Occurrence of Anastrepha fraterculus and Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Organically Grown Rubus (Rosales: Rosaceae), in Two Contrasting Environments of Northwestern Argentina Funes, Claudia Fernanda; Escobar, Lorena Ines; Meneguzzi, Natalia Gabriela; Ovruski Alderete, Sergio Marcelo; Kirschbaum, Daniel Santiago In Tucumán (northwestern Argentina) during 2013 and 2014, Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) and Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) were found infesting organically grown blackberries in the humid piedmont region (Monte Grande, Famaillá). In 2016, only A. fraterculus was found infesting organically grown blackberries and raspberries in the temperate semiarid region (Tafí del Valle), where studies conducted in prior years showed coexistence of both fruit fly species with prevalence of C. capitata over A. fraterculus, but in other fruit species. In this study, we found that A. fraterculus had a remarkable preference for raspberries over blackberries. These are the first records of fruit fly occurrence in Rubus (Rosales: Rosaceae) in northwestern Argentina and expand the range of host species for fruit flies in the region. Fruit fly infestation levels in blackberries in the humid region were very low, whereas fruit fly infestation in the semiarid region was relatively high. Based on our observations, we hypothesize that spring rains, soil moisture, and relative humidity determine the time of appearance of fruit flies in blackberries in the humid region. Fruit fly abundance should be tracked for several more years to test this hypothesis. In addition, fruit flies were not recovered from fruit samples of the blackberry cultivar Navaho, which is interesting from both an agronomic and scientific perspective.

Grazing increases evapotranspiration without the cost of lowering soil water storages in arid ecosystems Pereyra, Daniel A.; Bucci, Sandra Janet; Arias, Nadia Soledad; Ciano, Nicolás; Cristiano, Piedad María; Goldstein, Guillermo Hernan; Scholz, Fabian Gustavo Grazing is the predominant land use practice in arid environments; however, there are relatively few studies of grazing effects on ecosystem functioning. We assessed the impact of grazing on soil moisture, evapotranspiration (ET), canopy conductance (Gc), and root water uptake in the Patagonian steppe. Studies were done in 3 sites along a gradient of grazing intensity. High grazing intensity increased the soil water storage by 24% and decreased the amount of water extracted from deep layers compared to the low grazing intensity. Grazing affected ET and its partitioning into transpiration (T) and evaporation. High shrub cover and Gc increased ET and T or ET partitioning in the heavily grazed site. Annual ET increased from 78% to 92% of the annual precipitation from the lowest to the highest grazing intensity, respectively. Total T was 21% higher in the highest intensity site compared to the lowest intensity site. Changes in Gc suggest that grazing modified the canopy architecture, and thus the response of vegetation to environmental factors. At the beginning of the growing season when moisture was high, Gc exhibited the highest value in the heavily grazed site, but a strong regulation of water losses was observed under drier conditions. This study emphasizes the need to assess simultaneously multiple factors for understanding regulatory mechanisms of grazing effects on hydrological processes. From a sustainable management point of view, we suggest that increasing the number of water sources, and thus spreading the sheep in a paddock, can enhance the stocking rate while maintaining soil water storage.

Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) is present in human spermatozoa and is related with sperm motility: the use of recombinant FGF2 to improve motile sperm recovery Garbarino Azúa, Darío Jose; Saucedo, Lucia; Giordana, S.; Magri, M.L.; Buffone, Mariano Gabriel; Neuspiller, F.; Vazquez, Monica Hebe; Marin Briggiler, Clara Isabel Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and their receptors (FGFRs) regulate several functions of somatic cells. In a previous work, we reported FGFR expression in human spermatozoa and their involvement in motility. This study aimed to evaluate the presence and localization of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) in human spermatozoa, to determine the relationship of FGF2 levels with conventional semen parameters and to assess the effect of recombinant FGF2 (rFGF2) on sperm recovery in a selection procedure. Western immunoblotting analysis using an antibody against FGF2 revealed an 18-kDa band in sperm protein extracts. The protein was immunolocalized in the sperm flagellum and acrosomal region, as well as in all germ cells. Sperm FGF2 levels, assessed by flow cytometry, showed a positive (p < 0.05) correlation with sperm concentration, motility, total sperm number and total motile cells per ejaculate. Moreover, samples with abnormal motility depicted diminished (p < 0.01) FGF2 levels compared to those with normal motility. Spermatozoa exposed to rFGF2 bound the protein, exhibited higher (p < 0.05) total and motile sperm recoveries, and increased (p < 0.01) kinematic parameters after the swim-up. Findings herein presented lead to consider sperm FGF2 level as a potential marker of sperm quality, and rFGF2 as a supplement for improving sperm recovery in selection techniques.

Economic performance assessment and monitoring in LP-DMC type controller applications Godoy, José Luis; Ferramosca, Antonio; González, Alejandro Hernán One of the main reported problems in petrochemical applications of Linear Programming-Dynamic Matrix Control (LP-DMC) type controllers is their global performance assessment. Since the stationary optimization and dynamic control blocks have not a transparent link between them, it is not easy to find appropriate references to evaluate the overall performance, and more important, to clearly determine the causes of an eventual loss of performance. In this work, the whole LP-DMC problem is analyzed and an off-line underlying optimization problem is defined, whose solution is used as a benchmark for the global closed-loop behaviors study. Based on this idea three global indicators, which evaluate and diagnose poor controller performance, are proposed. The indicators were successfully tested in two case studies: an integrating system and the well-known Shell heavy oil fractionator.

