Sistema de Informação Geográfica na Internet para apoio à gestão de Infra-estruturas, baseado em ferramentas Open Source

A gestão de infra-estruturas é um processo de coordenação, avaliação sistemática e manutenção efectiva das infra-estruturas relacionadas com os serviços básicos. A gestão eficaz de infra-estruturas exige que a disposição dos equipamentos no meio urbano seja conhecida, bem como sua relação com o uso do solo. Sendo a gestão de infra-estruturas uma questão de natureza espacial, é natural pensar na utilização de um Sistema de Informação Geográfica como ferramenta com potencial de grande utilidade, pois permite a georreferenciação de dados espaciais e sua interligação com atributos alfanuméricos, para além da realização de análises complexas e a possibilidade de simular diversos cenários de modo a propiciar uma tomada de decisão eficaz. O elevado custo das licenças e a especificidade de utilização a nível técnico, tornam-se obstáculos na criação e manutenção de dados geográficos. Contudo os recentes desenvolvimentos em tecnologias da Internet têm contribuído para o acesso, publicação, exploração e distribuição da Informação Geográfica. A utilização de SIG distribuídos na Internet (WebGIS), nomeadamente na vertente livre, pode ser uma solução adequada visto que coloca funcionalidades de SIG ao alcance de utilizadores, através de um simples browser, sem necessidade de investimentos em relação a software ou mesmo em formação técnica especializada. Assim, com este projecto pretende-se a criação de um sistema de Informação geográfico na Internet, utilizando softwares livres, que disponibiliza toda a informação geográfica e alfanumérica das infra-estruturas construídas e sob a responsabilidade do Ministério das Infra-estruturas e Economia Marítima, permitindo a visualização e a realização de pesquisas e operações de análise.

Fecal Source Tracking in Iowa, 2004

Water fact sheet for Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Geological Bureau.

Bacteria Source Tracking in Lake Darling Watershed, 2005

Monitoring of Iowa's surface waters during the past five years has demonstrated the regular occurrence of fecel bacteria in surface water resources.

First impressions matter: Signalling as a source of policy dynamics

We first establish that policymakers on the Bank of England's Monetary PolicyCommittee choose lower interest rates with experience. We then reject increasingconfidence in private information or learning about the structure of the macroeconomy as explanations for this shift. Instead, a model in which voters signal theirhawkishness to observers better fits the data. The motivation for signalling is consistent with wanting to control inflation expectations, but not career concerns orpleasing colleagues. There is also no evidence of capture by industry. The papersuggests that policy-motivated reputation building may be important for explainingdynamics in experts' policy choices.

Source inference of exogenous gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) administered to humans by means of carbon isotopic ratio analysis: novel perspectives regarding forensic investigation and intelligence issues.

γ-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is an endogenous short-chain fatty acid popular as a recreational drug due to sedative and euphoric effects, but also often implicated in drug-facilitated sexual assaults owing to disinhibition and amnesic properties. Whilst discrimination between endogenous and exogenous GHB as required in intoxication cases may be achieved by the determination of the carbon isotope content, such information has not yet been exploited to answer source inference questions of forensic investigation and intelligence interests. However, potential isotopic fractionation effects occurring through the whole metabolism of GHB may be a major concern in this regard. Thus, urine specimens from six healthy male volunteers who ingested prescription GHB sodium salt, marketed as Xyrem(®), were analysed by means of gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry to assess this particular topic. A very narrow range of δ(13)C values, spreading from -24.810/00 to -25.060/00, was observed, whilst mean δ(13)C value of Xyrem(®) corresponded to -24.990/00. Since urine samples and prescription drug could not be distinguished by means of statistical analysis, carbon isotopic effects and subsequent influence on δ(13)C values through GHB metabolism as a whole could be ruled out. Thus, a link between GHB as a raw matrix and found in a biological fluid may be established, bringing relevant information regarding source inference evaluation. Therefore, this study supports a diversified scope of exploitation for stable isotopes characterized in biological matrices from investigations on intoxication cases to drug intelligence programmes.

Impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART), immunosuppression and viraemia on lipid levels: the D:A:D study

Purpose of the study: To investigate the impact of ART, HIV viremia and immunosuppression on triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Methods: We considered the cross-sectional associations between TG, TC and HDL-C (mmol/l; first available measurement on/after enrolment in the D:A:D study) and use of ART, HIV viral load (VL; copies/ml), and CD4 count (cells/mm3) measured at the same time. TG was log10 transformed to ensure normality. Analyses were performed using linear regression and adjusted for other factors known to impact lipid levels (table footnote). ART and VL status were combined (off ART&VL _100,000, off ART&VL B100,000, on ART&VL B500, on ART&VL _500), current and nadir CD4 count were categorised as B200, 200_349, 350_499 and _500. Summary of results: 44,322/49,734 participants in the D:A:D Study (89.1%) contributed a TG measurement (median; IQR 1.52; 1.00_ 2.45), 45,169 (90.8%) a TC measurement (4.80; 4.00_5.70) and 38,604 (77.6%) a HDL-C measurement (1.12; 0.90_1.40). Most participants were male (74%), of white ethnicity (51%), without AIDS (78%), were not receiving lipid-lowering drugs (4%) and were ART experienced (61%) with 47% previously exposed to PIs, 61% previously exposed to NRTIs and 29% previously exposed to NNRTIs. The median (IQR) age, current CD4 count and CD4 nadir were 38 (36_45) years, 400 (242_590) cells/ml and 240 (100_410) cells/ml respectively. Compared to those on ART with a suppressed VL, all lipids were lower for those off ART (Table); non-suppressive ART was also associated with lower TC and HDL-C levels (no impact on TG). A low current CD4 count was associated with lower lipid levels, whereas a low nadir CD4 count was associated with higher TC and TG levels. Prior AIDS diagnosis was associated with higher TG and TC, but lower HDL-C levels. Conclusion: Although specific drug classes were not considered, lipid levels are considerably higher in those on a suppressive ART regimen. The higher TC/TG and lower HDL-C levels seen among those with low nadir CD4 count and with a prior AIDS diagnosis suggests severe immunosuppression may be associated with dyslipidaemia over the long-term.

