Agua y Estado como ejes estructurantes de los procesos de transformación del hábitat rural en el árido de Mendoza (Argentina) Esteves, Matias Jose; Miranda Gassull, Virginia Paulina Se considera al hábitat rural de tierras secas no irrigadas de Mendoza (Argentina) con un patrón disperso de ocupación del suelo y vinculado exclusivamente a la cría de ganado caprino. Pero las transformaciones territoriales vinculadas a la escasez de agua superficial sumado a acciones estatales en materia de servicios e infraestructura han incidido en la configuración del hábitat, detectándose actualmente población agrupada que conforma pequeños poblados. Se utilizan principalmente métodos cualitativos observación directa y entrevistas en profundidad- aplicados en dos casos de estudio. Se indaga en los aspectos institucionales y ecológicos que inciden en la configuración-transformación del hábitat en relación con su trayectoria histórica. Los resultados muestran que los poblados poseen características propias y diferentes al hábitat disperso, donde su consideración permitiría enriquecer la enunciación de políticas en pos de visibilizar las dinámicas presentes en el territorio y la heterogeneidad en la configuración del hábitat.; Its consider that the rural habitat of the not irrigated dry land of Mendoza (Argentina) with a dispersed pattern of land occupation and linked mainly to the breeding of goats. But the territorial transformation linked with scarcity of superficial water in addition to the public policies in services and infrastructure have influences the habitat configuration, detecting diverse villages. From the use of qualitative methods, two villages are charac-terized as case studies. The institutional and ecological aspects that affect its configu-ration-transformation are investigated in relation to its historical trajectory. The results show that these villages have their own characteristics and that they are different from the dispersed habitat, where their consideration would enrich the enunciation of public policies in order to visualize the dynamics present in the territory and the heterogeneity of its configuration.

Tribulaciones de la primera generación eólica argentina: un análisis a partir de los parques de Mayor Buratovich y Centenario en el sur Bonaerense Clementi, Luciana Vanesa Desde fines del siglo XX la valorización del potencial eólico argentino con fines energéticos presenta matices, que oscilan entre impulsos y frenos. Dos generaciones de parques eólicos de media y alta potencia para la producción eléctrica dan cuenta del desarrollo alcanzado. La región Patagónica y el Sur de la Provincia de Buenos Aires reúnen las principales iniciativas, las cuales conviven como proyectos activos, en incubación o paralizados, según cómo han sido afectados por diferentes dificultades. Tras el inicio del siglo XXI, la mayoría de los parques de primera generación quedaron inoperantes. Con el objetivo de comprender las causas que han dejado fuera de servicio estas iniciativas, el trabajo examina las barreras que han afectado su funcionamiento, a partir del análisis de dos casos de estudio en el Sur bonaerense. Las experiencias analizadas reflejan que los inconvenientes técnicos y los obstáculos financieros y regulatorios fruto de las fluctuaciones en la coyuntura político-económica del país, han sido determinantes para el cese de los parques eólicos, a pesar de los esfuerzos de las cooperativas eléctricas por intentar sostenerlos.

Всеобщая забастовка после убийства Феррера: профсоюзная фрагментация и политическая борьба (октябрь 1909 г.); La huelga general por el asesinato de Ferrer: fragmentación gremial y disputas políticas (octubre de 1909); The general strike against Ferrer’s murder. Trade-union fragmentation and political disputes (October 1909) Belkin, Alejandro Marcelo En este artículo analizamos la huelga general ocurrida en la Argentina en octubre de 1909, en respuesta al fusilamiento del pedagogo libertario Francisco Ferrer, en España. Este importante acontecimiento había quedado cuasi olvidado, pero resulta fundamental para comprender el ciclo de protestas obreras que se inicia en mayo de 1909 y tiene su desenlace, un año más tarde, en oportunidad del Centenario, cuando se clausura una etapa trascendental en el desarrollo del movimiento obrero argentino. Su estudio permite abordar la evolución del conflicto social y su vínculo con la disputa entre las principales corrientes políticas que actuaban en la clase trabajadora argentina.; Данная статья посвящена анализу событий, связанных со всеобщей забастовкой в Аргентине в октябре 1909 г., начавшейся в ответ на убийство в Испании анархиста, учителя Франсиско Феррера. Это событие уже почти забыто, но его необходимо проанализировать, чтобы понять причины подъема рабочего движения, начало которого приходится на май 1909 г., и который продолжался ещё год вплоть до начала празднования Столетия начала войны за независимость, когда начинается его спад. Изучение движения позволить проследить эволюцию общественного конфликта и его связь с политической борьбой внутри рабочего класса Аргентины.; This article examines the general strike that took place in Argentina in October 1909, in response to the execution of the libertarian pedagogue Francisco Ferrer, in Spain. This important event had been almost forgotten, but it is crucial to understand the cycle of workers' protests that begins in May 1909 and ends a year later, on the occasion of the Centenario, when a decisive stage in the development of the Argentine workers' movement came to an end. Its study allows to assess the evolution of social conflict and its links with the dispute between the main political currents that were active among the Argentine working class.

