Loss of pulp sensitivity and pain as the first symptoms of a Ewing's sarcoma in the right maxillary sinus and alveolar process: report of a case

This case report describes the diagnosis and treatment of a Ewing's sarcoma in the right maxillary sinus and alveolar bone of a 19-year-old female patient. The first clinical symptoms were a loss of sensitivity of the premolars and first molar in the right maxilla and acute pain located in the area of these teeth. Initially, the referring dentist had treated these findings as an acute apical periodontitis with root canal medication. Because swellings on the palatal and buccal aspects of the teeth occurred and could not be treated with incision and drainage, the dentist referred the patient. Cone-beam computed tomography revealed a proliferation of soft tissue in the right maxillary sinus, with a radiopaque material at the tip of the mesiobuccal root of the first molar and resorptive signs of the mesiobuccal and distobuccal roots of the first molar. The palatal cortical bone of the right alveolar process seemed to be intact. After explorative surgery with biopsies from the buccal, palatal, and sinus proliferation areas, the pathologist diagnosed the lesion as a Ewing's sarcoma. Treatment of the patient consisted of initial chemotherapy, hemimaxillectomy, and postsurgical chemoradiotherapy.

Simulation of the Impact of Dams and Fishing Weirs on Reproductive Potential of Silver-Phase American Eels in the Kennebec River Basin, Maine

I modeled the cumulative impact of hydroelectric projects with and without commercial fishing weirs and water-control dams on the production, survival to the sea, and potential fecundity of migrating female silver-phase American eels, Anguilla rostrata in the Kennebec River basin, Maine, This river basin has 22 hydroelectric projects, 73 water-control dams, and 15 commercial fishing weir sites. The modeled area included an 8,324 km(2) segment of the drainage area between Merrymeeting Bay and the upper limit of American eel distribution in the basin. One set of input,, (assumed or real values) concerned population structure (Le., population density and sex ratio changes throughout the basin, female length-class distribution, and drainage area between dams), Another set concerned factors influencing survival and potential fecundity of migrating American eels (i.e., pathway sequences through projects, survival rate per project by length-class. and length-fecundity relationship). Under baseline conditions about 402,400 simulated silver female American eels would be produced annually reductions in their numbers due to dams and weirs would reduce the realized fecundity (i.e., the number of eggs produced by all females that survived the migration). Without weirs or water-control dams, about 63% of the simulated silverphase American eels survived their freshwater spawning migration run to the sea when the survival rate at each hydroelectric dam was 9017, 40% survived at 80% survival per dam, and 18% survived at 60% survival per dam. Removing the lowermost hydroelectric dam on the Kennebec River increased survival by 6.0-7.6% for the basin. The efficient commercial weirs reduced survival to the sea to 69-76%( of what it would have been without weirs', regardless of survival rates at hydroelectric dams. Water-control dams had little impact on production in this basin because most were located in the upper reaches of tributaries. Sensitivity analysis led to the conclusion that small changes in population density and female length distribution had greater effects on survival and realized fecundity than similar changes in turbine survival rate. The latter became more important as turbine survival rate decreased. Therefore, it might be more fruitful to determine population distribution in basins of interest than to determine mortality rate at each hydroelectric project.

Spatial and temporal patterns of greenness on the Yamal Peninsula, Russia: interactions of ecological and social factors affecting the Arctic normalized difference vegetation index

The causes of a greening trend detected in the Arctic using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) are still poorly understood. Changes in NDVI are a result of multiple ecological and social factors that affect tundra net primary productivity. Here we use a 25 year time series of AVHRR-derived NDVI data (AVHRR: advanced very high resolution radiometer), climate analysis, a global geographic information database and ground-based studies to examine the spatial and temporal patterns of vegetation greenness on the Yamal Peninsula, Russia. We assess the effects of climate change, gas-field development, reindeer grazing and permafrost degradation. In contrast to the case for Arctic North America, there has not been a significant trend in summer temperature or NDVI, and much of the pattern of NDVI in this region is due to disturbances. There has been a 37% change in early-summer coastal sea-ice concentration, a 4% increase in summer land temperatures and a 7% change in the average time-integrated NDVI over the length of the satellite observations. Gas-field infrastructure is not currently extensive enough to affect regional NDVI patterns. The effect of reindeer is difficult to quantitatively assess because of the lack of control areas where reindeer are excluded. Many of the greenest landscapes on the Yamal are associated with landslides and drainage networks that have resulted from ongoing rapid permafrost degradation. A warming climate and enhanced winter snow are likely to exacerbate positive feedbacks between climate and permafrost thawing. We present a diagram that summarizes the social and ecological factors that influence Arctic NDVI. The NDVI should be viewed as a powerful monitoring tool that integrates the cumulative effect of a multitude of factors affecting Arctic land-cover change.

