Chagas disease ecoepidemiology and environmental changes in northern Minas Gerais state, Brazil Neves Vianna, Elisa; Souza e Guimarães, Ricardo José de Paula; Souza, Christian Rezende; Gorla, David Eladio; Diotaiuti, Liléia BACKGROUND: Triatoma sordida and Triatoma pseudomaculata are frequently captured triatomine species in the Brazilian savannah and caatinga biomes, respectively, and in Brazilian domiciles. OBJECTIVES: This study identified eco-epidemiological changes in Chagas disease in northern Minas Gerais state, Brazil, and considered the influence of environmental shifts and both natural and anthropogenic effects. METHODS: Domicile infestation and Trypanosoma cruzi infection rates were obtained from triatomines and sylvatic reservoirs during the following two time periods: the 1980s and 2007/2008. Entomological and climatic data with land cover classification derived from satellite imagery were integrated into a geographic information system (GIS), which was applied for atmospheric correction, segmentation, image classification, and mapping and to analyse data obtained in the field. Climatic data were analysed and compared to land cover classifications. RESULTS: A comparison of current data with data obtained in the 1980's showed that T. sordida colonised domiciliary areas in both periods, and that T. pseudomaculata did not colonise these areas. There was a tendency toward a reduction in T. cruzi infection rates in sylvatic reservoirs, and of triatomines captured in both households and in the sylvatic environment. T. sordida populations have reduced in the sylvatic environment, while T. pseudomaculata showed an expanding trend in the region compared to counts observed in the 1980's in the sylvatic environment. This may be related to high deforestation rates as well as gradual increases in land surface temperature (LST) and temperatures along the years. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest a geographical expansion of species into new biomes as a result of anthropogenic and climatic changes that directly interfere with the reproductive and infection processes of vectors.

Development and Analysis of a New Solar Radiation Atlas for Argentina from Ground-Based Measurements and CERES_SYN1deg data Carmona, Facundo; Orte, Pablo Facundo; Rivas, Raúl Eduardo; Wolfram, Elian Augusto; Kruse, Eduardo Emilio Currently, quantifying global solar radiation at surface in Argentina is crucial for the development of projects related to solar energy, calculation of evapotranspiration and eco-sustainability architecture, among other environmental issues. In recent years, several models have been developed to estimate the solar energy resources by means of various techniques, e.g. satellite imaging, kriging, or Artificial Neural Networks. The use of satellite data allows for a better spatial representation, being of great relevance in areas with lack of terrain measurements. In this paper, we use the CERES_SYN1deg to develop a new Global Solar Radiation Atlas for Argentina. In this study, we developed maps of annual and monthly mean daily global solar radiation using CERES_SYN1deg data between 2000 and 2016. In order to validate the global solar radiation data provided by CERES_SYN1deg, they were compared with ground-based measurements in the time overlap of both instruments, in four monitoring sites of the SAVER-Net project and an additional site in Tandil, which belongs to the Remote Sensing Group of IHLLA. The maps show the spatial and temporal variation of global solar radiation in Argentina. Comparisons with ground-based pyranometers reveal relative differences of around 3% at a monthly scale for all sites, while the biases can be neglected. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that the maps could be very useful for different technical and scientific purposes, and the comparison with ground-based data demonstrates CERES_SYN1deg´s reliability.

Electrophoresis characterization of Turnera sidoides L. (Passifloraceae: Turneroideae) seed storage proteins and its systematic implications Moreno, Ercilia Maria Sara; Roggero Luque, Juan Manuel; Solis Neffa, Viviana Griselda Twenty-four populations of Turnera sidoides were analysed, using seed storage protein fingerprinting techniques, including 19 populations of Turnera spp. and three of Piriqueta spp. for comparative purposes. The aim was to characterize the T. sidoides complex and to evaluate its profiles as a character to clarify its taxonomic position, as well as its evolutionary relationships within the genus Turnera. The present work is the first comparative study of the seed protein fingerprint in Turneroideae. The results proved that seed proteins are useful characters to discriminate between genus and species, as well as to characterize them. The finding of exclusive bands in Turnera and Piriqueta are evidence for the existence of genetic differences between genera, and support their taxonomic identity. Our results are in agreement with evolutionary tendencies of karyotype proposed for Turnera, and support the close relationships between species belonging to the same series, except T. sidoides, which should be singled out of Leiocarpae, supporting the proposal of its inclusion in an independent series.

