1,817 research outputs found

    Biodrying under Greenhouse Conditions as Pretreatment for Horticultural Waste

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    The biodrying process was studied as an alternative technology to reduce the mass and volume of horticultural waste. Four static piles were prepared inside a greenhouse: two containing whole waste and two consisting of shredded waste. All the piles were compared with a test pile containing whole waste and placed outside the greenhouse. In two cases, ventilation ducts were installed to improve aeration. Each greenhouse was 2.0 m wide, 3.5 m long and 1.16 m high. The air temperature and relative humidity were monitored both inside and outside the greenhouse. Mass, humidity, organic matter and total nitrogen in the waste were measured. Piles inside the greenhouse showed decreases of 80% and 75% in weight and volume, respectively, during the first 16 days. The data obtained in this work suggest that biodrying could improve the handling and transport of horticultural waste while also minimizing the impact of pollutants

    Parameterization Effects in the analysis of AMI Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Observations

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    Most Sunyaev--Zel'dovich (SZ) and X-ray analyses of galaxy clusters try to constrain the cluster total mass and/or gas mass using parameterised models and assumptions of spherical symmetry and hydrostatic equilibrium. By numerically exploring the probability distributions of the cluster parameters given the simulated interferometric SZ data in the context of Bayesian methods, and assuming a beta-model for the electron number density we investigate the capability of this model and analysis to return the simulated cluster input quantities via three rameterisations. In parameterisation I we assume that the T is an input parameter. We find that parameterisation I can hardly constrain the cluster parameters. We then investigate parameterisations II and III in which fg(r200) replaces temperature as a main variable. In parameterisation II we relate M_T(r200) and T assuming hydrostatic equilibrium. We find that parameterisation II can constrain the cluster physical parameters but the temperature estimate is biased low. In parameterisation III, the virial theorem replaces the hydrostatic equilibrium assumption. We find that parameterisation III results in unbiased estimates of the cluster properties. We generate a second simulated cluster using a generalised NFW (GNFW) pressure profile and analyse it with an entropy based model to take into account the temperature gradient in our analysis and improve the cluster gas density distribution. This model also constrains the cluster physical parameters and the results show a radial decline in the gas temperature as expected. The mean cluster total mass estimates are also within 1 sigma from the simulated cluster true values. However, we find that for at least interferometric SZ analysis in practice at the present time, there is no differences in the AMI visibilities between the two models. This may of course change as the instruments improve.Comment: 19 pages, 13 tables, 24 figure

    Comparación de métodos para analizar materia orgånica en materiales orgånicos: Comparison of methods for analyzing organic matter in organic materials

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    Se compararon dos mĂ©todos (combustiĂłn hĂșmeda y calcinaciĂłn a 550 ÂșC) para la determinaciĂłn de la materia orgĂĄnica en materiales orgĂĄnicos. En el ensayo participaron nueve laboratorios, empleando cinco materiales orgĂĄnicos (tres composts y dos sustratos), analizados por cuadruplicado. La precisiĂłn se evaluĂł calculando la repetibilidad y la reproducibilidad, segĂșn la norma COVENIN 2972-92 (ISO 5725-86). No se encontraron diferencias significativas entre mĂ©todos, laboratorios, ni rĂ©plicas, por lo que se asume que los mĂ©todos comparados generan resultados estadĂ­sticamente iguales. La precisiĂłn evaluada a travĂ©s de la repetibilidad y la reproducibilidad no resultĂł dependiente del nivel de materia orgĂĄnica. Los menores valores de repetibilidad y reproducibilidad obtenidos con el mĂ©todo de calcinaciĂłn indican que esta modalidad analĂ­tica es mĂĄs precisa. Se recomienda la aplicaciĂłn del mĂ©todo de calcinaciĂłn porque se basa en un procedimiento rĂĄpido, sencillo, no consume reactivos quĂ­micos y no genera desechos tĂłxicos para el ambiente y la salud

