Stochastic inversion of tracer test and electrical geophysical data to estimate hydraulic conductivities.

Quantifying the spatial configuration of hydraulic conductivity (K) in heterogeneous geological environments is essential for accurate predictions of contaminant transport, but is difficult because of the inherent limitations in resolution and coverage associated with traditional hydrological measurements. To address this issue, we consider crosshole and surface-based electrical resistivity geophysical measurements, collected in time during a saline tracer experiment. We use a Bayesian Markov-chain-Monte-Carlo (McMC) methodology to jointly invert the dynamic resistivity data, together with borehole tracer concentration data, to generate multiple posterior realizations of K that are consistent with all available information. We do this within a coupled inversion framework, whereby the geophysical and hydrological forward models are linked through an uncertain relationship between electrical resistivity and concentration. To minimize computational expense, a facies-based subsurface parameterization is developed. The Bayesian-McMC methodology allows us to explore the potential benefits of including the geophysical data into the inverse problem by examining their effect on our ability to identify fast flowpaths in the subsurface, and their impact on hydrological prediction uncertainty. Using a complex, geostatistically generated, two-dimensional numerical example representative of a fluvial environment, we demonstrate that flow model calibration is improved and prediction error is decreased when the electrical resistivity data are included. The worth of the geophysical data is found to be greatest for long spatial correlation lengths of subsurface heterogeneity with respect to wellbore separation, where flow and transport are largely controlled by highly connected flowpaths.

Guidance parentale et respect de l'intimité. Deuil et érotisme chez les mineurs

Des parents semblent ignorer la limite entre ce que l'on est en droit de montrer et ce que l'on doit traiter avec pudeur. Une sorte d'ambiguïté les amène à être négligents et par là à tolérer des comportements ou des propos grivois de leurs enfants ou à en rire. Les thérapeutes sont invités à entreprendre un travail pédagogique de guidance parentale quand les frontières de l'intime sont floues et quand la confusion touche les jeunes devenant vulnérables et symptomatiques. Les auteurs exposent un cas d'anorexie chez une adolescente, dont la souffrance se trouve masquée par une série de comportements désinhibés. La surexcitation qui en découle peut apparaître comme une solution défensive pour lutter contre la dépression liée à l'expérience de séparation et de deuil. Pour favoriser la construction de représentations des territoires de l'intime plus respectueuses de la vulnérabilité des adolescents, les auteurs ont aussi proposé la sculpture familiale.Parental guidance and respect of intimacy. Young people's mourning and erotism. - Parents seem to be unaware of the borderline between what one may show and what one should handle with reserve. A kind of ambiguity drive them to be careless. As a result, they put up with suggestive behaviour or language from their children and even laugh at it. The therapists are invited to undertake an educational work of parental guidance when the boderlines of the intimate are hazy and when the confusion is affecting young people who become vulnerable and symptomatic. The authors present an anorexia case of a teenager whose distress is concealed by a series of uninhibited behaviours. The ensuing overexcitement could seem to be a defensive solution to fight against the depression related to parting and mourning experience. To encourage the building of representations of the territories of the intimate which would be more respectful of the teenagers vulnerability, the authors also suggest the technique of family sculpture.

Early glutathione deficit impairs parvalbumin expression in gaba interneurons and kainate-induced gamma oscillations