Progesterone administration in planned reproduction of cattle Helbling, Ignacio Marcelo; Luna, Julio Alberto Cattle constitute one of the most widely used species for animal husbandry. The growing demand for products derived from cattle has led to the development of intensive production systems. These systems require planned breeding of the herd to maintain optimal production levels. Planned breeding involves estrous cycle control and artificial insemination to assist reproduction. Estrus control is a hormonal treatment that can be performed by following different protocols with the aim of manipulating the reproductive cycle to synchronize estrus in females. Estrus synchronization presents several advantages mainly related to the avoidance of estrus detection and facilitates overall planning, including logistics of artificial insemination, grazing and specific nutrition programs, calving dates, and vaccination schedules. Progesterone plays a major role in estrus cycle control programs. Progesterone blood level regulates secretion and patterns of different estrus-inducing hormones and controls follicle and corpus luteum growth and development. Hence, one of the most important step for cycle regulation is the control of blood progesterone concentration at required time periods. Typically, the reproductive management strategy includes the administration of an exogenous source of progesterone to the animal, releasing the hormone at controlled rates to maintain the concentration at supraluteal levels for a specific period of time. When delivery is disrupted, progesterone concentration falls below the threshold to subluteal levels, inducing the beginning of a hormonal-regulated mechanism which will lead to the onset of heat and subsequent ovulation. Several technologies have been developed for progesterone administration. The most widespread practice is the use of matrices for sustained administration. These matrices are made of polymeric materials and contain the hormone. These polymeric matrices can be manufactured with different geometric shapes and can be placed in different sites of the animal body. Today, intravaginal administration is the main route of administration. Intravaginal devices made of non-biodegradable polymers are the most widely used systems for synchronization purposes. However, some concerns about the nonbiodegradable materials that make up these intravaginal devices and other related inconveniencies promote new research lines. There is a general trend towards simplifying the administration of progesterone and developing more friendly delivery systems. Strategies include reducing the hormone residue in used devices, reusing devices, the incorporating biodegradable polymeric materials to manufacture the matrices, and simplifying manufacturing processes. In this context, this chapter is intended to point out the importance of both reproduction planning for production animals and the use of progesterone for estrus cycle control, describing its role, advantages and disadvantages of biodegradable and non-biodegradable delivery devices and future trends in the field of progesterone delivery.

Recyclable amitraz-ethylene vinyl acetate strips used for beehives treatment against Varroa destructor Karp, Federico; Luna, Julio Alberto; Mengatto, Luciano Nicolas In this work, a new recyclable ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)-based strip impregnated with amitraz (AMZ) was prepared, characterized, and evaluated for the treatment of Apis mellifera against Varroa destructor. Bees are important for natural pollination, honey, and related goods production. Varroa destructor is currently considered one of the major pests and important efforts around the world are focused on methods for varroasis treatment. The procedure of strips preparation presented in this work consisted of two steps: impregnation and molding of impregnated pellets. Differential scanning calorimetryand gas chromatography?mass spectrometry analyses confirmed that AMZmolecule resisted the impregnation and molding conditions. The strips were sufficiently strong to resist destruction by the bees. The final infestation was lower in the hives treated with AMZ/EVA strips than in those treated with commercial strips. In order to check the possibility of recycling, strips were cut into little pieces and were subjected to total AMZ extraction. Finally, the fragments were exposed to re-impregnation and molding. The strips prepared after the recycling process presented the same shape and AMZ load than fresh strips.

El Fondo Tecnológico Argentino (FONTAR) anuncia el resultados del proceso de evaluación para la ventanilla A-TECi mediante Resolución de Directorio N°435/17.

El Fondo Tecnológico Argentino (FONTAR) anuncia el resultados del proceso de evaluación para la ventanilla ASIS - TECg mediante Resolución de Directorio N°434/17.

El Fondo Tecnológico Argentino (FONTAR) anuncia los resultados del proceso de evaluación para la convocatoria ANR I+D 2017 C1 mediante Resolución de Directorio N°446/17.

El Fondo Tecnológico Argentino (FONTAR) anuncia los resultados del proceso de evaluación para la convocatoria ANR 4800 INT mediante Resolución de Directorio N°445/17.

El Fondo Tecnológico Argentino (FONTAR) anuncia los resultados del proceso de evaluación y reconsideración para la convocatoria ANR 3500 2016 C3 mediante Resolución de Directorio N°441, 448 y 449/17.

