Climate change and land cover effects on water yield in a subtropical watershed spanning the yungas-chaco transition of Argentina

The demand for mountain water resources is increasing, and their availability is threatened by climate change, emphasizing the urgency for effective protection and management. The upper Sali-Dulce watershed holds vital significance as it contributes the majority of the Sali-Dulce water resources, supporting a densely populated dry region in Northwestern Argentina, covering an area of 24,217 km2. However, the potential impact of climate change and land use/land cover change on water yield in this watershed remains uncertain. This study employs the InVEST Annual Water Yield model to analyze the average water yield in the watershed and evaluate its potential changes under future scenarios of climate and land use/land cover change. InVEST was calibrated using data from multiple river gauges located across the watershed, indicating satisfactory performance (R2 = 0.751, p-value = 0.0054). Precipitation and evapotranspiration were the most important variables explaining water yield in the area, followed by land use. Water yield showed a notable concentration in the montane area with 40% of the watershed accounting for 80% of the water yield, underscoring the importance of conserving natural land cover in this critical zone. Climate change scenarios project an increase in water yield ranging from 21 to 75%, while the effects of land cover change scenarios on water yield vary, with reforestation scenarios leading to reductions of up to 15% and expansions in non-irrigated agriculture resulting in increases of up to 40%. Additionally, water yield distribution may become more concentrated or dispersed, largely dependent on the type of land cover. The combined scenarios highlight the pivotal role of land cover in adapting to climate change. Our findings provide valuable insights for designing future studies and developing policies aimed at implementing effective adaptation strategies to climate change within the Salí-Dulce watershed.

Functional implications of myocardial scar structure

During healing after myocardial infarction, scar collagen content and stiffness do not correlate. We studied regional mechanics and both area fraction and orientation of large collagen fibers 3 wk after coronary ligation in the pig. During passive inflation of isolated, arrested hearts, the scar tissue demonstrated significantly less circumferential strain but similar longitudinal and radial deformation in comparison with noninfarcted regions of the same hearts. The observed selective resistance to circumferential deformation was consistent with the finding that most of the large collagen fibers in the scar were oriented within 30 degrees of the local circumferential axis. Furthermore, data from a previous study indicate that during ventricular systole these scars resist circumferential stretching, whereas they deform similarly to noninfarcted myocardium in the longitudinal and radial directions. We conclude that large collagen fiber structure is an important determinant of scar mechanical properties and that scar anisotropy allows the scar to resist circumferential stretching while deforming compatibly with adjacent noninfarcted myocardium in the longitudinal and radial directions.

Dendritic development in neocortex of infants with early postnatal life undernutrition

The structure of large pyramidal cells from layer V of the motor cortex of undernourished and well-nourished infants was studied to determine the effects of postnatal nutrition on cortical dendritic development. In undernourished infants, the arborization and span of the basilar dendrites were decreased in comparison to controls. These findings indicated that undernutrition experienced during the first months of postnatal life could affect the growth of pyramidal cells, especially the formation of basilar dendrites.

Effect of lactic cultures on Escherichia coli in ewes' milk stored at low temperatures

The behaviour of Escherichia coli in pasteurized ewes' milk inoculated with different lactic starter cultures and incubated at temperatures in the range 4-16 degrees C for 96 h was investigated. Growth temperature of lactic starter cultures before inoculation had a significant effect on inhibition of E. coli. The growth temperature of lactic starter inoculum which resulted in the highest inhibitory activity was 24 degrees C. Size of lactic starter inoculum also significantly influenced growth of E. coli, with a higher inhibition for 1% inoculum than for 0.1% or 0.3% inocula. Single cultures of Lactococcus lactis showed a stronger inhibitory activity than single cultures of Leuconostoc cremoris or Leuconostoc dextranicum. A lactic starter culture comprising Lactococcus lactis, Leuconostoc cremoris and Leuconostoc dextranicum resulted in the strongest inhibition. Stimulation of E. coli by the lactic starter cultures was frequently recorded at 4 degrees C and 8 degrees C. However, none or a very limited growth of E. coli was seen at these temperatures.

Factors Affecting the Microbiological Quality of Burgos and Villalón Cheeses at the Retail Level

One hundred forty-four samples of Burgos and Villalón cheeses collected during April and July 1983 from retail outlets in Madrid, Spain, were analyzed for microbiological quality. Geometric mean counts were 6.8 × 10⁵ staphylococci/g, 1.0 × 10⁵ coliforms/g and 7.9 × 10³ yeasts/g for Burgos cheese, whereas the respective mean counts for Villalón cheese were 1.4 × 10⁶/g, 8.7 × 10⁴/g and 1.9 × 10⁴/g Coagulase-positive staphylococci represented in April and July, 7.9 and 42.2%, respectively, of the isolates from egg-yolk tellurite glycine agar plates. Fecal coliforms accounted for 5.6 and 26.9% of the isolates from violet red bile agar plates in April and July, respectively. Presence of alkaline phosphatase activity in cheese was not significantly related to numbers of staphylococci or coliforms and should only be regarded as a presumptive test. The use of pH values or total counts as indicators of the microbiological quality of Burgos and Villalón cheeses is also discussed.

Psychrotrophic bacterial flora of raw ewes' milk, with particular reference to gram negative rods

The microbial flora of 141 samples of raw ewes' milk was determined, before and after storage for 72 h at 4 degrees and 7 degrees C. Penicillin-resistant bacteria represented ca 61% of 1760 psychrotrophic isolates from refrigerated milk samples. Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas fluorescent group-related strains predominated (ca 86%) in the Gram negative psychrotrophic microflora. Leuconostoc dextranicum was the most frequent Gram positive psychrotrophic species isolated.

Opiate receptor in praying mantis: effect of morphine and naloxone

A praying mantis displays a "frightening reaction" called deimatic reaction (DR), any time that it is faced with a patterned visual stimulus that represents a potential damage for the insect. Results of the present paper show that the DR could be also elicited by an actual noxious (an electrical shock) and that this response is similar to that elicited by a potential nociceptive stimulus (a patterned visual stimulus). The DR elicited by the electric shock was used as a model for studying the analgesic effect of opiates. The mantis was placed in an apparatus that allowed us to give the insect an electrical shock and to measure the strength of its DR. During a first session the voltage threshold necessary to induce a full DR was determined, and then, the insect was injected with a certain solution. The voltage threshold was tested one, two and four hours after injection. Mantises that were injected with only distilled water showed no changes in their voltage threshold during the three tests. Injections of 300, 350 and 400 micrograms/g of morphine-HCl increased the voltage threshold in both a time-dependent and a dose related manner. A dose of 350 micrograms/g of morphine-HCl produced 50% of response inhibition after two hours of injections and is referred to as the median antinoxious dose ( AD50 ). Sixteen micrograms/g of naloxone given in conjunction with an AD50 of morphine, partially blocked the effect of morphine during the first hour and fully blocked it during the second hour. Thirty-two micrograms/g of naloxone fully blocked the morphine effect during the first and the second hour. However, more than 48 micrograms/g of naloxone alone also increased the voltage threshold in insects, similar to those described for vertebrates.