Essential oils loaded on polymeric nanoparticles: bioefficacy against economic and medical insect pests and risk evaluation on terrestrial and aquatic non-target organisms Yeguerman, Cristhian Alan; Urrutia, Rodrigo Iñaki; Jesser, Emiliano Nicolás; Massiris, Manlio; Delrieux, Claudio Augusto; Murray, Ana Paula; Werdin Gonzalez, Jorge Omar This paper introduces the lethal, sublethal, and ecotoxic effects of peppermint and palmarosa essential oils (EOs) and their polymeric nanoparticles (PNs). The physicochemical analyses indicated that peppermint PNs were polydisperse (PDI > 0.4) with sizes of 381 nm and loading efficiency (LE) of 70.3%, whereas palmarosa PNs were monodisperse (PDI < 0.25) with sizes of 191 nm and LE of 89.7%. EOs and their PNs were evaluated on the adults of rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae L.) and cigarette beetle (Lasioderma serricorne F.) and the larvae of Culex pipiens pipiens Say. On S. oryzae and L. serricorne, PNs increased EOs’ lethal activity, extended repellent effects for 84 h, and also modified behavioral variables during 24 h. Moreover, EOs and PNs generated toxic effects against C. pipiens pipiens. On the other hand, peppermint and palmarosa EOs and their PNs were not toxic to terrestrial non-target organisms, larvae of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.), and nymphs of orange-spotted cockroach (Blaptica dubia S.). In addition, PNs were slightly toxic to aquatic non-target organisms, such as brine shrimp (Artemia salina L.). Therefore, these results show that PNs are a novel and eco-friendly formulation to control insect pests.

Habitar en las calles de la Ciudad Buenos Aires en tiempos de pandemia Rosa, Paula Cecilia A raíz de la pandemia COVID 19 más personas y familias habitan en los espacios públicos de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Si bien esta problemática, no es reciente, se ha recrudecido a partir de las consecuencias sociales que la pandemia a ha suscitado. Por esta razón, los dispositivos de atención se vieron colapsados llevando a evidenciar las falencias estructurales que el propio sistema posee. Asimismo, el aumento de la población en estas condiciones deja en evidencia la crisis habitacional que en esta ciudad se incrementa desde principios del siglo XXI.

Performance evaluation of post-grouted drilled shafts: a review Useche Infante, Danny Jose; Aiassa Martinez, Gonzalo Martin; Arrua, Pedro Ariel; Eberhardt, Marcelo Gabriel Base grouting in drilled shafts has been used to improve the foundation performance. The main objectives of this technique are to generate a preload in the base soil, induce negative friction on the pile side, and improve the soil surrounding the shaft. In recent years, new experimental and numerical studies were published, which have helped to better understand the soil–post-grouted drilled shaft interaction mechanism. Likewise, new grouting devices were developed, and design methodologies were introduced. This review paper focuses on the analysis of available approaches to investigate the performance of post-grouted drilled shafts (PGDS). The mechanisms of post-grouting of drilled shafts to improve the bearing capacity of pile foundation are discussed, and some properties of the grout typically used in this procedure (such as water–cement ratio, type of grout, etc.) are described. Based on the literature survey, this study presents the devices used to distribute the grout at the tip and side pile, the grouting techniques, and the effect of grout pressure and grout volume on pile behavior. The investigation indicated that the enhancement in pile bearing capacity is affected by the grout quantity, grouting pressure, pile dimensions, soil type, etc. Subsequently, full-scale field tests, small-scale tests, and numerical investigations publishedto analyze the performance of PGDS are summarized. Finally, the design methodologies available in the technical literature and future developments for this type of foundation are discussed.

