¿Las plantas exóticas leñosas dependen de los polinizadores para reproducirse?: Un estudio de caso en las Sierras de la Ventana (Argentina); Do exotic plants depend on pollinators for reproduction?: A case study in Sierras de la Ventana (Argentina) Martinez, Lucia Carolina; Haedo, Joana Paola; Marrero, Hugo Javier En diferentes medidas, la mayoría de las plantas con flores dependen de los polinizadores para su reproducción. En el caso de las especies exóticas, el grado de dependencia es clave, ya que puede afectar su éxito en la colonización de nuevos ambientes. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar el grado de dependencia de los polinizadores de cinco especies de plantas entomófilas exóticas en pastizales pampeanos de las Sierras de la Ventana. Se determinó si las diferencias en la dependencia se relacionan con la ubicación geográfica y con la filogenia de las especies vegetales. Las especies estudiadas fueron Spartium junceum, Genista monspessulana, Prunus mahaleb, Rosa rubiginosa y Rubus ulmifolius. El muestreo se realizó en el Parque Provincial Ernesto Tornquist (Provincia de Buenos Aires) y en zonas aledañas a éste. En los picos de floración de cada especie y en diferentes sitios se seleccionaron individuos a los que se les realizaron dos tratamientos en flores previamente embolsadas: autopolinización y polinización cruzada. Además, se dejaron flores sin polinizar como controles. Luego, se calculó la probabilidad de formación de frutos y la cantidad de semillas tanto en el control como bajo los diferentes tratamientos. Finalmente, se compararon los resultados de este estudio con otros realizados en diferentes regiones (excepto para R. ulmifolius). Las especies de plantas estudiadas mostraron una respuesta variada en cuanto a la dependencia de polinizadores, desde especies muy dependientes (e.g., S. junceum, G. monspessulana y P. mahaleb) hasta otras menos dependientes (e.g., R. rubiginosa y R. ulmifolius). Esto indica que la dependencia de los polinizadores puede ser variable en plantas que estén colonizando un hábitat fuera de su distribución nativa. Adicionalmente, existen variaciones en el grado de dependencia según el área geográfica, excepto para R. rubiginosa, lo que muestra que la localización geográfica puede influir sobre la dependencia de polinizadores de las plantas leñosas.; Most of the flowering plants depend on pollinators, in different degrees, for their reproduction. The degree of pollinator dependence is especially important in exotic plants because it could determine their colonization success in new locations. The objective of this study was to determine the degree of pollinator dependence in five exotic entomophilous plant species in a Pampean grassland located in Sierra de Ventana. It was determined if the differences in dependency are related to the geographic location and the phylogeny of plant species. The plants species were Spartium junceum, Genista monspessulana, Prunus mahaleb, Rosa rubiginosa and Rubus ulmifolius. Sampling was carried out in the Ernesto Tornquist Provincial Park and in surrounding areas (Buenos Aires Province). During the flowering peak of each species and in different sites, two treatments were undertaken in pre-bagged flowers: self-pollination and cross-pollination. Also, others pre-bagged flowers were left without pollination as control. Later, the probability of fruit develop and seed set under the two treatments and the control were assessed. Finally, the results of this study were compared with studies carried out in other regions (except for R. ulmifolius). The studied plant species showed a varied response to pollinator dependence, from very dependent species, such as S. junceum, G. monspessulana and P. mahaleb, to low dependent species such as R. rubiginosa y R. ulmifolius. Our results indicate that pollinator dependence can be variable in plants species that are colonizing non-native habitats. Furthermore, there are variations in the degree of pollinator dependency according to the geographical area, except for R. rubiginosa, showing that the geographical location can influence the dependence on pollinators for woody plants.

High Visual-Quality Scenes in Low-Cost Virtual Reality with Collisions and Irregular Surfaces Selzer, Matias Nicolas; Ganuza, María Luján; Castro, Silvia Mabel Mobile phones offer an excellent low-cost alternative for Virtual Reality. However, the hardware constraints of these devices restrict the displayable visual complexity of graphics.Image-Based Rendering techniques arise as an alternative to solve this problem, but usually, the support of collisions and irregular surfaces (i.e. any surface that is not flat or even) represents a challenge. In this work, we present a technique suitable for both virtual and real-world environments that handle collisions and irregular surfaces for an Image-Based Rendering technique in low-cost virtual reality. We also conducted a user evaluation for finding the distance between images that presents a realistic and natural experience by maximizing the perceived virtual presence and minimizing the cybersickness effects. The results prove the benefits of our technique for both virtual and real-world environments.