Mitochondrial bioenergetics links inflammation and cardiac contractility in endotoxemia Vico, Tamara Antonela; Marchini, Timoteo Oscar; Ginart, Santiago; Lorenzetti, Mario Alejandro; Adán Areán, Juan Santiago; Calabró López, María Valeria; Garcés, Mariana; Ferrero, Mariana Cristina; Mazo, Tamara Magali; D'Anunzio, Verónica; Gelpi, Ricardo Jorge; Corach, Daniel; Evelson, Pablo Andrés; Vanasco, Virginia; Alvarez, Silvia There is current awareness about the central role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the development of cardiac dysfunction in systemic inflammatory syndromes, especially in sepsis and endotoxemia. The aim of this work was to elucidate the mechanism that governs the link between the severity of the systemic inflammatory insult and mitochondrial function, analysing the consequences on heart function, particularly in cardiac contractile state. Female Sprague–Dawley rats were subjected to low-grade endotoxemia (i.p. injection LPS 0.5 mg kg−1 body weight) and severe endotoxemia (i.p. injection LPS 8 mg kg−1 body weight) for 6 h. Blood NO, as well as cardiac TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA, were found increased as the severity of the endotoxemia increases. Cardiac relaxation was altered only in severe endotoxemia, although contractile and lusitropic reserves were found impaired in both treatments in response to work-overload. Cardiac ultrastructure showed disorientation of myofibrillar structure in both endotoxemia degrees, but mitochondrial swelling and cristae disruption were only observed in severe endotoxemia. Mitochondrial ATP production, O2 consumption and mitochondrial inner membrane potential decreases were related to blood NO levels and mitochondrial protein nitration, leading to diminished ATP availability and impairment of contractile state. Co-treatment with the NOS inhibitor l-NAME or the administration of the NO scavenger c-PTIO leads to the observation that mitochondrial bioenergetics status depends on the degree of the inflammatory insult mainly determined by blood NO levels. Unravelling the mechanisms involved in the onset of sepsis and endotoxemia improves the interpretation of the pathology, and provides new horizons for novel therapeutic targets.

Las prácticas educativas extensionistas II: un desafío de la formación superior Ferrero de Roqué, María Teresa; Occelli, Maricel Este artículo es la segunda parte de una serie de prácticas educativas extensionistas que compartimos con los lectores. En la primera, expusimos el marco teórico que sustenta estas prácticas desarrolladas por los estudiantes que cursan Práctica de la Enseñanza en el Profesorado en Ciencias Biológicas de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales (FCEFyN) de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC) en los años 2016 y 2017. En el artículo de referencia, argumentamos acerca del rol de las universidades vinculado a las funciones de extensión en la formación de profesores y el marco referencial que sustenta la cátedra sobre la actuación que le incumbe a la universidad en la sociedad. En segundo lugar, caracterizamos estas prácticas en el marco de la educación noformal, en articulación con distintas organizaciones comunitarias de la provincia de Córdoba, para finalizar con las experiencias de los años 2016y 2017 (Ferrero de Roqué y Occelli, 2019a). En este artículo desarrollaremos las prácticas educativas extensionistas que tuvieron lugar en el año 2018.

