Synthesis of divalent ligands of beta-thio- and beta-N-galactopyranosides and related lactosides and their evaluation as substrates and inhibitors of Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase Cano, María Emilia; Agusti, Rosalia; Cagnoni, Alejandro; Tesoriero, María Florencia; Kovenski, José; Uhrig, Maria Laura; Muchnik, Rosa In this work we describe the synthesis of mono- and divalent β-N- and β-S-galactopyranosides and related lactosides built on sugar scaffolds and their evaluation as substrates and inhibitors of the Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase (TcTS). This enzyme catalyzes the transfer of sialic acid from an oligosaccharidic donor in the host, to parasite βGalp terminal units and it has been demonstrated that it plays an important role in the infection. Herein, the enzyme was also tested as a tool for the chemoenzymatic synthesis of sialic acid containing glycoclusters. The transfer reaction of sialic acid was performed using a recombinant TcTS and 3?-sialyllactose as sialic acid donor, in the presence of the acceptor having βGalp non reducing ends. The products were analyzed by high performance anion exchange chromatography with pulse amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD). The ability of the different S-linked and N-linked glycosides to inhibit the sialic acid transfer reaction from 3?-sialyllactose to the natural substrate N-acetyllactosamine, was also studied. Most of the substrates behaved as good acceptors and moderate competitive inhibitors. A di-N-lactoside showed to be the strongest competitive inhibitor among the compounds tested (70% inhibition at equimolar concentration). The usefulness of the enzymatic trans-sialylation for the preparation of sialylated ligands was assessed by performing a preparative sialylation of a divalent substrate, which afforded the monosialylated compound as main product, together with the disialylated glycocluster.

Electrospun Nanofibrous Mats: From Vascular Repair to Osteointegration Ribba, Laura Gabriela; Parisi, Marián Luciana; D'accorso, Norma Beatriz; Goyanes, Silvia Nair Electrospinning is a versatile technique for generating a mat of continuous fibers with diameters from a few nanometers to several micrometers. The diversity of electrospinnable materials, and the unique features associated with electrospun fibers make this technique and its resultant structures attractive for applications in the biomedical field. This article presents an overview of this technique focusing on its application for tissue engineering. In particular, the advantages and disadvantages of using an electrospinning mat for biomedical applications are discussed. It reviews the different available electrospinning configurations, detailing how the different process variables and material types determine the obtained fibers characteristics. Then a description of how nanofiber based scaffolds offer great promise in the regeneration or function restoration of damaged or diseased bones, muscles or nervous tissue is reported. Different methods for incorporating active agents on nanofibers and controlling their release mechanisms are also reviewed. The review concludes with some personal perspectives on the future work to be done in order to include electrospinning technique in the industrial development of biomedical materials.

Carvedilol protects the peritubular capillaries and kidney structure in spontaneously hypertensive rats Cao, Gabriel Fernando; Milei, Jose; Muller, Angelica del Carmen; Ottaviano, Graciela Mabel; Gómez Llambí, Hernan Carvedilol improves autoregulation of renal blood flow by virtue of its ability to reduce intrarenal vascular resistance [1] and modify the vascular reactivity in non-denervated kidney [2]. Long-term changes in renal blood flow, for example during essential hypertension, may induce progressive modifications in the microvascular (MV) tone, given that the chronic vascular constriction can lead to peritubular capillary loss and increased intrarenal vascular resistance. The severity of these changes may affect the kidney functions, a phenomenon known as vascular rarefaction [3].

Árboles de Misiones: Helietta apiculata Benth Bohren, Alicia Violeta; Grance, Luis Alberto; Keller, Hector Alejandro; Aguilera, María Angélica; Kupers, Guillermo Federico Resumen: en la ficha técnica se incluyen diversos caracteres dendrológicos, morfológicos, anatómicos de Helietta apiculata (Rutaceae) que son de interés para el sector forestal

A hybrid configuration interaction treatment based on seniority number and excitation schemes Alcoba, Diego Ricardo; Torre, Alicia; Lain, Luis; Oña, Ofelia Beatriz; Capuzzi, Pablo; Van Raemdonck, Mario; Bultinck, Patrick; Van Neck, Dimitri We present a configuration interaction method in which the Hamiltonian of an N-electron system is projected on Slater determinants selected according to the seniority-number criterion along with the traditional excitation-based procedure. This proposed method is especially useful to describe systems which exhibit dynamic (weak) correlation at determined geometric arrangements (where the excitation-based procedure is more suitable) but show static (strong) correlation at other arrangements (where the seniority-number technique is preferred). The hybrid method amends the shortcomings of both individual determinant selection procedures, yielding correct shapes of potential energy curves with results closer to those provided by the full configuration interaction method.

