AGRIBUSINESS EXECUTIVE EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE: NEW MECHANISMS OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT INVOLVING THE UNIVERSITY, PRIVATE FIRM STAKEHOLDERS AND PUBLIC SECTOR

The Argentine scenario of the 90s shows that although competitiveness improved, the agrifood system is unable to react immediately to the market because of low efficiency, poor training in agribusiness and high taxation. In the year 2000, FAUBA, the School of Agronomy of the University of Buenos Aires, created two executive management postgraduate courses in food and agribusiness that combined theory with hands-on exercises focused on the competitive management of agrifood chains and on quality. The new courses intended to meet the demand of the food and agribusiness private and public sectors with the aim of creating knowledge, reconverting human resources and providing innovation capabilities, key to building competitiveness.Agribusiness, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Microscopic Image Segmentation to Quantification of Leishmania Infection in Macrophages

The determination of infection rate parameter from in vitro macrophages infected by Leishmania amastigotes is fundamental in the study of vaccine candidates and new drugs for the treatment of leishmaniasis. The conventional method that consists in the amastigotes count inside macrophages, normally is done by a trained microscope technician, which is liable to misinterpretation and sampling. The objective of this work is to develop a method for the segmentation of images to enable the automatic calculation of the infection rate by amastigotes. Segmentation is based on mathematical morphology in the context of a computer vision system. The results obtained by computer vision system presents a 95% accuracy in comparison to the conventional method. Therefore, the proposed method can contribute to the speed and accuracy of analysis of infection rate, minimizing errors from the traditional methods, especially in situations where exhaustive repetitions of the procedure are required from the technician.A determinação de parâmetros como taxa de infecção em monocultura de macrófagos cultivados in vitro com Leishmania é fundamental no estudo de candidatos vacinais e novos fármacos para o tratamento de leishmanioses. O método convencional que consiste na contagem de amastigotas no interior de macrófagos, normalmente é realizada por um especialista treinado em microscopia óptica, o que está sujeito a erros de interpretação e amostragem. O objetivo do trabalho é desenvolver um método para a segmentação de imagens como etapa preliminar para o cálculo automático da taxa de infecção por amastigotas. A segmentação é baseada em morfologia matemática no contexto de um sistema de visão computacional. Os resultados obtidos pelo método computacional demonstraram acerto de 95% quando comparados ao método convencional. Conclui-se que a metodologia computacional baseada na segmentação de imagem como pré-requisito para o cálculo de taxa de infecção, pode contribuir para a rapidez e a precisão na obtenção dos resultados e na minimização de erros cometidos no método tradicional, especialmente em situações em que exaustivas repetições do procedimento são exigidas ao observador

A stochastic model to reproduce the star formation history of individual galaxies in hydrodynamic simulations

The star formation history (SFH) of galaxies is critical for understanding galaxy evolution. Hydrodynamical simulations enable us to precisely reconstruct the SFH of galaxies and establish a link to the underlying physical processes. In this work, we present a model to describe individual galaxies’ SFHs from three simulations: TheThreeHundred, Illustris-1, and TNG100-1. This model divides the galaxy SFH into two distinct components: the ‘main sequence’ and the ‘variation’. The ‘main sequence’ part is generated by tracing the history of the SFR − M* main sequence of galaxies across time. The ‘variation’ part consists of the scatter around the main sequence, which is reproduced by fractional Brownian motions. We find that: (1) the evolution of the main sequence varies between simulations; (2) fractional Brownian motions can reproduce many features of SFHs; however, discrepancies still exist; and (3) the variations and mass-loss rate are crucial for reconstructing the SFHs of the simulations. This model provides a fair description of the SFHs in simulations. On the other hand, by correlating the fractional Brownian motion model to simulation data, we provide a ’standard’ against which to compare simulations

The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment: Exploring Fundamental Symmetries of the Universe

The preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early Universe, the dynamics of the supernova bursts that produced the heavy elements necessary for life and whether protons eventually decay --- these mysteries at the forefront of particle physics and astrophysics are key to understanding the early evolution of our Universe, its current state and its eventual fate. The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) represents an extensively developed plan for a world-class experiment dedicated to addressing these questions. LBNE is conceived around three central components: (1) a new, high-intensity neutrino source generated from a megawatt-class proton accelerator at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, (2) a near neutrino detector just downstream of the source, and (3) a massive liquid argon time-projection chamber deployed as a far detector deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. This facility, located at the site of the former Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota, is approximately 1,300 km from the neutrino source at Fermilab -- a distance (baseline) that delivers optimal sensitivity to neutrino charge-parity symmetry violation and mass ordering effects. This ambitious yet cost-effective design incorporates scalability and flexibility and can accommodate a variety of upgrades and contributions. With its exceptional combination of experimental configuration, technical capabilities, and potential for transformative discoveries, LBNE promises to be a vital facility for the field of particle physics worldwide, providing physicists from around the globe with opportunities to collaborate in a twenty to thirty year program of exciting science. In this document we provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess.Comment: Major update of previous version. This is the reference document for LBNE science program and current status. Chapters 1, 3, and 9 provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess. 288 pages, 116 figure

Knowledge, awareness, and attitude towards infection prevention and management among surgeons: identifying the surgeon champion

Abstract Despite evidence supporting the effectiveness of best practices of infection prevention and management, many surgeons worldwide fail to implement them. Evidence-based practices tend to be underused in routine practice. Surgeons with knowledge in surgical infections should provide feedback to prescribers and integrate best practices among surgeons and implement changes within their team. Identifying a local opinion leader to serve as a champion within the surgical department may be important. The “surgeon champion” can integrate best clinical practices of infection prevention and management, drive behavior change in their colleagues, and interact with both infection control teams in promoting antimicrobial stewardship.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/145433/1/13017_2018_Article_198.pd