Dissemination of blaNDM–1 Gene Among Several Klebsiella pneumoniae Sequence Types in Mexico Associated With Horizontal Transfer Mediated by IncF-Like Plasmids Toledano Tableros, José Eduardo; Gayosso Vázquez, Catalina; Jarillo Quijada, María Dolores; Fernández Vázquez, José Luis; Morfin Otero, Rayo; Rodríguez Noriega, Eduardo; Giono Cerezo, Silvia; Gutkind, Gabriel Osvaldo; Di Conza, José Alejandro; Santos Preciado, José Ignacio; Alcántar Curiel, María Dolores Nosocomial infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae are a major health problem worldwide. The aim of this study was to describe NDM-1- producing K. pneumoniae strains causing bacteremia in a tertiary referral hospital in Mexico. MDR K. pneumoniae isolates were screened by polymerase chain reaction for the presence of resistance genes. In resistant isolates, plasmids were identified and conjugation assays were performed. Clonal diversity and the sequence types were determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing. A total of 80 K. pneumoniae isolates were collected from patients with bacteremia over a 1-year period. These isolates showed a level of resistance of 59% (47/80) to aztreonam, 56–60% (45–48/80) to cephalosporins, 54% (43/80) to colistin and 12.5% (10/80) to carbapenems. The carbapenem resistant isolates were blaNDM−1 carriers and negative for blaKPC, blaNDM, blaIMP, blaVIM and blaOXA−48−like carbapenemases genes. Conjugative plasmids IncFIIA and IncF group with sizes of 82–195 kbp were carriers of blaNDM−1, blaCTX−M−15, blaTEM−1, aac(60 )-Ib and/or aac(30 )-IIa. Clonal variability and nine different multilocus sequence types were detected (ST661, ST683, ST1395, ST2706, ST252, ST1198, ST690, ST1535, and ST3368) for the first time in the isolates carrying blaNDM−1 in Mexico. This study demonstrates that blaNDM−1 has remained within this hospital in recent years and suggests that it is currently the most prevalent carbapenemase among K. pneumoniae MDR strains causing bacteremia in Mexico. The horizontal transfer of blaNDM−1 gene through IncF-like plasmids among different clones demonstrates the dissemination pathway of antimicrobial resistance and underscore the need for strong and urgent joint measures to control the spread of NDM-1 carbapenemase in the hospital.

Eugenia Sacerdote de Lustig junto a Elena Matos No especifica Retrato de Eugenia Sacerdote de Lustig junto a Elena Matos

The potential for histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors as cestocidal drugs Vaca, Hugo Rolando; Celentano, Ana M.; Toscanini, María Agustina; Heimburg, Tino; Ghazy, Ehab; Zeyen, Patrik; Hauser, Alexander Thomas; Oliveira, Guilherme; Elissondo, María Celina; Jung, Manfred; Sippl, Wolfgang; Camicia, Federico; Rosenzvit, Mara Cecilia Background: Echinococcosis and cysticercosis are neglected tropical diseases caused by cestode parasites (family Taeniidae). Not only there is a small number of approved anthelmintics for the treatment of these cestodiases, but also some of them are not highly effective against larval stages, such that identifying novel drug targets and their associated compounds is critical. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes are validated drug targets in cancers and other diseases, and have been gaining relevance for developing new potential anti-parasitic treatments in the last years. Here, we present the anthelmintic profile for a panel of recently developed HDAC inhibitors against the model cestode Mesocestoides vogae (syn. M. corti).Methodology/principal findings: Phenotypic screening was performed on M. vogae by motility measurements and optical microscopic observations. Some HDAC inhibitors showed potent anthelmintic activities; three of them-entinostat, TH65, and TH92 -had pronounced anthelmintic effects, reducing parasite viability by ~100% at concentrations of ≤ 20 μM. These compounds were selected for further characterization and showed anthelmintic effects in the micromolar range and in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, these compounds induced major alterations on the morphology and ultrastructural features of M. vogae. The potencies of these compounds were higher than albendazole and the anthelmintic effects were irreversible. Additionally, we evaluated pairwise drug combinations of these HDAC inhibitors and albendazole. The results suggested a positive interaction in the anthelmintic effect for individual pairs of compounds. Due to the maximum dose approved for entinostat, adjustments in the dose regime and/or combinations with currently-used anthelmintic drugs are needed, and the selectivity of TH65 and TH92 towards parasite targets should be assessed.Conclusion, significance: The results presented here suggest that HDAC inhibitors represent novel and potent drug candidates against cestodes and pave the way to understanding the roles of HDACs in these parasites.