E(in)migración italiana en la Argentina y conflictos lingüísticos. Representaciones literarias y variaciones en las dos orillas Bravo Herrera, Fernanda Elisa Este trabajo se propone analizar algunas representaciones de los conflictos lingüísticos que se han producido por la e(in)migración italiana en la Argentina, atendiendo no solamente producciones literarias argentinas sino también italianas, ubicadas entre los siglos XIX y XX. De esta forma se espera reconstruir una especie de mapa de configuraciones de la alteridad y de la identidad, partiendo de las estilizaciones lingüísticas, que proponen el proceso de reacomodamiento cultural vinculado con las e(in)migraciones y que ha significado un replanteo de las identidades nacionales y de los proyectos político-culturales relacionados con éstas. Algunas de las cuestiones que se relevarán se vinculan con el cocoliche, con la interlingua, con el lunfardo, con los contactos lingüísticos ya estudiados por Giovanni Meo-Zilio, pero se centrará, sobre todo, en la cuestión identitaria que emerge de las mismas. Las diferentes representaciones del uso de la lengua de los e(in)migrantes italianos en la Argentina en los espacios literarios de Argentina y de Italia permite configurar las distintas perspectivas socio-ideológicas que han modelizado el proceso migratorio y los mecanismos de integración (o no) que interactúan y lo determinan. Entre los varios autores que se estudian en este trabajo se incluyen: José Hernández, Armando Discépolo, Leopoldo Marechal, Roberto Cossa, Roberto Raschella, Edmondo De Amicis, Antonio Marazzi, Enrico Corradini y Mariangela Sedda.

Enhanced viral production and virus-mediated mortality of bacterioplankton in a natural iron-fertilized bloom event above the Kerguelen Plateau Malits, Andrea; Christaki, U.; Obernosterer, I.; Weinbauer, M. G. Above the Kerguelen Plateau in the Southern Ocean natural iron fertilization sustains a large phytoplankton bloom over 3 months during austral summer. During the KEOPS1 project (KErguelen Ocean and Plateau compared Study1) we sampled this phytoplankton bloom during its declining phase along with the surrounding high-nutrient?low-chlorophyll (HNLC) waters to study the effect of natural iron fertilization on the role of viruses in the microbial food web. Bacterial and viral abundances were 1.7 and 2.1 times, respectively, higher within the bloom than in HNLC waters. Viral production and virus-mediated mortality of bacterioplankton were 4.1 and 4.9 times, respectively, higher in the bloom, while the fraction of infected cells (FIC) and the fraction of lysogenic cells (FLC) showed no significant differences between environments. The present study suggests viruses to be more important for bacterial mortality within the bloom and dominate over grazing of heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNFs) during the late bloom phase. As a consequence, at least at a late bloom stage, viral lysis shunts part of the photosynthetically fixed carbon in iron-fertilized regions into the dissolved organic matter (DOM) pool with potentially less particulate organic carbon transferred to larger members of the food web or exported.

Effect of probiotic administration on the intestinal microbiota, current knowledge and potential applications de Moreno, Maria Alejandra; Leblanc, Jean Guy Joseph Although it is now known that the human body is colonized by a wide variety of microbial populations in different parts (such as the mouth, pharynx and respiratory system, the skin, the gastro- and urogenital tracts), many effects of the complex interactions between the human host and microbial symbionts are still not completely understood. The dysbiosis of the gastrointestinal tract microbiota is considered to be one of the most important contributing factors in the development of many gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome and colorectal cancer, as well as systemic diseases like obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Fecal microbial transplantations appear to be promising therapies for dysbiosis-associated diseases; however, probiotic microorganisms have been growing in popularity due to increasing numbers of studies proving that certain strains present health promoting properties, among them the beneficial balance of the intestinal microbiota. Inflammatory bowel diseases and obesity are the pathologies in which there are more studies showing this beneficial association using animal models and even in human clinical trials. In this review, the association of the human gut microbiota and human health will be discussed along with the benefits that probiotics can confer on this symbiotic activity and on the prevention or treatment of associated diseases.

