Learning latent jet structure Dillon, Barry M.; Faroughy, Darius A.; Kamenik, Jernej F.; Szewc, Manuel We summarize our recent work on how to infer on jet formation processes directly from substructure data using generative statistical models. We recount in detail how to cast jet substructure observables’ measurements in terms of Bayesian mixed membership models, in particular Latent Dirichlet Allocation. Using a mixed sample of QCD and boosted tt jet events and focusing on the primary Lund plane observable basis for event measurements, we show how using educated priors on the latent distributions allows to infer on the underlying physical processes in a semi-supervised way.

Nesting biology of two sympatric species of Megachile (Chrysosarus) (Megachilidae) in Argentina Torretta, Juan Pablo; Basilio, Alicia Mabel; Marrero, Hugo Javier Leaf cutter bees (genus Megachile) are a diverse group of pollinators of wild and cultivated plants. Many species nest in pre-existing cavities and use diverse building materials to construct their brood cells. For instance, species of subgenus Chrysosarus add a mud layer between two layers of leaves or petals. We studied similarities and differences in their nesting biology from 13 nests of Megachile (Chrysosarus) concava and 72 nests of Megachile (C.) diversa (Megachilidae) obtained in trap nests in northern Argentina. Females of M. concava used trap nests with higher diameters, shorter length, and built a lower number of brood cells per nest compared to females of M. diversa. In the latter species, the sex ratio was female-biased, but we observed male-biased progeny in shorter trap nests, thus the sex ratio of M. diversa could be context-dependent. Reproductive success was different between species: 40.5% for M. concava and 75.8% for M. diversa, desiccation and/or mold being the principal factor of mortality of immature stages. The attack from parasitic species represented 10.8% for M. concava and only 1.2% for M. diversa. Megachile concava, based on observations of a few nests collected during autumn, could be a bivoltine species and oligolectic of Faboideae, while M. diversa is a partially bivoltine or multivoltine, and polylectic species, with a marked turnover of pollen resource throughout its extensive reproductive season. Differences in the trophic niche and, to a lesser extent, in the inner diameter of trap nests used could allow their coexistence in the studied forests.

Are populations of Polylepis australis locally adapted along their elevation gradient? Marcora, Paula Inés; Tecco, Paula Andrea; Ferrero, María Cecilia; Ferreras, Ana Elisa; Zeballos, Sebastián Rodolfo; Funes, Guillermo; Gurvich, Diego Ezequiel; Arias, Gonzalo; Cáceres, Yolanda; Hensen, Isabell Mountain ecosystems are characterized by steep environmental gradients. Species with broad elevation distribution are exposed to contrasting climatic conditions along their gradients. In response to those changes, species might develop ecotypes adapted to the local climate. Early regeneration is the most critical stage for plant populations and, therefore, withstands strong selection pressures. Previous studies showed a unimodal pattern of intraspecific variability in fitness components among Polylepis australis populations along their elevation gradient in the mountains of central Argentina. Whether this variability is the result of local populations’ adjustments to their respective site remains unknown. We tested the hypothesis that P. australis populations from different elevations would be locally adapted to their local environments, where they would perform better than populations from other elevations (origins). We applied an experimental approach by establishing common gardens at three contrasting elevations. Seeds and saplings of P. australis populations from the low, mid- and high elevation belts of the species distribution gradient (i.e. three origins) were reciprocally sown and transplanted in three elevation sites (low, mid- and high). Seed germination success, sapling growth and mortality were monitored for three years. Our main results show that the origin of populations influenced germination success and sapling growth, whereas sapling mortality was marginally affected. Populations of both elevation extremes seem to be more adjusted to local conditions than the population from the intermediate elevation, probably due to the harsher environmental conditions for plant regeneration typical of the lower and upper elevation belts of semiarid mountains. Finally, our results strongly suggest that temperature rise due to climate change in this mountain area might have negative effects on the regeneration of P. australis populations.

Spaser and optical amplification conditions in graphene-coated active wires Prélat, Leila; Cuevas, Mauro; Passarelli, Nicolás; Bustos Marun, Raul Alberto; Depine, Ricardo Angel This work analyzes the optical properties of a localized surface plasmon (LSP) spaser made of a dielectric active wire coated with a graphene monolayer. Our theoretical results, obtained by using rigorous electromagnetic methods, illustrate the non-radiative transfer between the active medium and the LSPs of graphene. In particular, we focus on the lasing conditions and the tunability of the LSP spaser in two cases: when the wire is made of an infrared/terahertz transparent dielectric material and when it is made of a metal-like material. We analyze the results by comparing them with analytical expressions obtained by using the quasistatic approximation. We show that the studied systems present a high tunability of the spaser resonances with the geometrical parameters as well as with the chemical potential of graphene.

