Gas phase imidazole methylation on zeolites and HPA/SiO2: Study of acid site requirements and catalyst deactivation Vanoy Villamil, Michael Nicolás; Apesteguia, Carlos Rodolfo; Padro, Cristina The gas-phase alkylation of imidazole with methanol was studied at 523 K on solid acids such as HPA/SiO2 and zeolites HMCM22, HBEA, NaY, ZnY and HY. The nature, density and strength of acid sites were determined by temperature programmed desorption of NH3 coupled with infrared spectra of adsorbed pyridine. Coke formation was studied by temperature programmed oxidation technique. On all the samples, the selectivity to N-methylimidazole was greater than 98%. Catalysts presenting essentially Lewis (NaY and ZnY) or Brønsted (HPA/SiO2) acidity did not promote efficiently the methylation of imidazole and yielded less than 20% of N-methylimidazole. In contrast, on samples containing similar concentration of Lewis and Brønsted acid sites (HY, HBEA, HMCM22) the N-methylimidazole yield was between 60 % (HMCM22) and 100% (HY). All the samples deactivated during the 4 h catalytic tests and formed significant amounts of coke, between 2.3% (NaY) and 8% (ZnY). Catalytic tests performed at different contact times showed that the initial activity decay diminished with increasing imidazole conversion, suggesting that catalyst deactivation is mainly related with the presence of the reactants, methanol and/or imidazole. In order to gain insight on the catalyst deactivation mechanism, additional catalytic tests using different feed compositions were performed. They showed that the initial catalyst deactivation followed a linear correlation with the partial pressure of imidazole which indicated that the activity decay is essentially related with strong adsorption of imidazole the on surface acid sites.

Can nest predation explain the lack of defenses against cowbird brood parasitism in the Rufous-collared sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis)?; ¿Puede la depredación de nidos explicar la falta de defensas de Zonotrichia capensis contra el parasitismo de cría de M. Bonariensis? Carro, Mariana Emilia; Fernandez, Gustavo Javier Although interspecific avian brood parasitism usually lowers host productivity, some species lack any defense against parasites. We analyzed the effect of parasite egg removal or nest desertion following a parasitism event on the breeding productivity of the Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis), a common host of the Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis). The Rufouscollared Sparrow is an effective cowbird host that does not eject parasite eggs. We removed cowbird eggs from nests of Rufouscollared Sparrows to test for differences in hatching, fledging, and nesting success among naturally unparasitized, parasitized, and experimentally unparasitized nests from which we removed the cowbird eggs. We also used simulations to test whether parasite egg removal or nest desertion provide viable strategies to counter the effects of parasitism in this species. Naturally unparasitized nests produced more nestlings and fledglings than parasitized and experimentally unparasitized nests, but there were no differences between parasitized nests and those from which cowbird eggs were removed. Moreover, the overall nesting success was similar for all nest types. Simulation models confirmed these results but also showed that productivity may still increase through parasite egg ejection when the nest predation rate is relaxed only if no cost of parasite egg ejection is assumed. By contrast, nest desertion was not a viable strategy to reduce the effect of parasitism. We suggest that high nest predation could reduce the benefits of antiparasite defenses in the Rufouscollared Sparrow and may help explain the lack of such behavior in this species.; A pesar de que el parasitismo de cría interespecífico usualmente reduce la productividad de las especies hospedadoras, algunas de estas especies carecen de defensas contra los parásitos. En este trabajo analizamos el efecto que la remoción de huevos de los parásitos de cría y la deserción del nido siguiendo un evento de parasitismo podrían tener sobre la productividad de Zonotrichia capensis, una especie hospedadora común de Molothrus bonariensis. Esta especie es un hospedador efectivo de M. bonariensis y no rechaza los huevos del parásito de su nido. Realizamos la remoción de los huevos del parásito de nidos de Z. capensis, y comparamos el éxito de eclosión, de volantoneo y de nidificación de nidos naturalmente no parasitados, nidos parasitados y aquellos donde realizamos la remoción del huevo parásito. Además, utilizamos modelos de simulación para evaluar si la remoción de huevos del parásito y la deserción del nido podrían constituir estrategias viables para reducir los efectos del parasitismo de cría en esta especie. Los nidos naturalmente no parasitados produjeron más pichones y volantones que los nidos experimentales ïlos parasitados, pero no existieron diferencias entre estos dos últimos tipos de nidos. Además, el éxito de nidificación fue similar para los distintos tipos de nidos. A pesar de la falta de diferencias detectada en el experimento a campo, los modelos de simulación demostraron también que, cuando la tasa de depredacióon de nidos es menor, la productividad puede aún incrementarse si Z. capensis rechaza los huevos del parásito siempre y cuando no exista un costo en el comportamiento de rechazo. En cambio, la deserción del nido no fue una estrategia viable para reducir el impacto del parasitismo. Sugerimos que la alta tasa de depredación de nidos podría reducir los beneficios de las defensas antiparasitarias en Z. capensis y puede contribuir a explicar la falta de ellas en esta especie.

