On English Dental Fricatives

En este artículo, se lleva a cabo un análisis de las fricativas dentales inglesas. Nos llama la atención que estas consonantes no gozan de estabilidad en ciertos contextos, por ello los nativos de habla inglesa a veces seleccionan el fonema sordo y otras el sonoro. Además, se abordan los procesos fonológicos de elisión y variación y finalmente, se hacen algunos comentarios sobre la enseñanza y aprendizaje de estas fricativas

A new genus of neobatrachian frog from southern Patagonian forests, Argentina and Chile

In 1975 Lynch named a new species of frog based on two specimens from Puerto Eden, Wellington Island, southern Chile, tentatively allocated to the genus Telmatobius. Telmatobius grandisonae Lynch was later included by the same author in his genus Atelognathus. Based on a reappraisal of the type material and the description of the internal and external morphology, karyotype, tadpole morphology and molecular evidence from recently discovered specimens collected at Lago del Desierto, southern Argentina, we describe the monotypic genus Chaltenobatrachus, with Telmatobius grandisonae (Lynch) serving as the type species. Chaltenobatrachus differs from Atelognathus mainly in having a uniform bright green dorsal coloration, with brown to reddish warts; orange iris with gold spots; fingers with interdigital membrane; frontoparietals well developed, small nasals; well ossified sphenethmoid; anteriorly expanded homosternum; skin of tadpole transparent; oral disc with protruding anterior and lateral papillae; diploid number 2n = 32 chromosomes. The genetic distances between Chaltenobatrachus and Atelognathus meet or exceed most other intergeneric comparisons.Fil: Basso, Nestor Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Úbeda, Carmen A.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Bunge, Maria M.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Martinazzo Giménez, Liza Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentin

IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-8 levels in gyneco-obstetric infections.

OBJECTIVE: During pregnancy cytokines and inflammatory mediators stimulate the expression of prostaglandin, the levels of which determine the onset of labor. The aim of this work was to study interleukin IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-8 levels in the vaginal discharge, serum and urine of pregnant women with genitourinary infection before and after specific treatment. One hundred and fifty-one patients were studied during the second or third trimester of their pregnancy. METHODS: The selected patients were: healthy or control group (n = 52), those with bacterial vaginosis (n = 47), those with vaginitis (n = 37), those with asymptomatic urinary infection (n = 15) and post-treatment. The level of cytokines was assayed by ELISA test. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The IL-1beta levels in vaginal discharge were: control 103.5 +/- 24.2 pg/ml, bacterial vaginosis 1030 +/- 59.5, vaginitis 749.14 +/- 66.7l ( p < 0.0001), post-treatment 101.4 +/- 28.7. IL-6 values were similar in both control and infected groups, and there were no patients with chorioamnionitis. In vaginal discharge IL-6: control 14.2 +/- 3.9 pg/ml, bacterial vaginosis 13.2 +/- 3.8, vaginitis 13 +/- 4.2. IL-8 levels were: control 1643 +/- 130.3 pg/ml, bacterial vaginosis 2612.7 +/- 257.7, vaginitis 3437 +/- 460 (p < 0.0001), post-treatment 1693 +/- 126.6. In urine the results were: control 40.2 +/- 17 pg/ml, asymptomatic urinary infection 1200.7 +/- 375 (p < 0.0001). In patients with therapeutic success both IL-1beta and IL-8 returned to normal levels. CONCLUSIONS: Genitourinary infections induce a significant increase in IL-1beta and IL-8 levels in vaginal secretions, and IL-8 in urine as well. Both cytokines could be useful as evolutive markers of infection

Acute Hypotensive, Diuretic and Antioxidant Activities Induced by Urtica circularis

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the possible hypotensive and diuretic effects of ethanolic extract of Urtica circularis (Hicken) Sorarú (Urticaceae) using preclinical methods. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Universidad de Buenos Aires, from July 2015 to January 2016. Methodology: Effect on blood pressure and heart rate on anaesthetized normotensive and hypertensive rats were measured using Statham Gould P23ID pressure transducer coupled to a Grass 79D polygraph. Rats were placed in metabolic cages in order to collect urine. Urinary volume was measured and sodium and potassium concentration was estimated from each urine sample using indirect ion-selective electrode potentiometry. The vasorelaxant activity of major compound was studied using isolated aortic rings. Antioxidant activity was estimated measuring 2,2 diphenyl 2 picryl hydrazyl hydrate radical scavenging activity. Results: The intravenous administration of the extract of U. circularis (0.1–30 mg/kg) in anaesthetized normotensive and hypertensive rats caused a dose-dependent reduction in the mean arterial pressure without affecting the heart rate. The greater reduction of blood pressure induced by U. circularis was observed in hypertensive rats (30 mg/kg: Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat: -34.7±3.3 mmHg, Spague Dawley: -18.3±3.9 mmHg). Cumulative urinary excretions 24 h after treatment with the extract 100 and 300 mg/kg were 18.2±1.2 and 14.9±1.5 mL respectively, significantly higher than the control group (9.0±1.3 mL). The addition of cumulative concentrations of vicenin-2 (10-7-10-4M) generated relaxation in endothelium-intact aortic rings pre-contracted with 10–7M Phenylephrine (Emax = 66.2±3.5%). Extract showed antioxidant activity reaching 45% of DPPH scavenging activity at 1000 μg/mL, meanwhile the flavonoid reached 20% of scavenger capacity. Conclusion: U. circularis, has a diuretic, antioxidant and hypotensive effect. Vicenin-2, the major component of this extract showed vasorelaxant activity, potentially responsible for the properties of the extract.Fil: Rodriguez Basso, A.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Farmacología; ArgentinaFil: Marrassini, Carla. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Farmacología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Anesini, Claudia Alejandra. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Farmacología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Gorzalczany, Susana Beatriz. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Farmacología; Argentin

