Deber de memoria: El informe por entregas "Miseria de la prensa del Proceso" de la revista Humor: Periodismo, ética y denuncia en la escena postdictatorial argentina (1984); Duty of memory: The report “Miseria de la prensa del Proceso” in humor mkagazine: Press, ethics and denounce in the argentine postdictatorial scene (1984) Raíces, Eduardo El presente artículo analiza el informe “Miseria de la prensa del Proceso”, dedicado a denunciar las actitudes oportunistas de la prensa gráfica entre la última dictadura militar argentina (1976-1983) y la nueva etapa democrática. Fue realizado por Carlos Gabetta y Sergio Joselovsky y publicado en nueve entregas por la revista Humor durante varios meses de 1984. Se contempla el modo en que Humor se atribuyó autoridad para evaluar la conducta de los actores de prensa; el estilo y criterios de selección y cobertura de varias de las principales publicaciones de la época; y en particular las formas propuestas para evidenciar cambios en la línea editorial de los medios denunciados. Sirviéndonos del enfoque de estudios de memoria social fue posible señalar que el informe evaluó las actitudes periodísticas como “cómplices”, “victimizadas” y “heroicas”. Con ello, si bien evidenció oportunismos y resistencias, no logró dar cuenta acabada de los cambios y ambigüedades del funcionamiento mediático a lo largo del periodo. Pese a estas limitaciones, “Miseria…” supuso una estrategia de denuncia pionera durante la inmediata posdictadura de los dudosos valores democráticos de gran parte de la prensa, planteada en términos ético-profesionales y políticos desde un medio independiente con reconocimiento local e internacional.; Our essay deals with the Report “Miseria de la prensa del Proceso”, focused in denouncing opportunist attitudes by press between last Argentinean dictatorship (1976-1983) and the return of democratic régime. It was made by journalists Carlos Gabetta and Sergio Joselovsky and published in nine fascicules in Humor magazine during several months of 1984. It is Studied the way Humor self-attributed Authority to evaluate the conduct of press actors; the style and selection criteria of materials from main media of the era; and the strategies employed by Humor to put in evidence the changes in editorial line of denounced media. By using the approach of social memories studies, we stated that the Report classified press attitudes between complicity, victimization and heroism. If that classification exposed opportunist and resistant attitudes in press actors, failed to detect the changes and ambiguities of each media along the time. In spite of these limitations, we conclude that the Report involved an early strategy to denounce the apparent continuity in newspapers and magazines from dictatorship to constitutional régime and, thus, their dubious democratic values, posed in ethical-political terms by a well-known independent magazine.

El sueño, las palabras y la cosa: La filosofía de Marx frente a la Comuna; The Dream, the words and the thing: Marx’s philosophy facing the Commune Dominguez, Esteban En estas páginas me propongo reflexionar sobre un conjunto de cuestiones relativas a la filosofía de Marx a la luz de la experiencia de la Comuna de París. Más específicamente, quisiera señalar que la experiencia de Marx frente a la Comuna podría constituirse en un revelador de algunos trazos significativos de su filosofía. En primer lugar, propongo un análisis de la carta de Marx a Ruge en Kreuznach (1843), con el fin de reflexionar sobre la idea de la revolución que tiene el joven Marx, identificando dos pliegues críticos que la modifican y la proyectan transformada hacia la Comuna. En segundo lugar, propongo una relectura de La guerra civil en Francia (1871), atravesada por una disyunción interna entre la palabra científica, la palabra política y la palabra filosófica presentes en Marx, pero que se resisten a ser reapropiadas en un único discurso.; In this paper I aim to think about a set of different issues in relation to Marx’s philosophy on the light of the experience of Paris Commune. More specifically, I would like to point out that Marx’s experience facing the Commune could be constituted as a revealing indicator of some of the most significant outlines of his philosophy. Firstly, I am proposing an analysis of the letter from Marx to Ruge in Kreuznach (1843) with the purpose of thinking over young Marx’s revolution idea by identifying two critical aspects that modify and project it transformed towards the Commune. In second place, I present a re-reading of The Civil War in France (1871) crossed by an internal disjunction between the scientific, political and philosophical words that are present in Marx, but that resist to be reappropriated in a single speech.

