Water resources situation at Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiaí watersheds using a dynamic systems model

Utilizou-se modelo desenvolvido em dinâmica de sistemas, especificamente para as Bacias Hidrográficas dos Rios Piracicaba, Capivari e Jundiaí (BH-PCJ), com cinco simulações para 50 anos de horizonte, como ferramenta para auxiliar na gestão dos recursos hídricos. O modelo estimou as ofertas e demandas de água, e a geração de águas residuárias dos diversos consumidores existentes nas BH-PCJ. Realizou-se simulação utilizando-se das taxas de consumo e de oferta existentes em 2004, e as precipitações com os valores médios constantes. Sob essas premissas, foi encontrado que as demandas de água aumentarão cerca de 76%, que aproximadamente 39% do volume de água disponível terá origem no reúso das águas residuárias, a carga contaminante aumentará em 91%. O Índice de Falkenmark mudará de 1.403 m³ habitante-1 ano-1, em 2004, para 734 m³ hab-1 ano-1 em 2054; e o Índice de Sustentabilidade de 0,44 para 0,20. Foram explorados outros quatro cenários: com fator de mudanças nas precipitações anuais de 90 e 110%; considerando vazão ecológica equivalente a 30% da vazão média diária, e sem nenhuma mudança nas taxas dos outros fatores, somente na vazão ecológica e no consumo domiciliar de água. Todos eles mostraram tendência à futura crise nos recursos hídricos nas BH-PCJ.Using a dynamic systems model specifically developed for Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiaí River Water Basins (BH-PCJ) as a tool to help to analyze water resources management alternatives for policy makers and decision takers, five simulations for 50 years timeframe were performed. The model estimates water supply and demand, as well as wastewater generation from the consumers at BH-PCJ. A run was performed using mean precipitation value constant, and keeping the actual water supply and demand rates, the business as usual scenario. Under these considerations, it is expected an increment of about ~76% on water demand, that ~39% of available water volume will come from wastewater reuse, and that waste load increases to ~91%. Falkenmark Index will change from 1,403 m³ person-1 year-1 in 2004, to 734 m3 P-1 year-1 by 2054, and the Sustainability Index from 0.44 to 0.20. Another four simulations were performed by affecting the annual precipitation by 90 and 110%; considering an ecological flow equal to 30% of the mean daily flow; and keeping the same rates for all other factors except for ecological flow and household water consumption. All of them showed a tendency to a water crisis in the near future at BH-PCJ.Ministério da Ciência e TecnologiaConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Engenharia da Irrigação (INCT-EI

Glucocorticoid receptor intestinal epithelial knockout mice show attenuated colonic inflammatory response but unaffected permeability in early experimental sepsis

