Comparison of species sensitivity distributions based on population or individual endpoints

International audienceSpecies sensitivity distributions (SSDs) developed from individual and population endpoints were compared based on simulations and a case study. The simulations were performed with five invertebrate species accounting for the diversity of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in large European lowland rivers and for five benthic invertebrates used as laboratory species. Population growth rate 10% effective concentration (EC10) values were, in most of the simulations, higher than the lowest of the EC10 values at the individual level. However, for the set of ecologically representative species, the fifth percentile level of this distribution (HC5) was more protective for population endpoints than for individual endpoints. This was the opposite for the set of laboratory species. Population and individual SSDs were also compared based on existing data on Cu for the five laboratory invertebrate species. In this case, the calculated population HC5 value was almost twice the individual value, and the authors showed much reduced variability between species sensitivities at population level compared with individual level. They conclude that population-based HC5 would generally be more protective than individual-based HC5. However, the change of level could reveal higher homogeneity at population level than at individual level, supporting the use of population-based HC5 to avoid overprotection. The authors thus advise the derivation of population-based HC5, as soon as it is possible, to derive such value with a relevant panel of species

Kekuatan Hukum Kebijakan Pemerintah Daerah dalam Menerbitkan Keputusan (Beschikking) Dihubungkan dengan Penerapan Asas Praesumptio Iustae Causa

Executant of local governmentin carrying out their duties, authorities, obligations and responsibilities and because of higher legislation authority can establish regional policy which is defined in local regulation, regional regulation and other local conditions. The publishing of regional head decreerelated to arrangement the cost of Land and Building Tax as arulein terms of implementation for using the Land and Building Tax isunder the authority of Subang district Government .Accordingly, this study focused on the problem: (1)How is the power of Subang district decreeNo. 973/Kep.604-Dipenda/2005 about BP-PBB in Subang district associated with the praesumptio iustae causa. This research obtained through normative juridical approach. The nature of study for this research is descriptive analysis. Based on this research we can conclude that: first, Subang District Decree No.973/Kep.604-Dipenda/2005 About BP-PBB in Subang district eligible formal andmaterial requirements for making a decision, so the decision is validaccording to the lawandit can produce the principle of praesumptio iustae causa. Keywords: Policy, Government, Regions, Decisio

Substance-tailored testing strategies in toxicology : an in silico methodology based on QSAR modeling of toxicological thresholds and Monte Carlo simulations of toxicological testing

International audienceThe design of toxicological testing strategies aimed at identifying the toxic effects of chemicals without (or with a minimal) recourse to animal experimentation is an important issue for toxicological regulations and for industrial decision-making. This article describes an original approach which enables the design of substance-tailored testing strategies with a specified performance in terms of false-positive and false-negative rates. The outcome of toxicological testing is simulated in a different way than previously published articles on the topic. Indeed, toxicological outcomes are simulated not only as a function of the performance of toxicological tests but also as a function of the physico-chemical Properties of chemicals. The required inputs for Our approach are QSAR predictions for the LOAELs of the toxicological effect of interest and statistical distributions describing the relationship existing between in vivo LOAEL values and results from in vitro tests. Our methodology is able to correctly predict the performance of testing strategies designed to analyze the teratogenic effects of two chemicals: di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate and Indomethacin. The proposed decision-support methodology can be adapted to any toxicological context as long as a Statistical Comparison between in vitro and in Vivo results is possible and QSAR models for the toxicological effect of interest can be developed