An efficient synthesis of 1α,25-dihydroxy-20-epi-vitamin D3 Fraga, R.; López Pérez, B.; Sokolowska, K.; Ghini, Alberto Antonio; Regueira, T.; Diaz, S.; Mouriño, A.; Maestro, M. A. The synthesis of 1,25-dihydroxy-20-epi-vitamin D3 (1) by Pd(0)-catalyzed coupling between the boronate ester (2) and the enol triflate (3) is described. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled ‘Vitamin D Workshop’.

Thermophysical properties for the ternary systems toluene (1) + benzene (2) + methyl acetate (3), at various temperatures from 288.15 K to 318.15 K Mariano, Alejandra Beatríz; Mussari, Lelia María Ester; Camacho, Alberto Gustavo; Canzonieri, Salvador Humberto; Postigo, Miguel Angel Density, speed of sound and viscosity for the ternary system formed by toluene, benzene and methyl acetate and their corresponding binaries were measured at atmospheric pressure in the temperature range of 288.15 K to 318.15 K, every 5 K. Experimental data were used to calculate derived properties: excess molar volume, isentropic compressibility, isentropic compressibility deviation, viscosity deviation and excess free energy of activation for viscous flow. These magnitudes were fitted to different equations available in the literature. In addition, geometrical models have been used to predict ternary magnitudes. Predictions of viscosities for the ternary system were performed by group contribution models. Molecular interactions among the components of the mixtures were inferred from the sign of the excess and deviation properties.

The PAMPA datasets: a metagenomic surveyof microbial communities in Argentinean pampean soils Rascovan, Nicolas; Carbonetto, María Belén; Revale, Santiago; Reinert, Marina Daniela; Alvarez, Roberto; Godeas, Alicia Margarita; Colombo, Roxana; Aguilar, Mario; Novas, María Victoria; Iannone, Leopoldo Javier; Zelada, Alicia Mercedes; Pardo, Alejandro Guillermo; Schrauf, Gustavo; Mentaberry, Alejandro Nestor; Vazquez, Martin Pablo Background Soil is among the most diverse and complex environments in the world. Soil microorganisms play an essential role in biogeochemical cycles and affect plant growth and crop production. However, our knowledge of the relationship between species-assemblies and soil ecosystem processes is still very limited. The aim of this study was to generate a comprehensive metagenomic survey to evaluate the effect of high-input agricultural practices on soil microbial communities. Results We collected soil samples from three different areas in the Argentinean Pampean region under three different types of land uses and two soil sources (bulk and rhizospheric). We extracted total DNA from all samples and also synthetized cDNA from rhizospheric samples. Using 454-FLX technology, we generated 112 16S ribosomal DNA and 14 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon libraries totaling 1.3 M reads and 36 shotgun metagenome libraries totaling 17.8 million reads (7.7 GB). Our preliminary results suggested that water availability could be the primary driver that defined microbial assemblages over land use and soil source. However, when water was not a limiting resource (annual precipitation >800 mm) land use was a primary driver. Conclusion This was the first metagenomic study of soil conducted in Argentina and our datasets are among the few large soil datasets publicly available. The detailed analysis of these data will provide a step forward in our understanding of how soil microbiomes respond to high-input agricultural syste