Las Emociones en la Antigüedad: indignación y envidia en Aristóteles y Aristófanes; Emotions in Antiquity: Indignation and Envy in Aristotle and Aristophanes Fernandez, Claudia Nelida El estudio de las emociones en la Antigüedad ha tenido en las última décadas una gran eclosión. En su desarrollo, la propuesta aristotélica de los afectos (páthe) ha recibido una atención especial. En ese marco, se ha observado que la emoción de la ´indignación´, tal como la define el Estagirita (un sentimiento doloroso producido por la percepción de una inmerecida prosperidad, Rh. 1387a8-9) no habría recibido por parte los griegos el nombre que este le asigna (tò nemesân). La objeción se funda, sobre todo, en los testimonios de las oraciones forenses (s. IV a.C.). Nuestra propuesta incorpora el testimonio de la comedia aristofánica a la discusión, ya que la indignación ha sido considerada por muchos (Cooper, Golden, Rosenbloom, entre otros) la emoción típica de la comedia.; The study of emotions in Antiquity has burst in the last decades. In its development, the Aristotelian systematization of affections (πάθη) (“Book II” of his Rhetoric) has received special attention. In this context, it has been noticed that the emotion of ‘indignation’, as it is defined by the Stagirite (a painful feeling produced by the perception of undeserved prosperity, Rhetoric 1387a8-9) would not have been named by the Greeks as he did it (τὸ νεμεσᾶν). The objection is founded, above all, on the testimonies of forensic speeches (4th century BC). Our proposal incorporates the testimony of Aristophanic comedy into the discussion, since indignation has been considered by many (Cooper, Golden, Rosenbloom, among others) the typical emotion of comedy.

Vibrational spectroscopy in catalysis: The power of synergy between theory and experiment Ganduglia Pirovano, M. V.; Lustemberg, Pablo German; Busnengo, Heriberto Fabio; Bosco, Marta Verónica; Bonivardi, Adrian Lionel The complexity of real (powder) catalysts hinders the fundamental understanding of their structure, which is essential to establish the relationship between structure and reactivity. Moreover, the possibility of understanding the mechanism of catalytic reactions depends very much on the chances of isolating intermediates in the study of each step in the catalytic cycle. Understanding catalyst structure and reaction mechanism can be obtained by a reductionist approach consisting in creating and evaluating experimental and theoretical model catalysts that mimic the real ones in their complexity. The feasibility of such an approach to date is undoubtedly due to recent advancements in characterization techniques and theoretical methods. In-situ vibrational spectroscopy offers a very powerful experimental tool box, allowing investigation of catalysts surfaces at the molecular level and reaction intermediates on both real and model catalysts than can help bridge the gap between them. Yet, the interpretation of vibrational spectra is far from trivial and the synergy between theory and experiment is essential to it.

Polymer informatics: Expert-in-the-loop in QSPR modeling of refractive index Schustik, Santiago; Cravero, Fiorella; Ponzoni, Ignacio; Diaz, Monica Fatima Refractive index (RI) is a highly relevant property for the design of new polymeric materials for very specific applications in the telecommunications industry, medicine, and analytical chemistry, among many others. A particular case is that of plastic optical fibers, in which the information is transmitted by photons and then RI takes center stage. Therefore, the modeling and prediction of this property play a key role when characterizing and designing materials for these important industries. Over the last decades, the use of Machine Learning (ML) algorithms in the modeling of properties for the design of new materials has been consolidated thanks to the gradual increase in the available databases. In particular, the development of Quantitative Structure-Property Relationship (QSPR) models has benefited from these emerging technologies, providing the possibility of generating in silico testing strategies applicable to the early stages of the design of new materials. However, in many cases, it has been observed that using ML algorithms in a fully automatic way, without human intervention in the QSPR model design process, tend to generate black-box models that have a difficult interpretation and can lose sight about relevant aspects that require both criteria and an expert's knowledge in the chemical domain. For this reason, interactive ML methodologies that combine computational outputs with experts’ knowledge, usually known as expert-in-the-loop strategies, are becoming more frequent. In this article, we present the design of QSPR models for RI modeling following two different approaches, a black-box ML methodology and an Interactive Machine Learning (IML) methodology with expert-in-the-loop, from a database whose curation is also described in the present work. In this regard, visual analytics strategies were used to capture the expert's knowledge, facilitating an effective and rapid interaction between the outputs provided by ML and the chemical analyst. In addition, we contrast the best models obtained by both approaches against two other predictive models for RI estimation reported in the literature, achieving promising performances in terms of cardinality and accuracy when the expert interacts during modeling. In summary, the obtained results allow us to claim that the expert-in-the-loop approach provides QSPR models with better generalizability properties and more interpretable from a physicochemical point of view, without losing accuracy. Finally, in addition to providing high quality QSPR models to predict the RI of polymeric materials, the present work lays the foundation for defining an effective methodology to incorporate experts’ knowledge in the design of other material properties.