Uso de una aplicación de tableta personalizada para evaluar la comunicación en niños con TEA: AppTEA; Use of a customized app to assess communication in children with ASD: AppTEA Guzman, Guido Benjamin; Gago Galvagno, Lucas Gustavo; Quiroz, Nicolas Hugo; Serafini, Matías; Pallia, Roberto; Risk, Marcelo El uso de dispositivos digitales para tratar a personas con trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) tiene buena aceptación, pero hasta el momento no se han registrado investigaciones en Argentina que analicen empíricamente su aporte en cuanto a los comportamientos comunicativos. El objetivo de esta investigación consistió en evaluar la implicación de los dispositivos digitales por lo que respecta a dos parámetros conductuales: la postura y el foco atencional de niños con TEA. Para llevarlo a cabo se analizaron 211 sesiones (vídeos) de 11 niños (edad, Media = 6.45 años, DE = 1.30) durante la utilización de la aplicación AppTEA y dispositivos tradicionales en interacciones con profesionales, en el contexto de unas actividades terapéuticas. Como resultado se encontró que en las sesiones, los niveles y las tendencias de postura y el foco atencional fueron similares, independientemente de los dispositivos empleados. Por lo tanto, si bien las tecnologías y los softwares específicos pueden complementar y apoyar los objetivos terapéuticos, no pueden sustituir el cuidado humano y el apoyo social y terapéutico para los niños.; Introduction: There are many well-established digital tools for the treatment of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but so far there no investigations in Argentina that have empirically analyzed how these tools contribute to communicative behaviors. Objectives: The objective was to evaluate the implications of digital devices for two behavioral parameters, the posture and attentional focus of children with ASD. Methods: 211 sessions with 11 children (Age, M= 6.45 years, SD = 1.30) were analyzed. The sessions consisted of the use of the AppTEA application and traditional devices in interactions with professionals, in the context of therapeutic activities. Results: It was found that in the sessions with and without the tablet, the levels and trends of posture and attention focus were similar, regardless of the devices used. Conclusion: Although specific technologies and software can complement and support therapeutic objectives, they cannot replace human care and the social and therapeutic support to children.

Directrices de la Organización Mundial de la Salud del 2021 sobre el tratamiento farmacológico de la hipertensión: implicaciones de política para la Región de las Américas; 2021 World Health Organization guideline on pharmacological treatment of hypertension: Policy implications for the region of the Americas; Diretrizes de 2021 da Organização Mundial da Saúde sobre o tratamento medicamentoso da hipertensão arterial: repercussões para as políticas na região das Américas Campbell, Norm R.C.; Paccot Burnens, Melanie; Whelton, Paul K.; Angell, Sonia Y.; Jaffe, Marc G.; Cohn, Jennifer; Espinosa Brito, Alfredo; Irazola, Vilma; Brettler, Jeffrey W.; Roccella, Edward J.; Maldonado Figueredo, Javier Isaac; Rosende, Andres; Ordunez, Pedro Las enfermedades cardiovasculares son la principal causa de muerte en la Región de las Américas y la hipertensión es la causa de más del 50% de ellas. En la Región, más de una cuarta parte de las mujeres adultas y cuatro de cada diez hombres adultos tienen hipertensión y su diagnóstico, tratamiento y control son deficientes. En el 2021, la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) publicó directrices actualizadas sobre el tratamiento farmacológico de la hipertensión en personas adultas. En este artículo se destaca el papel facilitador de la iniciativa mundial HEARTS de la OMS y la iniciativa HEARTS en las Américas para catalizar la implementación de estas directrices, a la vez que se proporciona asesoramiento específico sobre políticas para dicha implementación y se destaca la necesidad de adoptar un enfoque estratégico general para el control de la hipertensión. Los autores instan a quienes abogan por la salud y a los responsables de las políticas a priorizar la prevención y el control de la hipertensión para mejorar la salud y el bienestar de la población, y a reducir las disparidades de salud en relación con las enfermedades cardiovasculares dentro de la población y entre las poblaciones de la Región de las Américas.; Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the Americas and raised blood pressure accounts for over 50% of CVD. In the Americas over a quarter of adult women and four in ten adult men have hypertension and the diagnosis, treatment and control are suboptimal. In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) released an updated guideline for the pharmacological treatment of hypertension in adults. This policy paper highlights the facilitating role of the WHO Global HEARTS initiative and the HEARTS in the Americas initiative to catalyze the implementation of this guideline, provides specific policy advice for implementation, and emphasizes that an over-arching strategic approach for hypertension control is needed. The authors urge health advocates and policymakers to prioritize the prevention and control of hypertension to improve the health and wellbeing of their populations and to reduce CVD health disparities within and between populations of the Americas.; A doença cardiovascular (DCV) é a principal causa de morte nas Américas, e a pressão arterial elevada é responsável por mais de 50% dos casos de DCV. Nas Américas, mais de um quarto das mulheres adultas e quatro de cada dez homens adultos têm hipertensão arterial, sendo que diagnóstico, tratamento e controle estão abaixo do ideal. Em 2021, a Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) divulgou uma atualização das diretrizes para o tratamento medicamentoso da hipertensão arterial em adultos. Essa publicação ressalta o papel facilitador da iniciativa Global HEARTS da OMS e da iniciativa HEARTS nas Américas para catalisar a implementação dessas diretrizes, oferece recomendações específicas de políticas para sua implementação e enfatiza a necessidade de uma abordagem estratégica abrangente para o controle da hipertensão arterial. Os autores clamam para que tanto as pessoas que advogam pela Saúde, quanto as autoridades responsáveis, priorizem a prevenção e o controle da hipertensão arterial como forma de melhorar a saúde e o bem-estar das populações e reduzir as disparidades de saúde cardiovascular dentro das populações das Américas e entre elas.