Determinants of Aedes mosquito density as an indicator of arbovirus transmission risk in three sites affected by co-circulation of globally spreading arboviruses in Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina Talbot, Benoit; Sander, Beate; Cevallos, Varsovia; González, Camila; Benítez, Denisse; Carissimo, Claudio; Carrasquilla Ferro, María C.; Gauto, Neris; Litwiñiuk, Sergio Leandro; López, Karen; Ortiz, Mario I.; Ponce, Patricio; Villota, Stephany D.; Zelaya, Fabian; Espinel, Mauricio; Wu, Jianhong; Miretti, Marcos Mateo; Kulkarni, Manisha A. Background: The global impact of Zika virus in Latin America has drawn renewed attention to circulating mosquito-borne viruses in this region, such as dengue and chikungunya. Our objective was to assess socio-ecological factors associated with Aedes mosquito vector density as a measure of arbovirus transmission risk in three cities of potentially recent Zika virus introduction: Ibagué, Colombia; Manta, Ecuador; and Posadas, Argentina, in order to inform disease mitigation strategies. Methods: We sampled Aedes mosquito populations in a total of 1086 households, using indoor and peridomestic mosquito collection methods, including light traps, resting traps, traps equipped with chemical attractant and aspirators. For each sampled household, we collected socio-economic data using structured questionnaires and data on microenvironmental conditions using iButton data loggers. Results: A total of 3230 female Aedes mosquitoes were collected, of which 99.8% were Aedes aegypti and 0.2% were Aedes albopictus. Mean female Aedes mosquito density per household was 1.71 (standard deviation: 2.84). We used mixed-effects generalized linear Poisson regression analyses to identify predictors of Aedes density, using month, neighborhood and country as random-effects variables. Across study sites, the number of household occupants [incidence rate ratio (IRR): 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01–1.14], presence of entry points for mosquitoes into the household (IRR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.30–1.76) and presence of decorative vegetation (IRR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.22–1.88) were associated with higher Aedes density; while being in the highest wealth tertile of household wealth (IRR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.66–0.92), knowledge of how arboviruses are transmitted (IRR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.89–1.00) and regular emptying of water containers by occupants (IRR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.67–0.92) were associated with lower Aedes density. Conclusions: Our study addresses the complexities of arbovirus vectors of global significance at the interface between human and mosquito populations. Our results point to several predictors of Aedes mosquito vector density in countries with co-circulation of multiple Aedes-borne viruses, and point to modifiable risk factors that may be useful for disease prevention and control.

Jóvenes y violencia policial: Posibilidades y desafíos de la entrevista cualitativa; Young people and police violence: Possibilities and challenges of the qualitative interview Roldan, Macarena del Valle; Soloa, Emanuel; Bonvillani, Andrea El artículo presenta los resultados de una investigación cualitativa que analizó las experiencias de violencia policial vivenciadas por jóvenes de la ciudad de Córdoba, Argentina. Se trabajó con datos producidos a partir de entrevistas no estructuradas con doce jóvenes que dieron lugar a tres tópicos de discusión: las narrativas de los jóvenes acerca del encuentro con lo policial, las construcciones de masculinidad que ponen en juego allí y la implicación del/la investigador/a en la situación de entrevista. Finalmente, se discute acerca de las posibilidades y desafíos que presenta la entrevista con estos jóvenes desde una perspectiva metodológica y ético-política.