Antitumoral effects of the alkynylphosphonate analogue of calcitriol EM1 on glioblastoma multiforme cells Ferronato, María Julia; Alonso, Eliana Noelia; Salomón, Débora Gisele; Fermento, María Eugenia; Gandini, Norberto Ariel; Quevedo, Mario Alfredo; Mascaro, Evangelina; Vitale, Cristian Alejandro; Fall, Yagamare; Facchinetti, Maria Marta; Curino, Alejandro Carlos Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the worst and most common brain tumor, characterized by high proliferation and invasion rates. The current standard treatment is mainly based on chemoradiotherapy and this approach has slightly improved patient survival. Thus, novel strategies aimed at prolonging the survival and ensuring a better quality of life are necessary. In the present work, we investigated the antitumoral effect of the novel analogue of calcitriol EM1 on GBM cells employing in vitro, in silico, and in vivo assays. In vitro, we demonstrated that EM1 treatment selectively decreases the viability of murine and human tumor cells without affecting that of normal human astrocytes. The analysis of the mechanisms showed that EM1 produces cell cycle arrest in the T98G cell line, which is accompanied by an increase in p21, p27, p57 protein levels and a decrease in cyclin D1, p-Akt-S473, p-ERK1/2 and c-Jun expression. Moreover, EM1 treatment also exerts in GBM cells anti-migratory effects and decreases their invasive capacity by a reduction in MMP-9 proteolytic activity. In silico, we demonstrated that EM1 is able to bind to the vitamin D receptor with greater affinity than calcitriol. Finally, we showed that EM1 treatment of nude mice administered at 50 ug/Kg body weight during 21 days neither induces hypercalcemia nor toxicity effects. In conclusion, all the results indicate the potential of EM1 analogue as a promising therapeutic alternative for GBM treatment.

Prevalence and clinical profile of microcephaly in South America pre-Zika, 2005-14: prevalence and case-control study Orioli, Iêda M.; Dolk, Helen; López Camelo, Jorge Santiago; Mattos, Daniel; Poletta, Fernando Adrián; Dutra, Maria G.; Carvalho, Flavia M.; Castilla, Eduardo Enrique Objective To describe the prevalence and clinical spectrum of microcephaly in South America for the period 2005-14, before the start of the Zika epidemic in 2015, as a baseline for future surveillance as the Zika epidemic spreads and as other infectious causes may emerge in future.Design Prevalence and case-control study.Data sources ECLAMC (Latin American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations) database derived from 107 hospitals in 10 South American countries, 2005 to 2014. Data on microcephaly cases, four non-malformed controls per case, and all hospital births (all births for hospital based prevalence, resident within municipality for population based prevalence). For 2010-14, head circumference data were available and compared with Intergrowth charts.Results 552 microcephaly cases were registered, giving a hospital based prevalence of 4.4 (95% confidence interval 4.1 to 4.9) per 10 000 births and a population based prevalence of 3.0 (2.7 to 3.4) per 10 000. Prevalence varied significantly between countries and between regions and hospitals within countries. Thirty two per cent (n=175) of cases were prenatally diagnosed; 29% (n=159) were perinatal deaths. Twenty three per cent (n=128) were associated with a diagnosed genetic syndrome, 34% (n=189) polymalformed without a syndrome diagnosis, 12% (n=65) with associated neural malformations, and 26% (n=145) microcephaly only. In addition, 3.8% (n=21) had a STORCH (syphilis, toxoplasmosis, other including HIV, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex) infection diagnosis and 2.0% (n=11) had consanguineous parents. Head circumference measurements available for 184/235 cases in 2010-14 showed 45% (n=82) more than 3 SD below the mean, 24% (n=44) between 3 SD and 2 SD below the mean, and 32% (n=58) larger than -2 SD.Conclusion Extrapolated to the nearly 7 million annual births in South America, an estimated 2000-2500 microcephaly cases were diagnosed among births each year before the Zika epidemic began in 2015. Clinicians are using more than simple metrics to make microcephaly diagnoses. Endemic infections are important enduring causes of microcephaly.