Comentario sobre la Ordenanza 12.726 de la Ciudad de Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz sobre Malnutrición Infantil aprobada por el Consejo Municipal el 3 de setiembre de 2020; Comment on Ordinance 12.726 of the City of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz on Child Malnutrition approved by the Municipal Council on September 3, 2020 Bonet de Viola, Ana María; Marichal, Maria Eugenia; Nessier, Maria Celeste; Gigena, Julieta; Romero Mathieu, Natalia El presente comentario propone un breve análisis interdisciplinar de la Ordenanza nº 12.726 de la Ciudad de Santa Fe, sobre Malnutrición Infantil. Como principales potencialidades de esta regulación municipal, se señalan su abordaje preventivo e interdisciplinario, la referencia a normativa internacional que habilita un enfoque de derechos humanos, y el establecimiento de estrategias de producción de información como punto de partida para el tratamiento jurídico-político de la problemática de la malnutrición infantil. Se identifican como debilidades cierta desarticulación entre los objetivos y los métodos propuestos para alcanzarlos, la indefinición de los destinatarios, la identificación de principios con marco jurídico, y otras observaciones sobre los procedimientos de implementación y evaluación. Finalmente, se apuntan algunas reflexiones como perspectivas para el tratamiento de esta temática a nivel local.; This paper proposes a brief interdisciplinary analysis of Ordinance No. 12,726 of the City of Santa Fe, on Child Malnutrition. The main potentialities of this municipal regulation include its preventive and interdisciplinary approach, the reference to international regulations that enable a human rights approach, and the establishment of information production strategies as a starting point for the legal-political treatment of the problem of child malnutrition. Some disarticulation between the objectives and the methods proposed to achieve them, the lack of definition of the recipients, the identification of principles with a legal framework, and other observations on the implementation and evaluation procedures are identified as weaknesses. Finally, some reflections are pointed out as perspectives for the treatment of this issue at the local level.

Disruptive technologies in health care disenchanted: A systematic review of concepts and examples Perleth, Matthias; Di Bidino, Rossella; Huang, Li Ying; Jones, Lydia; Mujoomdar, Michelle; Myles, Susan; Pichón-riviere, Andres; Sabirin, Junainah; Schuller, Tara; Washington, Jennifer Objectives To clarify the concept of disruptive technologies in health care, provide examples and consider implications of potentially disruptive technologies for health technology assessment (HTA). Methods We conducted a systematic review of conceptual and empirical papers on healthcare technologies that are described as disruptive. We searched MEDLINE and Embase from 2013 to April 2019 (updated in December 2021). Data extraction was done in duplicate by pairs of reviewers utilizing a data extraction form. A qualitative data analysis was undertaken based on an analytic framework for analysis of the concept and examples. Key arguments and a number of potential predictors of disruptive technologies were derived and implications for HTA organizations were discussed. Results Of 4,107 records, 28 were included in the review. Most of the papers included conceptual discussions and business models for disruptive technologies; only few papers presented empirical evidence. The majority of the evidence is related to the US healthcare system. Key arguments for describing a technology as disruptive include improvement of outcomes for patients, improved access to health care, reduction of costs and better affordability, shift in responsibilities between providers, and change in the organization of health care. A number of possible predictors for disruption were identified to distinguish these from sustaining innovations. Conclusions Since truly disruptive technologies could radically change technology uptake and may modify provision of care patterns or treatment paths, they require a thorough evaluation of the consequences of using these technologies, including economic and organizational impact assessment and careful monitoring.