Change in southern right whale breathing behavior in response to gull attacks Fazio, Ana; Argüelles, María Belén; Bertellotti, Nestor Marcelo Animals may develop behavioral responses to avoid discomforting situations. In particular, pain can result in learned avoidance behaviors. We report such a case in southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) that have been the target of attacks by kelp gulls (Larus dominicanus) that feed on their skin and blubber in the surrounded waters of Península Valdés, Chubut (Argentina) since the 1980s. The increase in the attacks over the years triggered on whales the development of alternative postures to keep their backs protected from the gulls. Recently, a particular avoidance behavior has been observed, the “oblique breathing,” in which whales breathe with only the head out of the water. The main goal of this work is to describe the emergence of oblique breathing in two areas of Golfo Nuevo (P. Valdés) which have high number of whales and gull attacks, during the whale reproductive seasons in 2010, 2012 and 2013. Results suggest that all age and sex classes of whales can breathe obliquely. Emergence of the oblique breathing seems to have proceeded in three stages: (1) the origin, with rare observations, (2) the spread, when the behavior was registered only during gull attacks and (3) the establishment, when whales performed it in a preventive manner, even when attacks were not occurring. Oblique breathing is likely to pose extra energy costs, which could be detrimental to whales, especially for recently born calves. However, given the increasing prevalence of this behavior, it seems to be a useful strategy to prevent harassment by gulls.

La inclusión masiva de tecnologías digitales en el ámbito escolar. Un estudio comparativo de la apropiación de TIC por estudiantes de clases populares y clases medias en el marco del Programa Conectar Igualdad en el Gran La Plata Benitez Larghi, Hector Sebastian; Lemus, Magdalena; Welschinger Lascano, Nicolás Sebastían El trabajo expone a partir de un abordaje comparativo los modos diferenciales de apropiación de la computadora e Internet por parte de jóvenes estudiantes de escuela secundaria de clases populares y de clases medias, en el contexto de la implementación del Programa Conectar Igualdad (PCI) en Argentina. En particular, se indaga en las modalidades de acceso a las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) con las que se encuentra el PCI y cómo su implementación interviene en el trazado de trayectorias de apropiación de tecnologías digitales y en el vínculo docente - alumno; en el modo en que los estudiantes perciben la influencia del PCI sobre sus propias habilidades y competencias tecnológicas; y en la manera en que el conocimiento y las disposiciones asociados a los nuevos medios digitales se articulan con los modos del saber promovidos por el formato y la institucionalidad escolar. Los principales hallazgos indican una significativa reducción de la brecha digital de acceso a las TIC a partir de la implementación del PCI, así como un mayor peso de la escuela como lugar de aprendizaje de habilidades para el uso de las tecnologías digitales, y una valoración positiva por parte de los alumnos hacia los docentes que incorporan las netbooks en las clases.; The paper presents a comparative approach of the differential computer and Internet appropriation methods by adolescents in secondary school, coming from popular and middle classes in the context of the implementation of Connecting Equality Programme [Programa Conectar Igualdad] in Argentina. The article focuses in several research questions: what existing access methods does PCI encounter? And how does its implementation participate in the design of trajectories of ICTs appropriation? How do the students themselves perceive the influence of PCI on their own technological abilities and competence? How do knowledge and aptitudes associated to new digital media articulate with the knowledge manners promoted by the school format and institutionalism? How does the massive introduction of netbooks affect the interaction among different school actors (students-teachers)? The main findings are related to a decrease in the first-level digital gap as well to a increase of the school as an important place to learn technological skills. Moreover, students value positively those teachers who use the netbooks to teach during classes.

Search for neutral Higgs bosons of the minimal supersymmetric standard model in pp collisions at √8 = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector Aad, G.; Abbott, B.; Abdallah, J.; Abdel Khalek, S.; Abdinov, O.; Otero y Garzon, Gustavo Javier; Piegaia, Ricardo Nestor; Sacerdoti, Sabrina; Reisin, Hernan Diego; Alconada Verzini, María Josefina; Alonso, Francisco; Anduaga, Xabier Sebastian; Arduh, Francisco Anuar; Dova, Maria Teresa; Monticelli, Fernando Gabriel; Wahlberg, Hernan Pablo; Zhukov, K.; Zibell, A.; Zieminska, D.; Zimine, N. I.; Zimmermann, C.; Zimmermann, R.; Zimmermann, S.; Zimmermann, S.; Ziolkowski, M.; Zobernig, G.; Zoccoli, A.; Nedden, M. zur; Zurzolo, G.; Zutshi, V.; Zwalinski, L.; The ATLAS Collaboration A search for the neutral Higgs bosons predicted by the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) is reported. The analysis is performed on data from proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The samples used for this search were collected in 2012 and correspond to integrated luminosities in the range 19.5–20.3 fb−1 . The MSSM Higgs bosons are searched for in the τ τ final state. No significant excess over the expected background is observed, and exclusion limits are derived for the production cross section times branching fraction of a scalar particle as a function of its mass. The results are also interpreted in the MSSM parameter space for various benchmark scenarios.