Houssay con el Dr. Charles Nicolle y sra., la Dra. Wollman, el Dr. F Rosenbusch y el Dr. Salvador Mazza Bernardo A. Houssay junto al célebre profesor Charles Nicolle (Premio Nobel de Medicina 1928) y su esposa; en el centro la doctora Wollman y hacia la derecha los doctores Francisco Conrado Rosenbusch (1887-1969, maestro veterinario e impulsor científico trascendente en el área de la veterinaria ganadera ) y el Dr. Salvador Mazza (1886-1946, quién estudió y combatió la tripanosomosis americana, enfermedad de Chagas-Mazza). Fotografía gentileza del Banco de Imágenes de la Biblioteca Central de la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Buenos Aires. Base de datos: CPA, id.071.

Houssay con Argentino Bonetto inaugurando el INALI, en Santa Fe El Dr. Bernardo A. Houssay con Argentino Bonetto inaugurando el Instituto Nacional de Limnología (INALI) en Santo Tomé, Santa Fe. El INALI fue primer instituto del CONICET. Argentino Aurelio Bonetto ( 1920-1998, destacado naturalista, ictiólogo, limnólogo y catedrático argentino).

Houssay en IBYME recibe la visita de Ellen Braun, J. Hopper Jr y J.Sampson junto a Braun Menéndez y Luis F. Leloir En la fotografía: de izquierda a derecha Luis F. Leloir, Eduardo Braun Menéndez, J. Hopper Jr. (Univ. de California) Ellen Brown (Universidad de California), Bernardo Houssay y J. Sampson (Universidad de California) en IBYME, en ocasión del IV Congreso latinoamericano de Cardiología, reunido en Buenos Aires del 30/08 al 07/09 de1952 por la Sociedad Argentina de Cardiología.

A global record of particulated metals on the southwestern Atlantic shelf (Argentine Sea) Villagran, Diana Mariel; Fernandez Severini, Melisa Daiana; Truchet, Daniela María; Tartara, Matías Nicolás; Marcovecchio, Jorge Eduardo The Argentine Sea (Southwestern Atlantic) is one of the most productive ecosystem in the Southern Hemisphere. Research on metals in this region is scarce or null. In this study, we evaluated the concentrations of some metals in the suspended particulate matter (SPM), to provide baseline data that would enable us to understand the role of the SPM in the transport of metals in the Argentine Sea. Sampling was carried out during the austral summer 2016 at 20 stations distributed in the Argentine Sea. Surface seawater samples were collected and then filtered by vacuum through Millipore® HAWP 04,700 filters (0.45 µm). The samples were acid-digested (HNO3 and HClO4, 5:1) and the metal concentrations were determined with ICP-OES Optima 2100 DV (Perkin Elmer). Significant spatial variations were detected due to the extension of the study area, with the highest levels of metals in the stations next to large urban centers (Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn: 13.9, 154.9, 48.7, 54,470, 7646, 49.2, 58.6 and 509.5 μg g−1 d.w. respectively), which was supported by the nMDS and Cluster analyses. According to PCA analysis, two groups of metals that could have similar behavior were stablished: one group integrated by Cu, Zn, Pb and Ni, and the other group integrated by Cr, Fe and Mn. Metals that act as micronutrients and the toxic ones were present in all the sampling stations, highlighting the need to reinforce the study of these elements in this extensive and productive area of the South Atlantic Ocean.