Arnold Heim (1882-1965) geólogo-naturalista suizo: El primer Miembro correspondiente de la Sociedad Geológica Argentina Cingolani, Carlos Alberto; Uriz, Norberto Javier; Carrasquero, Silvia Irene; Bidone, Andrea Rosa; Arnol, Jonatan Ariel La intensa actividad geológica y de naturalista multifacético en diversas partes del mundo, convirtieron al Dr. Arnold Heim en una destacada personalidad para la época. Se formó académicamente en la escuela geológica suiza de Zúrich. Son conocidos los detallados trabajos en la Precordillera, Patagonia y otros sectores publicados durante su estadía en Sudamérica. Fue seleccionado en 1946, como el primer Miembro Correspondiente de la Sociedad Geológica Argentina. Además de la actividad en la prospección de petróleo, publicó unos 300 trabajos científicos, incluyendo descripciones de sus viajes con relatos completos de flora y fauna, y de los habitantes de la región visitada y sus costumbres. Formó parte de la primera expedición científica suiza a los Himalayas, donde realizó junto a su discípulo A. Gansser relevantes observaciones estratigráficas y tectónicas, con el descubrimiento de rocas ofiolíticas como relictos del antiguo Mar de Tethys y la interpretación de una colisión continental. Ha dejado una valiosa documentación de fotos, mapas y correspondencia preservada en la Biblioteca ETH de Zúrich. En 1939 con 57 años llega a Sudamérica, donde se siente sorprendido por la desbordante naturaleza del sur chileno-argentino. El objetivo era explorar la zona del Lago General Carrera-Buenos Aires, el Campo de Hielo Patagónico Norte y el destino final, ascender el Monte San Valentín. Luego fue contratado por la Dirección de Minas de Buenos Aires para estudios geotécnicos en San Juan y La Rioja, entre otros. Sus detallados esquemas estructurales de Barreal, Rinconada y el río San Juan, aún tienen vigencia. Fue un geólogo viajero incansable, a quien se lo llegó a conocer como el "Humboldt suizo".; The intense geological and naturalistic activity of Dr. Arnold Heim in various parts of the world, lead him to become an outstanding personality for the time. He obtained a PhD at the University of Zürich. The detailed manuscripts of the Precordillera, Patagonia and other sectors published by A. Heim during his stays in Argentina and Chile are well known. He was designed in 1946, as the first Corresponding Member of the Argentine Geological Society. In addition to his activity in oil prospecting, about 300 scientific publications are recorded; descriptions of the trips are included with complete accounts of flora and fauna and of the inhabitants of the visited regions and their customs, as well as maps and geographical works. An important milestone in his life was the possibility of being part of the first Swiss scientific expedition to the Himalayas, where he head with his disciple A. Gansser. The results were relevant stratigraphic and tectonic observations with the discovery of ophiolitic rocks of the ancient Tethys Sea and the interpretation of a continental collision. In all cases, he has left valuable documentation such as photos, maps and correspondence preserved in the ETH Bibliothek in Zürich. In 1939 with 57 years old arrived in South America. Upon arriving, he is surprised by the overwhelming nature offered by the southern Chilean-Argentine region. The initial objective of his trip was to explore the area of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field and the final destination, ascend Mount San Valentín. He was then hired by the ‘Dirección de Minas’ of Buenos Aires for various geotechnical studies in San Juan and La Rioja, among others. The detailed structural schemes of Barreal, Rinconada, and the San Juan river, are still valid. Along his life Heim was a tireless traveling geologist, who came to mention him as the “Swiss Humboldt”.

Community Mortality due to Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Argentina: Population-based surveillance study Caballero, Mauricio Tomás; Bianchi, Alejandra Silvina; Diaz Grigaites, Sebastian; de la Iglesia Niveyro, Paola Ximena; Nuño, Alejandra; Valle, Sandra; Afarian, Gabriela; Esperante, Sebastian; Ferreti, Adrián; Jares Baglivo, Sofía; De Luca, Julián; Álvarez Paggi, Damián Jorge; Diamanti, Adriana; Bassat, Quique; Polack, Fernando Pedro Background. Many deaths in infants from low-middle income countries (LMICs) occur at home or upon arrival to health facilities. Although acute lower respiratory tract illness plays an important role in community mortality, the accuracy of mortality rates due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains unknown. Methods. An active surveillance study among children aged under 5 years old (U5) was performed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, between January and December 2019, to define the burden and role of RSV in childhood community mortality. Results. A total of 63 families of children U5 participated in the study. Based on a combined approach of tissue sampling, verbal autopsies, and expert’s analysis, RSV infection was found in the causal chain of 11 from 12 cases with positive molecular biology results in respiratory samples. The estimated mortality rate due to RSV among infants was 0.27 deaths/1000 live births. The mean age of RSV-related household deaths was 2.8 months of age (standard deviation [SD] 1.7), and 8/12 were male infants (66.7%). Dying at home from RSV was associated with Streptococcus pneumoniae and/or Moraxella catarrhalis lung coinfection (75%), living in slums and settlement (odds ratio [OR], 17.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3–219.2), and other underlying comorbidities (OR, 14.87; 95% CI, 1.3–164.6). Conclusions. Infant community mortality rates due to RSV are higher than those reported in industrialized countries and similar to those reported in hospital-based studies in the same catchment population.

An OpenFOAM Application for Solving the Black Oil Problem Fioroni, Soledad; Larreteguy, Axel Eduardo; Savioli, Gabriela Beatriz An OpenFOAM application to address black oil problems using the finite volume technique is presented, along with the first results of the new solver. The black oil formulation is well known in petroleum reservoir engineering and widely implemented in primary and secondary recovery processes. Simulation of three-phase flow in porous media including fluid and rock compressibility requires careful consideration in the numerical model in order to guarantee a conservative calculation. Therefore, a detailed mathematical model and its implementation, with emphasis on the numerical treatment, are presented in this work. The solver is validated over several case studies comparing its results against a semi-analytical solution and those obtained by both in house and commercial simulators reported in the literature, thus proving to successfully represent compressible and incompressible multiphase flow in porous media.

