Assessment of groundwater vulnerability to nitrates from agricultural sources using a GIS-compatible logic multicriteria model.

In the present study an overlay method to assess groundwater vulnerability is proposed. This new method based on multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) was developed and validated using an appropriate case study in Aragon area (NE Spain). The Vulnerability Index to Nitrates from Agricultural Sources (VINAS) incorporates a novel Logic Scoring of Preferences (LSP) approach, and it has been developed using public geographic information from the European Union. VINAS-LSP identifies areas with five categories of vulnerability, taking into account the hydrogeological and environmental characteristics of the territory as a whole. The resulting LSP map is a regional screening tool that can provide guidance on the potential risk of nitrate pollution, as well as highlight areas where specific research and farming planning policies are required.

Prevalence of filaggrin loss-of-function variants in Chilean population with and without atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: Filaggrin (FLG) loss-of-function variants are major genetic risk factors for atopic dermatitis (AD), but these have not been studied in Latin American populations with and without AD. METHODS: FLG variants R501X and 2282del4 were genotyped in 275 Chilean adults with and without AD from the "Early origins of allergy and asthma" (ARIES) cohort and in 227 patients from an AD cohort based in Santiago, Chile. RESULTS: Among adults in the ARIES cohort, 3.3% were carriers of R501X and 2.9% of 2282del4 variants, all heterozygotes. In this cohort, 6.2% were FLG variant carriers: 11.1% of subjects reporting AD were carriers of FLG variants vs. 5.2% in those without AD (P = 0.13). In this first cohort, FLG variants were not significantly associated with asthma, allergic rhinitis, or food allergy. In the AD cohort, the prevalence of FLG variants was 7% for R501X, 2.2% for the 2282del4 variant, and 9.3% for the combined genotype. In this cohort, FLG variants were present in 15.5% of severe AD vs. 7.1% of mild-to-moderate AD subjects (P = 0.056). Evaluation of Chilean population from both cohorts combined (n = 502) revealed that FLG variants were not significantly associated with AD (OR = 1.92 [95% CI 0.95-3.9], P = 0.067) but were associated with asthma (OR = 2.16 [95% CI 1.02-4.56], P = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to evaluate FLG loss-of-function variants R501X and 2282del4 in Latin American population, revealing a similar prevalence of these FLG variant carriers to that of European populations. Among Chileans, FLG variants were significantly associated with asthma but not AD.

Bioclimatic Prosthesis: Experimental dataset for a low-cost Trombe wall to existing social housing refurbishment for an intermediate valley (Chillán) city in the south of Chile.

This dataset is part of the article entitled "Design and experimental study of a low-cost prefab Trombe Wall to improve indoor temperatures in social housing in the Biobío Region in Chile" [1], [2]. The dataset represents the outcome of experimental measurements during a 1-year monitoring campaign to assess the performance of an adaptable and low-cost prefabricated Trombe Wall (TW) with a vertical water storage system. The experiments include periods with mobile insulation during winter nights and external shading during summer which were added to test their effect on the thermal performance. Temperature sensors were used to measure and compare the temperature in two test cells: one with and one without the TW. Following the National Chilean Standard [3], the experiment was done in the interior valley (Chillan), a Mediterranean climate (Csb), according to the Köppen climate classification [4]. The two test cells were designed to represent the most used area of a social housing unit in combination with the most widely used type of window in north façades in the region. One test cell was built exactly as the social housing unit, while the second test cell included a low-cost Trombe wall. Five temperature sensors were installed in the test cells. The thermal performance of the TW was monitored and analysed for the first time in Chile, providing insights in the thermal performance of the TW and proving the potential effectiveness of seasonal variations to improve winter and summer performances.