Self-determination, behavioral engagement, disaffection, and academic performance: A mediational analysis González, Antonio; Paoloni, Paola Veronica Rita The present study examined the role of behavioral engagement and disaffection as mediators between self-determination and academic performance. Participants were 545 secondary students (53.4% girls) aged 12 to 19 years. Variables were assessed in the Spanish language classroom over a nine-month period. Students estimated their self-determination, and their teachers assessed student engagement, disaffection, and performance. Structural equation models corroborated the hypotheses: the types of self-determination differentially predicted engagement (R 2 =.39) and disaffection (R 2 =.24), and were progressively more adaptive the higher the autonomy; self-determination, behavioral engagement, and disaffection predicted performance (R 2 =.43); engagement and disaffection partially mediated the relationship from external regulation (β = -.097; p <.002; Confidence Interval = -.177, -.051), identified regulation (β =.109; p <.006; CI =.054,.165), and intrinsic motivation (β =.139; p <.002; CI =.086,.206) to performance. The implications of these findings for current theory and educational intervention are discussed.

On the epoch of the Antikythera mechanism and its eclipse predictor Carman, Christian Carlos; Evans, James The eclipse predictor (or Saros dial) of the Antikythera mechanism provides a wealth of astronomical information and offers practically the only possibility for a close astronomical dating of the mechanism. We apply a series of constraints, in a sort of sieve of Eratosthenes, to sequentially eliminate possibilities for the epoch date. We find that the solar eclipse of month 13 of the Saros dial almost certainly belongs to solar Saros series 44. And the eclipse predictor would work best if the full Moon of month 1 of the Saros dial corresponds to May 12, 205 BCE, with the exeligmos dial set at 0. We also examine some possibilities for the theory that underlies the eclipse times on the Saros dial and find that a Babylonian-style arithmetical scheme employing an equation of center and daily velocities would match the inscribed times of day quite well. Indeed, an arithmetic scheme for the eclipse times matches the evidence somewhat better than does a trigonometric model.

Improving Survival and Growth of Planted Austrocedrus chilensis Seedlings in Disturbed Patagonian Forests of Argentina by Managing Understory Vegetation Pafundi, Leticia; Urretavizcaya, María Florencia; Defossé, Guillermo Emilio This study was aimed at determining, under field conditions, early interactions between planted cypress seedlings and their associated shrubs in a mesic area of Andean Patagonia and, in a nursery, the effects of increasing light availability on cypress performance when soil water was not a limiting factor. The field experiment was performed in a former cypress–coihue mixed forest (42°02′S, 71°33′W), which was replaced in the 1970s by a plantation of radiata pine. In 2005, 800 cypress seedlings were planted under maqui shrubs in a clear-cut area of the pine stand. In 2007, two treatments were set: no-competition treatment ([NCT] i.e., the surrounding aboveground biomass was removed) and competition treatment ([CT] i.e., without disturbance). The nursery experiment (42°55′S, 71°21′W) consisted of two groups: “shade” (grown under shade cloth) and “sun” (grown at full sun) cypress seedlings. After one growing season, seedling survival and stem growth (in height and diameter) were determined at both sites. Furthermore, the growth rate of leaves, stems, and roots was determined in the nursery. In the field experiment, height growth and survival in NCT were significantly greater than in CT, and a competition process occurred between cypress and surrounding shrubs. In the nursery, sun plants grew more in diameter and increased root weight more than shade plants. Results also showed that in mesic areas of Patagonia, decreasing competition and increasing light levels produced stouter seedlings better adapted to support harsh environmental conditions. Therefore, the removal of protecting shrubs could be a good management practice to improve seedling establishment.