Peroxisome proliferator activated receptors: transcriptional regulators of adipogenesis, lipid metabolism and more....

The recent discovery of lipid-activatable transcription factors that regulate the genes controlling lipid metabolism and adipogenesis has provided insight into the way that organisms sense and respond to lipid levels. Identification of the signaling pathways in which these receptors are involved will help us to understand the control of energy balance and the molecular defects underlying its disorders.

Association of different lipid measures for atherogenic lipid fractions and risk of coronary events in patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy: the Swiss HIV Cohort Study

Background: Evidence for a better performance of different highly atherogenic versus traditional lipid parameters for coronary heart disease (CHD) risk prediction is conflicting. We investigated the association of the ratios of sma11 dense low density lipoprotein(LDL)/apoplipoprotein A, aolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I and total cholesterol! HDL-cholesterol and CHD events in patients on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART).Methods: Case control study nested into the Swiss HIV Cohort Study: for each cART-treated patient with a first coronary event between April 1, 2000 and July 31, 2008 (case) we selected four control patients (1) that were without coronary events until the date of the event of the index case, (2) had a plasma sample within ±30 days of the sample date of the respective case, (3) received cART and (4) were then matched for age, gender and smoking status. Lipoproteins were measured by ultracentrifugation. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate the independent effects of different lipid ratios and the occurrence of coronary events.Results: In total, 98 cases (19 fatal myocardial infarctions [MI] and 79 non-fatal coronary events [53 definite MIs, 15 possible MIs and 11 coronary angioplasties or bypassesJ) were matched with 392 controls. Cases were more often injecting drug users, less likely to be virologically suppressed and more often on abacavir-containing regimens. In separa te multivariable models of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, abdominal obesity, diabetes and family history of CHD, small dense-LDL and apolipoprotein B were each statistically significantly associated with CHD events (for 1 mg/dl increase: odds ratio [OR] 1.05, 95% CI 1.00-1.11 and 1.15, 95% CI 1.01-1.31, respectively), but the ratiosof small dense-LDLlapolipoprotein A-I (OR 1.26, 95% CI 0.95-1.67), apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.97-1.07) and HDL-cholesterol! total cholesterol (OR 0.99 95% CI 0.98-1.00) were not. Following adjustment for HIV related and cART variables these associations were weakened in each model: apolipoprotein B (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.00-1.30), sd-LDL (OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.99-1.20), small dense-LDLlapolipoprotein A-I (OR 1.17, 95% CI 0.87-1.58), apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.97-1.07) and total cholesterolJHDL- cholesterol (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.99-1.00).Conclusions: In patients receiving cART, small dense-LDL and apolipoprotein B showed the strongest associations with CHD events in models controlling for traditional CHD risk factors including total cholesterol and triglycerides. Adding small dense LDLlapoplipoprotein A-l, apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I and total cholesterol! HDL-cholesterol ratios did not further improve models of lipid parameters and associations of increased risk for CHD events.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors and lipid metabolism.

PPARs are nuclear hormone receptors which, like the retinoid, thyroid hormone, vitamin D, and steroid hormone receptors, are ligand-activated transcription factors mediating the hormonal control of gene expression. Two lines of evidence indicate that PPARs have an important function in fatty acid metabolism. First, PPARs are activated by hypolipidemic drugs and physiological concentrations of fatty acids, and second, PPARs control the peroxisomal beta-oxidation pathway of fatty acids through transcriptional induction of the gene encoding the acyl-CoA oxidase (ACO), which is the rate-limiting enzyme of the pathway. Furthermore, the PPAR signaling pathway appears to converge with the 9-cis retinoic acid receptor (RXR) signaling pathway in the regulation of the ACO gene because heterodimerization between PPAR and RXR is essential for in vitro binding to the PPRE and because the strongest stimulation of this gene is observed when both receptors are exposed simultaneously to their activators. Thus, it appears that PPARs are involved in the 9-cis retinoic acid signaling pathway and that they play a pivotal role in the hormonal control of lipid metabolism.

2007 Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Selected Iowa Source Categories

The Department’s 2007 Greenhouse Gas Inventory is a refinement of previous statewide inventories. It is a bottom-up inventory of two sectors – fossil fuel combustion at federally-recognized major sources of air pollution and fossil fuel combustion and ethanol fermentation at dry mill ethanol plants. This is the first bottomup greenhouse gas inventory conducted for Iowa and the first bottom-up greenhouse gas inventory of ethanol plants in the nation that the Department is aware of. In a bottom-up inventory, facility-specific activity data is used to calculate emissions. In a top-down inventory, aggregate activity data is used to calculate emissions. For example, this bottom-up inventory calculates greenhouse gas emissions from the fossil fuel combustion at each individual facility instead of using the total amount of fossil fuel combusted state-wide, which would be a top-down inventory method. The advantage to a bottom-up inventory is that the calculations are more accurate than a top-down inventory. However, because the two methods differ, the results from a bottom-up inventory are not directly comparable to a top-down inventory.