The influence of palaeogeography and tectonic events on trilobite distributions in Morocco and northwestern Algeria Bault, Valentin; Crônier, Catherine; Bignon, Arnaud Marcel Jacques The effects of sea-level changes and anoxia on Devonian trilobites have been studied for a long time, but the importance of palaeogeographic and tectonic events in this key-period is still not well understood. In the Devonian Period, trilobites invaded many different marine environments and areas in North Africa where important palaeogeographic changes occurred. Distribution patterns of trilobites through time and space have been analysed using a hierarchical cluster analysis and diversity indices. Our examination of the literature suggests that trilobites were scarce during Lochkovian time before an important diversification in Pragian time. Trilobites flourished in many North African regions without there being important taxonomic differences between basins, because of free migration in relatively flat palaeo-topography and homogeneous environments. During Middle Devonian time, early Variscan tectonic movements transformed the eastern Anti-Atlas area into a basin with a platform topography. Geographical barriers such as deep basins prevented trilobite migrations. At the beginning of Eifelian time, the reduction in migration between the different regions of this area coincided with a decrease in diversity. Consequently, tectonic events played an important role in the decline of trilobites during Middle Devonian time, especially when these were combined with sea-level changes and anoxic/hypoxic events. A recovery occurred in Famennian time involving only new genera. As at the global scale, cyrtosymbolines developed in shallow seas, whereas phacopids evolved in deeper environments. The basin and platform system still hampered migrations, although sea-level variations led to episodic exchanges. The late Famennian regression reduced trilobite diversity dramatically in the study area.

Asymmetric architecture is non-random and repeatable in a bird's nests Citizen Scientists; Adreani, Mauricio Nicolas; Valcu, Mihai; Mentesana, Lucia; Sorroche, Silvina Andrea; Martina, Daniela Veronica; Bender, Benjamin Bilateral, or left–right, asymmetry has evolved independently in many life forms and can be randomly, genetically or environmentally determined1. In a population, the frequency of left and right phenotypes can vary randomly or be fixed depending on, for example, their adaptive value1. Bilateral asymmetry has been described and quantified in individual morphological or behavioral traits, such as internal organ asymmetry or handedness1–3, but rarely in extended phenotypes. Bilateral asymmetry is present in animal architecture, such as snail shells or bird nests. How common and important asymmetry is in animal architecture remains to be quantified4. Here, we use a citizen-science approach to quantify the occurrence of left–right asymmetry in the complex nest of a bird, the rufous hornero (Furnarius rufus). We assess the possible evolutionary mechanisms underlying asymmetric nest architecture and predict a genetic underpinning.

Electrocorticography is superior to subthalamic local field potentials for movement decoding in Parkinson's disease Merk, Timon; Peterson, Victoria; Lipski, Witold J.; Blankertz, Benjamin; Turner, Robert S.; Li, Ningfei; Horn, Andreas; Richardson, Robert Mark; Neumann, Wolf-Julian Brain signal decoding promises significant advances in the development of clinical brain computer interfaces (BCI). In Parkinson’s disease (PD), first bidirectional BCI implants for adaptive deep brain stimulation (DBS) are now available. Brain signal decoding can extend the clinical utility of adaptive DBS but the impact of neural source, computational methods and PD pathophysiology on decoding performance are unknown. This represents an unmet need for the development of future neurotechnology. To address this, we developed an invasive brain-signal decoding approach based on intraoperative sensorimotor electrocorticography (ECoG) and subthalamic LFP to predict grip-force, a representative movement decoding application, in 11 PD patients undergoing DBS. We demonstrate that ECoG is superior to subthalamic LFP for accurate grip-force decoding. Gradient boosted decision trees (XGBOOST) outperformed other model architectures. ECoG based decoding performance negatively correlated with motor impairment, which could be attributed to subthalamic beta bursts in the motor preparation and movement period. This highlights the impact of PD pathophysiology on the neural capacity to encode movement vigor. Finally, we developed a connectomic analysis that could predict grip-force decoding performance of individual ECoG channels across patients by using their connectomic fingerprints. Our study provides a neurophysiological and computational framework for invasive brain signal decoding to aid the development of an individualized precision-medicine approach to intelligent adaptive DBS.