Non-Stationary Power System Forced Oscillation Analysis Using Synchrosqueezing Transform Gill Estevez, Pablo Daniel; Marchi, Pablo Gabriel; Galarza, Cecilia Gabriela; Elizondo, Marcelo Anibal Non-stationary forced oscillations (FOs) have been observed in power system operations. However, most detection methods assume that the frequency of FOs is stationary. In this paper, we present a methodology for the analysis of nonstationary FOs. Firstly, Fourier synchrosqueezing transform (FSST) is used to provide a concentrated time-frequency representation of the signals that allows identification and retrieval of non-stationary signal components. To continue, the Dissipating Energy Flow (DEF) method is applied to the extracted components to locate the source of forced oscillations. The methodology is tested using simulated as well as real PMU data. The results show that the proposed FSST-based signal decomposition provides a systematic framework for the application of DEF Method to non-stationary FOs.

Effect of the application of compost as an organic fertilizer on a tomato crop (Solanum lycopersicum l.) produced in the field in the lower valley of the río negro (argentina) Pellejero, Graciela; Palacios, Julieta Romina; Vela, Emanuel; Gajardo Barriga, Omar Ariel; Albrecht, Luis Roberto; Aschkar, Gabriela Marisa; Chorolque, Amelia Amanda; García Navarro, Francisco J.; Jiménez Ballesta, Raimundo Purpose The main objective of the study was to evaluate the application of different doses of onion residue compost as mixtures with bovine manure as organic fertilizers for a round tomato crop planted in the field. Method The data were obtained experimentally in pilot fields. The experimental design was completely random-ized, with 4 m2 plots with ten plants each as an experimental unit and with three replications per treatment (2 years). Five treatments were tested, namely one unfertilized control, three with organic fertilization and one min-eral treatment. The variables measured were plant height (cm), stem base diameter (cm), fresh plant weight (g) and total dry matter (%). The parameters measured for the fruit were fresh fruit weight (g), fruit length (mm), fruit width (mm) and total soluble solids. Results The application of compost from the degradation of onion residues as mixtures with cow manure had posi-tive effects on the growth of the plant and on the development of tomato fruit. Compost doses of 60 Mg ha?1 and 80 Mg ha?1 gave similar values ​to chemical treatment and the control without fertilization was significantly lower than those with doses of organic and chemical fertilizer. These results indicate that this compost contains the nutrients required by the tomato crop for growth and development. Conclusion It was concluded that the agricultural use of quality compost is an effective strategy to obtain high quality products in an economically viable and environmentally sustainable way.

When Color Takes Shape: Young Children Use Object Information from Their Own Drawings to Solve a Task Vivaldi, Romina; Salsa, Analía Marcela In two studies, we examined whether and how 3- and 3½-year-old children were able to use object information from their own drawings to solve a task. The children had to produce drawings of simple objects and then use the shape and/or color of their pictures to identify replicas of the referents depicted. The results showed a relationship between graphic production and use. In Study 1, when shape was the single distinctive cue across objects, only the older group was able to produce and use drawings effectively. In Study 2, 3-year-olds used their drawings effectively when not only shape, but also color, were available as cues to identify the objects portrayed. Although most 3-year-olds’ drawings did not reflect the shape of the referents, by incorporating color young children demonstrated to recognize the intention behind their own representations and used them to solve the task. Our findings are discussed in line with intentionality and Theory of Mind.