En su quinta edición, el evento galardonó el proyecto de desarrollo de papeles bioactivos para el envasado de alimentos, a cargo de Raquel Evangelina Martini de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.

El Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (FONCyT) informa que se ha prorrogado la fecha de cierre para la presentación de proyectos para PICTO UNIPE 2017

La Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT), a través del Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (FONCyT) llama, en forma conjunta con PORTA Hnos. S.A., a la presentación de proyectos de investigación científica y tecnológica para la adjudicación de subsidios a grupos de investigadores formados y activos de las areas de ciencias biológicas, químicas, y tecnológicas.

Autoridades del organismo dependiente del Ministerio de Ciencia y de la organización financiera internacional participaron de un recorrido por las instituciones y empresas científico-tecnológicas.

El Fondo Fiduciario de Promoción de la Industria del Software (FONSOFT) anuncia los resultados del proceso de evaluación para la convocatoria ANR Empresa Jóven 2016 C2 mediante Resolución de Directorio N°580/17.

El Fondo Fiduciario de Promoción de la Industria del Software (FONSOFT) anuncia los resultados del proceso de evaluación para la convocatoria Emprendedores FONSOFT 2017 C1 mediante Resolución N°581/17.

Predictive value of galectin-1 in the development and progression of HIV-associated lymphoma Vase, MajaØlholm; Ludvigsen, Maja; Bendix, Knud; Dutoit, Stephen H.; Hjortebjerg, Rikke; Petruskevicius, Irma; Møller, Michael B.; Pedersen, Gitte; Denton, Paul W.; Honoré, Bent; Rabinovich, Gabriel Adrián; Larsen, Carsten S.; D'Amore, Francesco At AHIV-1 infection, the binding of the viral envelopeproteins to CD4þ is essential for viral transmission, andthis process is facilitated by interaction with the highlyconserved host lectin, galectin-1 (Gal-1) [1?3]. Withinthe tumor microenvironment, Gal-1 is expressed by bothtumor and stromal cells where it promotes tumorimmune escape and favors hypoxia-driven angiogenesis[4?6]. In sporadically occurring Hodgkin lymphoma,high Gal-1 expression at diagnosis is associated withpoorer treatment response [7], and high soluble Gal-1(sGal-1) correlates with adverse disease characteristics [8].Previous studies have shown that targeted inhibition ofGal-1 prevents tumor-induced immunosuppression[9,10] as well as inhibits tumor growth and metastasisin various tumor models [6,11?13].In conclusion, the results of our study indicate that Gal-1 is significantly associated with risk of lymphoma in HIV-infected individuals and may represent an attractive futuretarget for the management of HIV-associated lymphoma.

La Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT), a través del Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (FONCyT) llama, en forma conjunta con la Pontificia Universidad Católica “Santa María de los Buenos Aires” (UCA), a la presentación de proyectos de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica a convocatoria para la adjudicación de subsidios a grupos de investigadores formados y activos de la UCA, o de otras instituciones en los que participe al menos un investigador de la UCA, orientados a áreas de interés común con el cofinanciador vinculadas al transporte, la movilidad y la logística en la Argentina.

El Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (FONCyT) anuncia los resultados del proceso de adjudicación para la convocatoria PICT Start Up mediante Resolución N° 595/17 con fecha del 19 de octubre.

El Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (FONCyT) anuncia los proyectos de admisibilidad de la convocatoria PICT 2017 mediante la Disposición Administrativa N° 37/17.

El Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (FONCyT) anuncia los resultados del proceso de procesabilidad de la convocatoria PICT 2017.

Real-time diagrammatic approach to current-induced forces: Application to quantum-dot based nanomotors Calvo, Hernan Laureano; Ribetto, Federico Daniel; Bustos Marun, Raul Alberto In recent years there has been increasing excitement regarding nanomotors and particularly current-driven nanomotors. Despite the broad variety of stimulating results found, the regime of strong Coulomb interactions has not been fully explored for this application. Here we consider nanoelectromechanical devices composed of a set of coupled quantum dots interacting with mechanical degrees of freedom taken in the adiabatic limit and weakly coupled to electronic reservoirs. We use a real-time diagrammatic approach to derive general expressions for the current-induced forces, friction coefficients, and zero-frequency force noise in the Coulomb blockade regime of transport. We prove our expressions obey Onsager's reciprocity relations and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem for the energy dissipation of the mechanical modes. The obtained results are illustrated with a nanomotor consisting of a double quantum dot capacitively coupled to rotating charges. We analyze the dynamics and performance of the motor as a function of the applied voltage and loading force for trajectories encircling different triple points in the charge stability diagram.

La Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCYT), a través del Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (FONCyT), llama en forma conjunta con GLAXOSMITHKLINE ARGENTINA S.A. (GSK), a la presentación de proyectos de investigación orientados a la identificación y validación de Nuevos Blancos Moleculares con Potencial Terapéutico.

Fragmentación del Bosque Chaqueño y cambios en el uso de la tierra: Efectos del glifosato en las plantas nativas Ferreira, María Florencia En las últimas décadas, los agronegocios basados en cultivos transgénicos se han expandido,en Argentina, en áreas anteriormente ocupadas por Bosques Chaqueños. Actualmente, elglifosato es el principal agroquímico utilizado, aunque cada vez hay más evidencias sobrelos efectos ecotoxicológicos que produce en diversos organismos no- blanco, como lasplantas que viven en ambientes naturales inmersos en los agroecosistemas. En este contexto,los objetivos principales de la presente Tesis Doctoral fueron: a) evaluar, en fragmentos deBosque Chaqueño de la Provincia de Córdoba, las relaciones existentes entre diversidad,composición y supervivencia de plantas nativas, sensibilidad de las especies vegetales a losefectos del glifosato y grado de exposición de la vegetación a este herbicida, y b) detectarpotenciales indicadores de pérdida de diversidad vegetal a fin de proponer accionesadecuadas para el manejo sustentable y la conservación de los bosques nativos. ysupervivencia de especies de plantas vasculares en 20 fragmentos de bosque nativo dediferente tamaño y con distintos porcentajes de superficie cultivada en el paisaje circundante.Se determinaron, en invernadero, los efectos de un gradiente de concentraciones de glifosatoen 35 especies vegetales presentes en los fragmentos de bosque estudiados. Para dos especies(una tolerante y otra sensible al glifosato) se determinaron, en los fragmentos de bosque, losefectos de este herbicida en relación al grado de exposición de las plántulas a unapulverización en los cultivos. Los resultados mostraron un gradiente de sensibilidad alglifosato; algunas especies mueren con dosis muy bajas, mientras que otras sobreviven conefectos severos o son tolerantes al herbicida. En todas las especies estudiadas se observaronefectos letales o subletales, incluso cuando se aplicaron dosis equivalentes a aquéllas quepueden llegar por deriva al interior de los fragmentos de bosque (por ejemplo, 1⁄4 de la dosishabitual de las pulverizaciones en el campo). La comparación entre los efectos del glifosatoobservados en los experimentos en invernadero y en los fragmentos de bosque permitióestimar que parte de las pulverizaciones en los cultivos estarían llegando, al menos, hasta80m hacia el interior de los fragmentos (12,5% de la dosis aplicada al cultivo). Los efectosdel gradiente de concentraciones de glifosato fueron menores en las plántulas desarrolladasen invernadero a partir de semillas provenientes de fragmentos con mayor exposición a laspulverizaciones de los cultivos (fragmentos pequeños). Por último, se observó una mayordiversidad de especies sensibles al glifosato en los fragmentos con baja exposición a laspulverizaciones (fragmentos grandes) y una mayor diversidad de especies tolerantes alglifosato en los fragmentos pequeños. En conclusión, los resultados obtenidos en esta TesisDoctoral indican que la vegetación presente en los fragmentos de bosque nativo estaríasiendo fuertemente afectada por la aplicación de glifosato en los cultivos adyacentes. Losefectos letales y subletales del glifosato en plantas nativas no-blanco estarían promoviendo,al mismo tiempo, la selección de biotipos tolerantes al glifosato (potenciales nuevas malezas)y la pérdida de biodiversidad en los bosques nativos inmersos en los agroecosistemas

La Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica, a través del Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (FONCyT), convoca a la presentacion de “Proyectos de para la Relocalización de Investigadores en Regiones Prioritarias (PRH-Relocalización Federal)” –modalidad Ventanilla Abierta-