Apropiaciones historiográficas en la dramaturgia argentina de la posdictadura: los casos Raúl Dargoltz y Juan Raúl Rithner; Historiographic Appropriations in the Argentine Post-dictatorship Dramaturgy: the Raúl Dargoltz and Juan Raúl Rithner Cases Tossi, Mauricio Antonio En el contexto de la posdictadura argentina, las dramaturgias de la Patagonia y el Noroeste han actualizado el potencial estético del teatro histórico moderno, mediante una particular relectura del teatro documental. Así, determinadas obras de Raúl Dargoltz y Juan Raúl Rithner exponen modos específicos de apropiación de referentes historiográficos del norte y el sur del país. A pesar de sus fronteras geográficas, estas dramaturgias evidencian una solidaridad poética entre ambas regiones, al optar por la resignificación de procedimientos estéticos que, entre otros efectos, contribuyen al abordaje de interrogantes comunitarios sobre los sentidos del pasado reciente.; In the context of the Argentine post-dictatorship, the dramaturgies of Patagonia and the Northwest have updated the aesthetic potential of modern historical theater, through a particular rereading of documentary theater. Thus, certain plays by Raúl Dargoltz and Juan Raúl Rithner expose specific ways of appropriating historiographic references from the north and south of the country. Despite their geographical borders, these dramaturgies show a poetic solidarity between both regions, by opting for the resignification of aesthetic procedures that, among other effects, contribute to addressing community questions about the meanings of the recent past.

Antibody-based inhibition of pathogenic new world hemorrhagic fever mammarenaviruses by steric occlusion of the human transferrin receptor 1 apical domain Ferrero, Sol; Flores, Maria D.; Short, Connor; Vázquez, Cecilia Alejandra; Clark, Lars E.; Ziegenbein, James; Zink, Samantha; Fuentes, Daniel; Payés, Cristian; Batto, María V.; Collazo, Michael; García, Cybele C.; Abraham, Jonathan; Cordo, Sandra Myriam; Rodriguez, Jose A.; Helguera, Gustavo Fernando Pathogenic clade B New World mammarenaviruses (NWM) can cause Argentine, Venezuelan, Brazilian, and Bolivian hemorrhagic fevers. Sequence variability among NWM glycoproteins (GP) poses a challenge to the development of broadly neutralizing therapeutics against the entire clade of viruses. However, blockade of their shared binding site on the apical domain of human transferrin receptor 1 (hTfR1/CD71) presents an opportunity for the development of effective and broadly neutralizing therapeutics. Here, we demonstrate that the murine monoclonal antibody OKT9, which targets the apical domain of hTfR1, can sterically block cellular entry by viral particles presenting clade B NWM glycoproteins (GP1-GP2). OKT9 blockade is also effective against viral particles pseudotyped with glycoproteins of a recently identified pathogenic Sabia-like virus. With nanomolar affinity for hTfR1, the OKT9 antigen binding fragment (OKT9-Fab) sterically blocks clade B NWM-GP1s and reduces infectivity of an attenuated strain of Junin virus. Binding of OKT9 to the hTfR1 ectodomain in its soluble, dimeric state produces stable assemblies that are observable by negative-stain electron microscopy. A model of the OKT9-sTfR1 complex, informed by the known crystallographic structure of sTfR1 and a newly determined structure of the OKT9 antigen binding fragment (Fab), suggests that OKT9 and the Machupo virus GP1 share a binding site on the hTfR1 apical domain. The structural basis for this interaction presents a framework for the design and development of high-affinity, broadly acting agents targeting clade B NWMs. IMPORTANCE Pathogenic clade B NWMs cause grave infectious diseases, the South American hemorrhagic fevers. Their etiological agents are Junin (JUNV), Guanarito (GTOV), Sabiá (SABV), Machupo (MACV), Chapare (CHAV), and a new Sabiá-like (SABV-L) virus recently identified in Brazil. These are priority A pathogens due to their high infectivity and mortality, their potential for person-to-person transmission, and the limited availability of effective therapeutics and vaccines to curb their effects. While low homology between surface glycoproteins of NWMs foils efforts to develop broadly neutralizing therapies targeting NWMs, this work provides structural evidence that OKT9, a monoclonal antibody targeting a single NWM glycoprotein binding site on hTfR1, can efficiently prevent their entry into cells.