An increased oxidative stress and alteration of the antioxidant systems have been observed in schizophrenia. Glutathione (GSH), a major redox regulator, is decreased in patients' cerebrospinal fluid, prefrontal cortex in vivo and striatum post-mortem tissue. Most importantly, there is genetic and functional evidence for the implication of the gene of the glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL) catalytic subunit, the key GSH-synthesizing enzyme. We have developed animal models for a GSH deficit to study the consequences of such deficit on the brain development. A GSH deficit combined with elevated dopamine (DA) during development leads to reduced parvalbumin (PV) expression in a subclass of GABA interneurons in rat anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Similar changes are observed in postmortem brain tissue of schizophrenic patients. GSH dysregulation increases vulnerability to oxidative stress, that in turn could lead to cortical circuit anomalies in the schizophrenic brain. In the present study, we use a GCL modulatory subunit (GCLM) knock-out (KO) mouse model that presents up to 80% decreased brain GSH levels. During postnatal development, a subgroup of animals from each genotype is exposed to elevated oxidative stress induced by treatment with the DA reuptake inhibitor GBR12909. Results reveal a significant genotype-specific delay International Congress on Schizophrenia Research 136 10. 10. Neuroanatomy, Animal Downloaded from http://schizophreniabulletin.oxfordjournals.org at Bibliotheque Cantonale et Universitaire on June 18, 2010 in cortical PV expression at postnatal day P10 in GCLM-KO mice, as compared to wild-type. This effect seems to be further exaggerated in animals treated with GBR12909 from P5 to P10. At P20, PV expression is no longer significantly reduced in GCLM-KO ACC without GBR but is reduced if GBR is applied from P10 to P20. However, our result show that GCLM-KO mice exhibit increased oxidative stress, cortical altered myelin development as shown by MBP marker, and more specifically impairment of the peri-neuronal net known to modulate PV connectivity. In addition, we also observe a reduced PV expression in the ventro-temporal hippocampus of adult GCLM-KO mice, suggesting that anomalies of the PV interneurons prevail at least in some brain regions throughout the adulthood. Interestingly, the power of kainate-induced gamma oscillations, known to be dependent on proper activation of PV interneuron's, is also lower in hippocampal slices of adult GCLM KO mice. These results suggest that the PV positive GABA interneurons is particularly vulnerable to increased oxidative stress

Iowa Source Water Protection: Workbook, November, 18, 2014

There are a few basic fundamentals you need before starting a source water protection project. These include information on your community’s wells (or intakes), aquifer, source water area, and potential contaminants. All of these essential items should be included in your community’s source water information, you may find this information in the workbook and guidebook.

Iowa Source Water Protection: Guidebook, November, 18, 2014

There are a few basic fundamentals you need before starting a source water protection project. These include information on your community’s wells (or intakes), aquifer, source water area, and potential contaminants. All of these essential items should be included in your community’s source water information, you may find this information in the workbook and guidebook.

Angiotensin II as an Inducer of Atherosclerosis: Evidence from Mouse Studies

Mechanisms responsible for atherosclerotic plaque development, destabilization, and rupture are still largely unknown. Angiotensin II, the main bioactive peptide of renin angiotensin system, has been shown to be critically involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and vulnerable plaque. Experimental studies in hypercholesterolemic mouse models with high circulating Angiotensin II levels, provide direct evidence that Angiotensin II induces plaque vulnerability partly by 1/ downregulating vascular expression of anti-atherosclerotic genes and/or upregulating expression of pro-atherosclerotic genes, and 2/ skewing the systemic lymphocyte Th1/Th2 balance towards a proinflammatory Th1 response in early disease phase. Further understanding the pro-atherosclerotic mechanisms of Angiotensin II and associated signaling pathways will help to design better therapeutic strategies for reducing the burden of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Association of early repolarization with risk of cardiac mortality in the general population

Early repolarization, which is characterized by an elevation of the J-point on 12-lead electrocardiography, is a common finding that has been considered as benign for decades. However, in the last years, it has been related with vulnerability to idiopathic ventricular fibrillation and with cardiac mortality in the general population. Recently, 4 potential ECG predictors that could differentiate the benign from the malignant form of early repolarization have been suggested. Any previous study about early repolarization has been done in Spain. Aim. To ascertain whether the presence of early repolarization pattern in a resting electrocardiogram is associated with a major risk of cardiac death in a Spanish general population and to determine whether the presence of potential predictors of malignancy in a resting electrocardiogram increases the risk of cardiac mortality in patients with early repolarization pattern. Methods. We will analyse the presence of early repolarization and the occurrence of cardiac mortality in a retrospective cohort study of 4,279 participants aged 25 to 74 years in the province of Girona. This cohort has been followed during a mean of 9.8 years. Early repolarization will be stratified according to the degree of J-point elevation (≥0.1 mV or ≥0.2 mV), the morphology of the J-wave (slurring, notching or any of these two), the ST-segment pattern (ascending or descending) and the localization (inferior leads, lateral leads, or both). Association of early repolarization with cardiac death will be assessed by adjusted Cox-proportional hazards models