A high-resolution map of direct and indirect connectivity of erosion risk areas to surface waters in Switzerland: A risk assessment tool for planning and policy-making

Off-site effects of soil erosion are becoming increasingly important, particularly the pollution of surface waters. In order to develop environmentally efficient and cost effective mitigation options it is essential to identify areas that bear both a high erosion risk and high connectivity to surface waters. This paper introduces a simple risk assessment tool that allows the delineation of potential critical source areas (CSA) of sediment input into surface waters concerning the agricultural areas of Switzerland. The basis are the erosion risk map with a 2 m resolution (ERM2) and the drainage network, which is extended by drained roads, farm tracks, and slope depressions. The probability of hydrological and sedimentological connectivity is assessed by combining soil erosion risk and extended drainage network with flow distance calculation. A GIS-environment with multiple-flow accumulation algorithms is used for routing runoff generation and flow pathways. The result is a high resolution connectivity map of the agricultural area of Switzerland (888,050 ha). Fifty-five percent of the computed agricultural area is potentially connected with surface waters, 45% is not connected. Surprisingly, the larger part of 34% (62% of the connected area) is indirectly connected with surface waters through drained roads, and only 21% are directly connected. The reason is the topographic complexity and patchiness of the landscape due to a dense road and drainage network. A total of 24% of the connected area and 13% of the computed agricultural area, respectively, are rated with a high connectivity probability. On these CSA an adapted land use is recommended, supported by vegetated buffer strips preventing sediment load. Even areas that are far away from open water bodies can be indirectly connected and need to be included in planning of mitigation measures. Thus, the connectivity map presented is an important decision-making tool for policy-makers and extension services. The map is published on the web and thus available for application.

An Appraisal of the Current Status and the Potential of Surface Water in Upper Anseba Catchment, Eritrea

The study deals with the status and potential of surface water resources in Upper Anseba, Central Highlands of Eritrea, one of the most densely populated regions in Eritrea, including small scale farming and the country's capital city. water demand is increasing rapidly for all uses. The area has no perennial water course and depends very largely on reservoirs for its water supply. The report finds that there are 74 reservoirs in the area, of which 49 are in Upper Anseba. Total reservoir capacity already corresponds to 70% of runoff. the capacity of some of the reservoirs already exceeds annual runoff of their catchment. Recommendations thus include the use of water saving technologies for irrigation; and above all, preparation of a regional master plan for development, including water allocation planning with a mid term perspective.

Climatic and anthropogenic changes in Western Switzerland: Impacts on water stress

Recent observed hydro-climatic changes in mountainous areas are of concern as they may directly affect capacity to fulfill water needs. The canton of Vaud in Western Switzerland is an example of such a region as it has experienced water shortage episodes during the past decade. Based on an integrated modeling framework, this study explores how hydro-climatic conditions and water needs could evolve in mountain environments and assesses their potential impacts on water stress by the 2060 horizon. Flows were simulated based on a daily semi-distributed hydrological model. Future changes were derived from Swiss climate scenarios based on two regional climate models. Regarding water needs, the authorities of the canton of Vaud provided a population growth scenario while irrigation and livestock trends followed a business-as-usual scenario. Currently, the canton of Vaud experiences moderate water stress from June to August, except in its Alpine area where no stress is noted. In the 2060 horizon, water needs could exceed 80% of the rivers' available resources in low- to mid-altitude environments in mid-summer. This arises from the combination of drier and warmer climate that leads to longer and more severe low flows, and increasing urban (+ 40%) and irrigation (+ 25%) water needs. Highlighting regional differences supports the development of sustainable development pathways to reduce water tensions. Based on a quantitative assessment, this study also calls for broader impact studies including water quality issues.