The use of propolis as a functional food ingredient: A review Irigoiti, Yanet; Navarro, Alba Sofia del Rosario; Yamul, Diego Karim; Libonatti, Claudia Carina; Tabera, Anahi; Basualdo, Marina Background: Propolis is a resinous product collected by bees from different plant species that contains numerous compounds with biological activity like antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, among others. These properties make propolis the ideal candidate to be used as a functional ingredient in foods, beyond its known use as an additive. Scope and approach: This article provides a review of the latest papers about the chemical composition (especially polyphenols, flavonoids and terpenes), antimicrobial activity and antioxidant properties of propolis as a functional food ingredient. Besides, this article also reviews the newest technologies developed to incorporate propolis in food systems keeping its antioxidant properties and masking its off-flavour. Key findings and conclusions: Despite the differences in the chemical composition of propolis from all over the world, all of them show antioxidant and pharmacological activity making propolis an attractive natural product to be included in foods as a functional ingredient. Many researchers have proposed the use of encapsulation techniques like spray drying, which allows transforming the ethanolic propolis extract into an easily-handled alcohol-free powder appropriate to be incorporated in food systems. The inclusion of propolis in nanoparticles, biopolymers films and sucrose matrix is also promising. Based on the papers reviewed, further studies are needed relating the incorporation of propolis in foodstuffs, the dose at which its antioxidant or biological properties are effective and the sensory properties of the final product.

Shining bright in the dusk: How do bat-pollinated flowers reflect light? Domingos-Melo, Arthur; de Brito, Vinícius Lourenço Garcia; Sersic, Alicia Noemi; Cocucci, Andrea Aristides; Lunau, Klaus; Machado, Isabel Cristina Specialization in nectarivory is an uncommon condition among bats, and it is restricted to two subfamilies of neotropical phyllostomids (Glossophaginae and Lonchophyllinae) which encompass dozens of bats with striking morpho-physiological adaptations to exploit floral nectar (Muchhala and Tschapka 2020). Such bats commonly start the search for flowers before the sun goes down, when the flowers are freshly opened (Sazima and Sazima 1975). After spotting a resource, nectarivorous bats prefer to use spatial memory instead of floral clues to look for new flowers (Carter et al. 2010). Therefore, it may be essential that chiropterophilous (i.e. bat-pollinated) flowers are attractive to bats during the early part of their searching routine when they build in their minds a trace of their foraging bouts. It is known that bats find flowers by integrating acoustic and olfactory cues, which are very useful in dark conditions (Gonzalez-Terrazas et al. 2016). However, since there still is plenty of light striking flowers during twilight, the question emerges: Do these flowers reflect light that also draws the attention of bats by addressing their color vision abilities?

Modeling air pollution-related hospital admissions employing remote sensing and geographical information systems Tavera Busso, Iván; Rodriguez Nuñez, Martin; Amarillo, Ana Carolina; Mettan, Fabricio; Carreras, Hebe Alejandra Land-use regression models and remote sensing data have been widely employed to forecast atmospheric aerosol levels. Recently, these methodologies have been combined to predict the influence of this pollutant on human health. However, traditional land-use regression models do not often consider the complex interactions between predictors, and most of these do not include socioeconomic variables. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to estimate suspended particle-related hospital admissions by employing remote sensing, meteorological, environmental, and demographic parameters. In this cohort study, we analyzed 1,612,049 hospital admissions from Córdoba city, Argentina, from 2005 to 2011, and developed several regression and machine learning land-use models to compare their predictive powers. We found that childhood was the age group with the highest number of hospital admissions related with upper respiratory tract diseases. When predicting population-normalized hospital admissions, the machine learning models, in particular the generalized boosted machine, revealed a better performance than regression models, exhibiting the lowest root mean square error (0.4264) in the test data set. This model also achieved the best R2adj (0.6088) when plotting predicted vs. reported normalized cases. The most important predictors were the meteorological variables, followed by the aerosol optical depth and the planet boundary layer height. Some other predictors, such as educational level, land value, and unsatisfied basic needs, showed less relevance but enhanced the model's prediction power. Furthermore, the predictive power increased after a 1-day lag in hospital admissions (RMSE = 0.4121), highlighting the importance of meteorological and environmental variables in the onset of respiratory diseases.

