCO-CT-2005-015105) and by a Special Action by the Spanish Science and Technology Ministry, "Bases y herramientas para el desarrollo sostenible de zonas costeras y estuarinas" (Reference no. REN2001-5510-E).Falco Giaccaglia, SL.; Hermosilla Gómez, Z.; Romero Gil, I.; Martínez Guijarro, MR.; Sierra, J.; Mösso, C.; Mestres, M. (2007). Spatial and temporal patterns of water quality in Cullera Bay. Journal of Coastal Research. SI47:40-47. https://doi.org/10.2112/1551-5036-47.sp1.40S4047SI4

Chlorophyll a and phytoplankton maximum at the halocline of Ebro River estuary

The Ebro River flows into the Mediterranean coast of Spain and its last stretch behaves most of the time as a highly stratified estuary. Four field campaigns were carried out during years 1999-2000 to study water quality within the estuary. In this paper, the results of two of these field campaigns are shown. These results are based on the development of a new sampling technique, which allows obtaining samples at the halocline with a high resolution. As a consequence, concentration peaks for different nutrients (ammonium, phosphorus, and orthosilicic acid), chlorophyll and some phytoplankton groups could be observed at the interface area. In the summer samplings, chlorophyll peaks showed two different patterns at the halocline along the estuary. At the stations located close to the estuary head, these peaks were always found in the shallower zone of the interface, above of the observed peaks of ammonium, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and orthosilicic acid. This chlorophyll accumulation in the shallower zone seems to come from surface layer phytoplankton settling, being temporally retained there due to the sharp increase of fluid density. The second pattern is observed close to the mouth, where chlorophyll peaks spatially coincide with those of nutrients or even are located below these, suggesting a growing zone due to nutrient abundance. Phytoplankton counts confirm this hypothesis since peaks of multicellular prokaryotes, diatoms and chlorophyceae are observed at the halocline, with greater densities in the freshwater layer than in the saltwater one, indicating that this accumulation comes from the surface layer. Nevertheless other groups such as unicellular prokaryotes and cryptophyceae presenting larger concentration at the halocline deeper layer than in the shallower one seem to employ the interface as a proliferation zone taking advantage of the more favourable nutritive conditions due to mineralization occurring there.Falco, S.; Romero Gil, I.; Rodilla, M.; Sierra, J.; González Del Rio Rams, J.; Mösso, C.; Pérez Baliero, MDC. (2006). Chlorophyll a and phytoplankton maximum at the halocline of Ebro River estuary. Journal of Coastal Research. SI 39:526-530. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/36176S526530SI 3

Changes in phytoplankton population along the saline gradient of the Júcar estuary and plume

This paper presents the results of phytoplankton counts carried out with epifluorescence at five sampling stations: two in the Júcar River Estuary and the other three in the region of freshwater influence of the Júcar River. From June 2002 to July 2003, nine sampling campaigns were carried out as a part of the EU's ECOSUD project. Two of these campaigns (the 2nd and 8th) were selected for analysis. These sampling campaigns represent two different conditions: in the 2nd campaign the discharge of the Júcar River was almost null, while in the 8th campaign it was significantly higher. Along the salinity gradient, as the influence of fresh water and nutrient loads decreases, a decrease in the population density of eukaryotic phytoplankton was observed. Typical freshwater phytoplankton groups (colonial cyanobacteria and chlorophyceae) clearly decrease in density and percentage as salinity increases. In general, picocyanobacteria exhibit the opposite behavior. The behavior pattern of groups with species adapted to fresh water and seawater is less clear. The density of these groups (diatoms and prymnesiophytes) is highest in the salt-wedge area due to nutrient accumulation. However, the densities are generally higher at the freshwater stations than in the marine environment. The vertical distribution at the estuarine stations shows clear density maximums in the interface area, which seems to have two causes: the retention of senescent phytoplankton affected by saline shock in this quiescent area and the growth of phytoplankton that exploit the accumulated nutrients.González Del Rio Rams, J.; Romero Gil, I.; Falco, S.; Rodilla, M.; Sierra, JP.; Sánchez-Arcilla, A.; Mösso, C. (2007). Changes in phytoplankton population along the saline gradient of the Júcar estuary and plume. Journal of Coastal Research. SI 47:63-68. doi:10.2112/1551-5036-47.sp1.63S6368SI 4

