Nature-based solutions in the urban context: terminology, classification and scoring for urban challenges and ecosystem services.

The concept of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) has emerged to foster sustainable development by transversally addressing social, economic, and environmental urban challenges. However, there is still a considerable lack of agreement on the conceptualization of NBS, especially concerning typologies, nomenclature, and performance assessments in terms of ecosystem services (ES) and urban challenges (UC). Therefore, this article consolidates the knowledge from 4 European projects to set a path for a common understanding of NBS and thus, facilitate their mainstreaming. To do so, firstly, we performed elicitation workshops to develop an integrative list of NBS, based on the identification of overlaps among NBS from different projects. The terminologies were formalized via web-based surveys. Secondly, the NBS were clustered, following a conceptual hierarchical classification. Thirdly, we developed an integrative assessment of NBS performance (ES and UC) based on the qualitative evaluations from each project. Afterwards, we run a PCA and calculated the evenness index to explore patterns among NBS. The main conceptual advancement resides in providing a list of 32 NBS and putting forward two novel NBS categories: NBS units (NBSu) that are stand-alone green technologies or green urban spaces, which can be combined with other solutions (nature-based or not); NBS interventions (NBSi) that refer to the act of intervening in existing ecosystems and in NBSu, by applying techniques to support natural processes. The statistical analysis suggests that NBSu are more versatile than NBSi in terms of UC and ES. Moreover, the results of the integrative assessment of NBS performance suggest a greater agreement concerning the role of NBS in addressing environmental UC, cultural and regulating ES than regarding socio-economic UC and supporting and provision ES. Finally, the 'green factor' and the replication of non-intensive practices occurring in nature seem to be key criteria for practitioners to identify a particular solution as an NBS.

Nature-based solutions as enablers of circularity in water systems: A review on assessment methodologies, tools and indicators.

Water has been pushed into a linear model, which is increasingly acknowledged of causing cumulative emissions of pollutants, waste stocks, and impacting on the irreversible deterioration of water and other resources. Moving towards a circular model in the water sector, the configuration of future water infrastructure changes through the integration of grey and green infrastructure, forming Nature-based Solutions (NBS) as an integral component that connects human-managed to nature-managed water systems. In this study, a thorough appraisal of the latest literature is conducted, providing an overview of the existing tools, methodologies and indicators that have been used to assess NBS for water management, as well as complete water systems considering the need of assessing both anthropogenic and natural elements. Furthermore, facilitators and barriers with respect to existing policies and regulations on NBS and circularity have been identified. The study concludes that the co-benefits of NBS for water management are not adequately assessed. A holistic methodology assessing complete water systems from a circularity perspective is still needed integrating existing tools (i.e. hydro-biogeochemical models), methods (i.e. MFA-based and LCA) and incorporating existing and/or newly-developed indicators.

Ammonium removal in landfill leachate using SBR technology: dispersed versus attached biomass.

Large concentrations and oscillations of ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) in municipal landfill leachate pose considerable constraints to its further treatment in central wastewater treatment plants. The aim of this study was to evaluate and optimize two technologies for the pre-treatment of 600 L/day of landfill leachate: in particular, to optimize their operational conditions for NH4+-N removal up to a level appropriate for discharge to sewers, i.e. <200 mg/L. Both technologies were based on a sequencing batch reactor (SBR), with two different biomass processes: (A) SBR with dispersed/flocculated biomass and (B) SBR with biomass attached to carriers. The results revealed that both technologies successfully reduced the NH4+-N from 666 mg/L (on average) at the inflow to below 10 mg/L at the outflow with alkalinity adjustment in a 12-hour cycle. Both technologies achieved 96% removal efficiencies for NH4+-N. However, SBR with dispersed biomass showed higher flexibility under varying conditions due to the shorter adaptation time of the biomass.

[Proliferation and differentiation of regenerating Leydig cells following ethylene dimethane sulfonate exposure in rats]. / Proliferatsiia i differentsiatsiia regeneriruiushchikh kletok Leidiga krys posle vozdeistviia étandimethansul'fonatom.