Introduction: Sepsis is defined as an organic dysfunction that threatens the life of patients due to an abnormally regulated response to infection [1]. The initial phase of sepsis is dominated by an increased production of proinflammatory cytokines, which leads to augmented capillary permeability, extravasation, hypercoagulability and myelopoiesis. One of the main sources of infection in sepsis is believed to be the intestinal microbiota via traslocation through the mucosa to the bloodstream. Systemic inflammation weakens intestinal barrier function (IBF) in animal models, resulting in increased bacterial traslocation [2]. Even if the management of sepsis has advanced in the last decades, mortality is still high and there are blanks in terms of pathological systems and long-term consequences. Thus, the search for effective treatments is clearly justified. Glucocorticoids (GC) are part of the drugs used in sepsis, but they have only shown a moderate therapeutic effect. This fact may be caused by harmful effects of GCs on IBF, whose compromise may limit GC clinical benefit by facilitating luminal translocation of microorganisms. Besides, GC treatment impairs epithelial healing in experimental colitis in mice [3]. Previous results of our research group have shown that mice with induced deletion of the GC receptor (GR) in intestinal epithelial cells (i.e. NR3C1ΔIEC mice) are protected against dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis [4]. In turn, gene deletion results in a short lived inflammatory response in the colon [5]. Objective: Understanding the role of the intestinal epithelial GR and its involvement in IBF regulation in experimental sepsis, with the ultimate goal of improving the management of sepsis with GCs. Matherial and methods: The cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model of sepsis was applied to WT C57BL/6J and NR3C1ΔIEC mice. Ceacum-exposed mice were used as control (Sham). Mice were sacrificed 24 hours after surgery. Four hours before sacrifice, mice were administered 4 kD FITC-dextran, a fluorescent marker of permeability. Colon, jejunum, adrenes, kidney and liver RT-qPCRs were performed as well as determination of plasma FITC-dextran and corticosterone plasma levels. Results: After 24 h, CLP mice exhibited elevated corticosterone plasma levels with hypoglycemia and splenomegaly. Intestinal barrier function was weakened, as indicated by increased FITC-dextran plasma levels. A modest increase in inflammatory markers (S100a8, Cxcl1) was noted in the colon and jejunum. The expression of Tjp1, involved in barrier function, was downregulated in CLP mice. Similarly, the colonic expression of Cyp11a1 and Lrh1, involved in local steroidogenesis, was lower in CLP mice, regardless of genotype. Markers of inflammation were also augmented in the lung and kidney. CLP mice exhibited hypercorticosteronemia, which was associated to increased Cyp11a1 in the adrenes. Of note, both parameters were less pronounced in KO mice. The latter also exhibited dampened inflammatory response in the colon but not the jejunum. FITC-dextran plasma levels were similarly increased in WT and KO mice. Conclusions: In the early stages of the CLP model of sepsis the colon and jejunum are inflamed, and epithelial deletion of the glucocorticoid receptor appears to modulate inflammation in the former, with no change in barrier function. Further studies will characterize the microbiota composition and phenotype in later stages and in the response to glucocorticoid treatment

Pectus excavatum asociado a ectopia cordis en un neonato bovino

Se presenta el caso de un neonato bovino de 4 horas de nacido con Pectus excavatum asociada a Ectopia cordis . Se destaca la importancia del caso debido a la rareza de presentación de las dos patologías conjuntas en animales, aunada a la ausencia de no reporte del Pectus exacavatum en Bovinos

Cytomolecular evaluation of bystander effect in human lung fibroblast cells under conditions of radiotherapeutical exposition

Durante los últimos años uno de los principales paradigmas de la radiobiología ha ido cambiando. Originalmente, se creía que sólo aquellas células irradiadas directamente podrían presentar daño en su material genético. Actualmente, la idea de que existe riesgo genotóxico para las células no directamente irradiadas ha crecido considerablemente. El propósito del presente trabajo fue mostrar la existencia de este fenómeno, conocido como efectos de la vecindad, en fibroblastos de pulmón humano, expuestos a dosis utilizadas en radioterapia fraccionada. El diseño experimental consistió en tratar células no irradiadas, con medio de cultivo proveniente de células previamente irradiadas (MCI). Se obtuvo MCI formado durante diferentes tiempos de incubación: 30, 60, 120 y 180 minutos tras irradiación. Posteriormente las células no irradiadas fueron tratadas con estos medios durante una hora. El daño en el material genético fue analizado mediante el ensayo de electroforesis de células individuales (Ensayo Cometa). Los resultados muestran considerables diferencias entre el daño genotóxico de las células tratadas con el MCI y su correspondiente control. Por otra parte, se ha observado una respuesta cíclica en los niveles de daño, en referencia al tratamiento con los distintos medios condicionados. Este hecho podría ser explicado a través de un desbalance entre factores pro y antioxidantes producidos en respuesta a la radiación. Estos hallazgos podrían contribuir a la optimización de metodologías implementadas tanto en radioterapia como en radioprotección.During the last years one of the major paradigms of radiobiology has changed. Originally, it was belived that only those cells directly hit by radiation were the ones that could damage their genetic material. At present the idea of neighboring cells being at genotoxic risk is growing considerably. The aim of this research was to show the existance of this phenomenon, usually called bystander effect, specifically in human lung fibroblasts exposed to a dose which is frecuently used in fractioned radiotherapy. The experimental design consisted of treating non-irradiated cells with the culture medium coming from cells that had been previously irradiated (ICM). We recollected ICM formed during different times of incubation: 30, 60, 120 and 180 minutes. After that, non-irradiated cells were treated with these medium during one hour in all the cases. The damage in the genetic material was analyzed by the Comet assay. The results show considerable differences in the genomic damage among the cells treated with ICM and their corresponding control. A cyclic response in such levels has also been observed. This might be due to the disbalance between the proxidant and the antioxidant factors produced in response to radiation. These findings would contribute to optimize the implemented methodology both in radiotherapy and radioprotection.Instituto de Genética Veterinari