¿Plaza o vereda? Espacios de juego y socialización barrial en la Argentina de Grande, Pablo Ernesto El presente artículo analiza información relativa a la participación de niños de entre 5 y 12 años en espacios abiertos de juego. Se indaga el grado de utilización de la vereda y la plaza como lugares de juego y socialización en centros urbanos de Argentina, a partir de información relevada en la encuesta de hogares Encuesta de la Deuda Social Argentina del año 2011. Como principales resultados obtenidos puede destacarse la vigencia del jugar ‘en la vereda’ o ‘en el barrio’, siendo un lugar que más del 60% de los chicos utilizaron en el mes de referencia. Por el contrario, el espacio de plaza o parques apenas alcanza a un 30% de los casos. Asimismo, la plaza apareció como un espacio más característico de chicos de hogares de mayor nivel socioeconómico, a iguales niveles de disponibilidad de plazas, incluso si es más frecuente que ocupen su tiempo en escuelas de jornada completa. Inversamente, estos mismos sectores han mostrado un menor uso de la vereda (o el barrio) como lugares de sociabilidad y juego, comparativamente con sectores de menor nivel socioeconómico.; This article analyzes playing at public places by children aged from 5 to 12. It investigates the pervasiveness of sidewalks and plazas as playgrounds for socialization in a set of urban centers of Argentina, after information collected in the household survey Encuesta de la Deuda Social Argentina in 2011. The results obtained show that sidewalks and ‘neighborhood' are places frequently used by children, having more than 60% of them used such places in the reference period. On the contrary, plazas and parks have been used only in 30% of the cases. Additionally, the plaza appeared as a more typical place for children of higher socioeconomic status, even if they are more likely to attend full-day schools. Conversely, those children have shown less usage of sidewalks and the ‘neighborhood’ as places for sociability and play, compared to children of lower socioeconomic status.

A través del paisaje, a través de los cuerpos: contextos funerarios del sur del Valle del Cajón (noroeste argentino, 6000-1300 AP); Through the Landscape, Through the Bodies: Funerary Contexts of the Southern Cajón Valley (Northwestern Argentina, 6000-1300 years BP) Cortes, Leticia Ines Partiendo de la postura teórica que considera al paisaje como el devenir del habitar, este artículo da cuenta de las diversas formas en que los cuerpos de los muertos fueron dispuestos en La Quebrada, sur del valle del Cajón, a lo largo de más de 5000 años. Se analizan diez contextos funerarios, ocho de los cuales poseen fechados entre el 6000 y el 1300 años AP y dan cuenta de la larga historia de resignificación de este paisaje y de su importancia en la memoria de las generaciones que lo han transitado. Los resultados se enmarcan en el contexto regional y temporal mayor de otros hallazgos en el Noroeste argentino. Se sostiene que las prácticas de depositación de los cuerpos son en sí mismas inseparables del paisaje, al mismo tiempo siendo configuradas y configurando los trayectos cotidianos, los lugares y la disposición de otros entierros a través del tiempo.; Departing from a theoretical stand that considers landscape as the outcome of dwelling, this article presents the diverse ways in which the bodies of the dead have been disposed in La Quebrada locality, southern Cajón Valley, for over 5000 years. Ten funerary contexts are analyzed. Eight of them have been dated between 6000 to 1300 years BP, thus accounting for the long history of resignification of the landscape and its importance in the memory of the generations that have transited across it. Results are framed within the regional and temporal context of other findings in Northwestern Argentina. This paper argues that practices of body disposal are inseparable from the landscape, both being configured and configuring everyday paths, places and the disposition of new burials through time.