Variables hormonales y bioquímicas de la densidad mineral ósea y su correlación con hombres jóvenes obesos y no obesos sin diabetes

Introducción: la obesidad se ha asociado con mayor densidad mineral ósea (DMO), sin embargo, recientes estudios reportan que pudiese conllevar incremento de la resorción ósea y, por ende, mayor riesgo de fractura. Metodología: estudio de corte transversal analítico en donde se incluyeron hombres entre 18 y 30 años en quienes se realizaron diversas mediciones hormonales (insulina, testosterona libre y total, IGF-1, estradiol, leptina y adiponectina), bioquímicas (PTOG-glucosa, colesterol total, cHDL, cLDL, proteína C reactiva y HOMA-IR), antropométricas y otras, como composición grasa corporal, DMO y composición mineral ósea. Se evaluaron las diferencias de las variables cuantitativas entre obesos y no obesos mediante una prueba T-student o prueba de Wilcoxon. Para evaluar la correlación de DMO con las demás variables se usó la correlación de Spearman. Finalmente, se realizó un modelo de regresión lineal para predecir la DMO. Resultados: se incluyen 34 obesos y 35 no obesos. En el grupo de no obesos se obtuvo una media de 1,159 +/- 0,08 g/ cm2 de DMO comparado con el grupo de hombres obesos, con una media de 1,311 +/- 0,1 g/cm2 (p = 0,001). Se encontró que la DMO tiene una correlación fuerte con el contenido mineral óseo en los obesos respecto a los no obesos 3412,37 g (+/- 454,01) vs. 2575,96 g (+/-388,04), respectivamente, p <0,001. La adiponectina se correlacionó de forma negativa, aunque sin significancia en los obesos respecto a la densidad mineral ósea (r: -0,1913 y p = 0,27) y de forma débil y no significativa con los no obesos (r: 0,0074 y p = 0,96). Finalmente, se encontró que la presencia de obesidad, grasa total, contenido mineral óseo, insulina basal y HOMA-IR predicen de forma significativa la DMO en un modelo de regresión lineal. Conclusión: la DMO y el contenido mineral óseo son más altos en individuos obesos comparados con individuos no obesos, el índice de masa corporal y variables como insulina predicen la densidad mineral ósea

Increased Helicobacter pylori-associated gastric cancer risk in the Andean region of Colombia is mediated by spermine oxidase

Helicobacter pylori infection causes gastric cancer, the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. More than half of the world’s population is infected, making universal eradication impractical. Clinical trials suggest that antibiotic treatment only reduces gastric cancer risk in patients with non-atrophic gastritis (NAG), and is ineffective once preneoplastic lesions of multifocal atrophic gastritis (MAG) and intestinal metaplasia (IM) have occurred. Therefore, additional strategies for risk stratification and chemoprevention of gastric cancer are needed. We have implicated polyamines, generated by the rate-limiting enzyme ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), in gastric carcinogenesis. During H. pylori infection, the enzyme spermine oxidase (SMOX) is induced, which generates hydrogen peroxide from the catabolism of the polyamine spermine. Herein, we assessed the role of SMOX in the increased gastric cancer risk in Colombia associated with the Andean mountain region when compared with the low-risk region on the Pacific coast. When cocultured with gastric epithelial cells, clinical strains of H. pylori from the high-risk region induced more SMOX expression and oxidative DNA damage, and less apoptosis than low-risk strains. These findings were not attributable to differences in the cytotoxin-associated gene A oncoprotein. Gastric tissues from subjects from the high-risk region exhibited greater levels of SMOX and oxidative DNA damage by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry, and this occurred in NAG, MAG and IM. In Mongolian gerbils, a prototype colonizing strain from the high-risk region induced more SMOX, DNA damage, dysplasia and adenocarcinoma than a colonizing strain from the low-risk region. Treatment of gerbils with either α-difluoromethylornithine, an inhibitor of ODC, or MDL 72527 (N[superscript 1,]N[superscript 4]-Di(buta-2,3-dien-1-yl)butane-1,4-diamine dihydrochloride), an inhibitor of SMOX, reduced gastric dysplasia and carcinoma, as well as apoptosis-resistant cells with DNA damage. These data indicate that aberrant activation of polyamine-driven oxidative stress is a marker of gastric cancer risk and a target for chemoprevention.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant P01CA028842)Vanderbilt Digestive Disease Center (Grant P30DK058404