Antagonismo, clases y grupos de poder: dominación y hegemonía como procesos de consolidación social Galafassi, Guido Pascual De esta manera mi breve presentación versará sobre incorporar la categoría grupos de poder al pensamiento de la conflictividad y el antagonismo. Es que desde nuestro equipo de investigación, el GEACH-UNQ (Grupo de estudio sobreacumulación, conflictividad y hegemonía) el antagonismo social en su complejo entramado de múltiples dimensiones constituye el eje de nuestro trabajo, sin que hasta el momento los grupos de poder/clases dominantes hayan tenido un lugar privilegiado en los estudios. Por lo tanto intentaré pensar y presentaren estas jornadas algunas reflexiones de lo que implicaría pensar el antagonismo y la conflictividad con eje o una particular atención a los grupos de poder.

Do soil carbon sequestration and soil fertility increase by including a gramineous cover crop in continuous soybean? Beltrán, Marcelo; Galantini, Juan Alberto; Salvagiotti, Fernando; Tognetti, Pedro Maximiliano; Bacigaluppo, Silvina; Sainz Rozas, Hernan Rene; Barraco, Miriam; Barbieri, Pablo Andres Cover cropping is a farming practice that may improve C sequestration and soil fertility, but these effects can vary under different edaphoclimatic conditions. The effects of including a winter gramineous cover crop (CC) in continuous soybeans were evaluated in three long-term experiments (8 yr) on one coarse-textured soil and two fine-textured soils in the Pampas region of Argentina. The impacts of CC on soil C sequestration, soil nutrient availability, soil organic C (SOC), and N contents of soil particle size fractions were also determined. The inclusion of CC only increased SOC stock by 3.1 Mg ha-1 in the coarse-textured soil (CTS). The labile C fraction in the 0–5-cm depth increased in both the CTS and the fine-textured soils (FTS) by 263% and 93%, respectively. Soil N also increased in the labile fraction by 119% and 112% when a CC was used in the CTS and FTS soils, respectively. Moreover, the inclusion of a CC decreased soil P availability in one experiment (4.9 kg ha-1) and increased soil manganese in two experiments (11 kg ha-1 on average). The inclusion of a gramineous CC in a soybean monoculture increased the C balance, particularly in coarse-textured soils. Considering that soil N was similarly affected, the C/N ratio was not impacted.

Ethical dilemmas posed by surplus frozen embryos in Argentinean fertility centers Lima, Natacha Salomé; Ramos Martínez, Gustavo Antonio In Argentina, access to ART treatments has been regulated since 2013, but the law fails to define a number of important issues, including embryo disposition decisions (EDD) and national registries. Disputes regarding the legal status of cryopreserved embryos are a multifactorial problem that, in Latin-American countries, is also associated with the influence of the Catholic tradition on policy makers, and a clear resolution of embryo disposition remains a difficult topic. Also, improvements in IVF laboratory procedures, such as single embryo transfer (eSET), preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), and the freeze-all strategy, have led to an increase in the number of frozen embryos being stored. Yet, little is known of how these enhanced procedures might influence EDD. To collect data on storage content, an online survey was sent to all reproductive facilities, during 2017 and 2020. Based on the survey results, we found a tendency that shows an exponential increase in the number of frozen embryos being stored (by 68.5%). This is a consequence of the improvements in cryopreservation techniques (vitrification) and the development of more efficient ovarian stimulation protocols that have facilitated a rise in elective single embryo transfer (eSET). This paper focuses on three strategies that could be implemented to facilitate EDD under this particular setting. First, counseling sessions at different treatment stages should be encouraged and would be conducted by trained mental health professionals. Second, once storage content is labeled, aneuploid embryos and embryos which were cryopreserved more than 10 years ago, could form part of a national bank for research purposes. Third, promote effective regulation that includes EDD and explicit storage limits.