Resilient housing : a new resource-oriented approach

The institutional regimes framework has previously been applied to the institutional conditions that support or hinder the sustainability of housing stocks. This resource-based approach identifies the actors across different sectors that have an interest in housing, how they use housing, the mechanisms affecting their use (public policy, use rights, contracts, etc.) and the effects of their uses on the sustainability of housing within the context of the built environment. The potential of the institutional regimes framework is explored for its suitability to the many considerations of housing resilience. By identifying all the goods and services offered by the resource 'housing stock', researchers and decision-makers could improve the resilience of housing by better accounting for the ecosystem services used by housing, decreasing the vulnerability of housing to disturbances, and maximizing recovery and reorganization following a disturbance. The institutional regimes framework is found to be a promising tool for addressing housing resilience. Further questions are raised for translating this conceptual framework into a practical application underpinned with empirical data.

Alcohol use and frailty in community-dwelling older persons aged 65 to 70 years.

Background: Alcohol use has beneficial as well as adverse consequences on health, but few studies examined its role in the development of age-related frailty. Objectives: To describe the cross-sectional and longitudinal association between alcohol intake and frailty in older persons. Design: The Lausanne cohort 65+ population-based study, launched in 2004. Setting: Community. Participants: One thousand five hundred sixty-four persons aged 65-70 years. Measurements: Annual data collection included demographics, health and functional status, extended by a physical examination every 3 years. Alcohol use (AUDIT-C), and Fried's frailty criteria were measured at baseline and 3-year follow-up. Participants were categorized into robust (0 frailty criterion) and vulnerable (1+ criteria). Results: Few participants (13.0%) reported no alcohol consumption over the past year, 57.8% were light-to-moderate drinkers, while 29.3% drank above recommended thresholds (18.7% "at risk" and 10.5% "heavy" drinkers). At baseline, vulnerability was most frequent in non-drinkers (43.0%), least frequent in light-to-moderate drinkers (26.2%), and amounted to 31.9% in "heavy" drinkers showing a reverse J-curve pattern. In multivariate analysis, compared to light-to-moderate drinkers, non-drinkers had twice higher odds of prevalent (adjOR: 2.24; 95%CI:1.39-3.59; p=.001), as well as 3-year incident vulnerability (adjOR: 2.00; 95%CI:1.02-3.91; p=.043). No significant association was observed among "at risk" and "heavy" drinkers. Conclusion: Non-drinkers had two-times higher odds of prevalent and 3-year incident vulnerability, even after adjusting for their baseline poorer health status. Although residual confounding is still possible, these results likely reflect a healthy survival effect among drinkers while those who experienced health- or alcohol-related problems stopped drinking earlier.

Risk and global change : developing scientific methods for advocacy and awareness raising