Digital science in Latin America: Scope and benefits; La ciencia digital en América Latina: Alcance y beneficios del Castillo, Martín Guillermo; Arza, Valeria The use of digital tools is transforming scientific production processes and their impacts. In this article we evaluate to what extent digitalization in science has reached Latin American scientific activity and what have been its effects. For this purpose, we use bibliometric data from three medium-sized Latin American countries that have an important scientific trajectory: Argentina, Chile, and Colombia, focusing the analysis on four disciplines: biological and agricultural sciences, earth and planetary sciences, environmental sciences, and decisional sciences. We find that digitalization has been growing for the past 25 years, but the gap with leading countries has only narrowed slightly. Likewise, the incidence of digitalization varies by discipline. In terms of benefits associated with digitalization, our results show that articles that use digital science practices or tools have greater academic impact (have more citations), more collaboration (more co-authors), and more internationalization (authors from a larger number of countries). In other words, in these disciplines and in these countries, digitalization has managed to increase the visibility of research, potentially its quality and, thus, the social returns of the resources invested. Networks have also been expanded, thus promoting a better use of collective intelligence and the integration of local research problems into a global agenda, potentially increasing the resources devoted to research in these countries.; El empleo de herramientas digitales está transformando los procesos de producción científica y sus impactos. En este trabajo evaluamos en qué medida la digitalización en ciencia ha alcanzado a la actividad científica en América Latina y cuáles han sido sus efectos. Para eso, utilizamos datos bibliométricos de tres países latinoamericanos de tamaño medio, Argentina, Chile y Colombia, que tienen una trayectoria científica importante y el análisis lo hemos centrado en cuatro disciplinas: ciencias biológicas y agrícolas, ciencias de la tierra y planetarias, ciencias ambientales y ciencias decisionales. Encontramos que la digitalización ha ido creciendo durante los últimos 25 años, pero la brecha con los países líderes sólo se ha reducido levemente. Asimismo, la incidencia de la digitalización varía por disciplina. En términos de beneficios asociados a la digitalización, nuestros resultados muestran que los artículos que utilizan prácticas o herramientas de ciencia digital tienen mayor impacto académico (tienen más citas), más colaboración (más coautorías) y más internacionalización (autorías de un mayor número de países). Es decir, en estas disciplinas y en estos países, la digitalización ha logrado aumentar la visibilidad de la investigación, potencialmente su calidad y, así, los retornos sociales de los recursos invertidos. También se han ampliado las redes, propiciando de esta forma un mejor aprovechamiento de la inteligencia colectiva y la integración de los problemas de investigación locales a una agenda global, aumentando potencialmente los recursos que se destinan a la investigación en estos países.

Development and predation of Tupiocoris cucurbitaceus feeding on Tetranychus urticae Cuello, Eliana Marina; López, Silvia Noemí We evaluated the predatory bug, Tupiocoris cucurbitaceus as biocontrol agent of the two spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, by analysing its predatory capacity, development to adult stage when fed on this pest, and the effect of predation on T. urticae population. T. cucurbitaceus was capable of killing spider mites although failed to fully develop when fed on them. A negative effect on the development of spider mite population was registered when T. cucurbitaceus was present. However, its own population decreased during the evaluated period and small nymphs were not recorded. Our results show that T. cucurbitaceus cannot control T. urticae when this is the only pest present.

Antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine mastitis: Systematic review and meta-analysis Molineri, Ana Inés; Camussone, Cecilia María; Zbrun, María Virginia; Suarez Archilla, Guillermo Alejandro; Cristiani, Mariana; Neder, Veronica; Calvinho, Luis Fernando; Signorini Porchietto, Marcelo Lisandro Staphylococcus aureus, one of the main contagious mastitis pathogens worldwide, is characterized for causing chronic intramammary infections that respond poorly to antimicrobial therapy, disseminating within the herd leading to high economic losses. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of phenotypic resistance to antimicrobial agents among S. aureus collected worldwide in the context of bovine intramammary infections between the years 1969−2020. A systematic review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). One hundred and fifty-five articles were eligible for quantitative review. Most of studies included in this meta-analysis were from Europe (88), followed by Asia (56), Latin America (39), Africa (32), North America (26), and Oceania (8). The highest overall prevalence of resistant S. aureus was against penicillin (pestimate 0.451, CI95 % 0.415−0.487), followed by clindamycin, erythromycin, and gentamycin (p-estimate = 0.149, 0.085, and 0.069, respectively). Ceftiofur and cephalotin presented the lowest overall prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR, p-estimate = 0.020 and 0.015, respectively). The AMR to almost all the antimicrobials evaluated presented an increasing pattern over time, more apparent from 2009 onwards. The antimicrobials with a higher increase in their AMR prevalence over time were clindamycin, gentamycin, and oxacillin. Africa, Asia and Latin America were the continents with higher AMR to most compounds included in this study. No differences in AMR were detected regarding the clinical origin of the isolates (subclinical vs clinical mastitis) for almost all antibiotics evaluated. Differences in the method for testing AMR (disc diffusion method vs minimum inhibitory concentration) and type of study design for monitoring AMR were detected underscoring the importance of these variables as critical factors to enable comparisons for evaluating emergence of AMR.

