Scaling laws for the movement of people between locations in a large city

Large scale simulations of the movements of people in a ‘‘virtual’’ city and their analyses are used to generate insights into understanding the dynamic processes that depend on the interactions between people. Models, based on these interactions, can be used in optimizing traffic flow, slowing the spread of infectious diseases, or predicting the change in cell phone usage in a disaster. We analyzed cumulative and aggregated data generated from the simulated movements of 1.63106 individuals in a computer ~pseudo-agent-based! model during a typical day in Portland, Oregon. This city is mapped into a graph with 181 206 nodes representing physical locations such as buildings. Connecting edges model individual’s flow between nodes. Edge weights are constructed from the daily traffic of individuals moving between locations. The number of edges leaving a node ~out-degree!, the edge weights ~out-traffic!, and the edge weights per location ~total out-traffic! are fitted well by power-law distributions. The power-law distributions also fit subgraphs based on work, school, and social/recreational activities. The resulting weighted graph is a ‘‘small world’’ and has scaling laws consistent with an underlying hierarchical structure. We also explore the time evolution of the largest connected component and the distribution of the component sizes. We observe a strong linear correlation between the out-degree and total out-traffic distributions and significant levels of clustering. We discuss how these network features can be used to characterize social networks and their relationship to dynamic processes

Synthesis and characterization of nanoparticles of MFe2O4 (M=Fe, CO, Ni) for application in magnetic hyperthermia

Las nanopartículas magnéticas de óxido de hierro constituyen en la actualidad uno de los sistemas más prometedores dentro del campo de la biomedicina. Debido a las novedosas propiedades que presentan, su estudio se ha convertido en una actividad muy importante en la investigación de materiales magnéticos con carácter aplicativo. Por lo tanto, la motivación fundamental para la síntesis y estudio de coloides biocompatibles es el estudio de las propiedades magnéticas derivadas de las dimensiones nanométricas y la relación área superficial contra volumen existente. En el presente trabajo se ha estudiado la preparación de suspensiones coloidales de partículas de magnetita y ferritas de cobalto y níquel para aplicaciones biomédicas, abarcando tanto su síntesis como la caracterización de las propiedades. Para llevar a cabo la síntesis de las partículas se ha estudiado un método muy novedoso como es el de la descomposición térmica de precursores orgánicos de hierro en disolventes orgánicos y en presencia de surfactantes. Este método conduce a nanopartículas magnéticas monodispersas y muy cristalinas cuyo tamaño medio, forma y distribución pueden variar en función de parámetros experimentales como la naturaleza y concentración de los reactivos, además del control de la rampa de temperatura. Las propiedades estructurales de estas partículas son mejores que las obtenidas por métodos más convencionales como la coprecipitación o la pirolisis láser. Dado el carácter hidrófobo de las partículas sintetizadas, éstas no son aptas para su uso en biomedicina por lo que se ha estudiado la transferencia al medio acuoso, consiguiendo obtener suspensiones estables en agua menores de 100 nm. Las nanopartículas obtenidas se evaluaron in vitro como agentes de calentamiento para hipertermia magnética mediante la Absorción Específica de Potencia (SPA). Los valores obtenidos dependen tanto del tamaño de partícula como de la distribución de tamaños. El objetivo global está orientado al desarrollo de una nueva terapia de hipertermia magnética con aplicación en oncología

Genotypic Characterization of Non-O157 Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli in Beef Abattoirs of Argentina