Les catastrophes sont souvent perçues comme des événements rapides et aléatoires. Si les déclencheurs peuvent être soudains, les catastrophes, elles, sont le résultat d'une accumulation des conséquences d'actions et de décisions inappropriées ainsi que du changement global. Pour modifier cette perception du risque, des outils de sensibilisation sont nécessaires. Des méthodes quantitatives ont été développées et ont permis d'identifier la distribution et les facteurs sous- jacents du risque.¦Le risque de catastrophes résulte de l'intersection entre aléas, exposition et vulnérabilité. La fréquence et l'intensité des aléas peuvent être influencées par le changement climatique ou le déclin des écosystèmes, la croissance démographique augmente l'exposition, alors que l'évolution du niveau de développement affecte la vulnérabilité. Chacune de ses composantes pouvant changer, le risque est dynamique et doit être réévalué périodiquement par les gouvernements, les assurances ou les agences de développement. Au niveau global, ces analyses sont souvent effectuées à l'aide de base de données sur les pertes enregistrées. Nos résultats montrent que celles-ci sont susceptibles d'être biaisées notamment par l'amélioration de l'accès à l'information. Elles ne sont pas exhaustives et ne donnent pas d'information sur l'exposition, l'intensité ou la vulnérabilité. Une nouvelle approche, indépendante des pertes reportées, est donc nécessaire.¦Les recherches présentées ici ont été mandatées par les Nations Unies et par des agences oeuvrant dans le développement et l'environnement (PNUD, l'UNISDR, la GTZ, le PNUE ou l'UICN). Ces organismes avaient besoin d'une évaluation quantitative sur les facteurs sous-jacents du risque, afin de sensibiliser les décideurs et pour la priorisation des projets de réduction des risques de désastres.¦La méthode est basée sur les systèmes d'information géographique, la télédétection, les bases de données et l'analyse statistique. Une importante quantité de données (1,7 Tb) et plusieurs milliers d'heures de calculs ont été nécessaires. Un modèle de risque global a été élaboré pour révéler la distribution des aléas, de l'exposition et des risques, ainsi que pour l'identification des facteurs de risque sous- jacent de plusieurs aléas (inondations, cyclones tropicaux, séismes et glissements de terrain). Deux indexes de risque multiples ont été générés pour comparer les pays. Les résultats incluent une évaluation du rôle de l'intensité de l'aléa, de l'exposition, de la pauvreté, de la gouvernance dans la configuration et les tendances du risque. Il apparaît que les facteurs de vulnérabilité changent en fonction du type d'aléa, et contrairement à l'exposition, leur poids décroît quand l'intensité augmente.¦Au niveau local, la méthode a été testée pour mettre en évidence l'influence du changement climatique et du déclin des écosystèmes sur l'aléa. Dans le nord du Pakistan, la déforestation induit une augmentation de la susceptibilité des glissements de terrain. Les recherches menées au Pérou (à base d'imagerie satellitaire et de collecte de données au sol) révèlent un retrait glaciaire rapide et donnent une évaluation du volume de glace restante ainsi que des scénarios sur l'évolution possible.¦Ces résultats ont été présentés à des publics différents, notamment en face de 160 gouvernements. Les résultats et les données générées sont accessibles en ligne (http://preview.grid.unep.ch). La méthode est flexible et facilement transposable à des échelles et problématiques différentes, offrant de bonnes perspectives pour l'adaptation à d'autres domaines de recherche.¦La caractérisation du risque au niveau global et l'identification du rôle des écosystèmes dans le risque de catastrophe est en plein développement. Ces recherches ont révélés de nombreux défis, certains ont été résolus, d'autres sont restés des limitations. Cependant, il apparaît clairement que le niveau de développement configure line grande partie des risques de catastrophes. La dynamique du risque est gouvernée principalement par le changement global.¦Disasters are often perceived as fast and random events. If the triggers may be sudden, disasters are the result of an accumulation of actions, consequences from inappropriate decisions and from global change. To modify this perception of risk, advocacy tools are needed. Quantitative methods have been developed to identify the distribution and the underlying factors of risk.¦Disaster risk is resulting from the intersection of hazards, exposure and vulnerability. The frequency and intensity of hazards can be influenced by climate change or by the decline of ecosystems. Population growth increases the exposure, while changes in the level of development affect the vulnerability. Given that each of its components may change, the risk is dynamic and should be reviewed periodically by governments, insurance companies or development agencies. At the global level, these analyses are often performed using databases on reported losses. Our results show that these are likely to be biased in particular by improvements in access to information. International losses databases are not exhaustive and do not give information on exposure, the intensity or vulnerability. A new approach, independent of reported losses, is necessary.¦The researches presented here have been mandated by the United Nations and agencies working in the development and the environment (UNDP, UNISDR, GTZ, UNEP and IUCN). These organizations needed a quantitative assessment of the underlying factors of risk, to raise awareness amongst policymakers and to prioritize disaster risk reduction projects.¦The method is based on geographic information systems, remote sensing, databases and statistical analysis. It required a large amount of data (1.7 Tb of data on both the physical environment and socio-economic parameters) and several thousand hours of processing were necessary. A comprehensive risk model was developed to reveal the distribution of hazards, exposure and risk, and to identify underlying risk factors. These were performed for several hazards (e.g. floods, tropical cyclones, earthquakes and landslides). Two different multiple risk indexes were generated to compare countries. The results include an evaluation of the role of the intensity of the hazard, exposure, poverty, governance in the pattern and trends of risk. It appears that the vulnerability factors change depending on the type of hazard, and contrary to the exposure, their weight decreases as the intensity increases.¦Locally, the method was tested to highlight the influence of climate change and the ecosystems decline on the hazard. In northern Pakistan, deforestation exacerbates the susceptibility of landslides. Researches in Peru (based on satellite imagery and ground data collection) revealed a rapid glacier retreat and give an assessment of the remaining ice volume as well as scenarios of possible evolution.¦These results were presented to different audiences, including in front of 160 governments. The results and data generated are made available online through an open source SDI (http://preview.grid.unep.ch). The method is flexible and easily transferable to different scales and issues, with good prospects for adaptation to other research areas. The risk characterization at a global level and identifying the role of ecosystems in disaster risk is booming. These researches have revealed many challenges, some were resolved, while others remained limitations. However, it is clear that the level of development, and more over, unsustainable development, configures a large part of disaster risk and that the dynamics of risk is primarily governed by global change.