Optimizing household energy planning in Smart cities: a multiobjective approach; Optimización de la planificación energética en hogares inteligentes: Un enfoque multi-objetivo Nesmachnow, Sergio; Colacurcio, Giovanni; Rossit, Diego Gabriel; Toutouh, Jamal; Luna, Francisco This article presents the advances in the design and implementation of a recommendation system for planning the use of household appliances, focused on improving energy efficiency from the point of view of both energy companies and end-users. The system proposes using historical information and data from sensors to define instances of the planning problem considering user preferences, which in turn are proposed to be solved using a multiobjective evolutionary approach, in order to minimize energy consumption and maximize quality of service offered to users. Promising results are reported on realistic instances of the problem, compared with situations where no intelligent energy planning are used (i.e., ?Bussiness as Usual? model) and also with a greedy algorithm developed in the framework of the reference project. The proposed evolutionary approach was able to improve up to 29.0% in energy utilization and up to 65.3% in user preferences over the reference methods.; Este artículo presenta los avances en el diseño e implementación de un sistemade recomendación para planificar el uso de electrodomésticos, enfocado en mejorarla eficiencia energética desde el punto de vista tanto de las compañías de energíacomo de los usuarios finales. El sistema propone el uso de información histórica ydatos de sensores para definir instancias del problema de planificación considerandolas preferencias del usuario, que a su vez se proponen resolver mediante un enfoqueevolutivo multiobjetivo, para minimizar el consumo de energía y maximizar la calidaddel servicio ofrecido a los usuarios. Se informan resultados prometedores en casosrealistas del problema, en comparación con situaciones en las que no se utiliza unaplanificación energética inteligente (es decir, modelo ‘Bussiness as Usual’) y tambiéncon un algoritmo goloso desarrollado en el marco del proyecto de referencia. El enfoqueevolutivo propuesto fue capaz de mejorar hasta el 29.0 % en la utilización de energía yhasta el 65,3 % en las preferencias del usuario sobre los métodos de referencia.

Dewatering, stabilization and final disposal of waste activated sludge in constructed wetlands; Deshidratación, estabilización y disposición final de descarte de lodos activados en humedales construidos Mariñelarena, Alejandro Jorge; Di Giorgi, Hugo Daniel; Donadelli, Jorge Luis Objetivo: esta investigación tuvo como objetivo analizar la deshidratación y estabilización de biosólidos excedentes de una planta de tratamiento de lodos activados mediante humedales construidos, en el Parque Nacional Iguazú (Misiones, Argentina). Materiales y métodos: se construyó un sistema de lechos vegetados para tratamiento de lodos de 12 celdas y se operó durante cuatro años. Posteriormente, los sedimentos acumulados se analizaron para determinar la concentración de sólidos totales (ST), la reducción de sólidos volátiles (SV), la tasa específica de absorción de oxígeno (SOUR) y las concentraciones de metales pesados y patógenos. Resultados y discusión: la concentración de ST aumentó de 0,55 % a 14,3 %, la de SV se redujo un 33,3 % y la SOUR a 1,09 mg de O2gTS-1 h -1 . Estas cifras y las concentraciones finales de metales pesados y microorganismos patógenos (102 MPN E.coli.gTS–1 ) indicaron un grado de estabilización y saneamiento que permitió clasificar esos biosólidos como clase A, que, de acuerdo con las directrices argentinas Resolución nacional 410/18, habilita su reutilización para la enmienda de suelos en usos paisajísticos y otros fines agronómicos. Conclusión: la tecnología utilizada mostró buenos resultados bajo un clima tropical, con temperaturas anuales entre 17 y 27 °C, precipitaciones de 1870 mm y-1 y plantadas con vegetación autóctona. Además, permitió la reutilización de 221 t (144 m3 ) de un producto inofensivo de una manera ambientalmente sostenible.; Objective: This research aimed to assay the dehydration and stabilization of surplus biosolids from a wastewater activated sludge treatment plant, with sludge-treatment wetlands, at the Iguazú National Park (Misiones, Argentina). Materials and Methods: A 12-cell sludge-treatment reed beds (STRB) system was built and operated for four years. Afterwards, the accumulated sediments were analyzed for total solids (TS) concentration, volatile solids (VS) reduction, specific oxygen-uptake rate (SOUR), and heavy metals and pathogens concentrations. Results and Discussion: TS concentration increased from 0.55% to 14.3%, VS were reduced by 33.3%, and SOUR lowered to 1.09 mg O2gTS-1 h-1. These figures and the final concentrations of heavy metals and pathogenic microorganisms (102 MPN E.coli.gTS-1) indicated a degree of stabilization and sanitation that allowed classifying these biosolids as Class A, according to the Argentine guidelines, National Resolution 410/18, and enabled their reuse for soil amendment in landscapes and other agronomic purposes. Conclusion: The technology tested showed good results applied under a tropical climate, with annual temperatures between 17 and 27 °C, rainfall of 1870 mm y-1, and planted with autochthonous vegetation. Furthermore, it allowed the reuse of 221 t (144 m3) of a harmless product in an environmentally sustainable way.