Los desarrollistas urbanos y la producción de ciudad: análisis documental de la especulación en Córdoba; The urban developers and the production of city. A documentary analysis of speculation in Córdoba Saccucci, Erika Ave Oria Este artículo indaga sobre la dinámica e importancia de los desarrollistas urbanos, así como también sobre el nuevo rol del Estado en materia urbana a partir de la sanción del Plan Director 2020 en Córdoba. Esta nueva normativa no solo modifica las disposiciones sobre el uso del suelo urbano, sino que incluye herramientas de gestión absolutamente novedosas para la Argentina, como las mesas de concertación. De esta manera, a partir de un análisis de fuentes secundarias y documentales, se busca conocer los efectos de estas modificaciones y las dinámicas sobre los diversos sectores de la ciudad y la segregación urbana. Se ha concluido que este modo de hacer ciudad ha desplazado al Estado como actor principal de la planificación urbana, y ha puesto en primer plano a las empresas desarrollistas, fomentando la producción de ciudad basada en la especulación y la segregación urbana.; The following article inquires about the dynamics and importance of urban developers as well as the new role of the state in urban development since the sanction of the Director Plan 2020. This new law not only modifies the provisions on the use and urban land use, but also includes absolutely innovative management tools for Argentina as public-private concertation. In this way, from an analysis of secondary sources and documentaries, we seek to know the effects of these modifications and the dynamics on the various sectors of the city and urban segregation. It has been concluded that this way of “making city” has displaced the State as the main actor in urban planning, and has put the development companies at the forefront, promoting the production of cities based on speculation and urban segregation.

The fossil record of birds from the James Ross Basin, West Antarctica Acosta Hospitaleche, Carolina Ileana Alicia; Jadwiszczak, Piotr; Clarke, Julia A.; Cenizo, Marcos The fossil record of birds from Antarctica is concentrated in the James Ross Basin, located in north-east of the Antarctic Peninsula. Birds are here represented by an extensive Paleogene record of penguins (Sphenisciformes) and Cretaceous–Paleogene record of Anseriformes, followed by other groups with a minor representation (Procellariiformes, Falconiformes, and Pelagornithidae), and others previously assigned controversially to “Ratites”, Threskiornithidae, Charadriiformes, Gruiformes, Phoenicopteriformes, and Gaviiformes. We provide a complete update of these records, commenting on the importance of some of these remains for the evolution of the major clades.

Grey water footprint as an indicator for diffuse nitrogen pollution: The case of Navarra, Spain Aldaya, Maite M.; Rodriguez, Corina Iris; Fernandez Poulussen, Alex; Merchan, Daniel; Beriain, Maria Jose; Llamas, Ramon Nitrogen is an essential element for plant growth, while its application and associated pollution is a worldwide concern. Generally, diffuse source pollution and its impacts on ecosystem health are difficult to monitor and regulate. Here we used the grey water footprint (GWF) and water pollution level (WPL) indicators, based on a soil nitrogen balance approach to differentiate between surface and groundwater, in order to better understand and quantify the pressure that nitrogen fertilisation generates on freshwater. For the first time, we compared the results of these indicators with actual nitrogen concentration data in surface and groundwater bodies, showing in both cases a positive significant correlation according to Spearman correlation coefficient. This means that the theoretical WPL results might be valuable to anticipate and identify nitrate pollution in surface and groundwater bodies. However, several factors influence the N-related processes that should be considered, such as natural attenuation. We estimated the agricultural and livestock nitrogen loads delivered to freshwater and the associated GWFs and WPLs at the municipality level in Navarra. Large GWFs are observed in southern Navarra, particularly in intensive agricultural regions such as Ribera Alta-Aragón and Ribera Baja. We estimated that 64% of the GWF related to nitrogen loads came from artificial fertilisers, 16% from manure, 11% from atmospheric deposition and the remaining 9% from biological fixation, seeds and other organic fertilisers. Among the crops, cereals had the largest contribution to the nitrogen-related GWF (54%) followed by vegetables (17%) and fodder (11%).

Physicochemical, thermal and mechanical characterization study of perimysial collagen of two bovine muscles Velazquez, Diego Ezequiel; Latorre, Maria Emilia Chemical, thermal and mechanical collagen characteristics of intramuscular perimysial connective tissue (IMCT) from bovine Semitendinosus (ST) and Pectoralis profundus (PP) muscles were studied. Furthermore, these collagen characteristics in presence/absence of other extracellular matrix components were analyzed for both muscles. Differences between muscles were observed for collagen content; all IMCT-PP perimysial samples were higher than ST samples. In addition, for both muscles, IMCT-alkali resistant samples allowed the highest trypsin soluble collagen. The main differences between muscles were recorder for thermal and mechanical properties. The denaturation of collagen in the perimysium evidenced differences in total denaturation energy (ΔH) and peak temperatures (Tp). The ΔH resulted higher for IMCT-PP than for IMCT-ST tissues in all samples. By the tensile test it was observed that the maximum loads were constant and higher in all PP samples. In the FTIR assay, the peaks for the main amides were registered in both tissues. However, slight differences between ST and PP-IMCT were detected on hydrogen bond interactions and in secondary structure of the protein. The results reinforce the hypothesis of the presence of different IMCT-perimysial-collagen pools. In this study, chemical, thermal and mechanical characteristics were considered and quantified. However, the mechanical function and development of muscle in-vivo could be the main influence on the extracellular collagen characteristics as well as its interactions with non-collagen compounds. Its formation is essential for muscle function.

