Micropaleontology of the Agrio Formation (Lower Cretaceous) in different areas of the Neuquén Basin

Se analizan conjuntamente la nanoflora y microfauna de foraminíferos bentónicos y ostrácodos de la Formación Agrio, en tres sectores de la cuenca Neuquina, a fin de establecer las edades involucradas y considerar las variaciones paleoambientales. En el sector norte de la cuenca se reconocen las sedimentitas más antiguas de la Formación Agrio, asignadas con amonites al Valanginiano inferior y portadoras de una microfauna monoespecífica de Epistomina loncochensis Ballent que indica ambientes disóxicos. Suprayacen limolitas con una microfauna variada de foramíniferos de plataforma marina normal, las que son reemplazadas por microfaunas empobrecidas vinculadas a somerización. La edad de la secuencia definida con nanofósiles es valanginiana tardía - hauteriviana tardía. Para posiciones medias y sur de la cuenca, la edad que indica la nanoflora de la Formación Agrio nuevamente queda comprendida entre el Valanginiano superior y el Hauteriviano superior. La microfauna hallada sugiere frecuentes oscilaciones eustáticas entre ambientes de plataforma y costaneros. En el sector austral de la cuenca, una asociación poco diversa de foraminíferos y una alta relación ostrácodos/foraminíferos, indica ambiente marino marginal, escasa profundidad y condiciones de salinidad normal. La presencia de un nivel próximo a la base de la secuencia con abundantes foraminíferos adheridos, indicaría un aumento en la energía del medio. Asimismo la elevada diversidad de Platycopida sugiere aguas templado-cálidas a subtropicales.The nanoflora and microfauna from the Agrio Formation are analyzed in three different areas of the Neuquén Basin to establish its age and paleonvironmental variations. In the northern area of the basin, the oldest Agrio Fomation sedimentites are recognized and assigned to the Lower Valanginian through ammonites. A monospecific Epistomina loncochensis Ballent microfauna is recovered from these levels, which indicates disoxic environments. Up to the top of the section, siltstones contain a diverse foraminifera microfauna of normal shelves, which are replaced by an impoverished fauna related to shallowing processes. The age defined by calcareous nannofossils is Late Valanginian-Late Hauterivian. In the central and southern position of the Neuquén Basin, the nannofossil assemblages indicate the Upper Valanginian-Upper Hauterivian for the Agrio Formation. The benthic microfauna suggests frequent eustatic variations ranging from shelves to shallow marine environments. In the austral sector of the basin, a poorly diversified foraminiferal assemblage is recorded and a high ostracods/foraminifera ratio indicates a restricted marine environment, and normal salinity. The presence of a level with abundant attached foraminifera indicates high energy episodes. The high diversified Platycopida ostracods suggest warm-temperate to subtropical waters.Fil: Concheyro, Graciela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; ArgentinaFil: Lescano, Marina Aurora. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; ArgentinaFil: Carames, Andrea Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; ArgentinaFil: Ballent, Sara Cristina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Departamento de Paleontología Invertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentin

Micropaleontology of the Agrio Formation (Lower Cretaceous) in different areas of the Neuquén Basin

Se analizan conjuntamente la nanoflora y microfauna de foraminíferos bentónicos y ostrácodos de la Formación Agrio, en tres sectores de la cuenca Neuquina, a fin de establecer las edades involucradas y considerar las variaciones paleoambientales. En el sector norte de la cuenca se reconocen las sedimentitas más antiguas de la Formación Agrio, asignadas con amonites al Valanginiano inferior y portadoras de una microfauna monoespecífica de Epistomina loncochensis Ballent que indica ambientes disóxicos. Suprayacen limolitas con una microfauna variada de foramíniferos de plataforma marina normal, las que son reemplazadas por microfaunas empobrecidas vinculadas a somerización. La edad de la secuencia definida con nanofósiles es valanginiana tardía - hauteriviana tardía. Para posiciones medias y sur de la cuenca, la edad que indica la nanoflora de la Formación Agrio nuevamente queda comprendida entre el Valanginiano superior y el Hauteriviano superior. La microfauna hallada sugiere frecuentes oscilaciones eustáticas entre ambientes de plataforma y costaneros. En el sector austral de la cuenca, una asociación poco diversa de foraminíferos y una alta relación ostrácodos/foraminíferos, indica ambiente marino marginal, escasa profundidad y condiciones de salinidad normal. La presencia de un nivel próximo a la base de la secuencia con abundantes foraminíferos adheridos, indicaría un aumento en la energía del medio. Asimismo la elevada diversidad de Platycopida sugiere aguas templado-cálidas a subtropicales.The nanoflora and microfauna from the Agrio Formation are analyzed in three different areas of the Neuquén Basin to establish its age and paleonvironmental variations. In the northern area of the basin, the oldest Agrio Fomation sedimentites are recognized and assigned to the Lower Valanginian through ammonites. A monospecific Epistomina loncochensis Ballent microfauna is recovered from these levels, which indicates disoxic environments. Up to the top of the section, siltstones contain a diverse foraminifera microfauna of normal shelves, which are replaced by an impoverished fauna related to shallowing processes. The age defined by calcareous nannofossils is Late Valanginian-Late Hauterivian. In the central and southern position of the Neuquén Basin, the nannofossil assemblages indicate the Upper Valanginian-Upper Hauterivian for the Agrio Formation. The benthic microfauna suggests frequent eustatic variations ranging from shelves to shallow marine environments. In the austral sector of the basin, a poorly diversified foraminiferal assemblage is recorded and a high ostracods/foraminifera ratio indicates a restricted marine environment, and normal salinity. The presence of a level with abundant attached foraminifera indicates high energy episodes. The high diversified Platycopida ostracods suggest warm-temperate to subtropical waters.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Micropaleontology of the Agrio Formation (Lower Cretaceous) in different areas of the Neuquén Basin