Cytomolecular evaluation of bystander effect in human lung fibroblast cells under conditions of radiotherapeutical exposition

Durante los últimos años uno de los principales paradigmas de la radiobiología ha ido cambiando. Originalmente, se creía que sólo aquellas células irradiadas directamente podrían presentar daño en su material genético. Actualmente, la idea de que existe riesgo genotóxico para las células no directamente irradiadas ha crecido considerablemente. El propósito del presente trabajo fue mostrar la existencia de este fenómeno, conocido como efectos de la vecindad, en fibroblastos de pulmón humano, expuestos a dosis utilizadas en radioterapia fraccionada. El diseño experimental consistió en tratar células no irradiadas, con medio de cultivo proveniente de células previamente irradiadas (MCI). Se obtuvo MCI formado durante diferentes tiempos de incubación: 30, 60, 120 y 180 minutos tras irradiación. Posteriormente las células no irradiadas fueron tratadas con estos medios durante una hora. El daño en el material genético fue analizado mediante el ensayo de electroforesis de células individuales (Ensayo Cometa). Los resultados muestran considerables diferencias entre el daño genotóxico de las células tratadas con el MCI y su correspondiente control. Por otra parte, se ha observado una respuesta cíclica en los niveles de daño, en referencia al tratamiento con los distintos medios condicionados. Este hecho podría ser explicado a través de un desbalance entre factores pro y antioxidantes producidos en respuesta a la radiación. Estos hallazgos podrían contribuir a la optimización de metodologías implementadas tanto en radioterapia como en radioprotección.During the last years one of the major paradigms of radiobiology has changed. Originally, it was belived that only those cells directly hit by radiation were the ones that could damage their genetic material. At present the idea of neighboring cells being at genotoxic risk is growing considerably. The aim of this research was to show the existance of this phenomenon, usually called bystander effect, specifically in human lung fibroblasts exposed to a dose which is frecuently used in fractioned radiotherapy. The experimental design consisted of treating non-irradiated cells with the culture medium coming from cells that had been previously irradiated (ICM). We recollected ICM formed during different times of incubation: 30, 60, 120 and 180 minutes. After that, non-irradiated cells were treated with these medium during one hour in all the cases. The damage in the genetic material was analyzed by the Comet assay. The results show considerable differences in the genomic damage among the cells treated with ICM and their corresponding control. A cyclic response in such levels has also been observed. This might be due to the disbalance between the proxidant and the antioxidant factors produced in response to radiation. These findings would contribute to optimize the implemented methodology both in radiotherapy and radioprotection.Instituto de Genética Veterinari

SHARDS: A global view of the star formation activity at z~0.84 and z~1.23

In this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis of star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at intermediate redshifts (z~1). We combine the ultra-deep optical spectro-photometric data from the Survey for High-z Absorption Red and Dead Sources (SHARDS) with deep UV-to-FIR observations in the GOODS-N field. Exploiting two of the 25 SHARDS medium-band filters, F687W17 and F823W17, we select [OII] emission line galaxies at z~0.84 and z~1.23 and characterize their physical properties. Their rest-frame equivalent widths (EW$_{\mathrm{rf}}$([OII])), line fluxes, luminosities, star formation rates (SFRs) and dust attenuation properties are investigated. The evolution of the EW$_{\mathrm{rf}}$([OII]) closely follows the SFR density evolution of the universe, with a trend of EW$_{\mathrm{rf}}$([OII])$\propto$(1+z)$^3$ up to redshift z~1, followed by a possible flattening. The SF properties of the galaxies selected on the basis of their [OII] emission are compared with complementary samples of SFGs selected by their MIR and FIR emission, and also with a general mass-selected sample of galaxies at the same redshifts. We demonstrate observationally that the UVJ diagram (or, similarly, a cut in the specific SFR) is only partially able to distinguish the quiescent galaxies from the SFGs. The SFR-M$_*$ relation is investigated for the different samples, yelding a logarithmic slope ~1, in good agreement with previous results. The dust attenuations derived from different SFR indicators (UV(1600), UV(2800), [OII], IR) are compared and show clear trends with respect to both the stellar mass and total SFR, with more massive and highly star-forming galaxies being affected by stronger dust attenuation.Comment: Replaced to match the accepted version (24 pages, 1 table, 17 figures). Published in ApJ, 812, 155 (2015): http://stacks.iop.org/0004-637X/812/15