Parasitic fauna of the invasive house sparrow (Passer domesticus) from Ñuble region, Chile: An example of co-introduced parasites; Fauna parasítica do pardal invasor (Passer domesticus) da região de Ñuble, Chile: Um exemplo de parasitas co-introduzidos Oyarzún Ruiz, Pablo; Cárdenas, Guissel; Silva De la Fuente, María Carolina; Martin, Nicolás; Mironov, Sergey; Cicchino, Armando Conrado; Kinsella, John Mike; Moreno, Lucila; González Acuña, Daniel Invasive species impact native wildlife in several ways, as they compete for resources and may transmit their specific pathogens. However, the potential consequences of co-introduced parasites are not fully understood. While the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) was introduced in Chile about a century ago, no data are available regarding its parasites. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the parasitic fauna of this avian invader and to determine whether there are co-introduced/co-invasive parasites shared with native birds. One hundred and eight birds were collected from three different localities in the Ñuble region of Chile, and a complete parasitic necropsy was performed in the laboratory. Twenty-three (21.3%) were parasitized by six arthropod species and four (3.7%) were parasitized by two helminth species. Four out of eight taxa are reported for the first time in Chile; among them, three arthropod parasites and the tapeworm, Anonchotaenia globata, are considered as co-introduced parasites. Only A. globata is a potential co-invasive parasite given its low degree specificity in terms of its definitive hosts. Future research should examine whether additional co-introduced/co-invasive parasites have been brought by the house sparrow, and what their potential consequences might be on the health of native birds in Chile.; As espécies invasoras de vertebrados competem com espécies nativas no uso de recursos e transmitem patógenos. Contudo as consequências da co-introdução de parasitos permanecem pouco estudadas. O pardal (Passer domesticus) foi introduzido há um século no Chile, porém não existem dados sobre seus parasitos. O objetivo do estudo foi investigar a fauna parasitária e avaliar se existem espécies co-introduzidas/co-invasivas compartilhadas com as espécies de aves nativas do Chile. Um total de 108 aves foram coletadas em diferentes localidades da região de Ñuble. Seis espécies de artrópodes parasitos foram coletadas de 23 (21,3%) aves. Quatro aves (3,7%) estavam parasitadas por duas espécies de helmintos. Quatro de um total de oito espécies de parasitos correspondem aos primeiros relatos para o Chile. Três artrópodes parasitos e o helminto Anonchotaenia globata são considerados parasitos co-introduzidos no país. Apenas A. globata possui potencial para ser considerada uma espécie co-invasiva, pois pode parasitar Passeriformes em geral. Pesquisas futuras devem investigar se os demais parasitos identificados neste estudo correspondem a espécies co-introduzidas ou co-invasoras e avaliar as possíveis consequências na saúde das aves nativas do país.

Nuevos registros de murciélagos (Mammalia: Chiroptera) para las provincias de Entre Ríos y Santa Fe, Argentina; New records of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from Entre Ríos and Santa Fe provinces, Argentina Pavé, Romina Elizabeth; Gavazza, Alejandra Ines; de Souza, Juan; Giraudo, Alejandro Raul La fauna de quirópteros de las provincias de Entre Ríos y Santa Fe, que forman parte de la región Litoral en el centro y noreste de Argentina, es escasamente conocida. En este estudio, analizamos 95 ejemplares de 15 especies de las familias Molossidae y Vespertilionidae provenientes de estudios de campo y colecciones de museos. Presentamos el primer registro de Myotis riparius (Vespertilionidae) para la provincia de Santa Fe y el segundo registro de Eptesicus brasiliensis (Vespertilionidae) para la provincia de Entre Ríos. Así como también brindamos aspectos ecológicos, reproductivos y de distribución de las especies estudiadas, incluyendo nuevas localidades para distintas ecorregiones de Entre Ríos y Santa Fe. Finalmente, damos a conocer desórdenes en la pigmentación del pelaje, específicamente la presencia de manchas blancas atípicas para Eumops bonariensis, Eumops patagonicus y Molossus molossus.; The bat fauna of Entre Ríos and Santa Fe Provinces, which are part of the Litoral region in the center and northeast of Argentina, have been scarcely studied. In this study, we analyzed 95 specimens of 15 species of the families Molossidae and Vespertilionidae from field studies and museum collections. We present the first record of Myotis riparius (Vespertilionidae) for Santa Fe Province and the second record of Eptesicus brasiliensis (Vespertilionidae) for Entre Ríos province. We add aspects of ecology, reproduction, and distribution of the studied species, including new locations for different ecoregions of Entre Ríos and Santa Fe. Finally, we present pigmentation disorders, specifically the presence of atypical white spots on the fur for Eumops bonariensis, Eumops patagonicus, and Molossus molossus.