EACTS expert consensus statement for surgical management of pleural empyema

Pleural infection is a frequent clinical condition. Prompt treatment has been shown to reduce hospital costs, morbidity and mortality. Recent advances in treatment have been variably implemented in clinical practice. This statement reviews the latest developments and concepts to improve clinical management and stimulate further research. The European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) Thoracic Domain and the EACTS Pleural Diseases Working Group established a team of thoracic surgeons to produce a comprehensive review of available scientific evidence with the aim to cover all aspects of surgical practice related to its treatment, in particular focusing on: surgical treatment of empyema in adults; surgical treatment of empyema in children; and surgical treatment of post-pneumonectomy empyema (PPE). In the management of Stage 1 empyema, prompt pleural space chest tube drainage is required. In patients with Stage 2 or 3 empyema who are fit enough to undergo an operative procedure, there is a demonstrated benefit of surgical debridement or decortication [possibly by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)] over tube thoracostomy alone in terms of treatment success and reduction in hospital stay. In children, a primary operative approach is an effective management strategy, associated with a lower mortality rate and a reduction of tube thoracostomy duration, length of antibiotic therapy, reintervention rate and hospital stay. Intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy is a reasonable alternative to primary operative management. Uncomplicated PPE [without bronchopleural fistula (BPF)] can be effectively managed with minimally invasive techniques, including fenestration, pleural space irrigation and VATS debridement. PPE associated with BPF can be effectively managed with individualized open surgical techniques, including direct repair, myoplastic and thoracoplastic techniques. Intrathoracic vacuum-assisted closure may be considered as an adjunct to the standard treatment. The current literature cements the role of VATS in the management of pleural empyema, even if the choice of surgical approach relies on the individual surgeon's preference.

Management and outcomes of anorectal infection in the cancer patient

Background. The objective of this retrospective cohort study is to examine the presentation and outcomes for a contemporary series of cancer patients with anorectal infection. In addition, we seek to identify factors which are associated with surgical intervention. ^ Methods. The study cohort was identified from ICD-9 codes for diagnosis of infection of the anal and rectal region and patients who underwent a surgical oncology consultation between 1/2000 and 12/2006. Clinical presentation, treatment rendered, and outcomes were retrospectively recorded. ^ Results. Of the 100 patients evaluated by the surgical oncology service for anorectal infection, 42 were treated non-operatively and 58 underwent surgical intervention. Factors associated with surgical intervention based on logistic multivariable analysis included the diagnosis of an abscess (odds ratio [OR] 10.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.9-38.5) and the documentation of erythema on physical examination (OR 3.1; 95% CI 1.1-8.4). Thrombocytopenia (platelets < 50,000) was associated with non-operative management (OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.1-0.7). Incision and drainage was the most common surgical procedure (79%) while a wide debridement for a necrotizing soft tissue infection was required in 2 patients. Infection-specific 90-day mortality was only 1% (N=1). However, the median overall survival for the entire cohort was only 14.4 months (95% CI 7.9-19.5). ^ Conclusions. Non-operative management is a reasonable treatment option for anorectal infection in patients with cancer. Identification of an abscess, erythema on physical exam, and thrombocytopenia were associated with management strategy. Although rare, necrotizing soft tissue infections are associated with significant mortality. ^

Afectación de los agrosistemas de la zona del Caño San Miguel por la salinización de los suelos

