Ground-simulation investigations of VTOL airworthiness criteria for terminal-area operations

Several ground-based simulation experiments undertaken to investigate concerns related to tilt-rotor aircraft airworthiness were conducted. The experiments were conducted on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center's Vertical Motion Simulator, which permits simulation of a wide variety of aircraft with a high degree of fidelity of motion cueing. Variations in conversion/deceleration profile, type of augmentation or automation, level of display assistance, and meteorological conditions were considered in the course of the experiments. Certification pilots from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) participated, in addition to NASA research pilots. The setup of these experiments on the simulator is summarized, and some of the results highlighted

Salsalate treatment improves glycemia without altering adipose tissue in nondiabetic obese hispanics.

ObjectiveSalsalate treatment has well-known effects on improving glycemia, and the objective of this study was to examine whether the mechanism of this effect was related to changes in adipose tissue.MethodsA randomized double-blind and placebo-controlled trial in obese Hispanics (18-35 years) was conducted. The intervention consisted of 4 g day(-1) of salsalate (n = 11) versus placebo (n = 13) for 4 weeks. Outcome measures included glycemia, adiposity, ectopic fat, and adipose tissue gene expression and inflammation.ResultsIn those receiving salsalate, plasma fasting glucose decreased by 3.4% (P < 0.01), free fatty acids decreased by 42.5% (P = 0.06), and adiponectin increased by 27.7% (P < 0.01). Salsalate increased insulin AUC by 38% (P = 0.01) and HOMA-B by 47.2% (P < 0.01) while estimates of insulin sensitivity/resistance were unaffected. These metabolic improvements occurred without changes in total, abdominal, visceral, or liver fat. Plasma markers of inflammation/immune activation were unchanged following salsalate. Salsalate had no effects on adipose tissue including adipocyte size, presence of crown-like structures, or gene expression of adipokines, immune cell markers, or cytokines downstream of NF-κB with the exception of downregulation of IL-1β (P < 0.01).ConclusionsFindings suggest that metabolic improvements in response to salsalate occurred without alterations in adiposity, ectopic fat, or adipose tissue gene expression and inflammation

Pharmacokinetic control on the release of antimicrobial drugs from pH-responsive electrospun wound dressings

The acidic pH of healthy skin changes during wound healing due to the exposure of the inner dermal and subcutaneous tissue and due to the potential colonization of pathogenic bacteria. In chronic non-healing wounds, the pH values vary in a wide pH range but the appearance of an alkaline shift is common. After a wound is incurred, neutral pH in the wound bed is characteristic of the activation of the cascade of regenerative and remodeling processes. In order to adjust drug release to the specific pH of the wound, herein, drug-loaded wound dressings having pH-responsiveness containing antiseptics and antibiotics and exerting different release kinetics in order to have a perfect match between the drug release kinetics, and the pH conditions of each wound type, were developed. We have fabricated drug-loaded electrospun nanofibers loaded with the antiseptic chlorhexidine, with the broad-spectrum antibiotic rifampicin, and with the antimicrobial of natural origin thymol, using the pH-dependent methacrylic acid copolymer Eudragit® L100-55, which dissolves at pH > 5.5; those drugs were loaded within Eudragit® S100, which dissolves at pH > 7 and, finally, within the methacrylic ester copolymer Eudragit® RS100 which is pH independent and slowly erodes and releases its contained cargo. The antibacterial action of those advanced wound dressings has been evaluated against methicillin-sensitive S. aureus Newman strain expressing the coral green fluorescent protein (cGFP), as a model of a Gram-positive bacteria, and against E. coli S17 strain as a model of a Gram-negative bacteria. It was demonstrated that those combinational products integrate in one device the required characteristics for a wound dressing with the therapeutic action of a contained active principle and can be selected depending on the wound acidic or alkaline status for its appropriated management. © 2022 The Author(s

Occurrence of Anastrepha fraterculus (Diptera: Tephritidae) on raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and blackberry (Rubus fructicosus) fruit cultivated in a semiarid-temperate highland valley of Tucumán, Argentina