Antibody durability at 1 year after Sputnik V vaccination Sanchez, Lautaro Nicolas; Oviedo Rouco, Santiago; Pifano, Marina; Ojeda, Diego Sebastian; Pascuale, Carla Antonela; Mazzitelli, Bianca; Di Diego García, Facundo; González López Ledesma, María Mora; Rodriguez, Pamela Elizabeth; Miglietta, Esteban Alberto; Ceballos, Ana; Rossi, Andrés Hugo; Kreplak, Nicolas; Geffner, Jorge Raúl; Gamarnik, Andrea Vanesa Antibody waning against SARS-CoV-2 over time after vaccination, together with the emergence of new viral variants, pose great challenges for ending the pandemic. To our knowledge, no previous work has assessed the long-term prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in individuals vaccinated with Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac).1 We assessed the persistence of anti-spike IgG antibodies and their neutralising capacity against the original SARS-CoV-2 lineage (B.1) and a local isolate of the BA.1 lineage of the omicron (B.1.1.529) variant in a longitudinal cohort during 1 year after Sputnik V vaccination in Argentina. We used 400 paired serum samples (100 samples at each timepoint, including at baseline before vaccination) from 100 volunteers who received two doses of Sputnik V that were obtained between Jan 1, 2021, and Jan 15, 2022. Participants with current or previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, determined by assessing seropositivity to nucleocapsid protein, were excluded from the analysis. The geometric mean (GM) of international units of IgG anti-spike antibodies2 per mL (IU/mL) were 994 (95% CI 769–1285) at 42 days, 80 (60–106) at 180 days, and 36 (27–47) at 360 days after completion of the two-dose vaccination scheme (figure A; appendix p 2). Overall, a 27-fold reduction in IgG was observed 1 year after Sputnik V vaccination.

Coxiella Endosymbiont of Rhipicephalus microplus Modulates Tick Physiology With a Major Impact in Blood Feeding Capacity Guizzo, Melina Garcia; Tirloni, Lucas; González, Sergio Alberto; Farber, Marisa Diana; Braz, Glória; Parizi, Luís Fernando; Dedavid e Silva, Lucas Andre; da Silva Vaz, Itabajara; Oliveira, Pedro L. In the past decade, metagenomics studies exploring tick microbiota have revealed widespread interactions between bacteria and arthropods, including symbiotic interactions. Functional studies showed that obligate endosymbionts contribute to tick biology, affecting reproductive fitness and molting. Understanding the molecular basis of the interaction between ticks and their mutualist endosymbionts may help to develop control methods based on microbiome manipulation. Previously, we showed that Rhipicephalus microplus larvae with reduced levels of Coxiella endosymbiont of R. microplus (CERM) were arrested at the metanymph life stage (partially engorged nymph) and did not molt into adults. In this study, we performed a transcriptomic differential analysis of the R. microplus metanymph in the presence and absence of its mutualist endosymbiont. The lack of CERM resulted in an altered expression profile of transcripts from several functional categories. Gene products such as DA-P36, protease inhibitors, metalloproteases, and evasins, which are involved in blood feeding capacity, were underexpressed in CERM-free metanymphs. Disregulation in genes related to extracellular matrix remodeling was also observed in the absence of the symbiont. Taken together, the observed alterations in gene expression may explain the blockage of development at the metanymph stage and reveal a novel physiological aspect of the symbiont-tick-vertebrate host interaction.