La degradación por salinización de los suelos regados con aguas salobres viene aumentando a escala mundial. El problema de la concentración de sales más solubles que el yeso depende principalmente del agua de riego, la aridez climática y la ausencia de drenaje. Estas condiciones se dan en el aluvium del río Limón, que es un tributario del lago Maracaibo, sito en el estado de Zulia de Venezuela. La regulación del río Limón mediante el cierre de los embalses de Manuelote y Tulé ha disminuido los aportes de aguas y sedimentos de las avenidas de inundación, que tienen carácter diluyente. Por otro lado, el balance de sales solubles en el suelo ha registrado una acumulación neta en los años de extrema aridez anteriores al año 2006, dado que la mayor dilución de las aguas ombrogénicas embalsadas procedentes de las lluvias no ha sido suficiente para compensar la concentración por evapotranspiración “in situ” de las aguas retenidas en la cuenca baja, sobre todo en ausencia de desagüe superficial y drenaje profundo. Las inundaciones posteriores a 2006 fueron suficientes para disminuir la salinidad superficial hasta los valores encontrados en 2010. El estudio experimental de esta problemática en el sector del caño San Miguel ha sido abordado mediante el establecimiento del perfil de salinidad acoplado con el perfil hipotético de humedad usado en la taxonomía de suelos. Este perfil define la disponibilidad del agua del suelo para la vegetación en función de tres potenciales: 1) el potencial físico-químico o matricial, que depende de la energía de adsorción a la superficie de las partículas; 2) el potencial gravitatorio, que depende de la profundidad; y 3) el potencial osmótico, que depende de la concentración de la solución del suelo; lo que supone un avance respecto a tener en cuenta sólo el perfil de humedad, que solamente considera el potencial gravi-químico integrado por el matricial y el gravitatorio. El perfil normalizado de 200 mm de de agua útil, retenida entre 33 y 1500 kPa de succión, incluye ocho fases gravi-químicas de 25 mm. La presente investigación incluye el potencial osmótico estimado por la conductividad eléctrica del extracto de pasta saturada. Los experimentos de lavado de sales en columnas de suelo, simulando la distribución de las lluvias en cinco años representativos de los cuartiles estadísticos de la serie disponible de 38 años completos, han determinado el comportamiento de las sales solubles en un suelo sometido a drenaje. Los resultados han evidenciado que el balance de sales unido al balance de agua controla la degradación de los agrosistemas por salinización. La alternativa frutícola puede ser aumentada en estas condiciones, porque el balance de sales favorece el establecimiento de cultivos permanentes a costa de otros usos del suelo de menor interés económico, como el cultivo de forrajes en regadío y el aprovechamiento de los pastizales en secano durante el barbecho de desalinización, cuya caracterización se ha completado con el estudio de la vegetación indicadora del grado de salinidad. ABSTRACT Saline degradation of soils irrigated with brackish water is increasing worldwide. The problem of salts concentration more soluble than gypsum depends on irrigation water quality, climatic aridity, and drainage limitations. These conditions meet in Limón River alluvium, which is tributary to Maracaibo´s Lake in Zulia State, Venezuela. Limón River regulation by closing Manuelote and Tulé reservoirs has diminished the input of water and sediments from inundations, which exerted dilutive effects. On the other hand, the soil balance of soluble salts has registered a net accumulation during those extremely dry years before 2006 because the greater dilution of ombrogenic dammed water coming from rain has not been enough to compensate salt concentration by “in situ” evapotranspiration in middle basin water, mainly in the absence of superficial runoff and deep drainage. Floods after 2006 were enough to reduce the high superficial salinity figures to those addressed in 2010. The experimental study of this trouble in San Miguel´s pipe area has been addressed through of the establishment of its salinity profile together to the hypothetic moisture profile typically used in soil taxonomy. This salinity profile describes soil water availability for vegetation according to three potentials: 1) physico-chemical or matrix potential, which depends on the adsorption energy of the soil solution to the surface of soil particles; 2) gravitational potential, which depends on soil depth; and 3) osmotic potential, which depends on the concentration of the soil solution. This represents an advance from just using moisture regime, which only considers the matrix and gravitational components of a gravi-chemical potential. The standardized moisture profile of 200 mm useful water being retained between 33 and 1500 kPa includes eight gravi-chemical stages of 25 mm. This research also includes the osmotic component, which is estimated by the electric conductivity of the saturated paste extract. Salts leaching trials in soil columns simulating rain distribution along five model years, representing the statistical quartiles of the available series of 38 complete years, have determined the behaviour of soluble salts in a soil being subjected to drainage. Results have evidenced that salt and water balances considered together are able to control the agrosystem’s degradation by salinization. The fruit production alternative could be improved under these conditions because the salts balance favours the establishment of permanent crops to the detriment of other soil uses of lower economical interest such as irrigated forage and non-irrigated pasture during desalinization fallow, which characterization has been completed through assessing the presence of salinity-indicator vegetation.

Impact of nitrogen uptake on field water balance in fertirrigated melon.

Agronomic management in Ciudad Real, a province in central Spain, is characteristic of semi-arid cropped areas whose water supplies have high nitrate (NO3?) content due to environmental degradation. This situation is aggravated by the existence of a restrictive subsurface layer of ?caliche? or hardpan at a depth of 0.60 m. Under these circumstances, fertirrigation rates, including nitrogen (N) fertilizer schedules, must be carefully calibrated to optimize melon yields while minimizing the N pollution and water supply. Such optimization was sought by fertilizing with different doses of N and irrigating at 100% of the ETc (crop evapotranspiration), adjusted for this crop and area. The N content in the four fertilizer doses used was: 0, 55, 82 and 109 kg N ha?1. Due to the NO3? content in the irrigation water, however, the actual N content was 30 kg ha?1 higher in all four treatments repeated in two different years. The results showed correlation between melon plant N uptake and drainage (Dr), which in turn affects the amount of N leached, as well as correlation between Dr and LAI (leaf area index) for each treatment. A fertilizer factor (?) was estimated through two methods, from difference in Dr and in LAI ratio with respect to the maximum N dose, to correct ETc based on N doses. The difference was found in the adjusted evapotranspiration in both years using the corresponding ? achieved 42?49 mm at vegetative period, depending on the method, and it was not significant at senescent period. Finally, a growth curve between N uptake and plant dry weight (DW) for each treatment was defined to confirm that the observed higher plant vigour, showing higher LAI and reduced Dr, was due mainly to higher N doses.