Chemical and isotopic equilibrium between CO2 and CH4 in fumarolic gas discharges: Generation of CH4 in arc magmatic-hydrothermal systems

The chemical and isotopic composition of fumarolic gases emitted from Nisyros Volcano, Greece, and of a single gas sample from Vesuvio, Italy, was investigated in order to determine the origin of methane (CH,) within two subduction-related magmatic-hydrothermal environments. Apparent temperatures derived from carbon isotope partitioning between CH4 and CO2 of around 340degreesC for Nisyros and 470degreesC for Vesuvio correlate well with aquifer temperatures as measured directly and/or inferred from compositional data using the H2O-H-2-CO2-CO-CH4 geothermometer. Thermodynamic modeling reveals chemical equilibrium between CH4, CO2 and H2O implying that carbon isotope partitioning between CO2 and CH, in both systems is controlled by aquifer temperature. N-2/(3) He and CH4/(3) He ratios of Nisyros fumarolic gases are unusually low for subduction zone gases and correspond to those of midoceanic ridge environments. Accordingly, CH4 may have been primarily generated through the reduction of CO, by H, in the absence of any organic matter following a Fischer-Tropsch-type reaction. However, primary occurrence of minor amounts of thermogenic CH4 and subsequent re-equilibration with co-existing CO2 cannot be ruled out entirely- CO2/He-3 ratios and delta(13)C(CO2) values imply that the evolved CO2 either derives from a metasomatized mantle or is a mixture between two components, one outgassing from an unaltered mantle and the other released by thermal breakdown of marine carbonates. The latter may contain traces of organic matter possibly decomposing to CH4 during thermometamorphism. Copyright (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd.