Alianzas cruzadas en Argentina: una aproximación causal desde la teoría; Crossed alliances in Argentina: A theoretical causal approach Clerici, Paula Andrea La política de alianzas electorales es un elemento estratégico de los partidos para obtener votos y cargos. Además de estar facultados para armar sus propias alianzas para competir por cargos provinciales, los partidos subnacionales en Argentina pueden efectuar alianzas para cargos legislativos nacionales independientemente de las alianzas que sus mismas estructuras a nivel nacional realicen para competir por la presidencia. El presente trabajo tiene el propósito de realizar una revisión de las literaturas que resultan útiles para estudiar las alianzas electorales en sistemas presidencialistas multinivel, señalando asimismo, los posibles interrogantes que se plantean al pensar causalmente las alianzas cruzadas.; Electoral alliances are strategic elements parties use to obtain votes and seats. Argentinean sub-national parties are allowed by law to form alliances both, for provincial elections and for federal Congress ones, independently of the strategy the party conducts at the national level. Sub-national parties’ autonomy for partners selection may cause that allies in a level of competition could be competitors at other level at the same time, what we called incongruent alliances. This paper seeks to review relevant literature in order to analyze electoral alliances under presidential systems. Additionally, it will invite to think about possible causes of incongruent alliances.

Enantioseparation of -amino acids by means of Cinchona alkaloids asselectors in chiral ligand-exchange chromatography Keunchkarian, Sonia; Franca, Carlos A.; Gagliardi, Leonardo Gabriel; Castells, Cecilia Beatriz Marta A conventional nonchiral column was used for the enantioseparation of several racemic -amino acids (native and derivatized) through the use of Cinchona alkaloids as chiral selectors along with Cu(II) ions in chiral ligand-exchange chromatography. The mobile phase composition (i.e., the organic modifier content and pH) was studied in order to modulate retention and enantioselectivity. Good enantioseparation of many amino acids was obtained using equimolar amounts of Cu(II) and either cinchonidine, quinine or quinidine as chiral selectors in the mobile phase. The molecular geometry of the diastereomeric complexes formed was modeled and energetic differences between both compounds were calculated by methods based on semi-empirical force-field. Good correlations were obtained between experimental enantioselectivity factors and calculated energetic differences.