Practice of physical activity and perceived environment of users of the Unified Health System; Práctica de actividad física y ambiente percibido de usuarios del Sistema Único de Salud; Prática de atividade fí­sica e ambiente percebido de usuários do Sistema Único de Saúde Parisi Hodniki, Paula; de Souza Teixeira, Carla Regina; Zanetti, Maria Lúcia; de Moraes, Camila; Fermino, Rogerio Cesar; Berra, Silvina del Valle Objective: to analyze the relationship between leisure-time physical activity and active commuting with the perception of the environment in people with chronic non-communicable diseases. Methods: cross-sectional study consisting of 719 SUS users. For data collection, the IPAQ and the Neighborhood Environmental Walkability Scale were used. Pearson’s chi-square test and logistic regression model were used. Results: of the 719 (100%), 512 (71.2%) participants were female and 504 (70.1%) reported having a chronic non-communicable disease. There are no relationships between women with chronic disease and perception of the environment for the practice of physical activity during leisure and active commuting. On the other hand, men and the elderly were more likely to be more active in the practice of physical activity. Conclusion: interventions to increase the practice of physical activity in women should be implemented in order to prevent and treat chronic non-communicable diseases.; Objetivo: analizar la relación entre la actividad física com el nfer libre y los desplazamientos activos com la percepción del entorno com personas com nfermidades crónicas no transmisibles. Métodos: nfermi transversal compuesto por 719 usuarios del SUS. Para la recolección de datos, se utilizaron el IPAQ y la Escala de Caminabilidad Ambiental del Vecindario. Se nfermi la prueba de chi-cuadrado de Pearson y el modelo de regresión logística. Resultados: de los 719 (100%), 512 (71,2%) participantes eran mujeres y 504 (70,1%) informaron tener com enfermedad crónica no transmisible. No existen relaciones entre mujeres com enfermedad crónica y percepción del entorno para la práctica de actividad física durante el nfe y los desplazamientos activos. Por com lado, los hombres y los ancianos tenían más probabilidades de ser más activos com la práctica de actividad física. Conclusión: se deben implementar intervenciones para incrementar la práctica de actividad física com las mujeres com el fin de prevenir y tratar las nfermidades crónicas no transmisibles.; Objetivo: analisar a relação da atividade fí­sica no lazer e de deslocamento ativo com a percepção do ambiente em pessoas com doenças crônicas não transmissí­veis. Métodos: estudo transversal constituí­do por 719 usuários do SUS. Para a coleta de dados utilizou-se o IPAQ e o Neighborhood Environmental Walkability Scale. Utilizou-se o teste qui-quadrado de Pearson e o modelo de regressão logí­stica. Resultados: dos 719 (100%), 512 (71,2%) participantes eram do sexo feminino e 504 (70,1%) relataram ter doença crônica não transmissí­vel. Não há relações entre mulheres com doença crônica e percepção do ambiente para a prática de atividade fí­sica no lazer e de deslocamento ativo. Por outro lado, os homens e os idosos apresentaram maior chance de serem mais ativos para a prática de atividade fí­sica. Conclusão: intervenções para incrementar a prática de atividade fí­sica em mulheres devem ser implementadas com vistas a prevenção e tratamento das doenças crônicas não transmissí­veis.