Mejora del secado convencional de zanahoria por aire caliente con pretratamiento de microondas Muñoz, Maria Virginia; Kvapil, Maria Florencia; Iturriaga, Laura Beatriz Se deshidrataron rodajas de zanahoria utilizando dos métodos de secado: aire caliente (SC) (secado convectivo convencional) y microondas como tratamiento previo a la aplicación de aire (SMC). Los tratamientos de secado al aire se realizaron a dos temperaturas diferentes: 60 y 80 °C manteniendo la velocidad de aire constante. Con respecto al tratamiento con microondas se utilizó la máxima potencia del dispositivo (1180 W) hasta alcanzar una pérdida de peso adecuada y luego se concluyó el secado siguiendo las mismas condiciones de secado convectivo. Se obtuvieron las curvas de cinética de secado correspondientes para cada tratamiento aplicado y se compararon. Además, se determinó la rehidratación del producto final como propiedad física. Las rodajas de zanahoria deshidratadas con el tratamiento previo de microondas resultaron con menor contenido de humedad en un menor tiempo y mayor potencial de rehidratación en comparación con las obtenidas mediante deshidratación por convección.; Carrot slices were dehydrated using two drying methods: hot air (SC) (conventional convective drying) and microwave as a pre-treatment to the application of air (SMC). The air drying treatments were carried out at two different temperatures: 60 and 80 °C, keeping the air speed constant. In regard to the microwave treatment, the maximum power of the device (1180 W) was used until an adequate weight loss was achieved and then the drying was concluded following the same convective drying conditions. The appropriate drying kinetic curves were obtained for each applied treatment and compared. In addition, the rehydration of the final product was determined as a physical property. Carrot slices dehydrated with the microwave pre-treatment resulted in lower moisture content in a shorter time and higher rehydration potential compared to those obtained by convection dehydration.

Sliding wear performance of TiAl-based nitride coatings deposited on ADI by cathodic arc deposition and plasma based ion implantation and deposition Colombo, Diego Alejandro; Quintana, Juan Pablo; Mandri, Alejo Daniel; Marquez, Adriana Beatriz; Dommarco, Ricardo This work studied the sliding wear performance of TiAl-based nitride coatings synthesized on austempered ductile iron (ADI) by cathodic arc deposition (CAD) and plasma-based ion implantation and deposition (PBIID). Monolayer CAD TiAlN films and bilayer CAD and PBIID TiAl/TiAlN films deposited on an experimental device were analyzed and benchmarked against a commercial bilayer CAD film. Sliding wear was evaluated in a pin–on–disc tribometer. Two test conditions were employed, one intended to prevent damage (low load, short distance) and another intended to promote damage (higher load, longer distance). Regarding low load tests, all coated samples showed friction coefficients of 0.40–0.45 and negligible wear. Regarding high load tests, all coated variants exhibited lower or equal disc and pin wear rates with respect to uncoated ADI. In addition, coated samples displayed steady-state friction coefficients between 0.2 and 0.6 while uncoated ADI steady-state coefficients between 0.6 and 0.85.

Nutrient dynamics in the Paraná River Delta: Relationship to the hydrologic regime and the floodplain wetlands Primost, Jezabel Elena; Peluso, María Leticia; Sasal, María Carolina; Bonetto, Carlos Alberto South America contains the most extensive freshwater wetlands in the world, associated with the floodplains of the Amazon, Orinoco and Paraná rivers. The Paraná River delta is a large wetland system strongly influenced by the flood/drought cycles of the river. Water quality remains largely unreported at the regional scale. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of increasing anthropogenic disturbances on nutrient concentrations in the Paraná deltaic system. Within this framework, the river-floodplain interaction is examined. Fourteen sites located along 300 km were sampled over the course of three successive years. Most of the studied parameters showed a higher temporal than spatial variability. The temporal variability was associated with flood/drought cycles of the river, while the differences among the sampling sites were related to nearby anthropic activities. Significantly lower nitrate, soluble reactive phosphorus, and suspended matter concentrations occurred in coincidence with high hydrological connectivity, particularly during the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) flooding, compared to the medium hydrological connectivity conditions, suggesting the effect of river-floodplain interactions. In contrast, ammonium concentrations were significantly higher after the floods. Also, nitrate concentrations were significantly higher in the upper deltaic stretch than in the middle or lower stretches, despite the loads contributed by several affluents with higher concentrations than those in the Paraná River. The present results demonstrate the extent to which the Paraná River delta removes suspended matter, nitrate, and P, thus providing an enormously valuable ecosystem service by maintaining acceptable water quality in the river despite increasing contaminant loads. This study supplies a detailed baseline of water quality and knowledge about ecosystem functions in the deltaic wetlands, useful in the design of conservation policies for safeguarding the largest floodplain in Argentina.