Nueva mutación heterocigota en el gen de la proteína regulatoria aguda de la esteroideogénesis (StAR) en un paciente 46,xy con hiperplasia adrenal congénita lipoidea; Novel heterozygous mutation in the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein gene in a 46,XY patient with congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia Baquedano, María Sonia; Guercio, Gabriela Viviana; Marino, Roxana; Berensztein, Esperanza; Costanzo, Mariana ; Ramírez, Pablo; Bailez, Marcela; Vaiani, Elisa; Maceiras, Mercedes; Rivarola, Marco Aurelio; Belgorosky, Alicia StAR forma parte del complejo multiproteico transduceosoma, encargado del transporte de colesterol y que facilita su entrada a la mitocondria. Mutaciones recesivas en el gen STAR causan formas clásicas y no clásicas de hiperplasia adrenal congénita lipoidea. Analizamos las consecuencias moleculares de una nueva mutación heterocigota en STAR en un paciente 46,XY con genitales ambiguos e insuficiencia adrenal. Hallamos un cambio heterocigota de novo, IVS1-2A>G, en el gen STAR y el polimorfismo heterocigota, pG146A, en SF1. No se detectaron mutaciones en los genes CYP11A1, FDX1 y FDXR, VDAC1 y TSPO. Por RT-PCR y secuenciación se observó un transcripto-exón2 y el transcripto normal (WT) de StAR, a partir del ARN de tejido gonadal del paciente. Se detectó el precursor (37 kD) y la proteína StAR madura (30 kD) en células COS-7 transfectadas con el plásmido mutante y WT. Por inmunofluorescencia la observación de co-localización de la proteína mutante (p.G22_L59delStAR) en mitocondrias fue casi nula. La actividad de p.G22_L59delStAR fue del 65% ± 13 respecto del WT. La co-transfección de los plásmidos p.G22_L59delStAR y WT redujo la actividad de WT en 62.0 ± 13.9%. La mutación IVS1-2A>G provocó la pérdida de los aminoácidos 22 a 59 en la secuencia mitocondrial N-terminal. Postulamos que ello conduciría a un plegamiento anormal de la proteína que alteraría su procesamiento y translocación. La proteína mutante p.G22_L59delStAR podría interferir con la acción de la proteína StAR WT bloqueando el complejo transduceosoma y causando una forma dominante de deficiencia de StAR, que explicaría el fenotipo clínico en heterocigosis.; StAR facilitates cholesterol entry into the mitochondria as part of the transduceosome complex. Recessive mutations in the gen STAR cause classic and nonclassic congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia. The aim of the study was to analyze the molecular consequences of a novel heterozygous STAR mutation in a 46,XY patient with ambiguous genitalia and adrenal insufficiency. We found a de novo heterozygous IVS-2A>G STAR mutation and the reported heterozygous p.G146A SF1 polymorphism with normal CYP11A1, FDXR, FDX1, VDAC1 and TSPO genes. RT-PCR and sequencing from patient’s testicular RNA showed a –exon2 transcript and the wild-type (WT) transcript. Both 37 kDa precursor and 30 kDa mature protein were detected in COS-7 cell transfected with mutant and WT plasmids. Immunofluorescence showed almost no co-localization of mitochondria and mutant protein (delta22-59StAR). Delta22-59StAR activity was 65±13% of WT. Cotransfection with WT and delta22-59StAR plasmids reduced WT activity by 62.0% ± 13.9. Novel splice-junction heterozygous STAR mutation (IVS-2A>G) resulted in the in-frame loss of amino acids 22 to 59 in the N-terminal mitochondrial targeting signal. A misfolded p.G22_L59delStAR might interfere with WT StAR activity by blocking the transduceosome complex, causing an autosomal dominant form of StAR deficiency, explaining the clinical phenotype.

Crustal Structure and Tectonic Setting of the South Cntral Andes from Gravimetric Analysis Weidmann, María Cecilia; Spagnotto, Silvana Liz; Gimenez, Mario Ernesto; Martínez, Patricia; Álvarez, Orlando; Sanchez, Marcos Ariel; Lince Klinger, Federico Gustavo En el presente trabajo, a partir de datos gravimétricos terrestres, se preparó una carta de anomalías de Bouguer, la cual fue adecuadamente filtrada a fin de separar efectos gravimétricos someros y profundos. Con base en un modelo de densidad, mediante de técnicas de inversión gravimétrica, se modeló la discontinuidad cortezamanto y el basamento cristalino, respectivamente. De forma posterior, se evaluó el espesor elástico equivalente considerando la información de la discontinuidad de la corteza-manto y la carga topográfica. Se encontraron valores altos de espesor elástico Te, al este de la precordillera Andina y al oeste de la sierra Pampeana de Velasco. Estos resultados son consistentes con los valores positivos de anomalía residual de Bouguer e isotáticos, lo que estaría indicando la presencia de rocas de alta densidad en corteza media a superior. Además, los análisis petrográficos y geoquímicos realizados en afloramientos en superficie indican un origen mantélico.; Based on terrestrial gravity data, in this paper we prepared a map of Bouguer anomalies, which was filtered to separate shallow and deep gravity sources. Based on a density model and gravimetric inversion techniques, the discontinuous crustmantle boundary and the top of crystalline basement were modeled. Subsequently, the equivalent elastic thickness (Te) was evaluated, considering information from the crust-mantle discontinuity and topographic load, finding high Te values in the eastern Andean foothills and west of the Velasco range. These results are consistent with the positive isostatic and residual Bouguer anomaly values, which suggest the presence of high-density rocks in the mid-to upper crust. In addition, petrographic and geochemical analysis conducted in surface outcrops suggest a mantle origin.