Apendicitis aguda en niños menores de 4 años:Un dilema diagnóstico; Acute appendicitis in children under 4 years: a diagnostic dilemma.; Apendicite aguda em crianças menores de 4 anos: um dilema diagnóstico. Rassi, Ricardo; Muse, Florencia; Cuestas, Eduardo La apendicitis aguda es una patología producida por la inflamación del apéndice cecal, debido a la obstrucción de la luz apendicular, que lleva a una congestión venosa y luego eventualmente a un compromiso arterial de la pared apendicular con la consiguiente perforación del mismo. El problema principal de ésta patología en menores de 4 años radica en el alto índice de perforaciones apendiculares que presentan los pacientes al momento del diagnóstico; propulsado principalmente por una presentación clínica inespecífica,que conlleva a un bajo índice de sospecha y a un alto porcentaje de complicaciones en dicho grupo etario.Objetivo realizar una revisión bibliográfica sobre el tema e investigar que se sabe de apendicitis en niños menores de cuatro años hasta el momento.Fuente de Datos se realizo una búsqueda bibliográfica sistemática en la base de datos PubMed desde el año 1980 al año 2017,Conclusiones El aumento en la morbilidad de la apendicitis aguda en menores de 4 años tiene un orígen mixto ya que se mezclan factores orgánicos propios de la edad,junto a un retraso diagnóstico temporal y con ello a la aparición de formas complicadas de la enfermedad , sin que exista en la actualidad signo, síntoma o conjunto de ellos , que nos permita la detección precoz de apendicitis en menores de 4 años.; Introduction Acute appendicitis is a pathology caused by inflammation of the cecal appendix, due tocthe obstruction of the appendicular lumen, witch leads to a venous congestion and then eventually to an arterial compromise of the appendicular wall with the consequent perforation of it. The main problem of this pathology in children under 4 years is the high index of appendicecal preforations presented by patients at the time of diagnosis, mainly driven by an unspecific clinical presentation, which leads to a low index of suspicion and a high percentage of complications in that age group. Objetive: perform a literature review on the subject and investigate what is known of appendicitis in children under four years old to date. The data were obtained through a systematic bibliographic search in the Pubmed data base from 1980 to 2017. Conclussion: the increase in morbidity of acute apendicitis in children under 4 years has a mixed origin since organic factors are mixed age, together with a temporary diagnostic delay and with it the appearance of complicated forms of the disease, there is no sign, symptom or group of them that allows early detection of appendicitis in children under 4 years of age.; A apendicite aguda é uma patologia causada pela inflamação do apêndice cecal, devido à obstrução da luz apendicular, que leva a congestão venosa e, em seguida, eventualmente a um comprometimento arterial da parede apendicular com o consequente perfuração dele. O principal problema desta patologia em crianças menores de 4 anos encontra-se na alta taxa de perfurações apendiculares que os pacientes momento de diagnóstico; alimentado principalmente por uma apresentação clínica inespecífica, o que leva a um baixo índice de suspeita e uma alta porcentagem de complicações no referido grupo etário.

¿Ha descendido significativamente la Tasa de Mortalidad Infantil? Cuestas, Eduardo Las políticas de lucha contra la mortalidad infantil deben ser el resultado de una política de estado sostenida, independiente de los gobiernos de turno y sus logros o fracasos deben transmitirse con veracidad y cautela a la población, tanto por las autoridades como por los medios de comunicación masiva.