Identification and characterization of soluble binding proteins associated with host foraging in the parasitoid wasp Diachasmimorpha longicaudata Wulff, Juan Pedro; Segura, Diego Fernando; Devescovi, Francisco; Muntaabski, Irina; Milla, Fabian Horacio; Scannapieco, Alejandra Carla; Cladera, Jorge Luis; Lanzavecchia, Silvia Beatriz The communication and reproduction of insects are driven by chemical sensing. During this process, chemical compounds are transported across the sensillum lymph to the sensory neurons assisted by different types of soluble binding proteins: odorant-binding proteins (OBPs); chemosensory proteins (CSPs); some members of ML-family proteins (MD-2 (myeloid differentiation factor-2)-related Lipid-recognition), also known as NPC2-like proteins. Potential transcripts involved in chemosensing were identified by an in silico analysis of whole-body female and male transcriptomes of the parasitic wasp Diachasmimorpha longicaudata. This analysis facilitated the characterization of fourteen OBPs (all belonging to the Classic type), seven CSPs (and two possible isoforms), and four NPC2-like proteins. A differential expression analysis by qPCR showed that eleven of these proteins (CSPs 2 and 8, OBPs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11, and NPC2b) were over-expressed in female antenna and two (CSP 1 and OBP 12) in the body without antennae. Foraging behavior trials (linked to RNA interference) suggest that OBPs 9, 10, and 11 are potentially involved in the female orientation to chemical cues associated with the host. OBP 12 seems to be related to physiological processes of female longevity regulation. In addition, transcriptional silencing of CSP 3 showed that this protein is potentially associated with the regulation of foraging behavior. This study supports the hypothesis that soluble binding proteins are potentially linked to fundamental physiological processes and behaviors in D. longicaudata. The results obtained here contribute useful information to increase the parasitoid performance as a biological control agent of fruit fly pest species.

Stress-Related Brain Neuroinflammation Impact in Depression: Role of the Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone System and P2X7 Receptor Silberstein Cuña, Susana Iris; Liberman, Ana Clara; Dos Santos Claro, Paula Ayelen; Ugo, Maria Belen; Deussing, Jan M.; Arzt, Eduardo Simon Depression and other psychiatric stress-related disorders are leading causes of disability worldwide. Up to date, treatments of mood disorders have limited success, most likely due to the multifactorial etiology of these conditions. Alterations in inflammatory processes have been identified as possible pathophysiological mechanisms in psychiatric conditions. Here, we review the main features of 2 systems involved in the control of these inflammatory pathways: the CRH system as a key regulator of the stress response and the ATP-gated ion-channel P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) involved in the control of immune functions. The pathophysiology of depression as a stress-related psychiatric disorder is depicted in terms of the impact of CRH and P2X7R function on inflammatory pathways in the brain. Understanding pathogenesis of affective disorders will lead to the development of therapies for treatment of depression and other stress-related diseases.

El altar del judío Nasas y la figura de Elías: ¿Sincretismo religioso en tiempos de Gregorio Magno? Laham Cohen, Rodrigo Jaime En este artículo se exploran las posibles explicaciones de la epístola III, 37 del Registrum Epistularum de Gregorio Magno, en la cual el papa exige castigar a un judío llamado Nasas que supuestamente había erigido un altar en nombre del profeta Elías al cual asistían cristianos. En el trabajo se presentan, primero, los análisis previos en torno a la misiva. Luego se analiza la factibilidad de los hechos allí narrados y cuál era la imagen de Elías y de los altares tanto en la obra de Gregorio Magno como en las literaturas judías y cristianas del período. De tal modo se busca indagar sobre qué pudo haber realizado Nasas en la Sicilia del siglo VI y reflexionar sobre nuestras limitaciones en el conocimiento del judaísmo europeo tardoantiguo.; Neste artigo explora-se as possíveis explicações da epístola III, 37 do Registrum Epistularum de Gregório Magno, em que o papa exige punir um judeu chamado Nasas que supostamente havia erguido um altar em nome do profeta Elias que era frequentado por cristãos. O trabalho apresenta, em primeiro lugar, as análises anteriores em torno da carta. Em seguida, analisa-se a viabilidade dos acontecimentos ali narrados e qual era a imagem de Elias e dos altares tanto na obra de Gregório Magno quanto nas literaturas judaica e cristã do período. Dessa forma, busca investigar o que Nasas poderia ter feito na Sicília do século VI e refletir sobre nossas limitações no conhecimento do judaísmo europeu tardo antigo.