First-order phase transition during displacement of amphiphilic biomacromolecules from interfaces by surfactant molecules Ettelaie, Rammile; Dickinson, Eric; Pugnaloni, Luis Ariel The adsorption of surfactants onto a hydrophobic interface, already laden with a fixed number of amphiphilic macromolecules, is studied using the self consistent field calculation method of Scheutjens and Fleer. For biopolymers having unfavourable interactions with the surfactant molecules, the adsorption isotherms show an abrupt jump at a certain value of surfactant bulk concentration. Alternatively, the same behaviour is exhibited when the number of amphiphilic chains on the interface is decreased. We show that this sudden jump is associated with a first-order phase transition, by calculating the free energy values for the stable and the metastable states at both sides of the transition point. We also observe that the transition can occur for two approaching surfaces, from a high surfactant coverage phase to a low surfactant coverage one, at sufficiently close separation distances. The consequence of this finding for the steric colloidal interactions, induced by the overlap of two biopolymer + surfactant films, is explored. In particular, a significantly different interaction, in terms of its magnitude and range, is predicted for these two phases. We also consider the relevance of the current study to problems involving the competitive displacement of proteins by surfactants in food colloid systems.

Threatened gastropods under the evolutionary genetic species concept: Redescription and new species of the genus Aylacostoma (Gastropoda: Thiaridae) from High Paraná River (Argentina-Paraguay) Vogler, Roberto Eugenio; Beltramino, Ariel Anibal; Peso, Juana Guadalupe; Rumi Macchi Z., Alejandra The genus Aylacostoma Spix, 1827, is mainly endemic to South America, and comprises about 30 nominal species, most of which were described based solely on conchological features following the typological approaches of most of the 19th and the mid-20th century authors. Here, we redescribe Aylacostoma chloroticum Hylton Scott, 1954, and describe Aylacostoma brunneum sp. nov. from the High Paraná River (Argentina-Paraguay) by means of morphological and molecular characters. Both are threatened species currently included into an ongoing ex situ conservation programme, as their habitats have disappeared because of damming and the filling up of the Yacyretá Reservoir in the early 1990s. We used DNA sequences from cytochrome b and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) genes to estimate their genetic distances, and the COI sequences were also used to assess their specific status under the evolutionary genetic species concept by means of the K/θ method. Our results clearly demonstrate that both must be recognized as evolutionary genetic species, despite only minor differences in morphological characters other than in the shells.

Simultaneous enforcement of constraints at position and velocity levels in the nonsmooth generalized-α scheme Brüls, Olivier; Acary, Vincent; Cardona, Alberto This paper presents a formalism for the transient simulation of nonsmooth dynamic mechanical systems composed of rigid and flexible bodies, kinematic joints and frictionless contact conditions. The proposed algorithm guarantees the exact satisfaction of the bilateral and unilateral constraints both at position and velocity levels. Thus, it significantly differs from penalty techniques since no penetration is allowed. The numerical scheme is obtained in two main steps. Firstly, a splitting method is used to isolate the contributions of impacts, which shall be integrated with only first-order accuracy, from smooth contributions which can be integrated using a higher order scheme. Secondly, following the idea of Gear, Gupta and Leimkuhler, the equation of motion is reformulated so that the bilateral and unilateral constraints appear both at position and velocity levels. After time discretization, the equation of motion involves two complementarity conditions and it can be solved at each time step using a monolithic semi-smooth Newton method. The numerical behavior of the proposed method is studied and compared to other approaches for a number of numerical examples. It is shown that the formulation offers a unified and valid approach for the description of contact conditions between rigid bodies as well as between flexible bodies.