Carbon-13 dynamic nuclear polarization in diamond via a microwave-free integrated cross effect Henshaw, Jacob; Pagliero, Daniel; Zangara, Pablo René; Franzoni, Maria Belen; Ajoy, Ashok; Acosta, Rodolfo Héctor; Reimer, Jeffrey A.; Pines, Alexander; Meriles, Carlos A. Color-center–hosting semiconductors are emerging as promising source materials for low-field dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) at or near room temperature, but hyperfine broadening, susceptibility to magnetic field heterogeneity, and nuclear spin relaxation induced by other paramagnetic defects set practical constraints difficult to circumvent. Here, we explore an alternate route to color-center–assisted DNP using nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond coupled to substitutional nitrogen impurities, the so-called P1 centers. Working near the level anticrossing condition—where the P1 Zeeman splitting matches one of the NV spin transitions—we demonstrate efficient microwave-free 13C DNP through the use of consecutive magnetic field sweeps and continuous optical excitation. The amplitude and sign of the polarization can be controlled by adjusting the low-to-high and high-to-low magnetic field sweep rates in each cycle so that one is much faster than the other. By comparing the 13C DNP response for different crystal orientations, we show that the process is robust to magnetic field/NV misalignment, a feature that makes the present technique suitable to diamond powders and settings where the field is heterogeneous. Applications to shallow NVs could capitalize on the greater physical proximity between surface paramagnetic defects and outer nuclei to efficiently polarize target samples in contact with the diamond crystal.

An essential thioredoxin-type protein of Trypanosoma brucei acts as redox-regulated mitochondrial chaperone Currier, Rachel B.; Ulrich, Kathrin; Leroux, Alejandro Ezequiel; Dirdjaja, Natalie; Deambrosi, Matías; Bonilla, Mariana; Ahmed, Yasar Luqman; Adrian, Lorenz; Antelmann, Haike; Jakob, Ursula; Comini, Marcelo A.; Krauth-Siegel, R. Luise Most known thioredoxin-type proteins (Trx) participate in redox pathways, using two highly conserved cysteine residues to catalyze thiol-disulfide exchange reactions. Here we demonstrate that the so far unexplored Trx2 from African trypanosomes (Trypanosoma brucei) lacks protein disulfide reductase activity but functions as an effective temperature-activated and redox-regulated chaperone. Immunofluorescence microscopy and fractionated cell lysis revealed that Trx2 is located in the mitochondrion of the parasite. RNA-interference and gene knock-out approaches showed that depletion of Trx2 impairs growth of both mammalian bloodstream and insect stage procyclic parasites. Procyclic cells lacking Trx2 stop proliferation under standard culture conditions at 27°C and are unable to survive prolonged exposure to 37°C, indicating that Trx2 plays a vital role that becomes augmented under heat stress. Moreover, we found that Trx2 contributes to the in vivo infectivity of T. brucei. Remarkably, a Trx2 version, in which all five cysteines were replaced by serine residues, complements for the wildtype protein in conditional knock-out cells and confers parasite infectivity in the mouse model. Characterization of the recombinant protein revealed that Trx2 can coordinate an iron sulfur cluster and is highly sensitive towards spontaneous oxidation. Moreover, we discovered that both wildtype and mutant Trx2 protect other proteins against thermal aggregation and preserve their ability to refold upon return to non-stress conditions. Activation of the chaperone function of Trx2 appears to be triggered by temperature- mediated structural changes and inhibited by oxidative disulfide bond formation. Our studies indicate that Trx2 acts as a novel chaperone in the unique single mitochondrion of T. brucei and reveal a new perspective regarding the physiological function of thioredoxintype proteins in trypanosomes.

Characterization of the continuum and kinematical properties of nearby NLS1 Oio, Gabriel Andrés; Vega, Luis Rodolfo; Schmidt, Eduardo Osvaldo; Ferreiro, Diego Aims. In order to study the slope and strength of the non-stellar continuum, we analysed a sample from nearby Narrow Line Seyfert1 (NLS1). Also, we re-examined the location of NLS1 galaxies on the MBH - σ relation, using the stellar velocity dispersion and the[OIII]λ5007 emission line as a surrogate of the former.Methods. We studied spectra of a sample of 131 NLS1 galaxies taken from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR7. We approacheddetermining the non-stellar continuum by employing the spectral synthesis technique, which uses the code starlight, and by adoptinga power-law base to model the non-stellar continuum. Composite spectra of NLS1 galaxies were also obtained based on the sample.In addition, we obtained the stellar velocity dispersion from the code and by measuring Calcium II Triplet absorption lines and [OIII]emission lines. From Gaussian decomposition of the Hβ profile we calculated the black hole mass.Results. We obtained a median slope of β = −1.6 with a median fraction of contribution of the non-stellar continuum to the totalflux of 0.64. We determined black hole masses in the range of log(MBH/M) = 5.6 − 7.5, which is in agreement with previous works.We found a correlation between the luminosity of the broad component of Hβ and black hole mass with the fraction of a power-lawcomponent. Finally, according to our results, NLS1 galaxies in our sample are located mostly underneath the MBH - σ relation, bothconsidering the stellar velocity dispersion (σ) and the core component of [OIII]λ5007.