Fighting antimicrobial resistant microorganisms: Current status and emerging strategies using nanomaterials Paraje, María Gabriela; Páez, Paulina Laura The high prevalence of pathogens resistant to antimicrobials poses a huge threat to the treatment of a wide range of serious infections. Emerging strategies using nanoparticles to treat these infections is promissory, thus, the current research emphasizes the development of promising new antimicrobial drugs in the near future. Nanotechnology offers the opportunity to exploit the biological properties of these materials by manipulating their size to dimensions on the nanometer scale. The importance of the eradication of bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses resistant to multiples antimicrobials in the first moments of colonization justify the need to find new therapeutic alternatives associated with the eradication and control of infections. The main objective of antimicrobial treatment is to minimize the microbial inoculum, which implies the need to use biocidal drugs, which do not allow the selection of resistance mechanisms.

The few effective antimicrobials against resistant microorganisms emphasize the need for new approaches through the development of different therapeutic strategies. Due to their small size and large surface area, nanomaterials possess excellent electrical, optical, magnetic, structural, and chemical properties. Optimizing the interface between biomolecules and/or ligands with nanostructured materials is currently a promising path for research of new antimicrobial therapies. The fact that nanoparticles are similar in size to intra- and extra-cellular biological components allows them to specifically interact with molecular and sub-cellular processes and manipulate biological states, structures, and functions in a radically new way, making them extremely attractive for new biomedical applications. The combination of materials science and nanomedicine has given rise to a new alternative field that involves the functionalization of nanostructures with different biologically active materials. The potential microbiological impact of nanoparticles is not only determined by their physicochemical properties, but also by the interactions of these with the immediate surrounding biological environments.

Biofabrication of functional protein nanoparticles through simple His-tag engineering López Laguna, Hèctor; Sanchez, Julieta Maria; Carratalá, José Vicente; Rojas Peña, Mauricio; Sánchez García, Laura; Parladé, Eloi; Sánchez Chardi, Alejandro; Voltà Durán, Eric; Serna, Naroa; Cano Garrido, Olivia; Flores Mamani, Sandra Soledad; Ferrer Miralles, Neus; Nolan, María Verónica; de Marco, Ario; Roher, Nerea; Unzueta, Ugutz; Vazquez, Esther; Villaverde, Antonio We have developed a simple, robust and fully transversal approach for the a-la-carte fabrication of functional multimeric nanoparticles with potential biomedical applications, validated here by a set of diverse and unrelated polypeptides. The proposed concept is based on the controlled coordination between Zn2+ ions and His residues in His-tagged proteins. This approach results in the spontaneous and reproducible protein assembling as nanoscale oligomers that keep the original functionalities of the protein building blocks. The assembling of these materials is not linked to particular polypeptide features and it is based on an environment-friendly and sustainable approach. The resulting nanoparticles, with dimensions ranging between 10 and 15 nm, are regular in size, architecturally stable, fully functional, and serve as intermediates in a more complex assembling process resulting in the formation of microscale protein materials. Since most of the recombinant proteins produced by biochemical and biotechnological industries and intended for biomedical research are His-tagged, the green biofabrication procedure proposed here can be straightforward applied to a huge spectrum of protein species for their conversion into their respective nanostructured formats.

Changes in vegetation and human-environment interactions during the Holocene in the Lake Pueyrredón area (southern Patagonia) Marcos, Maria Alejandra; Bamonte, Florencia Paula; Echeverria, Marcos Emanuel; Sottile, Gonzalo David; Mancini, Maria Virginia This paper reconstructs the vegetation history of the Lake Pueyrredón area during the Holocene and contextualizes the use of space and resources by hunter-gatherer groups according to palaeoenvironmental evolution. The pollen analysis of the Los Flamencos lake sequence is presented and integrated with local archaeological pollen data. Early Holocene vegetation consisted of a dwarf-shrub-grass steppe associated with cold conditions. From 7,600 cal bp a shrub vegetation with forest patches is inferred, suggesting a high moisture availability and possibly involving an eastwards displacement of the forest-steppe ecotone boundary. Human occupation, previously interrupted by the Hudson volcano eruption, and use of space is evident in this period. Between 6,600 and 5,400 cal bp an environmental change to drier conditions suggests a heterogeneous shrub steppe and the higher availability of floristic resources possibly used by hunter-gatherer groups. The predominance of shrub steppe with dwarf shrubs from 5,400 cal bp indicates more arid than current conditions, which correlates with a higher human-environment interaction related to changes in the lake configuration allowing new north–south circulation roads and vice versa, and major floristic resources availability. A decrease in dwarf-shrubs indicates a slight increase in moisture availability since 3,550 cal bp, suggesting a weakening of the westerly winds. The results indicate local and regional changes in vegetation linked mainly to moisture availability and Southern Westerly Winds fluctuations. The integration of pollen, archaeological and palaeogeographic information available and its comparison with other fossil records studied in Patagonia complement palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and explain the changes in a regional palaeoenvironmental framework.

Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations applied to Li-ion and post Li-ion batteries: A key link in the multi-scale chain Gavilán Arriazu, Edgardo Maximiliano; Mercer, Michael; Barraco Diaz, Daniel Eugenio; Hoster, Harry Ernst; Leiva, Ezequiel Pedro M. Since 1994, Kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) has been applied to the study of Li-ion batteries and has demonstrated to be a remarkable simulation tool to properly describe the physicochemical processes involved, on the atomistic scale and over long time scales. With the growth of computing power and the widespread use of lithium-based storage systems, more contributions from theoretical studies have been requested. This has led to a remarkable growth of theoretical publications on Li-ion batteries; kMC has been one of the preferred techniques to study these systems. Despite the advantages it presents, kMC has not yet been fully exploited in the field of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and its impact in this field is increasing exponentially. In this review, we summarize the most important applications of kMC to the study of LIBs and then comment on the state-of-the-art and prospects for the future of this technique, in the context of multi-scale modeling. We also briefly discuss the prospects for applying kMC to post lithium-ion chemistries such as lithium-sulfur and lithium-air.

Synthesis and interaction of terminal unsaturated chemical probes with Mycobacterium tuberculosis CYP124A1 Díaz Storani, Luz; Clary, Anaelle A.; Moreno, Diego Martin; Ballari, María Sol; Porta, Exequiel Oscar Jesús; Bracca, Andrea Beatriz Juana; Johnston, Jonathan B.; Labadie, Guillermo Roberto A series of C15–C20 isoprenyl derivatives bearing terminal alkenyl and alkynyl groups were synthesized as possible substrates of the methyl-branched lipid ω-hydroxylase CYP124A1 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The interactions of each compound with the enzyme active site were characterized using UV–vis spectroscopy. We found that C10 and C15 analogs bind with similar affinity to the corresponding parent C10 and C15 substrates geraniol and farnesol, respectively. Three analogs (C10-ω-ene, C10-ω-yne, C15-ω-yne) interact with the proximal side of the heme iron by coordinating to the oxygen atom of the ferric heme, as judged by the appearance of typical Type-IA binding spectra. On the other hand, the C15-ω-ene analog interacts with the ferric heme by displacing the bound water that generates a typical Type I binding spectrum. We were unable to detect P450-mediated oxidation of these probes following extended incubations with CYP124A1 in our reconstituted assay system, whereas a control reaction containing farnesol was converted to ω-hydroxy farnesol under the same conditions. To understand the lack of detectable oxidation, we explored the possibility that the analogs were acting as mechanism-based inhibitors, but we were unable to detect time-dependent loss of enzymatic activity. In order to gain insight into the lack of detectable turnover or time-dependent inhibition, we examined the interaction of each compound with the CYP124A1 active site using molecular docking simulations. The docking studies revealed a binding mode where the terminal unsaturated functional groups were sequestered within the methyl-binding pocket, rather than positioned close to the heme iron for oxidation. These results aid in the design of specific inhibitors of Mtb-CYP124A1, an interesting enzyme that is implicated in the oxidation of methyl-branched lipids, including cholesterol, within a deadly human pathogen.

Multiple assessments to value wild animals in the analysis of human-wildlife relationships: A case study from the Argentine Dry Chaco Tamburini, Daniela Maria; Zamudio, Fernando; Caceres, Daniel Mario Different perceptions of wildlife are usually involved in decision-making processes on the use of environmental commons and in human choices; therefore, knowing how people value nature can enhance our understanding about human-wildlife relationships. We propose to broaden the concept of cultural value by considering the trade-offs between positive and negative nature?s contributions to people (NCP), including trade-offs influenced by near-past contexts. Field work was conducted with inhabitants of a rural community of the Dry Chaco of Argentina, aiming at knowing the importance of fauna in people´s lives. We conducted free listings and semi-structured interviews and calculated the cognitive salience
index and five cultural value indexes (differing in the number and types of NCP categories considered). Local inhabitants were found to assess wild species by considering the satisfaction of material needs, immaterial aspects, and/or the damages that certain species may cause. The ethnospecies most widely and frequently used with material purposes in the near past and at present, and those considered the most harmful showed the highest salience values. The cultural value index that integrates both positive and negative assessments was positively correlated with cognitive salience; this relationship supports the results, showing that cognitive salience not only is conditioned by positive assessments but also captures multiple fauna assessments, including the negative ones.