La política en los miedos de los medios y el refuerzo periodístico de estereotipos sociales: tratamiento electoral de la Izquierda en diarios cordobeses y argentinos (1999-2005); Politics in the fears of the media and journalistic reinforcing of social stereotypes: Left wing electoral treatment in newspapers of Cordoba and Argentine (1999-2005) Paz Garcia, Ana Pamela Con frecuencia, en la cobertura periodística de procesos políticos algunos estereotipos sociales traman una deliberada ausencia o invisibilización de ciertos dirigentes y partidos, o bien emergen en la exposición discrecional y reiterada de actores o propuestas reforzando lecturas contextuales específicas. Desde los aportes de la crítica ideológica, la sociología y la psicología política al estudio interdisciplinario del discurso, analizo cómo en la interpretación y toma de posicionamiento frente a los acontecimientos que permean cualquier información ofrecida por la prensa, la visión del escenario, los actores, los problemas en juego y ciertos miedos culturales, son factores clave de un enmarcamiento intencionado de la agenda electoral. En términos teóricos establezco una conexión analítica entre conceptos más abstractos como imaginario o representaciones sociales y nociones más operativas como estereotipos e ideología, recuperando el valor de su interrelación desde una perspectiva socio-psico-política sobre las instancias de circulación del discurso mediático en las democracias contemporáneas.; Frequently in the news coverage of political processes, some social stereotypes weave a deliberate absence or invisibility of certain leaders and parties, either emerge in discretionary and repeated exposure of actors or proposals by producing the reinforcement of specific contextual readings. From the contributions of ideological criticism, sociology and political psychology to the interdisciplinary study of discourse, I analyze how in the interpretation and decision-positioning to events that permeate any information provided by the press, the view of the stage, the actors, the issues involved and certain cultural fears are key factors of a deliberate framing of the electoral agenda. In theoretical terms I establish an analytical connection between more abstract concepts such as imaginary or social representations on one hand, and more operational notions such as stereotypes and ideology on the other, by recovering the value of their interrelation from a socio-psycho-political perspective about instances of circulation of media discourse in contemporary democracies.

Trypanocidal activity of tioamide-sustituted imidazoisoquinolinones: Electrochemical properties and biological effects Frank, Fernanda Maria; Ciccarelli, Allejandra Beatriz; Bollini, Mariela; Bruno, Ana M.; Batlle, Alcira Maria del C.; Lombardo, Maria Elisa Three thioamide-substituted imidazoisoquinolinones, which possess an heterocyclic center similar to tryptanthrin and are named C1, C2 and C3, were studied regarding: a) its in vitro anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity, b) its cytotoxicity and electrochemical behaviour and c) its effect on cell viability, redox state and mitochondrial function . The assayed compounds showed a significant activity against the proliferative forms, but only C1 showed activity on the trypomastigote form (for C1, IC50 epi = 1.49 µM; IC50 amas = 1.74 µM and IC50 try = 34.89 µM). The presence of an antioxidant compound such as ascorbic acid or dithiotreitol induced a three-fold increase in the antiparasitic activity, whereas glutathione had a dual effect depending on its concentration. Our results indicate that these compounds, which exhibited low toxicity to the host cells, can be reduced inside the parasite by means of the pool of low molecular weight thiols, causing oxidative stress and parasite death by apoptosis. The antiparasitic activity of the compounds studied could be explained by a loss of the capacity of the antioxidant defense system of the parasite to keep its intracellular redox state. C1 could be considered a good candidate for in vivo evaluation .