N2O emissions and N efficiency due to tillage systems and crop rotation under a rainfed Mediterranean agroecosystem

Application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in agricultural soils increases the risk of N loss to the atmosphere in the form of ammonia (NH3), nitrous oxide (N2O) and nitric oxide (NO)and the water bodies as nitrate (NO3-). The implementation of agricultural management practices can affect these losses. In Mediterranean irrigation systems, the greatest losses of NO3-through leaching occur within the irrigation and the intercropperiod. One way to abate these losses during the intercrop period is the use of cover crops that absorb part of the residual N from the root zone (Gabriel and Quemada, 2011). Moreover, during the following crop, these species could be applied as amendments to the soil, providing both C and N to the soil. This effect of cover and catch crops on decreasing the pool of N potentially lost has focused primarily on NO3-leaching. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of cover crops on N2O emission during the in tercrop period in a maize system and its subsequent incorporation into the soil in the following maize crop.

Application of low cost technology for the management of irrigation in organic orchards

Throughout history, humans have cyclically return to their old traditions such as the organic orchards. Nowadays, these have been integrated into the modern cities and could supply fresh vegetables to the daily food improving human health. Organic orchards grow crops without pesticides and artificial fertilizers thus, they are respectful with the environment and guarantee the food's safety . In modern society, the application of new technology is a must, in this case to obtain an efficient irrigation. In order to monitor a proper irrigation and save water and energy, soil water content probes are used to measure soil water content. Among them, capacitive probes ,monitored with a specific data logger, are typically used. Most of them, specially the data loggers, are expensive and in many cases are not used. In this work, we have applied the open hardware Arduino to build and program a low cost datalogger for the programming of irrigation in an experimental organic orchard. Results showed that the application of such as low cost technology, which is easily available in the market and easy to understand, everyone can built and program its own device helping in managing water resources in organic orchards .

Water and nitrogen footprint in an irrigated crop under mineral and organic fertilization

In order to establish rational nitrogen (N) application and reduce groundwater contamination, a clearer understanding of the N distribution through the growing season and its balance is crucial. Excessive doses of N and/or water applied to fertigated crops involve a substantial risk of aquifer contamination by nitrate; but knowledge of N cycling and availability within the soil could assist in avoiding this excess. In central Spain, the main horticultural fertigated crop is the melon type ?piel de sapo¿ and it is cultivated in vulnerable zones to nitrate pollution (Directive 91/676/CEE). However, until few years ago there were not antecedents related to the optimization of nitrogen fertilization together with irrigation. Water and N footprint are indicators that allow assessing the impact generated by different agricultural practices, so they can be used to improve the management strategies in fertigated crop systems. The water footprint distinguishes between blue water (sources of water applied to the crop, like irrigation and precipitation), green water (water used by the crop and stored in the soil), and it is furthermore possible to quantify the impact of pollution by calculating the grey water, which is defined as the volume of polluted water created from the growing and production of crops. On the other hand, the N footprint considers green N (nitrogen consumed by the crops and stored in the soil), blue N (N available for crop, like N applied with mineral and/or organic fertilizers, N applied with irrigation water and N mineralized during the crop period), whereas grey N is the amount of N-NO3- washed from the soil to the aquifer. All these components are expressed as the ratio between the components of water or N footprint and the yield (m3 t-1 or kg N t-1 respectively). The objetives of this work were to evaluate the impact derivated from the use of different fertilizer practices in a melon crop using water and N footprint.

Azudes y acueductos del sistema de riego tradicional de la Vega Baja del Segura (Alicante, España)

En el presente trabajo se describen y analizan las principales obras hidráulicas del sistema de riego tradicional de la comarca de la Vega Baja del Segura, concretamente, los azudes y los acueductos. Los azudes de toma, construidos en el cauce del río Segura, representan el inicio del sistema, desde donde parte una extensa y compleja red de acueductos constituida por acequias y azarbes, como elementos fundamentales, que distribuyen el agua para el regadío. En este estudio se ha llevado a cabo una amplia y profunda investigación documental, tomado datos de campo y captado imágenes in situ que, junto con los diagramas aportados, resultan imprescindibles para comprender la magnitud del sistema. Los resultados obtenidos han servido no sólo para catalogar y caracterizar los elementos que integran el sistema hidráulico del regadío tradicional de la Vega Baja del Segura, sino también para poner de manifiesto un ejemplo real de optimización de recursos hídricos en una zona del sureste peninsular español de escasa e irregular pluviometría. Asimismo, el estudio efectuado revela un sistema de riego sumamente eficiente desde un punto de vista cuantitativo y no tanto desde el cualitativo, debido a la presencia, entre otros contaminantes, de altas concentraciones de sales.

Report.

Mode of access: Internet.