Integrated water quality assessment of two Rivers Basins from a semiarid region of Argentina.

The Tunuyán and Mendoza River Basins (Province of Mendoza, Argentina) have been selected as a representative semiarid region to test the applicability of an integrated water quality evaluation. To detect spatio-temporal variations of anthropic contamination, physicochemical and bacteriological parameters, as well as three ecotoxicological assays, were assessed in reference sites for 3 years. Bioassays based on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the vascular plant Lactuca sativa, and the algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata were performed and toxicological categories were established. Our results showed that water quality, as well as water toxicity, deteriorates as both river systems run through urban areas. Interestingly, monitoring sites with good physicochemical and bacteriological qualities but with toxicity were identified, illustrating that traditional water quality studies do not predict potential toxic effects on living organisms. In addition, a multivariate statistical analysis was performed to detect clusters of monitoring sites according to the water quality status. In the context of climate change, this study provides information to support that integrated water monitoring is an essential tool to ensure sustainable water management and to guarantee economic growth, human health, food security, and environmental protection.

Cost-effective screen printing approach for Ce/Nd-doped ZnAl2O4 films: tuning crystallinity induced by the substrate.

Near-infrared (NIR) emitting phosphors are currently receiving considerable attention owing to their high demand in various applications, such as light detection and ranging (LiDAR), short-range communications, security, biosensing and night vision lighting applications. The miniaturization of photonic components demands the integration of thin films into exploitable devices. In this context, NIR emitting ZnAl2O4:Ce/Nd films of hundreds of nanometer thickness are synthesized using a scalable and cost-efficient approach to screen printing. Cerium co-doping is responsible for the Nd emission in the NIR through energy transfer by exciting the films under UV excitation at around 360 nm. Through the proper design of ink, dense Nd/Ce doped ZnAl2O4 ceramic films were produced using polycrystalline alumina. The use of polycrystalline alumina substrates opens up new opportunities because this ceramic is a cheap and well-known substrate for optoelectronic packaging. During manufacturing, as a direct effect of predominant crystal growth over the polycrystalline alumina substrate, an increase in emission intensity is achieved. The results obtained by X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) serve to determine the oxidation state of Ce. The findings of this study indicate that a higher concentration of Ce4+ promotes NIR emission. This study may contribute to a better understanding of film production processes of films based on the ZnAl2O4 matrix and guide future studies on films for NIR emitters.

A comparison assessment of landfill waste incineration and methane capture in the central region of Mexico.

This article aims to conduct a techno-economic feasibility assessment of producing energy by waste incineration and methane capture in the central region of Mexico. Three scenarios at different efficiency rates were considered: 50, 80 and 100%. For the methane project, yields and power capacity were determined using the potential generation rate and the degradable organic carbon content through the LandGEM model. For incineration, the waste calorific potential and the average moisture content were used to estimate the achievable electrical performance. The estimated annual energy was 35,018 GWh for methane, compared to 537.71 GWh for incineration. Both projects reported financial economic feasibilities when evaluated at a discount rate of 12%. Incineration reported an net present value of US$49,942,534 and an internal rate of return of 26% in contrast to US$4,054,109 and 17% for the methane project. Although the payback period for incineration was lower than for methane, its levelized cost of energy was significantly higher. These results are intended to assist the decision-making process when planning and developing waste management strategies under principles of circular economy in Mexico and similar regions worldwide.

Nonclinical Safety Assessment of AMG 553, an Investigational Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Feline McDonough Sarcoma-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), a tyrosine-protein kinase involved in hematopoiesis, is detectable on the cell surface of approximately 80% of leukemia isolates from adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AMG 553 is an investigational chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy for the treatment of AML. FLT3 expression analysis and in vitro and in vivo studies were leveraged to evaluate the nonclinical safety of AMG 553. Cynomolgus monkeys administered autologous anti-FLT3 CAR T cells demonstrated no evidence of CAR T-cell-mediated toxicity, expansion, or persistence, likely due to restricted cell surface FLT3 protein expression in healthy animals. This highlights the limited value of such in vivo studies for safety assessment of the CAR T-cell modality when directed against a target with restricted expression. To complement these studies and directly evaluate the potential toxicities of eliciting T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity against cells with surface expression of FLT3 protein in vivo, data from cynomolgus monkey toxicology studies with 2 bispecific T-cell engager molecules targeting FLT3 were leveraged; findings were consistent with the targeted killing of bone marrow cells expressing cell surface FLT3. Potential AMG 553-induced cytotoxicity was assessed against a wide range of normal human primary cells and cell lines; cytotoxicity was observed against FLT3-positive AML cell lines and a percentage of primary bone marrow CD34+ cells. In conclusion, the nonclinical safety data suggest that AMG 553 can target FLT3 protein on AML cells, whereas only affecting a percentage of normal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, supporting clinical development.

Spatial analysis, local people's perception and economic valuation of wetland ecosystem services in the Usumacinta floodplain, Southern Mexico.

The Usumacinta floodplain is an exceptional area for biodiversity with important ecosystem services for local people. The main objective of this paper was to estimate reference values and define local perceptions of ecosystem services provided by wetlands and overlapping them with spatially explicit socioeconomic and biodiversity indicators. We used the Usumacinta floodplain as an example of a territory where high dependence of rural people on ecosystem services is confronted with development projects that threat the flow of ecosystem services, thus affecting rural people well-being. With a combination of data from remote sensing, global databases of ecosystem service values, local perception of ecosystem services and socioeconomic and biodiversity richness indicators in a spatially explicit framework, we develop a policy-oriented approach for rapid assessment to manage wetlands and maintain people's livelihoods. Regulating and provisioning services are identified as the most relevant ecosystem services in terms of their monetary value and local perceived importance. In a spatially explicit manner, this approach highlights the most valuable wetlands and identifies rural societies that are highly dependent on ecosystem services. Our approach can be replicated elsewhere and could provide valuable information for policymakers to design policies that can contribute to conserve wetland ecosystems where under threat of development.