Nautiloid cephalopod concentration beds of the San Juan Formation (Middle Darriwilian) of the Argentine Precordillera Mestre Garcia, Ana Isabel; Beresi, Matilde Sylvia; Heredia, Susana Emma; Nestell, G. Concentrations of orthoconic nautiloid cephalopods on bedding planes of the San Juan Formation limestones are for first time associated to the Yangtzeplacognathus crassus Zone (Middle Ordovician). Nautiloid cephalopod accumulations occur at several localities in the Central and Eastern Precordillera of San Juan, western Argentina. The objective of this report consists in registering Precordilleran nautiloid concentrations in the Y. crassus Zone from the shallow warm waters of the carbonate platform.

Microfossils of the Yangtzeplacognathus crassus zone in the middle darriwilian of the argentine precordillera Mestre Garcia, Ana Isabel; Beresi, Matilde Sylvia; Heredia, Susana Emma; Nestell, G. The San Juan Formation of the Eastern and Central Precordillera is composed mainly of fossiliferous limestone and marly limestone. The conodont biostratigraphy of the very top of this unit has been studied on several localities such as: Don Braulio, La Pola, Cecilia and Del Aluvión creeks, recording the Y. crassus Zone for this levels (Mestre, 2010; Mestre, 2013, Heredia and Mestre, 2013). The microfossils associated to this conodont biozone are represented by spicules, foraminifers and protoconchs, which are reported and figured in this work.

Dissecting the Metal Selectivity of MerR Monovalent Metal Ion Sensors in Salmonella Ibáñez, María Marta; Cerminati, Sebastián; Checa, Susana Karina; Soncini, Fernando Carlos Two homologous transcription factors, CueR and GolS, that belong to the MerR metalloregulatory family are responsible for Salmonella Cu and Au sensing and resistance, respectively. They share similarities not only in their sequences, but also in their target transcription binding sites. While CueR responds similarly to Au, Ag, or Cu to induce the expression of its target genes, GolS shows higher activation by Au than by Ag or Cu. We showed that the ability of GolS to distinguish Au from Cu resides in the metal-binding loop motif. Here, we identify the amino acids within the motif that determine in vivo metal selectivity. We show that residues at positions 113 and 118 within the metal-binding loop are the main contributors to metal selectivity. The presence of a Pro residue at position 113 favors the detection of Cu, while the presence of Pro at position 118 disfavors it. Our results highlight the molecular bases that allow these regulators to coordinate the correct metal ion directing the response to a particular metal injury.

The genus Grammostola Simon 1892 (Araneae: Theraphosidae): a new species from western Argentina, new synonymy and distributional data Ferretti, Nelson Edgardo; Pompozzi, Gabriel Alejandro; Gonzalez, Alda; Pérez Miles, Fernando Grammostola diminuta sp. nov. (Araneae: Theraphosidae) is described from northwestern Argentina; Grammostola vachoni Schiapelli and Gerschman 1961 is considered a senior synonym of Grammostola fossor syn. nov. Schmidt 2001 on the basis of material examined from the collection of the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ?Bernardino Rivadavia? (MACN). The geographic distribution of G. vachoni is extended on the basis of new records. Additionally, we present new diagnoses and new distributional data for Grammostola chalcothrix Chamberlin 1917, Grammostola inermis Mello-Leitão, 1941 and Grammostola pulchripes (Simon 1891).