Influencia de la actividad petrolera y la ganadería ovina en la cubierta del suelo en una región árida y semiárida de la Patagonia argentina.; Influence of oil activity and sheep ranching on plant cover in the arid and semi-arid region of Patagonia, Argentina Buzzi, Mariana Andrea; Rueter, Barbara Lisa; Ghermandi, Luciana; Maldonado, F. La Geografía como ciencia ha provisto el mayor cuerpo teórico para el estudio de las configuraciones que se producen sobre el espacio geográfico. La generación de cartografía que representa las cubiertas de suelo es uno de los usos más importantes de la percepción remota. Se seleccionaron polígonos, con actividad petrolera y ganadera, en las siguientes unidades de paisaje: cañadones, pampas y valles. Los polígonos se utilizaron para evaluar cambios multi-tempo-rales de las cubiertas de suelo y las comunidades vegetales en un período de 15 años. Se realizaron clasificaciones supervisadas y análisis de métricas de paisaje para examinar las posibles causas de estos cambios comparando: i) polígonos sin actividad petrolera ni ganadera (testigo), ii) con actividad petrolera y ganadera, iii) con actividad petrolera y sin actividad ganadera, y iv) sin actividad petrolera y con actividad ganadera. Los resultados obtenidos indicaron que la densidad de parches, el borde total, la densidad de borde y el índice de división de los fragmen-tos aumentaron en las tres unidades de paisaje, entre 2001 y 2016. El índice de contagio, en cambio, disminuyó. Se observó un incremento del suelo desnudo en las pampas y en los valles occidentales, con un retroceso de las comunidades vegetales dominantes. La densidad de parches en los sitios sin disturbios fue la menor, y en los sitios con ambos disturbios actuando simultáneamente fue máxima. En los sitios sin disturbio el tamaño efectivo de malla fue máximo, mientras que en los sitios con algún disturbio fue menor. Al analizar el efecto del disturbio sobre los elementos del paisaje se observó que su presencia genera la mayor densidad de parches y la mínima conectividad. Los resultados muestran que se produjo un proceso de frag-mentación en las coberturas del suelo direccionados por la explotación petrolera y la ganadería ovina, que disminuyen el tamaño de los parches y, por lo tanto, la densidad de los mismos por unidad de superficie.; The Geography has provided the greatest theoretical body for the study of the configurations that occur over the geographical space. The generation of cartography that represents ground cover is one of the most important uses of remote sensing. Polygons were selected, with oil and livestock activity, in the landscape units: coastal canyons, plateaus and western valleys. The polygons were used to evaluate multi-temporal changes in land cover and plant communities over a period of 15 years. Supervised classifications and analysis of landscape metrics were made to examine the possible causes of these changes by comparing: i) polygons without oil or livestock activity (control), ii) polygons with oil and livestock activity, iii) polygons with oil activity and without livestock activity, and iv) polygons without oil activity and livestock activity. The results obtained indicated that the density of patches, the total edge, the edge density and the division index of the fragments increased in the three landscape units, between 2001 and 2016. The contagion index, however, decreased. An increase in bare soil was observed in the plateaus and in the western valleys, with a regression of the dominant plant communities. The density of patches in the sites without disturbance was the lowest, and in the sites with both disturbances acting simultaneously was maximum. In the sites without disturbance the effective mesh size was maximum, while in the sites with some disturbance it was smaller. When analyzing the effect of the disturbance on the elements of the landscape it was observed that the presence of the disturbance generates the highest density of patches and the minimum connectivity. The results show that there was a process of fragmentation in the coverage of the soil directed by the oil exploitation and sheep farming, which decrease the size of the patches and, therefore, the density of the same per unit area.