La fauna menor de sitios arqueológicos del curso inferior del río Colorado (provincia de Buenos Aires) : aspectos tafonómicos y subsistencia de cazadores-recolectores durante el Holoceno medio y tardío Alcaraz, Ana Paula El presente trabajo de tesis tiene como objetivo caracterizar el aprovechamiento de la fauna menor (<15 kg) con el fin de evaluar su contribución en la subsistencia de los grupos cazadores-recolectores que habitaron la transición pampeano-patagónica oriental durante el Holoceno medio y tardío. Para alcanzar este propósito se analizaron los conjuntos faunísticos de tres sitios arqueológicos del área: La Modesta (ca. 5900-5600 años AP), Zoko Andi 1 (ca. 1500-1300; ca. 800-400 años AP) y El Tigre (ca. 900-400 años AP). Los resultados obtenidos muestran que diversas especies de fauna menor fueron aprovechadas por los grupos humanos durante el Holoceno medio y tardío. Asimismo, se detectaron variaciones en la explotación de las mismas lo cual responde a diversos factores, tales como los lugares donde se asientan los grupos, la estacionalidad, la duración de la ocupación, la diversidad de recursos disponibles en el ambiente, las actividades que se llevan a cabo en un determinado espacio y las decisiones humanas. Asimismo, sobre este escenario influyeron cuestiones de muestreo y/o preservación en función de los ambientes geomorfológicos en los que se encuentran emplazados los sitios y los procesos tafonómicos actuantes. Esta información sumada a la ya generada para las especies de tamaño mayor y peces, contribuyó a profundizar en el conocimiento de la interacción entre las diversas taxa y los grupos humanos así como en los cambios en su aprovechamiento a lo largo del Holoceno. En este sentido, los resultados obtenidos permitieron reevaluar ciertos aspectos del modelo de subsistencia propuesto para el área al poner en evidencia que estrategias de subsistencia que hasta el momento se consideraba que tenían lugar recién hacia la parte final del Holoceno tardío se habrían utilizado desde momentos más tempranos. Tal es el caso de la incorporación a la dieta de especies de pequeño tamaño de diversos ambientes y la explotación intensiva de algunas taxa como los ungulados. En síntesis, la información generada permitió lograr una visión más completa de la subsistencia como así también comprender aspectos vinculados con la historia tafonómica de los depósitos.

La Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica financiará proyectos que fortalezcan la producción y el desarrollo nacional.

In silico analysis and effects of environmental salinity in the expression and activity of digestive α-amylase and trypsins from the euryhaline crab Neohelice granulata Asaro, Antonela; Martos Sitcha, Juan Antonio; Martínez Rodríguez, Gonzalo; Mancera, Juan Miguel; Lopez Mañanes, Alejandra Antonia Studies on molecular characteristics and modulation of expression of α-amylase and trypsin in the hepatopancreas of intertidal euryhaline crabs are lacking. In this work, we cloned and studied by in silico approaches the characteristics of cDNA sequences for α-amylase and two trypsins isoforms, as well as the effect of environmental salinity, on gene expression and protein activities in the hepatopancreas of Neohelice granulata (Dana, 1851), which is a good invertebrate model species. The cDNA sequence of α-amylase is 1637 bp long, encoding 459 amino acid residues. Trypsin 1 and 2 are 689 and 1174 bp long, encoding 204 and 151 amino acid residues, respectively. Multiple sequence alignment of deduced protein sequences revealed the presence of conserved motifs found in other invertebrates. In crabs acclimated at 37 psu (hyporegulation), α-amylase mRNA level and total pancreatic amylase activity were higher than at 10 psu (hyperregulation) and 35 psu (osmoconformation). Trypsin 1 mRNA levels increased at 37 psu, while trypsin 2 levels decreased at 10 and 37 psu. Total trypsin activity was similar in all salinities. Our results showed a differential modulation of α-amylase and trypsin expression and total amylase activity by salinity acclimation, suggesting the occurrence of distinct mechanisms of regulation at different levels that could lead to digestive adjustments in relation to hyperregulation and (or) hyporegulation.

El Fondo Tecnológico Argentino (FONTAR) anuncia los resultados del proceso de evaluación para la convocatoria ANR 4800 2017 C1 mediante Resolución de Directorio N°447/17.

Nueva iniciativa de la Agencia y un Consorcio Asociativo Público-Privado en el marco de Proyectos Estratégicos.

La Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica, a través del Fondo Tecnológico Argentino (FONTAR), llaman a la presentación de Proyectos de Innovación Tecnológica para la adjudicación de Aportes No Reembolsables destinados al financiamiento de proyectos de desarrollo tecnológico para alcanzar una producción más limpia o que genere un menor impacto en el medio ambiente (ANR P+L 2017 C2), presentados por empresas en el marco del Programa de Innovación Tecnológica V (PMT V).

El organismo ejecutor de las políticas del Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva celebró 20 años de trabajo en pos del desarrollo nacional.

El Fondo Fiduciario de Promoción de la Industria del Software (FONSOFT) anuncia los resultados del proceso de reconsideración y evaluación para la convocatoria ANR FONSOFT 2016 C1 y c2 mediante Resolución de Directorio N°355,353 y 372/17.

El Fondo Fiduciario de Promoción de la Industria del Software (FONSOFT) anuncia los resultados del proceso de evaluación para la convocatoria Becas Jóvenes Profesionales TIC 2016 mediante Resolución de Directorio N°376/17.