Scenes of Srinavasa Ramanujan’s life: endemics, epidemics and pandemics from a biomedic and a critic point of view

El hombre que conocía el infinito / The man who knew infinity (2015) de Matt Brown, conjuga problemáticas de las que se ocupa este artículo. El filme se centra en la experiencia del matemático indio Srinavasa Ramanujan en Cambridge, donde sufre situaciones de racismo, discriminación, vivienda precaria, malnutrición. Aun así, logra que reconozcan su genio, siendo nombrado Miembro de la Royal Society of London. Durante su estadía, se desencadena la Primera Guerra Mundial y él enferma de tuberculosis. Sobre este contexto, el trabajo apunta a explorar afecciones que atañen a la humanidad toda: endemias, pandemias, guerra, discriminación. Se trata, de algún modo, de fenómenos, que afectan con intensidad a la salud y bienestar de poblaciones enteras. En ese marco, la visión crítica desde las humanidades permite preguntarse, si bien son eventos que afectan a toda una población, en qué sentido lo hacen diferencialmente respecto a ciertos sectores. Así, se considera el hecho de que hay cuerpos más expuestos, con mayor vulnerabilidad y menores condiciones para afrontar sus efectos. La producción de conocimiento científico no es ajena a esta distribución de la precariedad, como muestra el filme, y es preciso hacer foco en enfermedades desatendidas y de la precariedad en pos de generar condiciones sanitarias más igualitarias.The selected film, The man who knew infinity (2015), by Matt Brown, addresses issues which are fundamental to this article’s objectives. The film is about Srinivasa Ramanujan’s experience as an Indian mathematician at Trinity College (Cambridge) where he suffers racism, discrimination, poor housing conditions, malnutrition. Even so, he achieves recognition as a genius, and ultimately becomes an academic member of the College. During his stage in Cambridge, World War I begins, and he gets ill with tuberculosis. In this context, this article aims to explore affections that involve humanity as a whole, such as endemics, pandemics, war, discrimination, among others. It phocuses on phenomena that affect intensely entire populations’ health and wellbeing. In this sense, a critical vision given by the humanities can question the senses in which these three notions affect a whole population, and yet affect it in different ways and intensities. Thus, this work underlines the fact that some bodies are more vulnerable, more exposed to precarization, and have less conditions to overcome its effects. Scientific production of knowledge is not an exception to this distribution of precariousness, as the film shows. In this light, it is necessary to refocus on neglected diseases and precariousness diseases, in order to create egalitarian conditions for prevention and medical treatment.publishedVersionFil: Moretti Basso, Ianina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades; Argentina.Fil: Moretti Rebola, Edgardo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; Argentina.Fil: Basso Ibañez, Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; Argentina

Population genetic analyses of the Powerplex Fusion kit in a cosmopolitan sample of Chubut province (Patagonia Argentina)

Allele frequencies and forensic parameters for 22 autosomal STR loci and DYS391 locus included in the PowerPlex® Fusion System kit were estimated in a sample of 770 unrelated individuals from Chubut province, southern Patagonia. No significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were observed after Bonferroni?s correction. The combined power of discrimination and the combined probability of exclusion were >0.999999 and 0.999984, respectively. Comparisons with other worldwide populations were performed. The MDS obtained show a close biological relation between Chubut and Chile. The estimated interethnic admixture supports a high Native American contribution (46%) in the population sample of Chubut. These results enlarge the Argentine databases of autosomal STR and would provide a valuable contribution for identification tests and population genetic studies.Fil: Parolin, María Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral; ArgentinaFil: Real, Luciano Esteban. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral; ArgentinaFil: Martinazzo Giménez, Liza Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral; ArgentinaFil: Basso, Nestor Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral; Argentin