Crisis and class inequality in Argentina: a new analysis using household survey data Féliz, Mariano; Millon Alderete, Maria Emilia This paper explains how the stagnation and crisis in Argentina (2009–2020) reshaped the standard of living of the working class and how their effects are reflected through inequality indexes. Many studies have used quintile stratification for inequality analysis. Following the traditions of Marxian/structural theoretical frameworks, we analyse inequality by defining the different factions within the working class, estimating the Socio Occupational Condition (CSO) from Census Data. This strategy allows us building different strata within the working classes from information on regular surveys. We work with the data from the Permanent Survey of Households (EPH) of Argentina. We use bootstrapping techniques to strengthen our estimations of mean income, too, in order to improve our analysis of the difference between classes and variance’s income estimator. We analyse the evolution of inequality with several generalized entropy indexes. These indexes allow us to describe the composition of inequality between the different classes and within each class. We complement the analysis with macroeconomic estimates of income distribution to include estimates for income appropriation from other social classes. We study how macroeconomic developments and policies during the recent crisis have affected inequality.

"I did, I did taw a puddy tat!" Pumas in urban ecosystems of Latin America: a review of the mediatic information Guerisoli, Maria de Las Mercedes; Schiaffini, Mauro Ignacio The concentration of people living in small areas has increased in the last decade, with more than half of the world's population living in cities. This is particularly true for Latin America, a region with no particular high contribution to the world total population, but hosts several large cities. The increase in urbanization causes several threats to wildlife that face the loss of their habitat and novel environmental pressures. As the number of wildlife entering cities seems to have increased in the last year, we characterize the temporal and geographical events of a widely distributed carnivore, the puma, Puma concolor. We performed an exhaustive search for media news regarding the sighting, capture, and/or killing of pumas within human settlement areas, and tried to relate them with potential explanatory variables. We found a total of 162 events in Latin America in a period of the last 10 years, particularly concentrated in the year 2020. Most records came from Brazil, followed by Argentina, Chile, and Mexico. Of the total, 41% were only sightings, 58% were captures, and a minor percentage were considered as mascotism. Almost the same number of records came from highly populated areas (cities) than from low populated areas (rural) but with important differences between countries. The countries with more records in urban areas (Brazil and Mexico) showed a larger surface occupied by cities. The countries with most records in rural areas (Argentina and Chile) present the opposite pattern of occupied surface. This might indicate that different percentages of areas dedicated to cities or urban spaces might explain the differences among countries. The most important variable related to puma events in the populated areas was sky brightness, while human density and cattle density explained minor parts. The “anthropause” due to the COVID-19 pandemic might explain the larger number of records from 2020, while the absence of high-quality habitats due to fragmentation and high cattle density, might force the pumas to enter populated areas searching for food. Minor values of night lights could be related to a facilitation of efficiency of foraging behavior. Although some bias might exist in the data, the results should be taken into account as general statements for all analyzed countries.

Pachygenium laurense (Orchidaceae, Spiranthinae), a new orchid species from Argentina—morphological evidence and phylogenetic reconstruction Martín, Claudia Melisa; Morales, Adriana Marisel; Dudek, Magdalena; Szlachetko, Dariusz L. Background. Pachygenium embraces a group of terrestrial species formerly placed in Pelexia sensu lato. The genus currently comprises some 60 species, most of which are known from the southern parts of Brazil and Paraguay, with few species distributed in the Andean countries—only four species have been recorded from Argentina so far. In Jujuy Province, Argentina a new species of Pachygenium was found during our fieldwork. The aim of this article was to provide morphological and molecular evidence for its membership in this genus. Methods. Materials from specimens were collected in the field and examined by classical taxonomic and molecular biological techniques, e.g., PCR and sequencing DNA. Phylogenetic reconstruction was performed by maximum-likelihood and Bayesian inference. Results. Pachygenium laurense from Argentina is described and illustrated based on morphological evidence and its taxonomic position was confirmed by phylogenetic analyses. A new combination for Pachygenium gutturosa is also proposed. A key for identification is provided for the Pachygenium species occurring in Argentina. Conclusion. Pachygenium laurense is the fifth species of the genus recorded from Argentina.