Ecophysiology of after-fire resprouts of Arbutus unedo L

Plant-water relationships, leaf morphology and concentrations of pigments, proline, soluble sugars, anthocyans and nutrients of after wildfire resprout leaves of Arbutus unedo L. were com-pared with those of same age sprout leaves in unbumed plants. In spring samples, several significant differences appear: after-fire resprouts showed some juvenile characteristics, such as high tissue elasticity, small cells, low specific leaf weight, high Chla/Chlb ratio and a high anthocyan content; on the other hand, unbnrned plants showed drought tolerance characteristics by osmotic adjustment and lower tissue elasticity, larger cells, higher specific leaf weight and lower Chla/Chlb ratio. In fall samples, both kind of shoots showed drought tolerance by osmotic adjustment, low tissue elasticity, large cells and high specific leaf weight. Results show that after-fire resprouts have, at the beginning of their development, higher morphological and physiological plasticity that the new sprouts of unburned plants.Es comparen les relacions hídriques, la morfologia foliar i les concentracions de pigments, prolina, sucres solubles, antocians i nutrients de les fulles de rebrots d'Arbutus unedo L. després d'un incendi, amb iguals característiques de les fulles de brots de plantes no cremades de la mateixa edat. A les mostres de primavera apareixen diverses diferències significatives: els rebrots, després del foc, presenten característiques juvenils, com són alta elasticitat dels teixits, cèl·lules petites, baix pes específic foliar, alta relació Chla/Chlb i un elevat contingut d'antocians; d'altra banda, les plantes no cremades presenten característiques de tolerància a I'eixut per ajustament osmòtic i baixa elasticitat dels teixits, cèl·lules més grosses, pes específic més alt i relació Chla/Chlb inferior. A les mostres de tardor els dos tipus de brots presenten tolerància a I'eixut per ajustament osmòtic, baixa elasticitat de teixits, cèl·lules grosses i pes específic foliar alt. Els resultats mostren que els rebrots després del foc tenen, a I'inici del seu desenvolupament, una plasticitat morfològica i fisiològica superior que els brots nous de les plantes no cremades

Panorama estrutural, dinâmica de crescimento e estratégias tecnológicas da agroindústria canavieira paranaense [Structural panorama, growth dynamics and technological strategies in Paraná's sugar cane agro-industry]

The objective of this paper is to verify the structural panorama, the dynamics of growth and the technological strategies used in sugar cane agro-industry in the State of Parana. It was implemented the shift-share model, to quantify the sources of agricultural production growth from 1981 to 1998. Besides sugar cane, was also analyzed the following cultures: cotton, coffee, soy and corn. It was made a questionnaire to get information from Paraná's sugar cane factories and distilleries, about the harvest of 1997/1998. It can be inferred that this agro-industry left the condition of a small importance to assume a national prominence position. In Parana, the sugar cane was the one that had the greater growth of production, which was achieved by the increase of the cultivated area. It was motivated by its high productivity and the influence of PROÁLCOOL. The sample of the searched units showed the good use of the sugar cane by-products and the use of agricultural and mechanical advanced technologies. This has been reflected in high agricultural and industrial productivity, corroborating the technological development which has passed the sugar cane agro-industry of Paraná.agro-industry, sugar cane, Paraná, technology, PROALCOOL

ESTIMATION OF COST ALLOCATION COEFFICIENTS AT THE FARM LEVEL USING AN ENTROPY APPROACH

This paper aims to estimate the farm cost allocation coefficients from whole farm input costs. An entropy approach was developed under a Tobit formulation and was applied to a sample of farms from the 2004 FADN data base for Alentejo region, Southern Portugal. A Generalized Maximum Entropy model and Cross Generalized Entropy model were developed to the sample conditions and were tested. Model results were assessed in terms of their precision and estimation power and were compared with observed data. The entropy approach showed to be a flexible and valid tool to estimate incomplete information, namely regarding farm costs. Keywords: Generalized maximum entropy; costs; estimation; Alentejo, FADN

Development of a physiologically based kinetic model for 99m-Technetium-labelled carbon nanoparticles inhaled by humans

International audienceParticulate air pollution is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recent studies investigated whether and to which extent inhaled ultrafine particles are able to translocate into the bloodstream in humans. However, their conclusions were conflicting. We developed a physiologically based kinetic model for 99m-technetium-labelled carbon nanoparticles (Technegas). The model was designed to analyse imaging data. It includes different translocation rates and kinetics for free technetium, and small and large technetium-labelled particles. It was calibrated with data from an experiment designed to assess the fate of nanoparticles in humans after inhalation of Technegas. The data provided time courses of radioactivity in the liver, stomach, urine, and blood. Parameter estimation was performed in a Bayesian context with Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques. Our analysis points to a likely translocation of particle-bound technetium from lung to blood, at a rate about twofold lower than the transfer rate of free technetium. Notably, restricting the model so that only free technetium would have been able to reach blood circulation resulted in much poorer fits to the experimental data. The percentage of small particles able to translocate was estimated at 12.7% of total particles. The percentage of unbound technetium was estimated at 6.7% of total technetium. To our knowledge, our model is the first PBPK model able to use imaging data to describe the absorption and distribution of nanoparticles. We believe that our modeling approach using Bayesian and MCMC techniques provides a reasonable description on which to base further model refinement