Se analizan conjuntamente la nanoflora y microfauna de foraminíferos bentónicos y ostrácodos de la Formación Agrio, en tres sectores de la cuenca Neuquina, a fin de establecer las edades involucradas y considerar las variaciones paleoambientales. En el sector norte de la cuenca se reconocen las sedimentitas más antiguas de la Formación Agrio, asignadas con amonites al Valanginiano inferior y portadoras de una microfauna monoespecífica de Epistomina loncochensis Ballent que indica ambientes disóxicos. Suprayacen limolitas con una microfauna variada de foramíniferos de plataforma marina normal, las que son reemplazadas por microfaunas empobrecidas vinculadas a somerización. La edad de la secuencia definida con nanofósiles es valanginiana tardía - hauteriviana tardía. Para posiciones medias y sur de la cuenca, la edad que indica la nanoflora de la Formación Agrio nuevamente queda comprendida entre el Valanginiano superior y el Hauteriviano superior. La microfauna hallada sugiere frecuentes oscilaciones eustáticas entre ambientes de plataforma y costaneros. En el sector austral de la cuenca, una asociación poco diversa de foraminíferos y una alta relación ostrácodos/foraminíferos, indica ambiente marino marginal, escasa profundidad y condiciones de salinidad normal. La presencia de un nivel próximo a la base de la secuencia con abundantes foraminíferos adheridos, indicaría un aumento en la energía del medio. Asimismo la elevada diversidad de Platycopida sugiere aguas templado-cálidas a subtropicales.The nanoflora and microfauna from the Agrio Formation are analyzed in three different areas of the Neuquén Basin to establish its age and paleonvironmental variations. In the northern area of the basin, the oldest Agrio Fomation sedimentites are recognized and assigned to the Lower Valanginian through ammonites. A monospecific Epistomina loncochensis Ballent microfauna is recovered from these levels, which indicates disoxic environments. Up to the top of the section, siltstones contain a diverse foraminifera microfauna of normal shelves, which are replaced by an impoverished fauna related to shallowing processes. The age defined by calcareous nannofossils is Late Valanginian-Late Hauterivian. In the central and southern position of the Neuquén Basin, the nannofossil assemblages indicate the Upper Valanginian-Upper Hauterivian for the Agrio Formation. The benthic microfauna suggests frequent eustatic variations ranging from shelves to shallow marine environments. In the austral sector of the basin, a poorly diversified foraminiferal assemblage is recorded and a high ostracods/foraminifera ratio indicates a restricted marine environment, and normal salinity. The presence of a level with abundant attached foraminifera indicates high energy episodes. The high diversified Platycopida ostracods suggest warm-temperate to subtropical waters.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

KRAS and BRAF Mutations as Prognostic and Predictive Biomarkers for Standard Chemotherapy Response in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Single Institutional Study

KRAS mutation is a confirmed predictive biomarker for anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody therapy response for metastatic colorectal cancer. However, its prognosis impact and the predictive potential for first-line standard chemotherapy remains unclear. On the other hand, V600E mutation is the most frequent and studied mutation in the BRAF gene, and it has been associated with a poor outcome of patients and a low response to anti-EGFR treatment. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the role of KRAS and BRAF mutations as prognosis factors and predictive biomarkers for 1st line standard chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer. KRAS mutations and BRAF V600E mutations exhibited a poor outcome (p = 0.021 and p &lt; 0.0001, respectively). Cox multivariate analysis showed that the presence of liver metastasis (HR = 1.595; 95% CI: 1.086&ndash;2.343; p = 0.017), KRAS mutation (HR = 1.643; 95% CI: 1.110&ndash;2.431; p = 0.013) and BRAF V600E mutation (HR = 5.861; 95% CI: 2.531&ndash;13.570; p &lt; 0.0001) were statistically significant co-variables for progression-free survival. Interestingly, patients with KRAS mutations were associated with a poor response to first line standard chemotherapy (p = 0.008). In contrast, the BRAF V600E mutation did not have any impact on the first line standard chemotherapy response (p = 0.540). Therefore, in the present study, we provide new insight on the role of KRAS and BRAF, not only as prognosis biomarkers, but also as first line standard chemotherapy response biomarkers in metastatic colorectal cancer