Alcohol consumption leads to loss of healthy life, but the ADH1B*2 allele may still protect from NASH Mazzolini Rizzo, Guillermo Daniel; Canbay, Ali Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, affecting almost a quarter of the world population (1,2), and is a main cause of severe hepatic complications such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. In histological assessment NAFLD and alcoholic liver disease (ALD) are difficult to distinguish; NAFLD diagnosis thus requires a limit of alcohol intake. However, NAFLD and ALD very frequently coexist in the same patient, making it difficult to identify the exact cause of liver complications. Almost 5?6% of all worldwide deaths (~3 million) are caused by the harmful use of alcohol (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565639), therefore alcohol represents a major health problem at a global scale. There is an association between the amount of alcohol consumption and ALD, however, only 30% of chronic drinkers develop alcoholic hepatitis, and 10?20% progress to advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis (3), underscoring the role of genetic factors involved in disease severity and progression. Any level of alcohol consumption, regardless of the amount, leads to loss of healthy life. The recommendation in clinical practice should be to avoid alcohol intake, particularly in the presence of any liver disease. Moderate alcohol consumption has been reported by many studies to be associated with less severe NAFLD, although some of these cross-sectional studies may be affected by selection bias (4-6). In contrast a longitudinal analysis of liver biopsies from patients with NAFLD showed that modest alcohol consumption was associated with lower NASH resolution in comparison with nondrinkers (7). Recently, Chang et al. showed that the risk of liver steatosis in low and moderate alcohol consumers (MACs) was lower in comparison with nondrinkers (8); however, the proportion of hepatic steatosis plus fibrosis was higher in drinkers. The exact mechanism of the deleterious effect of alcohol consumption on NAFLD in obese patients is still unclear. When combined with free fatty acids the polyphenol resveratrol resulted in the stimulation of profibrogenic effects in hepatic stellate cells (key cells for induction and propagation of hepatic fibrosis) instead of any protective role (9). Therefore, it is important to shed light on the exact role of alcohol intake in addition to NAFLD to solve the currently rather conflicting data on this issue. The work published by Vilar-Gomez et al. in Gastroenterology (10) clarifies some knowledge gaps about alcohol metabolism and consumption, and the severity of NAFLD by studying the role of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)-1B, in particular ADH1B*2, in this context. The authors started from a finding generated in a previous work by Sookoian et al., where they observed that patients with low alcohol intake and the ADH1B*2 allele showed a less severe NAFLD by histology compared to other patients studied (11). Vilar-Gomez et al. studied 1,697 patients enrolled into various studies conducted by the Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network (NASH CRN) over a period of 10 years [2009?2019]; the NASH CRN Pathology committee reviewed all liver biopsies, and comprehensive alcohol consumption was obtained by AUDIT and LDH questionnaire, binge and heavy drinkers were excluded (170 patients). Remarkably, the frequency of ADH1B*2 carriage varied across race being high in Asians/Pacific Islanders/Hawaiians (86%) and low in non-Hispanic whites (8%), Hispanics (14%), and Blacks (4%), but the study was focused on the 1,153 non-Hispanic whites, which were mainly female, obese, and hypertensive. Among the 1,153 patients, 30% had advanced fibrosis, and 60% had definite NASH. The cohort included 720 non-drinkers and 433 moderate drinkers, but no heavy alcohol consumers. ADH1B*2 carriers were more likely to be male, and moderate alcohol consumption was similar between ADH1B*1 and ADH1B*2 carriers

Ectopic expression of GmNHX3 and GmNHX1, encoding two Glycine max Na+/H+ vacuolar antiporters, improves water deficit tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana Pardo, Esteban Mariano; Toum, Laila; Pérez Borroto, Lucía Sandra; Fleitas, L.; Gallino, J. P.; Machi, S.; Vojnov, Adrián Alberto; Castagnaro, Atilio Pedro; Welin, Björn The importance of Na+/H+ antiporters in salt tolerance in plants has been demonstrated in many studies, but much less is known about their protective role during drought stress. To study their possible contribution to water deficit tolerance, two closely related soybean Na+/H+ antiporters belonging to the intracellular NHX exchanger protein family, GmNHX3 and GmNHX1, were evaluated in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana. A. thaliana plants ectopically expressing GmNHX3 or GmNHX1 displayed a more drought-tolerant phenotype compared to wild-type plants, which was accompanied by an increase in relative water content and chlorophyll content during stress conditions. Both GmHNX1 and GmHNX3 transgenic lines accumulated higher amounts of Na+ and K+ cations, showed increased antioxidant enzyme activities and less membrane damage due to lipid peroxidation under water deficit, as compared to non-transformed plants. Furthermore, plants expressing GmNHX3 showed an increased sensitivity to abscisic acid as deduced from stomatal closure and seed germination inhibition studies. Finally, a significant up-regulation of abiotic stress-related genes was observed in both transgenic lines compared to wild-type plants in response to abscisic acid and mannitol treatments. These results demonstrate that GmNHX3 and GmNHX1 antiporters confer protection during drought stress in A. thaliana and hence are potential genetic targets to improve drought tolerance in soybean and other crops.