Elemental composition of strawberry plants inoculated with the plant growth-promoting bacterium Azospirillum brasilense REC3 assessed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis Guerrero Molina, María Fernanda; Lovaisa, Nadia Carolina; Salazar, Sergio Miguel; Diaz Ricci, Juan Carlos; Pedraza, Raúl Osvaldo The elemental composition of strawberry plants (Fragaria ananassa cv. Macarena) inoculated with the plant growth-promoting bacterium Azospirillum brasilense REC3 and non-inoculated controls, was studied for the first time by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDS) analysis. This technique allowed semi-quantification of different elements simultaneously using a small solid sample. Plants were inoculated and grown hydroponically in 50 % and 100 % Hoagland solution, corresponding to a poor- or rich- nutrient medium, respectively. Bacterial inoculated plants increased 45% and 80 % strawberry growth index compared to their controls when grown in 100% and 50% Hoagland solution, respectively. Thus, inoculation with A. brasilense REC3 in a poor-nutrient medium had the largest effect in terms of increasing both shoot and root biomass as well as growth index. SEM-EDS spectra and maps showed the elemental composition and relative distribution of nutrients in strawberry tissues. Leaves were composed of C, O, N, Na, P, K, Ca and Cu, while roots had also Si and Cl. The organic fraction (C, O and N) accounted for over the 96.3 % of the total chemical composition, and among the mineral fraction composition, Na exhibited a higher accumulation in both tissues. Azospirillum-inoculated and control plants showed similar elemental quantification values. Although, in bacteria-inoculated roots, P was significantly increased (34.33 %) while Cu was decreased (35.16 %).

An approach based on constraint satisfaction problems to disruptive event management in supply chains Guarnaschelli, Armando Gabriel; Chiotti, Omar Juan Alfredo; Salomone, Hector Enrique This work introduces a generalized model for evaluating and restoring feasibility in the execution of supply chain processes. The model was designed to provide automation to the disruption management function of Supply Chain Event Management (SCEM) systems. The repair mechanism is based on a constraint satisfaction problem that can be automatically instantiated from self-contained descriptions of the ongoing schedules without previous knowledge of the supply chain structure. The proposed mechanism intends to make surgical modifications to the current schedule which do not affect the economical and operational considerations and the allowed changes are limited to the space of slacks already included by the original schedule. This level of repair can be safely delegated to automated systems and would facilitate the design of collaborative inter-organizational business processes to manage events along the supply chain. A case study validates the applicability of the proposed models.

Maternal admixture and population structure in Mexican-mestizos based on mtDNA haplogroups Martínez Cortés, Gabriela; Salazar Flores, Joel; Haro Guerrero, Javier; Rubi Castellanos, Rodrigo; Velarde Félix, Jesus S.; Muñoz Valle, Jose F.; López Casamichana, Mavil; Carrillo Tapia, Eduardo; Casenco Avila, Luis M.; Bravi, Claudio Marcelo; López Armenta, Mauro; Rangel Villalobos, Hector The maternal ancestry (mtDNA) has important applications in different research fields, such as evolution, epidemiology, identification, and human population history. This is particularly interesting in Mestizos, which constitute the main population in Mexico (∼93%) resulting from post-Columbian admixture between Spaniards, Amerindians, and African slaves, principally. Consequently, we conducted minisequencing analysis (SNaPshot) of 11 mitochondrial single-nucleotide polymorphisms in 742 Mestizos of 10 populations from different regions in Mexico. The predominant maternal ancestry was Native American (92.9%), including Haplogroups A, B, C, and D (47, 23.7, 15.9, and 6.2%, respectively). Conversely, European and African ancestries were less frequent (5.3 and 1.9%, respectively). The main characteristics of the maternal lineages observed in Mexican–Mestizos comprised the following: 1) contrasting geographic gradient of Haplogroups A and C; 2) increase of European lineages toward the Northwest; 3) low or absent, but homogeneous, African ancestry throughout the Mexican territory; 4) maternal lineages in Mestizos roughly represent the genetic makeup of the surrounding Amerindian groups, particularly toward the Southeast, but not in the North and West; 5) continuity over time of the geographic distribution of Amerindian lineages in Mayas; and 6) low but significant maternal population structure (FST = 2.8%; P = 0.0000). The average ancestry obtained from uniparental systems (mtDNA and Y-chromosome) in Mexican–Mestizos was correlated with previous ancestry estimates based on autosomal systems (genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms and short tandem repeats). Finally, the comparison of paternal and maternal lineages provided additional information concerning the gender bias admixture, mating patterns, and population structure in Mestizos throughout the Mexican territory. Am J Phys Anthropol.