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.

Structural features of the plant N-recognin ClpS1 and sequence determinants in its targets that govern substrate selection Aguilar Lucero, Dianela Ailin; Cantoia, Alejo; Sánchez López, Magda Carolina; Binolfi, Andrés; Mogk, Axel; Ceccarelli, Eduardo Augusto; Rosano, German Leandro In the N-degron pathway of protein degradation of Escherichia coli, the N-recognin ClpS identifies substrates bearing N-terminal phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, or leucine and delivers them to the caseinolytic protease (Clp). Chloroplasts contain the Clp system, but whether chloroplastic ClpS1 adheres to the same constraints is unknown. Moreover, the structural underpinnings of substrate recognition are not completely defined. We show that ClpS1 recognizes canonical residues of the E. coli N-degron pathway. The residue in second position influences recognition (especially in N-terminal ends starting with leucine). N-terminal acetylation abrogates recognition. ClpF, a ClpS1-interacting partner, does not alter its specificity. Substrate binding provokes local remodeling of residues in the substrate-binding cavity of ClpS1. Our work strongly supports the existence of a chloroplastic N-degron pathway.

Replay of innate vocal patterns during night sleep in suboscines Döppler, Juan Francisco; Peltier, Manon; Amador, Ana; Goller, Franz; Mindlin, Bernardo Gabriel Activation of forebrain circuitry during sleep has been variably characterized as 'pre- or replay' and has been linked to memory consolidation. The evolutionary origins of this mechanism, however, are unknown. Sleep activation of the sensorimotor pathways of learned birdsong is a particularly useful model system because the muscles controlling the vocal organ are activated, revealing syringeal activity patterns for direct comparison with those of daytime vocal activity. Here, we show that suboscine birds, which develop their species-typical songs innately without the elaborate forebrain-thalamic circuitry of the vocal learning taxa, also engage in replay during sleep. In two tyrannid species, the characteristic syringeal activation patterns of the song could also be identified during sleep. Similar to song-learning oscines, the burst structure was more variable during sleep than daytime song production. In kiskadees (Pitangus sulphuratus), a second vocalization, which is part of a multi-modal display, was also replayed during sleep along with one component of the visual display. These data show unambiguously that variable 'replay' of stereotyped vocal motor programmes is not restricted to programmes confined within forebrain circuitry. The proposed effects on vocal motor programme maintenance are, therefore, building on a pre-existing neural mechanism that predates the evolution of learned vocal motor behaviour.

Differential inhibition of egg hatching in Aedes aegypti populations from localities with different winter conditions Campos, Raul Ernesto; Zanotti, Gabriela Alejandra; Di Battista, Cristian Matias; Gimenez, Javier Orlando; Fischer, Sylvia Cristina In Argentina, the mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) is distributed from subtropical to temperate climates. Here, we hypothesized that the expansion of Ae. aegypti into colder regions is favoured by high-phenotypic plasticity and an adaptive inhibition of egg hatching at low temperatures. Thus, we investigated the hatching response of eggs of three populations: One from a subtropical region (Resistencia) and two from temperate regions (Buenos Aires City and San Bernardo) of Argentina. Eggs collected in the field were raised in three experimental colonies. F1 eggs were acclimated for 7 days prior to immersion at 7.6 or 22°C (control eggs). Five immersion temperatures were tested: 7.6, 10.3, 11.8, 14.1 and 16°C (range of mean winter temperatures of the three localities). A second immersion at 22°C was performed 2 weeks later to assess the inhibition to hatch under favourable conditions. After the first immersion, we compared the proportions of hatched eggs and dead larvae among treatment levels, whereas after the second immersion we compared the hatching response among the three populations. The factors that most influenced the egg hatching response were the geographical origin of the populations and the immersion temperature, but not the acclimation temperature. The proportions of hatching and larval mortality at low temperatures were higher for Resistencia than for Buenos Aires and San Bernardo, whereas the hatching response at ambient temperature was lower for San Bernardo than for Buenos Aires and Resistencia. The results support the hypothesis that populations from colder regions show an adaptive inhibition of egg hatching.

Dolomite-zirconia reaction sintered bonded coarse magnesia ceramics: Effect of the bonding proportion Booth, Raul Fernando Nicolas; Stábile, Franco Matías; Bruni, Yesica Lorena; Gauna, Matias Roberto; Rendtorff Birrer, Nicolás Maximiliano Refractory ceramic materials were manufactured, mainly composed of magnesia grains (coarse and medium fraction) and CaZrO3/MgO as a binding phase produced from the reaction sintering between CaMg(CO3)2(dolomite) and m-ZrO2 (monoclinic zirconia), which constituted the finer fraction. Different relationships between the proportion and the size of the different aggregates were studied. The microstructure of the materials was characterized in terms of density, crystalline phases, grain phase distribution, and morphology. A combination of X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy with microanalysis was used. The mechanical behavior was determined in terms of the room temperature dynamic Young's modulus and the 3-point bending modulus of rupture (MOR) at room temperature. All the materials remained with porosities above 30%. The microstructure developed was similar between the sintered materials, characterized with MgO coarse grains bonded by CaZrO3/c-ZrO2phases, and dispersed irregularly shaped pores. The MOR was directly related to the finer fraction content in the composition, where a higher quantity of finer fraction resulted in a higher MOR.

Variability and effect sizes of intracranial current source density estimations during pain: Systematic review, experimental findings, and future perspectives Völker, Juan Manuel; Arguissain, Federico Gabriel; Kæseler Andersen, Ole; Biurrun Manresa, José Alberto Pain arises from the integration of sensory and cognitive processes in the brain, resulting in specific patterns of neural oscillations that can be characterized by measuring electrical brain activity. Current source density (CSD) estimation from low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) and its standardized (sLORETA) and exact (eLORETA) variants, is a common approach to identify the spatiotemporal dynamics of the brain sources in physiological and pathological pain-related conditions. However, there is no consensus on the magnitude and variability of clinically or experimentally relevant effects for CSD estimations. Here, we systematically examined reports of sample size calculations and effect size estimations in all studies that included the keywords pain, and LORETA, sLORETA, or eLORETA in Scopus and PubMed. We also assessed the reliability of LORETA CSD estimations during non-painful and painful conditions to estimate hypothetical sample sizes for future experiments using CSD estimations. We found that none of the studies included in the systematic review reported sample size calculations, and less than 20% reported measures of central tendency and dispersion, which are necessary to estimate effect sizes. Based on these data and our experimental results, we determined that sample sizes commonly used in pain studies using CSD estimations are suitable to detect medium and large effect sizes in crossover designs and only large effects in parallel designs. These results provide a comprehensive summary of the effect sizes observed using LORETA in pain research, and this information can be used by clinicians and researchers to improve settings and designs of future pain studies.

¿Quiénes son los trigueños? Análisis de una categoría racial intersticial (Buenos Aires, 1810-1830) Guzman, Maria Florencia El término "trigueño" es una categoría intersticial y ambigua con la que fueron clasificados un importante porcentaje de soldados y reclutas de condición libre a partir de 1810.La investigación que se presenta tiene un doble propósito: por un lado, de comenzar a examinar del contenido histórico de la expresión trigueño, que hasta el momento no presenta una caracterización precisa, articulando la dimensión racial con otras de peso como la procedencia, el modo de vida y la instrucción. El segundo objetivo es el de enfatizar la ?posibilidad mestiza? que asume esta expresión, la cual matiza la idea del traslado estadístico de la población africana a esta categoría y remite invariablemente al estudio del mestizaje colonial y de las categorías raciales de la hibridez. Las fichas de "filiación" relativas a los reclutas que fueron militarizados entre 1810-1830, constituyen la fuente principal de la investigación las que puestas en diálogo con otros corpus documentales del temprano republicanismo posibilitarán una mayor comprensión de las lógicas de clasificación en tanto éstas revelan -o son indicios- de las políticas que crearon esos instrumentos y también de quienes las produjeron.