Type-2 Cytokines Promote the Secretion of the Eosinophil–Attractant CCL26 by Intestinal Epithelial Cells in Food-Sensitized Patients Vaccaro, Julián; Canziani, Karina Eva; Guzmán, Luciana; Bernedo, Viviana; García, Marcela; Altamirano, Eugenia Margarita; Feregotti, Emanuel; Curciarello, Renata; Muglia, Cecilia Isabel; Docena, Guillermo Horacio Several inflammatory processes of the bowel are characterized by an accumulation of eosinophils at inflammation sites. The mechanisms that govern mucosal infiltration with eosinophils are not fully understood. In this work, we studied the colorectal polyp-confined tissue containing eosinophils and we hypothesized that intestinal epithelial cells are the cell source of eotaxin-3 or CCL26, a potent chemoattractant for eosinophils. We analyzed colorectal polyps (n=50) from pediatric patients with rectal bleeding by H&E staining and eosin staining, and different pro-inflammatory cytokines were assessed by RT-qPCR and ELISA. IgE and CCL26 were investigated by RT-qPCR, ELISA and confocal microscopy. Finally, the intracellular signaling pathway that mediates the CCL26 production was analyzed using a kinase array and immunoblotting in human intestinal Caco-2 cell line. We found a dense cell agglomeration within the polyps, with a significantly higher frequency of eosinophils than in control adjacent tissue. IL-4 and IL-13 were significantly up-regulated in polyps and CCL26 was elevated in the epithelial compartment. Experiments with Caco-2 cells showed that the type-2 cytokine IL-13 increased STAT3 and STAT6 phosphorylation and eotaxin-3 secretion. The addition of the blocking antibody Dupilumab or the inhibitor Ruxolitinib to the cytokine-stimulated Caco-2 cells diminished the CCL26 secretion to basal levels in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate a high frequency of eosinophils, and elevated levels of type-2 cytokines and eotaxin-3 in the inflammatory stroma of colorectal polyps from pediatric patients. Polyp epithelial cells showed to be the main cell source of CCL26, and IL-13 was the main trigger of this chemokine through the activation of the STAT3/STAT6/JAK1-2 pathway. We suggest that the epithelial compartment actively participates in the recruitment of eosinophils to the colonic polyp-confined inflammatory environment.

Chalcogen bearing tetrasubstituted zinc (II) phthalocyanines for CT26 colon carcinoma cells photodynamic therapy Ezquerra Riega, Sergio Dario; Valli, Federico; Rodriguez, Hernan Bernardo; Marino, Veronica Julieta; Roguin, Leonor Patricia; Lantaño, Beatriz; Garcia Vior, María Cecilia The synthesis and photochemical properties of six new lipophilic chalcogen tetrasubstituted zinc (II) phthalocyanines and their corresponding water-soluble cationic derivatives were investigated for CT26 colon carcinoma cells photodynamic therapy. Sulfur and selenium phthalocyanines Q-bands are red shifted around 10 nm with respect to the Q-band of oxygen phthalocyanines. The introduction of Se atoms in peripheral position generates non-significant shifts in the absorption spectrum compared to S-bearing phthalocyanine. In addition, Q-band absorption coefficient of selenium phthalocyanines showed to be higher than their respective sulfur and oxygen analogs, which is relevant for dosing in PDT studies. The fluorescence emission maximum wavelength showed the same trend regards to the presence of chalcogen atoms, O < Se < S. All phthalocyanines are efficient singlet oxygen generators with values in the range 0.42–0.75. In most cases, increasing the atomic number of chalcogen atoms produces a rise of singlet oxygen production efficiency. The replacement of O for S or Se atoms cause a red shifting around 20 nm of triplet-triplet maximum absorption wavelength and the introduction of Se atoms causes a significant shortening of τT. The photodynamic effect was evaluated on CT26 colon carcinoma cells. Oxygen phthalocyanines triggered cell death both in the absence or presence of light, whereas sulfur and selenium phthalocyanines diminished cell viability in a concentration dependent manner only after light exposure. S-bearing phthalocyanines showed the best photodynamic efficiency among all novel phthalocyanines.