Towns with extremely low mortality due to ischemic heart disease in Spain

BACKGROUND: The cause of coronary disease inframortality in Spain is unknown. The aim of this study is to identify Spanish towns with very low ischemic heart disease mortality, describe their health and social characteristics, and analyze the relationship with a series of contextual factors. METHODS: We obtained the number of deaths registered for each of 8,122 Spanish towns in the periods 1989-1998 and 1999-2003. Expected deaths, standardized mortality ratio (SMR), smoothed Relative Risk (RR), and Posterior Probability (PP) of RR > 1 were calculated using Bayesian hierarchical models. Inframortality was defined as any town that displayed an RR below the 10th percentile, an SMR of under 1 for both sexes, and a PP of RR > 1 less than or equal to 0.002 for male and 0.005 for female mortality, during the two periods covered. All the remaining towns, except for those with high mortality classified as "tourist towns", were selected as controls. The association among socioeconomic, health, dietary, lifestyle and vascular risk factors was analyzed using sequential mixed logistic regression models, with province as the random-effects variable. RESULTS: We identified 32 towns in which ischemic heart disease mortality was half the national rate and four times lower than the European Union rate, situated in lightly populated provinces spread across the northern half of Spain, and revealed a surprising pattern of geographic aggegation for 23 of the 32 towns. Variables related with inframortality were: a less aged population (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.89-0.99); a contextual dietary pattern marked by a high fish content (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.38-3.28) and wine consumption (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.08-2.07); and a low prevalence of obesity (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.22-1.01); and, in the case of towns of over 1000 inhabitants, a higher physician-population ratio (OR 3.80, 95% CI 1.17-12.3). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that dietary and health care factors have an influence on inframortality. The geographical aggregation suggests that other factors with a spatial pattern, e.g., genetic or environmental might also be implicated. These results will have to be confirmed by studies in situ, with objective measurements at an individual level.This study was funded by research study grant no. PI06/0656 from Spain's Health Research Fund (Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria).S

Overview of recent TJ-II stellarator results

The main results obtained in the TJ-II stellarator in the last two years are reported. The most important topics investigated have been modelling and validation of impurity transport, validation of gyrokinetic simulations, turbulence characterisation, effect of magnetic configuration on transport, fuelling with pellet injection, fast particles and liquid metal plasma facing components. As regards impurity transport research, a number of working lines exploring several recently discovered effects have been developed: the effect of tangential drifts on stellarator neoclassical transport, the impurity flux driven by electric fields tangent to magnetic surfaces and attempts of experimental validation with Doppler reflectometry of the variation of the radial electric field on the flux surface. Concerning gyrokinetic simulations, two validation activities have been performed, the comparison with measurements of zonal flow relaxation in pellet-induced fast transients and the comparison with experimental poloidal variation of fluctuations amplitude. The impact of radial electric fields on turbulence spreading in the edge and scrape-off layer has been also experimentally characterized using a 2D Langmuir probe array. Another remarkable piece of work has been the investigation of the radial propagation of small temperature perturbations using transfer entropy. Research on the physics and modelling of plasma core fuelling with pellet and tracer-encapsulated solid-pellet injection has produced also relevant results. Neutral beam injection driven Alfvénic activity and its possible control by electron cyclotron current drive has been examined as well in TJ-II. Finally, recent results on alternative plasma facing components based on liquid metals are also presented. ISSN:0029-5515 ISSN:1741-432