Application of Statecharts in Buck-Boost DC-DC Converter Simulation Cendoya, Marcelo Gustavo; Toccaceli, Graciela Mabel A very attractive and relatively simple option to simulate a DC-DC converter is to use a hybrid model. In this case, the need to use very small simulation steps (as those necessary to simulate models carried out at the physical level) is avoided. Furthermore, unlike the averaged state-space models, it has the advantage that the model is valid throughout the entire working range of the converter and for both conduction modes (continuous and discontinuous). By simulating several renewable energy conversion systems incorporating DC-DC converters, the authors have discovered the true potential of this modeling method. Despite its inherent advantages, this approach to DC-DC converters simulation is not as widely adopted as it should be. This work tries to encourage the reader of its use in certain typical situations. In this article the implementation of the hybrid model of the DC-DC Buck-Boost converter, using Statechart techniques, is performed. This model was written in the Stateflow language, a tool from the MATLAB®/Simulink environment, and allowed the creation of a building block formed by the described converter model with adequate interfaces to the SimPowerSystem and Simulink environments. The block is validated by comparing simulation results, realized under different operating conditions, with calculations done employing well-known and proven formulas. As an example of the use of the presented block, a buck-boost DC-DC converter with voltage and current control loops is simulated, corroborating its correct performance.

Intelecto y prudencia: De la episteme a la política en la teoría de Christine de Pizan; Intellect and prudence: From episteme to politics in the theory of Christine de Pizan Rodriguez, Juliana Eva Christine de Pizan da vida a su gobernante ideal a partir de la tradición medieval del aristotelismo político y su noción de la "arquitectónica". Construido a modo de una arquitectura viviente de ciencias, el rey sabio aparece dominando la paleta de saberes, que va desde la episteme hasta los conocimientos más prácticos. Teoría y práctica se encuentran, así, en la base de su construcción de lo político. Pero ¿en qué medida la autora se consagra a brindar una explicación del pasaje de las ciencias, sobre todo, aquel que va de las especulativas al registro práctico de la ciencia política? Si el rey se distingue por ser un sabio al tiempo que un experto en las diversas ciencias (filosofía-teología, astrología, gramática, dialéctica, retórica, música, geometría, astronomía, aritmética y arquitectura), cabe preguntarse si acaso la autora teoriza sobre dicho pasaje de lo teórico a lo práctico que constituye la esencia de su pensamiento. ¿Cuál es el canal para volcar la episteme al servicio del Estado? Al respecto, sostengo la hipótesis de que tanto la prudencia como el entendimiento o intelecto parecen ser los dos componentes de la sabiduría perfecta que la escritora aúna en una perfecta díada; operación, esta, que le permite explicar el pasaje de todas las ciencias al plano de lo contingente. ¿Acaso no es, gracias a esta operación, que el rey sabio de Christine de Pizan aparece como el intelecto supremo de la comunidad política, encarnada en el reino de Francia? ¿No son las ciencias, de este modo, redituables en servicio del Estado?; Christine de Pizan gives life to her “ideal ruler” based on the political Aristotelianism and its notion of the “architectonic”. Built as a living architecture of sciences, the wise king appears dominating the range of different knowledges ranging from the episteme to the practical knowledge. Theory and practice are thus at the basis of her construction of the political matter. But to what extent does the author devote herself to providing an explanation of the transfer of science, especially the speculative science to the practical record of political science? In other words, whether the king is distinguished by being a sage at the same time as an expert in the various sciences (philosophy-theology, astrology, grammar, dialectics, rhetoric, music, geometry, astronomy, arithmetic, and architecture), it is necessary to ask whether the author theorizes about this transfer from the theoretical to the practical that constitutes the essence of her thought. What is the medium for translating the episteme into the service of the State? In this regard, I argue that both prudence and understanding (intellect) seem to be the two components of the perfect wisdom that the writer combines into a perfect dyad; operation, which allows her to explain the transfer from all sciences to the political arena. Isn’t it thanks to this operation that the wise king of Christine de Pizan appears as the supreme intellect of the political community, embodied in the kingdom of France? Are not the sciences thus profitable in the service of the State?