11 research outputs found
Digital soil mapping as a component of data renewal for areas with sparse soil data infrastructures
Protective effect of bixin on cisplatin-induced genotoxicity in PC12 cells
Bixin is the main carotenoid found in annatto seeds (Bixa orellana L.) and is responsible for their reddish-orange color. The antioxidant properties of this compound are associated with its ability to scavenge free radicals, which may reduce damage and protect tissues against toxicity caused by anticancer drugs such as cisplatin. In this study, the genotoxicity and antigenotoxicity of bixin on cisplatin-induced toxicity in PC12 cells was assessed. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using the mu assay, mutagenicity, genotoxicity, and protective effect of bixin were evaluated using the micronucleus test and comet assay. PC12 cells were treated with bixin (0.05, 0.08, and 0.10 mu g/mL), cisplatin (0.1 mu g/mL) or a combination of both bixin and cisplatin. Bixin was neither cytotoxic nor genotoxic compared to the controls. In the combined treatment bixin significantly reduced the percentage of DNA in tail and the frequency of micronuclei induced by cisplatin. This result suggests that bixin can function as a protective agent, reducing cisplatin-induced DNA damage in PC12 cells, and it is possible that this protection could also extend to neuronal cells. Further studies are being conducted to better understand the mechanisms involved in the activity of this protective agent prior to using it therapeutically. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.CNPq [470214/2008-2]CNP
Evaluation of curcumin and cisplatin-induced DNA damage in PC12 cells by the alkaline comet assay
A very appropriate method for antigenotoxicity evaluation of antioxidants is the comet assay, since this analytical method detects initial DNA lesions that are still subject to repair; in other words, lesions that are very associated to damages resulting from the generation and subsequent action of reactive species. However, a solid evaluation should be developed in order to avoid inexact interpretations. In our study, besides the association of curcumin with cisplatin, curcumin and cisplatin agents were also tested separately. Classical genotoxic compounds, when tested by the comet assay, present an increase in the nucleoid tail; however, the cisplatin treatment has resulted in a decrease of DNA migration. This was an expected effect, as the cross-links between cisplatin and DNA decrease the DNA electrophoretic mobility. A similar effect was observed with the curcumin treatment, which decreased the nucleoid tail. Such effect was not expected and reinforced the necessity of including in the study, separate treatment groups with potentially antigenotoxic substances. The comet assay results have been analyzed using specific software for image analysis, as well as the classical visual analysis, and we have observed that the effect of decrease in DNA electrophoretic mobility was more easily observed when the data were analyzed by the software.CAPESFAPESP (Fundacao de Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo)[08/53947-7]CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico
Atlas de Suelos de America Latina y El Caribe
A necessary starting point to achieve the objective of preserving soil resources is to reach an adequate level of knowledge on their status and to raise awareness on their importance (UNEP, 2007; Sanchez et al., 2009; Palm et al., 2010; Sachs et al., 2010). In order to improve communication and to raise soil awareness of the public at large, stakeholders, policy makers, and other scientists to the importance of soil in Latin America, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission is producing the first ever Soil Atlas of Latin America and Caribbean (LAC). The Atlas compile existing information on different soil types as easily understandable maps (both at regional and continental scale) covering the continents.
The Soil Atlas of LAC illustrates the diversity of soils from the humid tropics to the arid deserts through a series of maps supported by explanatory texts, high quality photographs and descriptive graphics. Supporting texts describe the major soil types, together with their principal characteristics and the main soil forming processes. This Atlas, as one of the outcomes of Euroclima project, will have a strong emphasis on Climate Change. The soil maps showed in the Atlas will be based on the Soterlac 1:5,000,000, that will be updated and validated on the base of the information provided by the LAC countries. Soils will be discussed both at regional scale, on the base of Ecozones, and at national scale. A specific section will be devoted to ethnopedologia.
Together with the publication of the Atlas, the soil map and associated datasets on soil characteristics will be made freely available. These datasets will be useful for making broad distinction among soil types and provide general trends at the global and regional scales. The datasets will be made accessible for free downloading from the portals of the SOIL Action (http://eusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/) The format of the Atlas will allows an accessible, user-friendly approach avoiding the more traditional focus on soil classification and soil survey interpretation. Furthermore other products aimed to raise awareness on soil, have also been produced, such as the Soil Calendar of Latin America and Caribbean (2012).