The Mediterranean fruit fly (CC), Ceratitis capitata, and the South American fruit fly (AF), Anastrepha fraterculus, are serious polyphagous insects considered pests of several plant families. Both species are widely distributed in Argentina, including the province of Tucumán, where their occurrence was reported in high-elevation valleys, affecting several cultivated and wild fruit species. Provided that raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and blackberry (Rubus fructicosus) are minor (but in expansion) crops in Tucumán, and the spectrum of pests affecting these crops is not very well known, the aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of AF and CF on these crops. During 2016, ripe fruit from plants of the blackberry cultivar ?878? and the raspberry cultivar ?Heritage? were collected from an organic orchard in Tafí del Valle (26°52′S, 65°41′W, 2014 m altitude). Sampling dates were Feb-5, 19 and 24, and Mar-10 and 23. Fruit sample was divided into 2 replicates of 20-30 fruits each, and placed into clamshells (20×20×30 cm) with sand at the bottom for larvae pupation. Clamshell lids were removed and replaced by voile fabric to allow air exchange and to prevent insects from escaping. They were kept at about 25°C and 60-70% RH for 20 days. Tephritid adults and pupae from each clamshell were recovered weekly, identified and counted. The reported fruit infestation level was based on the number of adults per fruit number and fruit weight obtained from each sample. Means and standard deviations (SD) were calculated. This is the first report of the occurrence of the South American fruit fly on blackberry and raspberry in Tucumán (Argentina).Fil: Meneguzzi, Natalia G.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Tucuman-santiago del Estero. Estacion Experimental.agropecuaria Famailla. Agencia de Extension Rural S M de Tucuman.; ArgentinaFil: Escobar, Lorena Ines. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Tucuman-santiago del Estero. Estacion Experimental.agropecuaria Famailla. Agencia de Extension Rural S M de Tucuman.; ArgentinaFil: Funes, Claudia Fernanda. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Tucuman-santiago del Estero. Estacion Experimental.agropecuaria Famailla. Agencia de Extension Rural S M de Tucuman.; ArgentinaFil: Ovruski Alderete, Sergio Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Kirschbaum, Daniel Santiago. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Tucuman-santiago del Estero. Estacion Experimental.agropecuaria Famailla. Agencia de Extension Rural S M de Tucuman.; Argentina9ª Reunión del Grupo de Trabajo en Moscas de la Fruta del Hemisferio OccidentalCiudad Autónoma de Buenos AiresArgentinaMinisterio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Pesca. Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentari

Functionalized up conversion rare earth nanoparticles for bio imaging of cancer cells

In recent yearsupconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs)have being investigated due to their potential applications in biomedicine such as fluorescent biolabels, among many others. The luminescence of this kind of NP's are effectively activatedby near infrared radiation (NIR) and upconvertto luminescence in the visible region. Besides, their luminescence is not faded as compared with organic dyes and fluorescent proteins. In this study, UCNPs made of Y2O3:Yb3+, Er3+ (1%, 10% mol) and Gd2O3:Yb3+, Er3+ (1%, 10% mol) were functionalized with aminosilanes and folic acid (UCNP-NH2-FA) and characterized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and luminescence measurements. Moreover, cytotoxicity was analyzed via colorimetric assays MTT (methy-134 thiazolyltetrazolium) in two cancer cell lines: cervical adenocarcinoma cells (HeLa) and breast cancer cells MB-MDA-231. It is found that the functionalized UCNPs were non-cytotoxic in all cancer cell lines. Confocal images revealed that UCNP-NH2-FA conjugates as a target to attract cells with overexpressed folate receptor (FR). The UCNPs offer a great potential to be used as bio labels because their fluorescence was clearly localized into cell cytoplasm

Identification and characterization of key circadian clock genes of tobacco hairy roots : putative regulatory role in xenobiotic metabolism

This work was also supported by research grants to P.M. from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, from the Generalitat de Catalunya (AGAUR), from the Global Research Network of the National Research Foundation of Korea, from the European Commission Marie Curie Research Training Network (ChIP-ET) and from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, through the "Severo Ochoa Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D" 2016-2019 (SEV-2015-0533)".The circadian clock is an endogenous system that allows organisms to daily adapt and optimize their physiology and metabolism. We studied the key circadian clock gene (CCG) orthologs in Nicotiana tabacum seedlings and in hairy root cultures (HRC). Putative genes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotic compounds (MXC) were selected and their expression profiles were also analyzed. Seedlings and HRC displayed similar diurnal variations in the expression profiles for the CCG examined under control conditions (CC). MXC-related genes also showed daily fluctuations with specific peaks of expression. However, when HRC were under phenol treatment (PT), the expression patterns of the clock and MXC-related genes were significantly affected. In 2-week-old HRC, PT downregulated the expression of NtLHY, NtTOC1, and NtPRR9 while NtFKF1 and NtGI genes were upregulated by phenol. In 3-week-old HRC, PT also downregulated the expression of all CCG analyzed and NtTOC1 was the most affected. Following PT, the expression of the MXC-related genes was upregulated or displayed an anti-phasic expression profile compared to the expression under CC. Our studies thus provide a glimpse of the circadian expression of clock genes in tobacco and the use of HRC as a convenient system to study plant responses to xenobiotic stresses

Proyecto de desarrollo inteligente, Departamento Burruyacu - Tucumán : Propuesta integrada con distintos actores institucionales a partir de mesa de gestión territorial