Neurocognitive deficits and personality traits among euthymic patients with mood disorders in late life.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies revealed that acute depressive episodes are associated with both cognitive deficits and modified personality patterns in late life. Whether or not these psychological changes are present after remission remains a matter of debate. To date, no study provided concomitant assessment of cognition and psychological functions in this particular clinical setting. METHOD: Using a cross-sectional design, 58 remitted outpatients (36 with unipolar early-onset depression (EOD) and 22 with bipolar disorder (BD)) were compared to 62 healthy controls. Assessment included detailed neurocognitive measures and evaluation of the five factor personality dimensions (NEO-Personality Inventory). RESULTS: Group comparisons revealed significant slower processing speed, working and episodic memory performances in BD patients. EOD patients showed cognitive abilities comparable to those of elderly controls. In NEO PI assessment, both BD and EOD patients displayed higher Depressiveness facet scores. In addition, the EOD but not BD group had lower Extraversion factor, and Warmth and Positive Emotion facet scores than controls. CONCLUSIONS: After remission from acute affective symptoms, older BD patients show significant impairment in several cognitive functions while neuropsychological performances remained intact in elderly patients with EOD. Supporting a long-lasting psychological vulnerability, EOD patients are more prone to develop emotion-related personality trait changes than BD patients.

Travailleuses du sexe: un accès aux soins limité ? [Sex workers: limited access to healthcare ?].

Les travailleuses du sexe constituent un groupe hétérogène qui cumule les facteurs de vulnérabilité, comme l'instabilité géographique, la migration forcée, les addictions et la précarité du permis de séjour. Leur accès aux soins dépend notamment des lois régissant le "marché du sexe" et de la politique migratoire du pays d'accueil. Dans cet article, nous passons en revue diverses stratégies sanitaires européennes destinées à ce groupe vulnérable et présentons les résultats préliminaires d'une étude pilote réalisée auprès de 50 travailleuses du sexe pratiquant dans les rues de Lausanne. Les résultats sont préoccupants : 56% n'ont pas d'assurance maladie, 96% sont migrantes et 66% sans permis de séjour. Ces résultats préliminaires devraient sensibiliser les décideurs politiques à améliorer l'accès aux soins des travailleuses du sexe. [Abstract] Sex workers constitute a heterogeneous group possessing a combination of vulnerability factors such as geographical instability, forced migration, substance addiction and lack of legal residence permit. Access to healthcare for sex workers depends on the laws governing the sex market and on migration policies in force in the host country. In this article, we review different European health strategies established for sex workers, and present preliminary results of a pilot study conducted among 50 sex workers working on the streets in Lausanne. The results are worrying: 56% have no health insurance, 96% are migrants and 66% hold no legal residence permit. These data should motivate public health departments towards improving access to healthcare for this vulnerable population.

Contribution of neural networks to Alzheimer disease's progression.

The neuropathology of Alzheimer disease is characterized by senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and cell death. These hallmarks develop according to the differential vulnerability of brain networks, senile plaques accumulating preferentially in the associative cortical areas and neurofibrillary tangles in the entorhinal cortex and the hippocampus. We suggest that the main aetiological hypotheses such as the beta-amyloid cascade hypothesis or its variant, the synaptic beta-amyloid hypothesis, will have to consider neural networks not just as targets of degenerative processes but also as contributors of the disease's progression and of its phenotype. Three domains of research are highlighted in this review. First, the cerebral reserve and the redundancy of the network's elements are related to brain vulnerability. Indeed, an enriched environment appears to increase the cerebral reserve as well as the threshold of disease's onset. Second, disease's progression and memory performance cannot be explained by synaptic or neuronal loss only, but also by the presence of compensatory mechanisms, such as synaptic scaling, at the microcircuit level. Third, some phenotypes of Alzheimer disease, such as hallucinations, appear to be related to progressive dysfunction of neural networks as a result, for instance, of a decreased signal to noise ratio, involving a diminished activity of the cholinergic system. Overall, converging results from studies of biological as well as artificial neural networks lead to the conclusion that changes in neural networks contribute strongly to Alzheimer disease's progression.