Antlion allometry suggests a greater importance of prey capture among first larval instars Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo; Juncosa Polzella, Agostina Silvia; Madrigal Tejada, Daniela; Centeno Alvarado, Diego; Hernández Soto, Mariana; Soto Huaira, Mayori; Gutiérrez Cruz, Sebastián First larval stages require adequate feeding to reach subsequent instars. However, the accumulation of reserves is also important in the last larval instar because it is vital to pupate and successfully perform metamorphosis into adulthood. We indirectly determined the presence of changes in the relative importance of prey capture through larval ontogeny in the antlion larvae (Neuroptera Myrmeleontidae), a sit-and-wait predator with three instar stages that capture preys that fall into their pit-traps. We used scaling relationships between the size of body parts directly related to prey capture (prothorax) versus those that are not (thorax + abdomen). The prothorax (neck, head, and mandibles) is used in the pit building, prey capture, and re-capture, and pit cleaning. We measured the body parts of 70 larvae of Myrmeleon crudelis in a tropical rain forest of Costa Rica. The prothorax showed negative allometry: it was proportionally larger in the first than in the last instars. These results support the growth hypothesis, which states that food acquisition is key in the earlier stages of larval development. First instars can be more food-limited than later instars because they build small pit-traps where only very small arthropods can fall; have smaller mandibles and relatively lower grab force, increasing the probability of the prey escaping; and have smaller fat reserves and thus, are unable to resist long periods of starvation. This illustrates the relevance of using scaling relationships to better understand how ecological pressures change along ontogeny, emphasizing the role of food acquisition at earlier ontogenetic stages.

Plant origin and fruit traits shape fruit removal patterns by native birds in invaded plant communities Martin Albarracin, Valeria Leticia; Amico, Guillermo Cesar Biotic interactions and mutualisms in particular have an important role in ecosystem structure and functioning as well as in the maintenance of biodiversity. Understanding how communities respond to the introduction of non-native species and what determines the establishment of novel interactions between native and introduced species will help in determining the potential impacts of biological invasions. The aims of this work were to assess patterns of frugivory and fruit removal in environments with invasion of non-native fleshy-fruited plants and to evaluate whether novel associations between native frugivores and non-native plants are determined by fruit traits. For this we selected eight study sites in areas with different degrees of invasion of non-native fleshy-fruited plants. In each site, we measured fruit availability and fruit traits of native and non-native plants. In addition, we conducted direct frugivory observations. We found that native and non-native fruits differed based on morphological trait variables, such as fruit weight and dimensions. Only two birds, Elaenia albiceps (smaller and migrant) and Turdus falcklandii (bigger and resident), are the main frugivorous present in the area. At the scale of the community of frugivores, neither visit nor fruit removal rates differ between natives and non-natives. However, at the species scale, while E. albiceps preferentially foraged on native plants, T. falcklandii preferred non-natives. Thus, some generalist frugivorous species like T. falcklandii can play a key role in promoting the invasion of non-native plants.

On the use of time windows for the determination of sound strength parameter G from uncalibrated room impulse responses measurements Accolti Mostazo, Ernesto Enrique; di Sciscio, Fernando The sound strength parameter G is one of the most important objective parameters related to the acoustical quality of concert halls, opera houses, and chamber music halls. G at mid frequencies is highly correlated with the acoustic quality reported by music conductors and subjects with musical training. Measuring this parameter requires a calibrated sound source or the direct sound isolated using a suitable time window as in [B. Katz, In situ calibration of the sound strength parameter G, JASA 138 (2) (2015) EL167–EL173]. In this article, the performance of several window functions and lengths used to isolate the direct sound is investigated. Although the errors obtained for low frequencies are large, an error in the order of a just-noticeable-difference at mid frequencies is obtained for a 30 ms Flat-Top window centered around arrival time of direct sound.