El presente proyecto “Desarrollo Inteligente del Departamento Burruyacu – Tucumán” elaborado en base a un diagnostico participativo que dio como resultado, ”ex ante”, el poder identificar una realidad con una problemática de territorio, basada en las siguientes dimensiones: a) Ambientales y de infraestructura b) Organizacionales y económicos c) De competitividad, en las economías locales d) Educativos y de articulación institucional. Las posibilidades de avanzar en proyectos que contemplen solo las inherentes a inversiones productivas no tenían un origen genuino en el espíritu emprendedor de los habitantes y productores de la zona Este del Departamento (Gobernador Piedrabuena, Gobernador Garmendia y 7 de Abril) pero si se pudo identificar un importante sector de potenciales productores porcinos, bovinos de carne y avícolas, - cadenas no relevantes en la zona -, más un gran número de productores agrícolas –pequeños y medianos - en plena actividad, pero con nulas experiencias en producción pecuaria. Con esto, la provincia a través de sus herramientas de políticas publicas, puso la mirada en la concepción de estos nuevos enfoques de desarrollo territorial, con proyectos que posibilitarán desarrollar con equidad y sustentabilidad dicha zona profundizando los 4 ejes estratégicos.This project "Smart Development of Burruyacu Department- Tucumán" was developed based on a participative diagnose that gave as "ex ante" result, the possibility of identifying a reality related with a territorial problem, based on the following dimensions: a) Environmental and infrastructure, b) Organizational and economic, c) Competitiveness, local economies, d) Educational and institutional coordination. The chances of advancing with projects that include only productive investments had no genuine origin in the entrepreneurial spirit of general people and growers from the east of the Department (Gobernador Piedrabuena, Gobernador Garmendia and 7 de Abril). However, an important sector of potential producers of pig, goat meat and poultry - not relevant chains in the area- could be identified, plus a large number of small and medium farmers dealing with agriculture but with zero experience in livestock production. Under this frame, the provincial government through public policy tools, looked at the design of these new approaches to territorial development, with projects that will enable sustainable development with equity and deepening the four strategic axes in the area. The concept of territorial development, including rural areas, has traditionally been associated with the search for viability of the most remote areas, inaccessible and that suffered various forms of marginality. However, the rurality has changed significantly. Among the changes identified by different authors are: a) the increase in the importance of non-farm activities in generating employment and income for the rural population; b ) increasing integration of urban and rural areas; c) the importance of integrating concerns for sustainable management of the environment and natural resources; d) the changes in rural institutions, e) the recognition of the importance of new social players f) new and higher expectations of consumers and markets; g) the role of new information and communication technologies, h) the persistence of rural poverty and inequality, i) the persistence of regional and sectorial gaps.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

TIC, GC y e-educación: generación de sistemas informáticos

Se sintetiza la línea de investigación vinculada con el estudio y la aplicación de metodologías, técnicas y herramientas para el desarrollo del software de calidad en el dominio de la eeducación, a fin de generar soluciones informáticas para responder a necesidades regionales en el NEA. Se enfatiza la formación de recursos humanos en la temática, incorporando la misma en el desarrollo de tesinas de grado y becas otorgadas por la UNNE.Eje: Tecnología Informática Aplicada en EducaciónRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Aplicación de procesos de ingeniería de requerimientos en la generación de productos software

Se resume la línea de investigación vinculada con el estudio, análisis y aplicación de ingeniería de requerimientos en la generación de productos software orientados a diversos dominios del conocimiento. Estos se generaron en el marco de un proyecto desarrollado por el Área de Ingeniería Web (AIW) de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura de la Universidad Nacional del Nordeste En referencia a la formación de recursos, uno de los autores del trabajo es becario de postgrado y dos son becarios de pregrado de la UNNE.Eje: Ingeniería de softwareRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

The Human Cytomegalovirus UL76 Gene Regulates the Level of Expression of the UL77 Gene

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can be reactivated under immunosuppressive conditions causing several fatal pneumonitis, hepatitis, retinitis, and gastrointestinal diseases. HCMV also causes deafness and mental retardation in neonates when primary infection has occurred during pregnancy. In the genome of HCMV at least 194 known open reading frames (ORFs) have been predicted, and approximately one-quarter, or 41 ORFs, are required for viral replication in cell culture. In contrast, the majority of the predicted ORFs are nonessential for viral replication in cell culture. However, it is also possible that these ORFs are required for the efficient viral replication in the host. The UL77 gene of HCMV is essential for viral replication and has a role in viral DNA packaging. The function of the upstream UL76 gene in the HCMV-infected cells is not understood. UL76 and UL77 are cistons on the same viral mRNA and a conventional 5' mRNA for UL77 has not been detected. The vast majority of eukaryotic mRNAs are monocistronic, i.e., they encode only a single protein.To determine whether the UL76 ORF affects UL77 gene expression, we mutated UL76 by ORF frame-shifts, stop codons or deletion of the viral gene. The effect on UL77 protein expression was determined by either transfection of expression plasmids or infection with recombinant viruses. Mutation of UL76 ORF significantly increased the level of UL77 protein expression. However, deletion of UL76 upstream of the UL77 ORF had only marginal effects on viral growth.While UL76 is not essential for viral replication, the UL76 ORF is involved in regulation of the level of UL77 protein expression in a manner dependent on the translation re-initiation. UL76 may fine-tune the UL77 expression for the efficient viral replication in the HCMV- infected cells