Skin-associated lactic acid bacteria from North American bullfrogs as potential control agents of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Niederle, María Virginia; Bosch, Jaime; Ale, Cesar Emmanuel; Nader, Maria Elena Fatima; Aristimuño Ficoseco, Maria Cecilia; Toledo, Luis Felipe; Valenzuela-Sánchez, Andrés; Soto-azat, Claudio; Pasteris, Sergio Enrique The fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is the causative agent of chytridiomycosis and has been a key driver in the catastrophic decline of amphibians globally. While many strategies have been proposed to mitigate Bd outbreaks, few have been successful. In recent years, the use of probiotic formulations that protect an amphibian host by killing or inhibiting Bd have shown promise as an effective chytridiomycosis control strategy. The North American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) is a common carrier of Bd and harbours a diverse skin microbiota that includes lactic acid bacteria (LAB), a microbial group containing species classified as safe and conferring host benefits. We investigated beneficial/probiotic properties: anti-Bd activity, and adhesion and colonisation characteristics (hydrophobicity, biofilm formation and exopolysaccharide-EPS production) in two confirmed LAB (cLAB-Enterococcus gallinarum CRL 1826, Lactococcus garvieae CRL 1828) and 60 presumptive LAB (pLAB) [together named as LABs] isolated from bullfrog skin.We challenged LABs against eight genetically diverse Bd isolates and found that 32% of the LABs inhibited at least one Bd isolate with varying rates of inhibition. Thus, we established a score of sensitivity from highest (BdGPL AVS7) to lowest (BdGPL C2A) for the studied Bd isolates. We further reveal key factors underlying host adhesion and colonisation of LABs. Specifically, 90.3% of LABs exhibited hydrophilic properties that may promote adhesion to the cutaneous mucus, with the remaining isolates (9.7%) being hydrophobic in nature with a surface polarity compatible with colonisation of acidic, basic or both substrate types. We also found that 59.7% of LABs showed EPS synthesis and 66.1% produced biofilm at different levels: 21% weak, 29% moderate, and 16.1% strong. Together all these properties enhance colonisation of the host surface (mucus or epithelial cells) and may confer protective benefits against Bd through competitive exclusion. Correspondence analysis indicated that biofilm synthesis was LABs specific with high aggregating bacteria correlating with strong biofilm producers, and EPS producers being correlated to negative biofilm producing LABs. We performed Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR analysis and demonstrated a higher degree of genetic diversity among rod-shaped pLAB than cocci. Based on the LAB genetic analysis and specific probiotic selection criteria that involve beneficial properties, we sequenced 16 pLAB which were identified as Pediococcus pentosaceus, Enterococcus thailandicus, Lactobacillus pentosus/L. plantarum, L. brevis, and L. curvatus. Compatibility assays performed with cLAB and the 16 species described above indicate that all tested LAB can be included in a mixed probiotic formula. Based on our analyses, we suggest that E. gallinarum CRL 1826, L. garvieae CRL 1828, and P. pentosaceus 15 and 18B represent optimal probiotic candidates for Bd control and mitigation.

Adult-onset psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: A multicenter international study Asadi Pooya, Ali A.; Valente, Kette; Restrepo, Anilu Daza; D`alessio, Luciana; Homayoun, Maryam; Bahrami, Zahra; Alessi, Rudá; Paytan, Angélica Aroni; Kochen, Sara Silvia; Myers, Lorna; Sawchuk, Tyson; Buchhalter, Jeffrey; Taha, Firas; Lazar, Lorraine M.; Pick, Susannah; Nicholson, Timothy Purpose The aim of this multicenter international cross-cultural study was to compare clinical variables in a large sample of people with adult-onset psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES). Methods In this retrospective study, we evaluated persons with documented PNES, who were older than 16 years of age at the onset, from four countries (i.e., Iran, Brazil, Venezuela, and Argentina) regarding their age, gender, PNES semiology, and possible predisposing factors. Results We included 389 patients (244 from Iran, 66 from Brazil, 51 from Venezuela, and 28 from Argentina). Age at diagnosis was 32 ± 9 years (range: 17–64 years), and age at the onset of seizures was 27 ± 8 years (range: 17–49 years). There was a female predominance in all countries. The demographic characteristics and factors associated with PNES were similar among the countries. However, there were significant semiological differences among the countries. Conclusion This study corroborates the notion that PNES share more similarities than differences cross-culturally and across international borders. However, the background determined by cultural, ethnic, and religious differences may influence the semiology of PNES. Further cross-cultural studies involving more than two continents may advance our understanding of PNES.