The Atlases link the theme of soil with rural development and, at the same time, supports the goals of the EU Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection in conserving a threatened natural resource that is vital to human existence.
Not only climate change, but also desertification and loss of biodiversity are strongly affecting soils globally, making the âSoil Atlas of Latin Americaâ relevant to a much larger community of stakeholders involved in the implementation of the three âRio-Conventionsâ and allowing possible synergies among international multilateral agreements towards global soil protection to be explored.JRC.H.5-Land Resources Managemen
GlobalSoilMap: Toward a Fine-Resolution Global Grid of Soil Properties
Soil scientists are being challenged to provide assessments of soil condition from local
through to global scales. A particular issue is the need for estimates of the stores and fluxes
in soils of water, carbon, nutrients, and solutes. This review outlines progress in the development
and testing of GlobalSoilMapâa digital soil map that aims to provide a fineresolution
global grid of soil functional properties with estimates of their associated uncertainties.
A range of methods can be used to generate the fine-resolution spatial estimates
depending on the availability of existing soil surveys, environmental data, and point observations.
The system has an explicit geometry for estimating point and block estimates of
soil properties continuously down the soil profile. This geometry is necessary to ensure
mass balance when stores and fluxes are computed. It also overcomes some limitations
with existing systems for characterizing soil variation with depth. GlobalSoilMap has been
designed to enable delivery of soil data via Web services. This review provides an overview
of the system's technical specifications including the minimum data set. Examples from
contrasting countries and environments are then presented to demonstrate the robustness
of the technical specifications. GlobalSoilMap provides the means for supplying soil
information in a format and resolution compatible with other fundamental data sets from
remote sensing, terrain analysis, and other systems for mapping, monitoring, and forecasting
biophysical processes. The initial research phase of the core project is nearing completion
and attention is now shifting toward establishing the institutional and governance
arrangements necessary to complete a full global coverage and maintaining the operational
version of the GlobalSoilMap. This will be a grand and rewarding challenge for the
soil science profession in the coming years.JRC.H.5-Land Resources Managemen
Worldâs soils are under threat
The Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils has completed the first State of the
Worldâs Soil Resources report. Globally soil erosion was identified as the gravest threat,
leading to deteriorating water quality in developed regions and to lowering of crop yields
in many developing regions. We need to increase nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer
use in infertile tropical and semi-tropical soils â the regions where the most food insecure
among us are found â while reducing global use of these products overall.
Stores of soil organic carbon are critical in the global carbon balance, and national
governments must set specific targets to stabilize or ideally increase soil organic carbon stores. Finally the quality of soil information available for policy formulation must
be improved â the regional assessments in the SWSR report frequently base their
evaluations on studies from the 1990s based on observations made in the 1980s or
earlier.JRC.H.5-Land Resources Managemen
International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortiu (INICC) report, data summary of 43 countries for 2007-2012. Device-associated module
We report the results of an International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) surveillance study from January 2007-December 2012 in 503 intensive care units (ICUs) in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. During the 6-year study using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) U.S. National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) definitions for device-associated health careâassociated infection (DA-HAI), we collected prospective data from 605,310 patients hospitalized in the INICC's ICUs for an aggregate of 3,338,396Â days. Although device utilization in the INICC's ICUs was similar to that reported from ICUs in the U.S. in the CDC's NHSN, rates of device-associated nosocomial infection were higher in the ICUs of the INICC hospitals: the pooled rate of central lineâassociated bloodstream infection in the INICC's ICUs, 4.9 per 1,000 central line days, is nearly 5-fold higher than the 0.9 per 1,000 central line days reported from comparable U.S. ICUs. The overall rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia was also higher (16.8 vs 1.1 per 1,000 ventilator days) as was the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (5.5 vs 1.3 per 1,000 catheter days). Frequencies of resistance of Pseudomonas isolates to amikacin (42.8% vs 10%) and imipenem (42.4% vs 26.1%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates to ceftazidime (71.2% vs 28.8%) and imipenem (19.6% vs 12.8%) were also higher in the INICC's ICUs compared with the ICUs of the CDC's NHSN