The non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) contamination in carcasses and feces of 811 bovines in nine beef abattoirs from Argentina was analyzed during a period of 17 months. The feces of 181 (22.3%) bovines were positive for non-O157 STEC, while 73 (9.0%) of the carcasses showed non-O157 STEC contamination. Non-O157 STEC strains isolated from feces (227) and carcasses (80) were characterized. The main serotypes identified were O178:H19, O8:H19, O130:H11, and O113:H21, all of which have produced sporadic cases of hemolytic-uremic syndrome in Argentina and worldwide. Twenty-two (7.2%) strains carried a fully virulent stx/eae/ehxA genotype. Among them, strains of serotypes O103:[H2], O145:NM, and O111:NM represented 4.8% of the isolates. XbaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern analysis showed 234 different patterns, with 76 strains grouped in 30 clusters. Nine of the clusters grouped strains isolated from feces and from carcasses of the same or different bovines in a lot, while three clusters were comprised of strains distributed in more than one abattoir. Patterns AREXSX01.0157, AREXBX01.0015, and AREXPX01.0013 were identified as 100% compatible with the patterns of one strain isolated from a hemolytic-uremic syndrome case and two strains previously isolated from beef medallions, included in the Argentine PulseNet Database. In this survey, 4.8% (39 of 811) of the bovine carcasses appeared to be contaminated with non- O157 STEC strains potentially capable of producing sporadic human disease, and a lower proportion (0.25%) with strains able to produce outbreaks of severe disease.Fil: Masana, Marcelo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación de Agroindustria. Instituto de Tecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: D´Astek, B. A.. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud “Dr. C. G. Malbrán”; ArgentinaFil: Palladino, Pablo Martín. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación de Agroindustria. Instituto de Tecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Galli, Lucía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; Argentina. Dirección Nacional de Institutos de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; ArgentinaFil: del Castillo, Lourdes Leonor. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación de Agroindustria. Instituto de Tecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Carbonari, Claudia Carolina. Dirección Nacional de Institutos de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; ArgentinaFil: Leotta, Gerardo Anibal. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; Argentina. Dirección Nacional de Institutos de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; ArgentinaFil: Vilacoba, Elisabet. Dirección Nacional de Institutos de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; ArgentinaFil: Irino, K.. Instituto Adolfo Lutz. Seção de Bacteriologia; BrasilFil: Rivas, M.. Dirección Nacional de Institutos de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas; Argentin

Model Parameters and Outbreak Control for SARS

Control of the 2002–2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak was based on rapid diagnosis coupled with effective patient isolation. We used uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of the basic reproductive number R0 to assess the role that model parameters play in outbreak control. The transmission rate and isolation effectiveness have the largest fractional effect on R0. We estimated the distribution of the reproductive number R0 under perfect isolation conditions. The distribution lies in the interquartile range 0.19–1.08, with a median of 0.49. Even though the median of R0 is \u3c1, we found that 25% of our R0 distribution lies at R0 \u3e 1, even with perfect isolation. This implies the need to simultaneously apply more than one method of control

Clinical diagnostic delays and epidemiology of dengue fever during the 2002 outbreak in Colima, Mexico

Dengue fever is a re-emergent and challenging public health problem in the world. Here, we assess retrospectively the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the 2002 dengue epidemic in the state of Colima, Mexico. This study is carried out by analysing a database containing demographic, epidemiological and clinical information. Of the 4040 clinical dengue cases diagnosed in the hospitals of the Mexican Institute of Public Health in the state of Colima, 548 cases were confirmed by laboratory tests, and 495 cases presented at least one haemorrhagic manifestation. Of the total clinically diagnosed cases, the most common symptoms observed were: fever (99.6%), headache (92.4%), myalgia (89.4%) and arthralgia (88.6%). The most common haemorrhagic manifestations were: petechiae (7.1%), gingivitis (3.4%) and epistaxis (3.6%). The median time between the onset of illness and visit to the health care clinic (diagnostic delay) was 1 day (interquartile range [IQR]: 0-3). For cases presenting haemorrhagic manifestations, the diagnostic delay was higher (median: 2 days, IQR: 0-4) than for non-haemorrhagic cases (median: 1 day, IQR: 0-3). The proportion of males presenting haemorrhagic manifestations was higher than females (Fisher Exact test; p

La informática en los centros de infantil y primaria en Extremadura: datos y propuestas

Este documento constituye el informe de investigación final del proyecto “Estado de la Informática en los centros de Educación Infantil y Primaria de Extremadura”. Se recogen en él los aspectos más destacables de los datos obtenidos a partir de los cuestionarios cumplimentados por el profesorado de los centros públicos de nuestra Región, con objeto de conocer sus competencias tecnológicas y pedagógicas, la utilización que hacen de los recursos de que disponen en los centros y las características de su formación. Por el volumen de datos recogidos y el nivel de profundización, permite obtener una imagen fiable y precisa de la situación de estos recursos en los centros públicos de nuestra Comunidad, algo que hasta ahora ha sido realizado, pero con menor detalle en algunos estudios parciales anteriores, que describiremos más adelante. Se ofrecen igualmente propuestas de actuación que contribuyan a mejorar la integración de las Nuevas Tecnologías en el aula.This document constitutes the final investigation report of the project "State of the computing centers in the infant and primary education of Extremadura". Are reflected in the salient aspects of the data obtained from the questionnaires filled out by the teachers of public centers of our region, in order to know their technological and pedagogical skills, the use of the resources available in the centers and the characteristics of their training. By the volume of data collected and the level of deepening, allows you to obtain a reliable and accurate picture of the situation of these resources in the public schools of our Community, something that until now has been carried out, but with less detail in some past partial studies, which are described later. There are also proposals for action which contribute to improve the integration of new technologies in the classroom.Esta investigación ha sido realizada con cargo al Proyecto PRI09A005 según la “Orden de 17 de diciembre de 2008, DOE nº 2, de 5 de enero de 2009, por la que se convocan subvenciones para la realización de proyectos de investigación, desarrollo e innovación del Gobierno de Extremadura

Detection, isolation and characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in fresh ground beef from butcher shops in Concepción, Tucumán Province

Escherichia coli productor de toxina Shiga (STEC) es un patógeno emergente transmitido por alimentos. Existen numerosos serotipos de STEC asociados a enfermedad en humanos, entre los cuales prevalece el serotipo O157:H7. La carne molida es el principal vehículo de transmisión. En la ciudad de Concepción, provincia de Tucumán, entre setiembre y diciembre de 2004 se diagnosticaron dos casos de síndrome urémico hemolítico (SUH). El objetivo de este trabajo fue detectar, aislar y caracterizar STEC O157 y no-O157 a partir de muestras de carne molida fresca obtenidas en las bocas de expendio. Entre los meses de setiembre y diciembre de 2004 se recolectaron 53 muestras de carne molida fresca en carnicerías de la ciudad de Concepción. Para la detección, el aislamiento y la caracterización de STEC O157:H7 se utilizó la metodología USDA-FSIS 2002. Para la detección de E. coli no-O157 se utilizaron dos técnicas de PCR; para el aislamiento y la caracterización se utilizó una metodología previamente validada en una etapa intralaboratorio. Siete muestras fueron positivas para el gen stx2 , de las cuales 4 también fueron positivas para el gen rfbO157. Sin embargo, solo se aisló una cepa de E. coli O157:H7 biotipo C, portadora de los genes eae, stx2 y ehxA. El presente trabajo refleja la importancia de implementar técnicas que permitan detectar este grupo de patógenos emergentes a partir de productos cárnicos.Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli is an emerging foodborne pathogen. There are many STEC serotypes associated with human diseases, being the O157:H7 serotype the most prevalent. Ground beef is the main transmission vehicle. In Concepción city, Tucumán Province, between September and December 2004, two hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) cases were diagnosed. The main objective of this work was to detect, isolate and characterize STEC O157 and non-O157 strains in fresh ground beef. Between September and December 2004, 53 fresh ground beef samples were collected from butcher shops in Concepción city. The USDA-FSIS (2002) methodology was used for detection, isolation and characterization of STEC O157:H7. Two PCR techniques for E. coli non-O157 detection and a previous intra-laboratory validated methodology for the isolation and characterization of these strains were used. The stx2 gen was identified in seven samples and the rfbO157 gene also in four of them. However, only one E. coli O157:H7 strain, biotype C, carrying the eae, stx2 and ehxA genes, was isolated. The present study shows the importance of implementing techniques for the detection of this emerging pathogen in meat samples.Instituto de Genética Veterinari