TRPC6 regulates phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cells through plasma membrane potential-dependent coupling with PTEN Numaga-Tomita, Takuro; Shimauchi, Tsukasa; Oda, Sayaka; Tanaka, Tomohiro; Nishiyama, Kazuhiro; Nishimura, Akiyuki; Birnbaumer, Lutz; Mori, Yasuo; Nishida, Motohiro Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play critical roles in the stability and tonic regulation of vascular homeostasis. VSMCs can switch back and forth between highly proliferative synthetic and fully differentiated contractile phenotypes in response to changes in the vessel environment. Although abnormal phenotypic switching of VSMCs is a hallmark of vascular disorders such as atherosclerosis and restenosis after angioplasty, how control of VSMC phenotypic switching is dysregulated in pathologic conditions remains obscure. We found that inhibition of canonical transient receptor potential 6 (TRPC6) channels facilitated contractile differentiation of VSMCs through plasma membrane hyperpolarization. TRPC6-deficient VSMCs exhibited more polarized resting membrane potentials and higher protein kinase B (Akt) activity than wild-type VSMCs in response to TGF-β1 stimulation. Ischemic stress elicited by oxygen-glucose deprivation suppressed TGF-β1-induced hyperpolarization and VSMC differentiation, but this effect was abolished by TRPC6 deletion. TRPC6-mediated Ca2+ influx and depolarization coordinately promoted the interaction of TRPC6 with lipid phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10 (PTEN), a negative regulator of Akt activation. Given the marked up-regulation of TRPC6 observed in vascular disorders, our findings suggest that attenuation of TRPC6 channel activity in pathologic VSMCs could be a rational strategy to maintain vascular quality control by fine-tuning of VSMC phenotypic switching.

Search for invisible Higgs boson decays in vector boson fusion at s√=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector Aaboud, M.; Aad, G.; Abbott, B.; Abdinov, O.; Abeloos, B.; Alconada Verzini, María Josefina; Alonso, Francisco; Arduh, Francisco Anuar; Dova, Maria Teresa; Hoya, Joaquín; Monticelli, Fernando Gabriel; Orellana, Gonzalo Enrique; Wahlberg, Hernan Pablo; Bossio Sola, Jonathan David; Daneri, María Florencia; Devesa, Maria Roberta; Marceca, Gino; Otero y Garzon, Gustavo Javier; Piegaia, Ricardo Nestor; Sacerdoti, Sabrina; Zinonos, Z.; Zinser, M.; Ziolkowski, M.; Živković, L.; Zobernig, G.; Zoccoli, A.; Zoch, K.; Nedden, M. zur; Zorbas, T. G.; Zou, R.; Zwalinski, L.; The ATLAS Collaboration We report a search for Higgs bosons that are produced via vector boson fusion and subsequently decay into invisible particles. The experimental signature is two energetic jets with O(1) TeV invariant mass and O(100) GeV missing transverse momentum. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of pp collision data at 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. In the signal region the 2252 observed events are consistent with the background estimation. Assuming a 125 GeV particle with Standard Model cross sections, the upper limit on the branching fraction of the Higgs boson decay into invisible particles is 0.37 at 95% CL where 0.28 was expected. This limit is interpreted in Higgs portal models to set limits on the WIMP-nucleon scattering cross section. We also consider invisible decays of additional scalar bosons with masses up to 3 TeV for which the upper limits on the cross section times branching fraction are in the range of 0.3−2.0 pb.

Time-dependent evolution of properties of fish gelatin edible films enriched with carvacrol during storage Neira Hazime, Laura Margarita; Martucci, Josefa Fabiana; Stejskal, Nadia; Ruseckaite, Roxana Alejandra The temporal stability of the physicochemical, antibacterial and antioxidant properties of fish gelatin (FG) films plasticized by glycerol (20% w/w) and supplemented with carvacrol (CRV) obtained by casting and stored at 65% RH and 25 °C, was investigated over 15 days. The level of CRV incorporated into FG film was determined from minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values against E. coli and S. aureus. The incorporation of 0.6% w/v CRV reduced the moisture content (MC), and water vapor permeability (WVP) while kept invariable the tensile and light barrier properties, compared to the control. Additionally, CRV increased the in vitro antibacterial and antioxidant effectiveness of films. Upon storage, the sustained loss of moisture and glycerol provoked the drop of MC and WVP values of both films. Control film became stiffer and less stretchable while the active film remained mechanically time-stable. Such difference was ascribed to the increased contribution of triple helical structures in the control, as revealed by ATR-FTIR and XRD. Antibacterial effectiveness (based on disc diffusion assay) decayed from 3.1 ± 0.1 and 2.7 ± 0.3 cm for E. coli and S. aureus, respectively, to undetectable levels for both pathogens. Antioxidant power in terms of radical scavenging activity (RSA) declined to about 2.74 % of the initial value, in line with the decline of CRV level up to 13 % of its initial concentration. Overall this study proves the significance of assessing the stability of the properties of edible films before proposing any technical application.