Cell type of mammalian testis which is involved in the synthesis and secretion of testosterone and the maintenance of spermatogenesis are the fully differentiated interstitial Leydig cells (LC). Their ultrastructure possesses the typical characteristics of steroid-producing cells. It has been generally accepted that two waves of proliferation and differentiation can be discerned during the development of the Leydig cell population in the rodent and human testis. Treatment with ethane dimethane sulphonate (EDS) destroys selectively LC. A new LC population develops in the following weeks and this model has been used by us to study the proliferation and differentiation of new LC. Our results support the suggestion that the regeneration of a new LC population following EDS administration shows many similarities with the formation of the adult type LC in the prepubertal mammalian testis.

Clinico-electrophysiological correlates in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

INTRODUCTION: The degree of neurological deficit was evaluated in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and visual evoked potentials (VEPs). Clinical and electrophysiological changes before and after treatment were compared in an attempt to find significant associations between the indicators of disease activity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In all the patients (n = 35, mean age 32.05 +/- 2.67 years) EDSS rating was assessed prior to and 2 months after the beginning of treatment with methylprednisolone (MP)--13 patients, and with MP in combination with cyclophosphamide (CPH)--22 patients. Transcranial magnetic stimulation with measuring central latency time (CLT) was performed in 20 patients (mean age 30.85 +/- 8.01 years) before and at the end of the 2nd month after treatment with MP independently (9 patients) and MP combined with CPH (11 patients). In another 15 patients with a mean age of 33.67 +/- 7.45 years VEPs are examined (P100 latency) before and on the 2nd month after treatment with MP (4 patients) and MP combined with CPH (11 patients). RESULTS: CLT (P < 0.001) and P100 (P < 0.001) were significantly shortened after treatment in comparison with the baseline values. A significant correlation (P < 0.05) between CLT and the pyramid subscale was found. CONCLUSION: The results suggests that CTL and P100 reflect the effect of treatment on the intensity of the pathological process, the CLT correlating with the severity of the pyramid deficit according to EDSS rating in the course of the treatment.

[Ventricular fibrillation in myocardial infarct patients: the factors determining the prognosis]. / Fibrilliatsiia zheludochka u bol'nykh infarktom miokarda: faktory, opredeliaiushchee prognoz.

Improvement of methods for diagnosis and treatment of myocardial infarction and its complications permitted the mortality and disability resulting from this condition to be considerably reduced. The aim of the study was to analyse in retrospect clinical and functional disorders in subjects with a history of ventricular fibrillation in the acute phase. Over 3 years, 1096 patients with acute myocardial infarction had been admitted to the Department of Cardioresuscitation. Ventricular Fibrillation was cause of death in 2.1% of cases. Over this time period, resuscitation was a success in 2.9%. The following item was found out to be a factor of unfavourable prognosis during the first two years after development of acute myocardial infarction: it was postinfarction dilatation of the left ventricle having a part in the evolution of cardiac insufficiency and contributing to formation of arrhythmogenic substrate and, to a lesser degree, to ventricular fibrillation in the acute phase.

Clinical and electrophysiologic study of the brain and peripheral nerves disorders in chronic alcoholism.

The remarkable polymorphism shown by neurologic complications due to chronic alcoholism defines the objective of the present study. We attempted to make our own clinical and electrophysiologic interpretation of these complications using, along with the routine methods of investigation, some advanced electromyographic techniques such as motor evoked potential, single fiber electromyography, and a quantitative analysis of needle EMG. The study included 47 patients with neurologic complications due to chronic alcoholism treated in the Department of Neurology at the Medical University, Plovdiv over a period of 5 years. The results showed a high frequency of both the clinical and the subclinical lesions affecting the nervous systems at different levels. The modern clinical electromyography has allowed us to make a complete functional characteristics of a peripheral and central motor neuron in such a polymorphic pathology as that of the chronic alcoholism.

An anti-B lectin from Zea mays everta.

The results of serological studies of Zea mays everta seed extracts with anti-B specificity are presented. Lectin will agglutinates A1B erythrocytes significantly more weakly than erythrocytes of B and A2B blood groups.

A new anti-H lectin.

The results of serological investigations of a new anti-H lectin obtained from the leaves of Sambucus nigra are presented. In saline extracts the lectin is useful for investigating the ABO secretors' status, A-subgroups and absorption-elution experiments as well.