El tipo scratch-digger en dos armadillos (Dasypodidae, Xenarthra): ontogenia esqueletaria de las manos y variaciones de dígitos; The scratch-digger type in two armadillos (Dasypodidae, Xenarthra): ontogeny of the hand skeleton and digit variability Galliari, Fernando Carlos Los estudios comparativos y ontogenéticos referidos al esqueleto de las manos de los armadillos (Dasypodidae, Xenarthra), son escasos. En este trabajo se caracterizan los autopodios anteriores adultos en dos especies de armadillos actuales, Dasypus hybridus (Dasypodinae) y Chaetophractus villosus (Euphractinae). Se contrasta además su morfología con estadios previos al comienzo de la osificación esqueletaria. Se estudiaron 38 especímenes adultos, correspondientes a Chaetophractus villosus (n=34) y Dasypus hybridus (n=4). Se utilizaron además los autopodios anteriores de 2 fetos pertenecientes a las mismas especies que se seccionaron histológicamente con el fin de reconstruir la estructura cartilaginosa de la mano en desarrollo. Se realizó una descripción exhaustiva de la región carpal, metacarpal y falangeal del esqueleto adulto de ambas especies que luego se contrastó con el esqueleto preosteogénico de los fetos. En C. villosus hay una clara pentadactilia y el dedo III es el más robusto. En el carpo, los elementos tienden a una condición de diplartría, a relacionarse en mayor medida entre ellos y con el metacarpo. Así, esta especie es la que más se ajusta al tipo scratch-digger. Por su parte, en D. hybridus hay una tendencia a la reducción del dedo V, angostando la mano, y una relación de tamaño similar entre el dedo II y el III. A esta condición la acompañan modificaciones en el carpo que incluyen la reducción de los contactos entre carpales y entre ellos y los metacarpales. La región carpal fetal de C. villosus es muy similar a la del adulto y en ella ya están presentes los rasgos más sobresalientes. En el caso de D. hybridus, se pueden apreciar algunas diferencias con el esqueleto adulto. En este trabajo se han encontrado relictos del quinto dedo en D. hybridus. Así, se debería descartar, como un carácter diagnóstico de D. (H.) kappleri, la presencia de un quinto dedo, y a la vez realizar una revisión exhaustiva y extensiva al resto de las especies de Dasypus.; Ontogenetic and comparative studies on the hand skeleton of armadillos (Dasypodidae, Xenarthra) are scarce. In this paper adult autopodial skeleton of two species of extant armadillos, Dasypus hybridus (Dasypodinae) and Chaetophractus villosus (Euphractinae), are characterized. In addition, fetal morphology of the cartilaginous hands is compared to that of the bony adult hands. Adult specimens included 38 skeletons of C. villosus (n=34), and D. hybridus (n=4). Fetal cartilaginous hands were studied from serial histological sectioning of two specimens, belonging to D. hybridus and C. villosus. A comprehensive description of the adult hand skeleton, and a qualitative comparison with the fetal hand of both species is provided. The hand of C. villosus is clearly pentadactylous, being the third finger the larger one. In the carpus, elements are largely interlocked betwen them, and with the metacarpals. Therefore, this species fits well into the scratch-digger category. In contrast, D. hybridus shows a reduced five digit, narrowing the entire hand, and there is a similar size of digits II and III. This condition is tie to a series of modifications in the carpus, including a less contact among carpals and metacarpals. Fetal carpus of C. villosus is similar to adult skeleton, while in D. hybridus some differences are recorded. Considering that a relict of the fifth finger is present in D. hybridus, the presence of this finger as a diagnostic character of D. (Hyperoambon) kappleri should be discarded. In addition, a comprehensive revision of this character should be extensive to the rest of the species of Dasypus.

Tower of London: Planning development in children from 6 to 13 years of age Injoque Ricle, Irene; Barreyro, Juan Pablo; Calero, Alejandra Daniela; Burin, Debora Ines Executive Function is a multidimensional construct that includes a wide range of cognitive abilities that allow solving goal-directed behaviors efficiently. Its development begins in early childhood and continues through adolescence. A key aspect of Executive Function is planning, defined as the capacity to generate and organize the necessary step sequence to carry out a goal-directed behavior. The aim of this study was to assess the development of planning in children. The Tower of London task was used in 270 children aged 6, 8, 11, and 13 years. The results showed that the time required to generate and organize the plan to solve a goal-directed problem increases as the difficulty of the problem increases, and that older children need less time to solve problems with a certain level of difficulty than younger children F(15, 1330) = 8.787; MSE = 1.441; p <.01; η2 =.090. These results are in line with the findings that planning develops through childhood and even during the first years of adolescence.

Diagnóstico de (brechas de) desarrollo para Argentina: En "estado crítico" a fines de los 2000 Lopez, Andres Flavio; Niembro, Andrés Alberto; Ramos, Daniela Los enfoques y las metodologías aplicados hasta ahora al estudio de las desigualdades de desarrollo y bienestar entre países suelen limitarse a abordar el problema de las brechas de desarrollo a partir de la evaluación de unas pocas variables o dimensiones. El presente trabajo pretende aportar un diagnóstico de la situación de la Argentina hacia fines de los años 2000, pero en base a un enfoque más integral en el cual se desagrega el análisis en once áreas, buscando saber si los resultados obtenidos por el país en ellas son acordes con su nivel de ingreso per cápita.; So far, the approaches and methodologies applied to the analysis of inequalities in development and well-being between countries are usually limited to address the topic of development gaps through the evaluation of only a few variables or dimensions. The present work aims to provide a “diagnosis” of Argentinean development gaps in the late 2000s, by implementing a methodology in which eleven key areas are identified in order to learn whether Argentina’s outcomes in them are aligned with the country’s GDP per capital level. Results suggest that negative gaps still exist in most of the identified areas.