Is there a minimum number of landmarks that optimizes the geometric morphometric analysis of Mosquito (Diptera, Culicidae) wings? Beriotto, Agustina Carla; Garzón, Maximiliano Javier; Schweigmann, Nicolas Joaquin Culicids are the most significant arthropods affecting human health. Thus, their correct identification is critical. The use of Geometric Morphometrics (GM) has been recently incorporated into mosquito taxonomy and has begun to complement classic diagnostic techniques. Since sampling size depends on the number of Landmarks (LMs) used, this study aimed to establish the minimum number of wing LMs needed to optimize GM analysis of mosquito species and/or genera from urban and peri-urban areas of Argentina. Female left wings were used for the optimization phase, in which 17 LMs were reduced to four by iterative LM exclusion. To verify its efficiency, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Discriminant Analysis (DA), and Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA) were performed. Additionally, a phenogram was constructed to visualize the results. We observed that five LMs for the PCA, CVA, and phenogram and nine for the DA enabled discrimination and/or clustering of almost all species and genera. Therefore, we tested the LM selection by using nine LMs and adding new species. The resulting PCA showed little overlap between species and almost all species clustered as expected, which was also reflected in the phenogram. Significant differences were found between wing shape among all species, together with a low total error rate in the DA. In conclusion, the number of LMs can be reduced and still be used to effectively differentiate and cluster culicids. This is helpful for better exploitation of available material and optimization of data processing time when classic taxonomy methods are inadequate or the material is scarce.

Rapid removal of fluoride from water usingcore@shell and @shell nanoparticles of SiO2@ZrO2 and @ZrO2. Investigation of the mechanismsinvolved and impact of elemental leaching Maisuls, Iván; Castro, Yolanda; Durán, Alicia; Larivière, Dominic; Arnal, Pablo Maximiliano El fluoruro es un contaminante natural del agua, el cual pone en peligro a muchas personas en todo el mundo cuando está presente en concentraciones superiores a 2 ppm. Aquí, la eliminación de fluoruro por cuatro partículas coloidales nanoestructuradas diferentes (SiO2@ZrO2nc, SiO2@ZrO2c, @ZrO2nc y @ZrO2c) se midió en sistemas estancos en un período de 24 h. Sorprendentemente, estos materiales eliminaron el fluoruro de las soluciones acuosas y alcanzaron el equilibrio en menos de 10 minutos. La combinación de una superficie específica alta y una rápida eliminación de fluoruro colocó a estos materiales entre los mejores actualmente conocidos en la eliminación de fluoruro. Además, se midió y cuantificó el impacto de la lixiviación de elementos. La influencia del tiempo, el pH y la concentración de fluoruro en la lixiviación de Zr y Si se evaluó con una metodología de superficie de respuesta. La lixiviación de Zr y Si continuó durante varias horas y dependió de coeficientes de primer orden, cuadráticos y de productos cruzados. Los estudios previos de eliminación de fluoruro con óxido de circonio a menudo asumían que una disminución en la concentración de fluoruro en la solución indicaba que el fluoruro estaba unido a la superficie del óxido. La solubilidad del óxido de circonio en agua es baja, pero no nula. Por tanto, Zr podría haber formado complejos fluorados solubles. Este es el primer reporte de eliminación de fluoruro con óxido de circonio que estudió la lixiviación del sólido para excluir la formación de fluorocomplejos solubles.; Fluoride is a natural contaminant of water – that endangers many people worldwide when present in concentrations higher than 2 ppm. Here, fluoride removal by four different nanostructured colloidal particles (SiO2@ZrO2nc, SiO2@ZrO2c, @ZrO2nc, and @ZrO2c) was measured in batch systems within a period of 24 h. Surprisingly, these materials removed fluoride from the water solutions and reached equilibrium in less than 10 min. The combination of high specific surface and fast fluoride removal placed these materials among the top materials currently known in fluoride removal. Also, the impact of element leaching was measured and quantified. The influence of time, pH, and fluoride concentration on leaching of Zr and Si was evaluated with a response surface methodology. Leaching of Zr and Si continued for several hours and depended on first-order, quadratic and cross-product coefficients. Previous studies of fluoride removal with zirconium oxide often assumed that a decrease in fluoride concentration in the solution indicated that fluoride was bound to the surface of the oxide. Zirconium oxide's solubility in water is low, but not zero. Hence, Zr might have formed soluble fluorocomplexes. This is the first report of fluoride removal with zirconium oxide that studied the leaching of the solid to exclude the formation of soluble fluorocomplexes.