    Estudos ArtĂ­sticos

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    Arte em transe. De um modo especializado, dentro do projeto criadores sobre outras obras, a revista Croma interessa-se pela implicação, a intervenção, e a valorização. Nesta sĂ©tima edição reuniram-se 17 artigos que tomam como ponto comum a abordagem de obras que exigem diferentes formas de participação. As propostas artĂ­sticas nĂŁo funcionam sem a interação das pessoas. O seu suporte vital, funcional, o seu sentido, estas dimensĂ”es, materiais e imateriais, convergem para as pessoas vivas que com elas atuam. Sobre estes artigos podemos promover diferentes abordagens. Mas interessarĂĄ estudar o que motivou os temas apresentados. Podem detetar-se regularidades dentro dos espaços de implicação que privilegiamos na revista Croma. Quais sĂŁo estas regularidades? Encontramos alguns nĂșcleos problematizadores comuns: o gĂ©nero, a inclusĂŁo, a migração, o corpo, a identidade.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    Salud de los trabajadores

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    Actividad física y su relación con los factores de riesgo cardiovascular de carteros chilenosAnálisis de resultados: riesgos psicosociales en el trabajo Suceso-Istas 21 en Cesfam QuellónAusentismo laboral por enfermedades oftalmológicas, Chile 2009Brote de diarreas por norovirus, posterremoto-tsunami, Constitución, Región del MauleCalidad de vida en profesionales de la salud pública chilenaCaracterización del reposo laboral en personal del SSMN durante el primer semestre de 2010Concentración de nicotina en pelo en trabajadores no fumadores expuestos a humo de tabaco ambientalCondiciones de trabajo y bienestar/malestar docente en profesores de enseñanza media de SantiagoDisfunción auditiva inducida por exposición a xilenoErgonomía aplicada al estudio del síndrome de dolor lumbar en el trabajoEstimación de la frecuencia de factores de riesgo cardiovascular en trabajadores de una empresa mineraExposición a plaguicidas inhibidores de la acetilcolinesterasa en Colombia, 2006-2009Factores de riesgo y daños de salud en conductores de una empresa peruana de transporte terrestre, 2009Las consecuencias de la cultura en salud y seguridad ocupacional en una empresa mineraPercepción de cambios en la práctica médica y estrategias de afrontamientoPercepción de la calidad de vida en la Universidad del BiobíoPesos máximos aceptables para tareas de levantamiento manual de carga en población laboral femeninaRiesgo coronario en trabajadores mineros según la función de Framingham adaptada para la población chilenaTrastornos emocionales y riesgo cardiovascular en trabajadores de la salu

    Polymorphisms within autophagy-related genes as susceptibility biomarkers for multiple myeloma: a meta-analysis of three large cohorts and functional characterization

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    Functional data used in this project have been meticulously catalogued and archived in the BBMRI-NL data infrastructure (https://hfgp.bbmri.nl/, accessed on 12 February 2020) using the MOLGENIS open-source platform for scientific data.Multiple myeloma (MM) arises following malignant proliferation of plasma cells in the bone marrow, that secrete high amounts of specific monoclonal immunoglobulins or light chains, resulting in the massive production of unfolded or misfolded proteins. Autophagy can have a dual role in tumorigenesis, by eliminating these abnormal proteins to avoid cancer development, but also ensuring MM cell survival and promoting resistance to treatments. To date no studies have determined the impact of genetic variation in autophagy-related genes on MM risk. We performed meta-analysis of germline genetic data on 234 autophagy-related genes from three independent study populations including 13,387 subjects of European ancestry (6863 MM patients and 6524 controls) and examined correlations of statistically significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; p < 1 × 10−9) with immune responses in whole blood, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) from a large population of healthy donors from the Human Functional Genomic Project (HFGP). We identified SNPs in six loci, CD46, IKBKE, PARK2, ULK4, ATG5, and CDKN2A associated with MM risk (p = 4.47 × 10−4−5.79 × 10−14). Mechanistically, we found that the ULK4rs6599175 SNP correlated with circulating concentrations of vitamin D3 (p = 4.0 × 10−4), whereas the IKBKErs17433804 SNP correlated with the number of transitional CD24+CD38+ B cells (p = 4.8 × 10−4) and circulating serum concentrations of Monocyte hemoattractant Protein (MCP)-2 (p = 3.6 × 10−4). We also found that the CD46rs1142469 SNP corre lated with numbers of CD19+ B cells, CD19+CD3− B cells, CD5+ IgD− cells, IgM− cells, IgD−IgM− cells, and CD4−CD8− PBMCs (p = 4.9 × 10−4−8.6 × 10−4 ) and circulating concentrations of interleukin (IL)-20 (p = 0.00082). Finally, we observed that the CDKN2Ars2811710 SNP correlated with levels of CD4+EMCD45RO+CD27− cells (p = 9.3 × 10−4 ). These results suggest that genetic variants within these six loci influence MM risk through the modulation of specific subsets of immune cells, as well as vitamin D3−, MCP-2−, and IL20-dependent pathways.This work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, N° 856620 and by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and FEDER (Madrid, Spain; PI17/02256 and PI20/01845), Consejería de Transformación Económica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades and FEDER (PY20/01282), from the CRIS foundation against cancer, from the Cancer Network of Excellence (RD12/10 Red de Cáncer), from the Dietmar Hopp Foundation and the German Ministry of Education and Science (BMBF: CLIOMMICS [01ZX1309]), and from National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award numbers: R01CA186646, U01CA249955 (EEB).This work was also funded d by Portuguese National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)—project UIDB/50026/2020 and UIDP/50026/2020 and by the project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000055, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