Medición de parámetros físicos, biológicos y químicos en el tramo estuarino del río Ebro

[ES] En este artículo se describen las campañas de campo CYTMAR I y II realizadas en la primavera y el verano de 1997, con el fin de estudiar los procesos y los flujos físicos, biológicos y químicos en la zona del Delta del Ebro, tanto en el tramo estuarino del río como en la pluma de agua dulce que se forma en las cercanías de la desembocadura. Aquí el estudio se ha centrado en la zona estuarina, presentando algunos resultados preliminares y analizando las diferencias estacionales observadas.Este trabajo forma parte del proyecto FANS (contrato No. MAS3-CT95-0037) del Programa MAST-III de la Unión Europea y del proyecto MAR96-1856 del Programa CYTMAR de la Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología (CICYT). También se agradece la contribución de todos los que participaron en las campañas de campo. Finalmente cabe destacar la colaboración de la Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro, que proporcionó los datos de caudales del río y del Centro de Estudios de Puertos y Costas (CEPYC) del CEDEX, que prestó algunos de los equipos utilizados en las campañas.Sierra, J.; González Del Rio Rams, J.; Flos, J.; Sánchez Arcilla, A.; Movellán, E.; Rodilla Alamá, M.; Mösso, C.... (2001). Medición de parámetros físicos, biológicos y químicos en el tramo estuarino del río Ebro. INGENIERIA DEL AGUA. 8(4):459-468. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/36091S4594688

Measurement of the relative rate of prompt χc0, χc1 and χc2 production at √s=7TeV

Prompt production of charmonium χc0, χc1 and χc2 mesons is studied using proton-proton collisions at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of √s=7TeV. The χc mesons are identified through their decay to J/ψγ, with J/ψ→μ+mu− using photons that converted in the detector. A data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0fb−1 collected by the LHCb detector, is used to measure the relative prompt production rate of χc1 and χc2 in the rapidity range 2.0<y<4.5 as a function of the J/ψ transverse momentum from 3 to 20 GeV/c. First evidence for χc0 meson production at a hadron collider is also presented

Searches for B0(s)→J/ψppˉ and B+→J/ψppˉπ+ decays

The results of searches for B0(s)→J/ψ pp¯ and B + → J/ψ p p¯ π+ decays are reported. The analysis is based on a data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1 of pp collisions, collected with the LHCb detector. An excess with 2.8 σ significance is seen for the decay B0s→J/ψ pp¯ and an upper limit on the branching fraction is set at the 90 % confidence level: B(B0s→J/ψ pp¯) < 4.8 × 10−6, which is the first such limit. No significant signals are seen for B0 → J/ψ pp¯ and B+ → J/ψ pp¯ π + decays, for which the corresponding limits are set: B(B0→J/ψ pp¯) < 5.2 × 10−7, which significantly improves the existing limit; and B(B+→J/ψ pp¯π+) < 5.0 × 10−7, which is the first limit on this branching fraction

Observation of two new Ξb−\Xi_b^- baryon resonances

Two structures are observed close to the kinematic threshold in the $\Xi_b^0 \pi^-$ mass spectrum in a sample of proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{-1}$ recorded by the LHCb experiment. In the quark model, two baryonic resonances with quark content $bds$ are expected in this mass region: the spin-parity $J^P = \frac{1}{2}^+$ and $J^P=\frac{3}{2}^+$ states, denoted $\Xi_b^{\prime -}$ and $\Xi_b^{*-}$. Interpreting the structures as these resonances, we measure the mass differences and the width of the heavier state to be $m(\Xi_b^{\prime -}) - m(\Xi_b^0) - m(\pi^{-}) = 3.653 \pm 0.018 \pm 0.006$ MeV$/c^2$, $m(\Xi_b^{*-}) - m(\Xi_b^0) - m(\pi^{-}) = 23.96 \pm 0.12 \pm 0.06$ MeV$/c^2$, $\Gamma(\Xi_b^{*-}) = 1.65 \pm 0.31 \pm 0.10$ MeV, where the first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. The width of the lighter state is consistent with zero, and we place an upper limit of $\Gamma(\Xi_b^{\prime -}) < 0.08$ MeV at 95% confidence level. Relative production rates of these states are also reported.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figure