Myeloid C/EBPβ deficiency reshapes microglial gene expression and is protective in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Background CCAAT/enhancer binding protein β (C/EBPβ) is a transcription factor that regulates the expression of important pro-inflammatory genes in microglia. Mice deficient for C/EBPβ show protection against excitotoxic and ischemic CNS damage, but the involvement in this neuroprotective effect of the various C/EBPβ-expressing cell types is not solved. Since C/EBPβ-deficient microglia show attenuated neurotoxicity in culture, we hypothesized that specific C/EBPβ deficiency in microglia could be neuroprotective in vivo. In this study, we have tested this hypothesis by generating mice with myeloid C/EBPβ deficiency. Methods Mice with myeloid C/EBPβ deficiency were generated by crossing LysMCre and C/EBPβfl/fl mice. Primary microglial cultures from C/EBPβfl/fl and LysMCre-C/EBPβfl/fl mice were treated with lipopolysaccharide ± interferon γ (IFNγ) for 6 h, and gene expression was analyzed by RNA sequencing. Gene expression and C/EBPβ deletion were analyzed in vivo in microglia isolated from the brains of C/EBPβfl/fl and LysMCre-C/EBPβfl/fl mice treated systemically with lipolysaccharide or vehicle. Mice of LysMCre-C/EBPβfl/fl or control genotypes were subjected to experimental autoimmune encephalitis and analyzed for clinical signs for 52 days. One- or two-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis with their appropriate post hoc tests were used. Results LysMCre-C/EBPβfl/fl mice showed an efficiency of C/EBPβ deletion in microglia of 100 and 90% in vitro and in vivo, respectively. These mice were devoid of female infertility, perinatal mortality and reduced lifespan that are associated to full C/EBPβ deficiency. Transcriptomic analysis of C/EBPβ-deficient primary microglia revealed C/EBPβ-dependent expression of 1068 genes, significantly enriched in inflammatory and innate immune responses GO terms. In vivo, microglial expression of the pro-inflammatory genes Cybb, Ptges, Il23a, Tnf and Csf3 induced by systemic lipopolysaccharide injection was also blunted by C/EBPβ deletion. CNS expression of C/EBPβ was upregulated in experimental autoimmune encephalitis and in multiple sclerosis samples. Finally, LysMCre-C/EBPβfl/fl mice showed robust attenuation of clinical signs in experimental autoimmune encephalitis. Conclusion This study provides new data that support a central role for C/EBPβ in the biology of activated microglia, and it offers proof of concept for the therapeutic potential of microglial C/EBPβ inhibition in multiple sclerosis

Nitrogen and Phosphorous Retention in Tropical Eutrophic Reservoirs with Water Level Fluctuations: A Case Study Using Mass Balances on a Long-Term Series

Nitrogen and phosphorous loading drives eutrophication of aquatic systems. Lakes and reservoirs are often effective N and P sinks, but the variability of their biogeochemical dynamics is still poorly documented, particularly in tropical systems. To contribute to the extending of information on tropical reservoirs and to increase the insight on the factors affecting N and P cycling in aquatic ecosystems, we here report on a long-term N and P mass balance (2003–2018) in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, which showed that this tropical eutrophic reservoir lake acts as a net sink of N (−41.7 g N m y) and P (−2.7 g P m y), mainly occurring through net sedimentation, equivalent to 181% and 68% of their respective loading (23.0 g N m y and 4.2 g P m y). The N mass balance also showed that the Valle de Bravo reservoir has a high net N atmospheric influx (31.6 g N m y), which was 1.3 times the external load and likely dominated by N fixation. P flux was driven mainly by external load, while in the case of N, net fixation also contributed. During a period of high water level fluctuations, the net N atmospheric flux decreased by 50% compared to high level years. Our results outlining water regulation can be used as a useful management tool of water bodies, by decreasing anoxic conditions and net atmospheric fluxes, either through decreasing nitrogen fixation and/or promoting denitrification and other microbial processes that alleviate the N load. These findings also sustain the usefulness of long-term mass balances to assess biogeochemical dynamics and its variability.This research was funded by UNAM, PAPIIT-IN207702 and CONACYT-SEMARNAT, C01-1125 projects to M.M-