    An update of the Worldwide Integrated Assessment (WIA) on systemic insecticides. Part 2: impacts on organisms and ecosystems

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    New information on the lethal and sublethal effects of neonicotinoids and fipronil on organisms is presented in this review, complementing the previous WIA in 2015. The high toxicity of these systemic insecticides to invertebrates has been confirmed and expanded to include more species and compounds. Most of the recent research has focused on bees and the sublethal and ecological impacts these insecticides have on pollinators. Toxic effects on other invertebrate taxa also covered predatory and parasitoid natural enemies and aquatic arthropods. Little, while not much new information has been gathered on soil organisms. The impact on marine coastal ecosystems is still largely uncharted. The chronic lethality of neonicotinoids to insects and crustaceans, and the strengthened evidence that these chemicals also impair the immune system and reproduction, highlights the dangers of this particular insecticidal classneonicotinoids and fipronil. , withContinued large scale – mostly prophylactic – use of these persistent organochlorine pesticides has the potential to greatly decreasecompletely eliminate populations of arthropods in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Sublethal effects on fish, reptiles, frogs, birds and mammals are also reported, showing a better understanding of the mechanisms of toxicity of these insecticides in vertebrates, and their deleterious impacts on growth, reproduction and neurobehaviour of most of the species tested. This review concludes with a summary of impacts on the ecosystem services and functioning, particularly on pollination, soil biota and aquatic invertebrate communities, thus reinforcing the previous WIA conclusions (van der Sluijs et al. 2015)

    Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

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    This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

    National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic

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    Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In a large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors associated with public health behaviours (e.g., spatial distancing and stricter hygiene) and endorsed public policy interventions (e.g., closing bars and restaurants) during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-May 2020). Respondents who reported identifying more strongly with their nation consistently reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies. Results were similar for representative and non-representative national samples. Study 2 (N = 42 countries) conceptually replicated the central finding using aggregate indices of national identity (obtained using the World Values Survey) and a measure of actual behaviour change during the pandemic (obtained from Google mobility reports). Higher levels of national identification prior to the pandemic predicted lower mobility during the early stage of the pandemic (r = −0.40). We discuss the potential implications of links between national identity, leadership, and public health for managing COVID-19 and future pandemics.publishedVersio

    Mammal responses to global changes in human activity vary by trophic group and landscape

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    Wildlife must adapt to human presence to survive in the Anthropocene, so it is critical to understand species responses to humans in different contexts. We used camera trapping as a lens to view mammal responses to changes in human activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across 163 species sampled in 102 projects around the world, changes in the amount and timing of animal activity varied widely. Under higher human activity, mammals were less active in undeveloped areas but unexpectedly more active in developed areas while exhibiting greater nocturnality. Carnivores were most sensitive, showing the strongest decreases in activity and greatest increases in nocturnality. Wildlife managers must consider how habituation and uneven sensitivity across species may cause fundamental differences in human–wildlife interactions along gradients of human influence.Peer reviewe
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