Lheism en portugués de Mozambique

Investigamos cómo los hablantes de portugués de Mozambique usan los pronombres átonos que expresan el complemento directo e indirecto, independientemente de la subcategorización del verbo. Desarrollamos un estudio etnográfico de casos múltiples con estudiantes de 12º grado de la Escuela Secundaria Samora Moisés Machel (área urbana) y la Escuela Secundaria Dondo (área periurbana) utilizando métodos inductivos y comparativos. Los instrumentos de recolección de datos fueron la observación directa (registro de ocurrencias en los discursos hablados) y la encuesta del cuestionario. Los resultados obtenidos indican que hay influencia de la estructura de las lenguas bantú en la realización de la lengua portuguesa, en Mozambique. Nuestros resultados nos permiten comprender que, en este caso particular, la influencia de las lenguas bantú se manifiesta de la siguiente manera: los estudiantes asocian el pronombre lhe con frases sustantivas que se refieren a personas, independientemente de si realizan la función de objeto directo o indirecto, y el pronombre o a objetos con trazos [-humanos].PALABRAS-CLAVE: Lenguas bantúes; Lheism; Portugués de Mozambique; Portugués europeo; Pronominalización.Investigamos como falantes moçambicanos de Português usam os pronomes átonos que refletem o complemento direto e indireto, sem terem em conta a subcategorização do verbo. Desenvolvemos um estudo etnográfico de caso múltiplo, com alunos da 12ª classe da Escola Secundária Samora Moisés Machel (zona urbana) e da Escola Secundária do Dondo (zona periurbana), recorrendo aos métodos indutivo e comparativo. Os instrumentos de recolha de dados foram a observação direta (registo de ocorrências nos discursos falados) e o inquérito por questionário. Os resultados obtidos indicam que há influência da estrutura das Línguas Bantu na realização da Língua Portuguesa, em Moçambique. Nossos resultados permitem compreender que, neste caso em particular, a influência das Línguas Bantu se manifesta da seguinte forma: os alunos associam o pronome lhe a sintagmas nominais referentes a pessoas, independentemente de desempenharem a função de objeto direto ou indireto, e o pronome o a objetos com traços [-humanos].PALAVRAS-CHAVES: Língua bantu; Lheísmo; Português de Moçambique; Português Europeu; Pronominalização. We investigate how Mozambican Portuguese speakers use the unstressed pronouns that represents direct and indirect complement, regardless of the subcategorization of the verb. We developed a multiple case ethnographic study with 12th grade students from Samora Moisés Machel Secondary School (urban area) and Dondo Secondary School (periurban area) using inductive and comparative methods. The data collection instruments were direct observation (recording of occurrences of spoken speeches) and a questionnaire survey. Our results indicate that there is influence of the structure of Bantu Languages in the Portuguese Language spoken in Mozambique. Our results allow us to affirm that, in this particular case, the influence of Bantu Languages is manifested as follows: students associate the pronoun lhe with noun phrases referring to humans, regardless of whether they perform the function of direct or indirect object, and the pronoun o with non-human objects [-human].KEYWORDS: Bantu languages; Lheism; Portuguese of Mozambique; European Portuguese; Pronominalization. &nbsp;We investigate how Mozambican Portuguese speakers use the unstressed pronouns that represents direct and indirect complement, regardless of the subcategorization of the verb. We developed a multiple case ethnographic study with 12th grade students from Samora Moisés Machel Secondary School (urban area) and Dondo Secondary School (periurban area) using inductive and comparative methods. The data collection instruments were direct observation (recording of occurrences of spoken speeches) and a questionnaire survey. Our results indicate that there is influence of the structure of Bantu Languages in the Portuguese Language spoken in Mozambique. Our results allow us to affirm that, in this particular case, the influence of Bantu Languages is manifested as follows: students associate the pronoun lhe with noun phrases referring to humans, regardless of whether they perform the function of direct or indirect object, and the pronoun o with non-human objects [-human].KEYWORDS: Bantu languages; Lheism; Portuguese of Mozambique; European Portuguese; Pronominalization

GCN2 kinase plays an important role triggering the remission phase of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) has been widely employed as a model to study multiple sclerosis (MS) and indeed has allowed some important advances in our comprehension of MS pathogenesis. Several pieces of evidence suggest that infiltrating Th1 and Th17 lymphocytes are important players leading to CNS demyelination and lesion during the peak of murine EAE. Subsequently, effector T cell responses rapidly decline and the recovery phase of the disease strongly correlates with the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines and the enrichment of Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells within the target organ. However, the mechanisms leading to the increased presence of Treg cells and to the remission phase of the disease are still poorly understood. Recent researches demonstrated that chemically induced amino-acid starvation response might suppress CNS immune activity. Here we verified an important participation of the general control nonrepressible 2 (GCN2), a key regulator kinase of the amino-acid starvation response, in the development of the remission phase of EAE in C57BL/6 mice. By immunizing wild type C57BL/6 (WT) and GCN2 knock-out mice (GCN2 KO) with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide (MOG(35-55)), it was noticed that GCN2 KO mice did not develop the remission phase of the disease and this was associated with higher levels of CNS inflammation and increased presence of effector T cells (Th1/Th17). These animals also showed lower frequency of Treg cells within the CNS as compared to WT animals. Higher expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and higher frequency of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) were found at the peak of the disease in the CNS of WT animals. Our results suggest that the GCN2 kinase-dependent sensing of IDO activity represents an important trigger to the EAE remission phase. the IDO-mediated immunoregulatory events may include the arresting of effector T cell responses and the differentiation/expansion of Treg cells within the target organ. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Microbiol Immunol & Parasitol, BR-04023062 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Microbiol Immunol & Parasitol, BR-04023062 São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc