Rammed Earth Construction: A Proposal for a Statistical Quality Control in the Execution Process

Unlike other common contemporary construction materials such as concrete, mortars, or fired clay bricks, which are widely supported by international standards and regulations, building with rammed earth is barely regulated. Furthermore, its quality control is usually problematic, which regularly encourages the rejection of this technique. In the literature, many authors have suggested ways to safely build a rammed earth wall, but only a few of them have delved into its quality control before and during the construction process. This paper introduces a preliminary methodology and establishes unified criteria, based in a statistical analysis, for both the production and the quality control of this constructive technique in cases dealing with both samples and walls

Hydrogeological characterization of the Rio Guanchín, Chilecito valley, La Rioja, Argentina.

El presente trabajo analiza las características hidrogeológicas de las aguas subterráneas en el Valle del rio Guanchín, Provincia de La Rioja. Para ello, se recopilaron antecedentes de la zona de carácter geológico, hidrogeológico e hidroquímico, los que se complementaron en el campo con determinaciones hidráulicas y muestreo de aguas subterráneas. Los análisis químicos se interpretaron para determinar las características y evolución de las aguas del valle.La zona de estudio se desarrolla en el sector centro-norte de la Provincia de La Rioja, a 17 km al oeste de la ciudad de Chilecito. Constituye una depresión tectónica de rumbo N-NE - S-SW limitada al oriente por los Bordos de Guanchín y de Sañogasta, con alturas promedios de 2.000 m.s.n.m. y al occidente por el cordón montañoso del Cerro Blanco, con una altura de 5.671 m.s.n.m. en las primeras estribaciones de los Nevados del Famatina (Caminos, 1979). Incluye sectores poblados, como las localidades de Guanchín, Los Bordos y Sañogasta, donde se registra una importante y creciente actividad agrícola, con cultivos de nogal y vid, regados de manera intensiva con agua del subsuelo mediante la utilización de numerosas perforaciones profundas.La información aportada por estas perforaciones, posibilitó determinar la presencia de importantes reservorios de agua subterránea, especialmente en niveles gravo-arenosos semiconfinados y confinados, localizados entre los 80 y 170 m de profundidad. Los niveles piezométricos medidos en el campo varían entre 30 y 50 m.b.b.p., los caudales de bombeo entre 60 y 160 m3/h y los rendimientos específicos entre 2 y 6 m3/h/m. Las aguas presentan una composición química dominantemente bicarbonatada cálcica a sulfatada cálcica, resultando de buena a aceptable calidad para el riego y en menor medida para consumo humano.The present work analyzes the hydrogeological characteristics of the groundwater in the Guanchín River Valley, Province of La Rioja. For this, antecedents of the geological, hydrogeological and hydrochemical character were collected, which were complemented in the field with hydraulic determinations and sampling of groundwater. Che- mical analyzes were interpreted to determine the characteristics and evolution of the valley waters. The information provided by deep perforations made it possible to determine the presence of im- portant underground water reservoirs, especially in semi-confined and confined gravel-sandy levels, located between 80 and 170 m deep. The piezometric levels measured in the field vary between 30 and 50 m.b.b.p., the pumping flows between 60 and 160 m3/h and the specific yields between 2 and 6 m3/h/m. The waters have a dominant chemical composition of calcium bicarbonate to calcium sulfate, resulting in good to acceptable quality for irrigation and to a lesser extent for human con- sumptionFil: Falcón, Carlos Martín. Universidad Nacional de La Rioja; ArgentinaFil: Horta, Luis Rubén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Fernández, Ian. Universidad Nacional de La Rioja; ArgentinaFil: Moreno, Gabriel. Universidad Nacional de La Rioja; ArgentinaFil: Combina, Ana M.. Universidad Nacional de La Rioja; Argentin

Características hidrogeológicas del Valle de Guanchín. La Rioja, Argentina

El presente trabajo analiza la hidrogeología del Valle de Guanchin, a partir del análisis de información de numerosas perforaciones profundas en el área. El valle de Guanchin se desarrolla en el sector centro-norte de la provincia de La Rioja, a 17 km al oeste de la ciudad de Chilecito, en la primera estribación de los Nevados del Famatina. Constituye una depresión tectónica de rumbo N-NE - S-SW, limitada al oriente por los Bordos de Guanchin y de Sañogasta, con alturas promedios de 2.000 m.s.n.m. y al occidente por el cordón montañoso del Cerro Alto Blanco, con una altura de 5.671 m.s.n.m. La región comprende parte de las provincias geológicas de Sierras Pampeanas Orientales (Caminos 1979) en la porción central del área y del Sistema del Famatina (Caminos 1979) en el sector occidental. La estratigrafía aflorada se compone de rocas ígneas, metamórficas y sedimentarias del Precámbrico, Paleozoico y Cenozoico. Para la caracterización hidrogeológica se utilizó información de perforaciones profundas realizadas en el abanico aluvial del río Guanchin, forma geomorfológica que domina el valle considerado, determinándose la presencia de importantes reservorios de agua subterránea, especialmente en niveles gravo-arenosos semiconfinados y confinados, localizados entre los 80 y 170 m. Los niveles piezométricos varían entre 30 y 50 m.b.b.p., los caudales de bombeo entre 60 y 160 m3/h y los rendimientos específicos entre 2 y 6 m3/h/m. Las aguas son dominantemente bicarbonatadas cálcicas a sulfatadas cálcicas, de buena calidad para el riego de olivos y nogal y en menor medida para consumo humano.Fil: Fernández, Ian. Instituto Provincial del Agua de La Rioja; ArgentinaFil: Horta, Luis Rubén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Rioja; ArgentinaFil: Falcón, Carlos Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Departamento de Geología. Cátedra Geología Estructural. Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Rioja; ArgentinaFil: Moreno, Gabriel. Universidad Nacional de La Rioja; ArgentinaFil: Combina, Ana María. Universidad Nacional de La Rioja; ArgentinaXIV Congreso Latinoamericano de Hidrogeología; X Congreso Argentino de Hidrogeología; VIII Seminario Hispano-Latinoamericano sobre temas actuales de la Hidrología SubterráneaSaltaArgentinaUniversidad Nacional de Salta. Cátedra de HidrogeologíaAsociación Latinoamericana de Hidrología Subterránea para el DesarrolloAsociación Internacional de Hidrogeólogos. Grupo ArgentinoUniversidad Nacional de La Pampa. Cátedra de Hidrogeologí

Family background of students at risk of early school leaving by family typology

La problemática del Abandono Escolar Temprano (AET) es actualmente una de las mayores preocupaciones para las distintas administraciones educativas españolas. En este artículo pretendemos dar a conocer la percepción que tiene el alumnado en riesgo o no de abandono escolar temprano sobre las competencias personales del padre y de la madre, la supervisión educativa así como de la comunicación con ellos. Asimismo examinaremos qué dimensiones del contexto familiar predicen el riesgo de abandono escolar temprano según la tipología familiar. Esto nos va a permitir poner en marcha en los centros escolares programas de educación parental, basados en evidencias, que promuevan en los padres y las madres las competencias parentales y contribuya a disminuir el riesgo de AET. La muestra se compone de un total de 3574 alumnos/as de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria de las Islas Canarias y de 2229 familias de estos alumnos/as. Para la recogida de datos se han empleado en esta investigación diferentes escalas: competencias parentales, comunicación padres-madres/hijos-hijas y supervisión parental. De los resultados obtenidos acerca de cómo percibe el alumnado las competencias parentales tanto del padre como de la madre, se constata que el alumnado en riesgo de AET, a diferencia del que no lo está, informa que ambos progenitores tienen menos competencias en desarrollo personal y resiliencia y en organización del escenario educativo familiar y competencia educativa. Asimismo, dicho alumnado también señala que tiene una mayor comunicación violenta con ambos padres, así como una menor comunicación abierta con la madre. Por su parte, los padres y las madres de los/las hijos/as que están en riesgo de AET, informan de llevar a cabo una menor supervisión educativa sobre sus hijos/as. Finalmente, mostramos dos modelos explicativos que predicen la continuidad escolar o el AET a través del rendimiento académico según la tipología familiar, tanto para familias heteroparentales como monoparentales. Para dar una respuesta educativa eficaz en la prevención del riesgo de AET, proponemos la implementación en los centros escolares de programas grupales de educación parental, que sigan una metodología experiencial y que estén basados en evidencias.The problem of Early School Leaving (ESL) is currently one of the biggest concerns for the different Spanish educational authorities. This article aims to present the perception of the students at risk of ESL on the personal skills of father and mother, the educational supervision and communication with them. Also we examine what variables of the family context predict the risk of early school leavers according to family typology. This will allow us to implement parent education programs in schools, evidence-based, to promote parenting skills of fathers and mothers and help reduce the risk of ESL. The sample consists of a total of 3574 students of Secondary Education of the Canary Islands and 2229 families of these students. For data collection they have been used in this research different scales: parenting skills, communication parents / children and parental supervision. In relation to the perception of students about parenting skills, students at risk of ESL reports that both parents have fewer skills and personal development resilience and organization of family educational setting and educational competence. Students have also a more violent communication with both parents, as well as less open communication with the mother. Meanwhile, parents of students who are at risk of ESL report conducting lower educational supervision over their children. Finally, we show two explanatory models predicting educational continuity or ESL through academic performance, according to family typology, both heteroparental as single parents. To provide an effective educational response in prevention of ESL, we propose the implementation in schools of group parent education programs; these programs are based on an experiential methodology and on evidences.Universidad de Granada. Departamento de Didáctica y Organización Escolar. Grupo FORCE (HUM-386

Functional Inactivation of CXC Chemokine Receptor 4–mediated Responses through SOCS3 Up-regulation

Hematopoietic cell growth, differentiation, and chemotactic responses require coordinated action between cytokines and chemokines. Cytokines promote receptor oligomerization, followed by Janus kinase (JAK) kinase activation, signal transducers and transactivators of transcription (STAT) nuclear translocation, and transcription of cytokine-responsive genes. These include genes that encode a family of negative regulators of cytokine signaling, the suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins. After binding their specific receptors, chemokines trigger receptor dimerization and activate the JAK/STAT pathway. We show that SOCS3 overexpression or up-regulation, stimulated by a cytokine such as growth hormone, impairs the response to CXCL12, measured by Ca2+ flux and chemotaxis in vitro and in vivo. This effect is mediated by SOCS3 binding to the CXC chemokine receptor 4 receptor, blocking JAK/STAT and Gαi pathways, without interfering with cell surface chemokine receptor expression. The data provide clear evidence for signaling cross-talk between cytokine and chemokine responses in building a functional immune system

CM363, a novel naphthoquinone derivative which acts as multikinase modulator and overcomes imatinib resistance in chronic myelogenous leukemia

Human Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) is a hematological stem cell disorder which is associated with activation of Bcr-Abl-Stat5 oncogenic pathway. Direct Bcr-Abl inhibitors are initially successful for the treatment of CML but over time many patients develop drug resistance. In the present study, the effects of CM363, a novel naphthoquinone (NPQ) derivative, were evaluated on human CML-derived K562 cells. CM363 revealed an effective cell growth inhibition (IC50 = 0.7 ± 0.5 μM) by inducing cancer cells to undergo cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. CM363 caused a dose- and time-dependent reduction of cells in G0/G1 and G2/M phases. This cell cycle arrest was associated with increased levels of cyclin E, pChk1 and pChk2 whereas CM363 downregulated cyclin B, cyclin D3, p27, pRB, Wee1, and BUBR1. CM363 increased the double-strand DNA break marker γH2AX. CM363 caused a timedependent increase of annexin V-positive cells, DNA fragmentation and increased number of apoptotic nuclei. CM363 triggered the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway as reflected by a release of cytochrome C from mitochondria and induction of the cleavage of caspase-3 and -9, and PARP. CM363 showed multikinase modulatory effects through an early increased JNK phosphorylation followed by inhibition of pY-Bcrl-Abl and pY-Stat5. CM363 worked synergistically with imatinib to inhibit cell viability and maintained its activity in imatinib-resistant cells. Finally, CM363 (10 mg/Kg) suppressed the growth of K562 xenograft tumors in athymic mice. In summary, CM363 is a novel multikinase modulator that offers advantages to circumvent imanitib resistance and might be therapeutically effective in Bcrl-Abl- Stat5 related malignancies.This research has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (SAF2009-13296) and MINECO (SAF2012-37344, SAF2014-53526R, and SAF2015-65113-C2-2-R) with the co-funding of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This Project has been also supported by Centro Atlántico del Medicamento S.A. (CEAMED; www.ceamedsa.com) and Alfredo Martín-Reyes Foundation (Arehucas)-Canary Islands Foundation for Cancer Research (FICIC).Peer Reviewe

A Very Small Array search for the extended Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect in the Corona Borealis supercluster

We present interferometric imaging at 33 GHz of the Corona Borealis supercluster, using the extended configuration of the Very Small Array. A total area of 24 deg² has been imaged, with an angular resolution of 11 arcmin and a sensitivity of 12 mJy beam⁻¹. The aim of these observations is to search for Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) detections from known clusters of galaxies in this supercluster and for a possible extended SZ decrement due to diffuse warm/hot gas in the intercluster medium. Hydrodynamical simulations suggest that a significant part of the missing baryons in the Local Universe may be located in superclusters. The maps constructed from these observations have a significant contribution from primordial fluctuations. We measure negative flux values in the positions of the 10 richest clusters in the region. Collectively, this implies a 3.0σ detection of the SZ effect. For two of these clusters, A2061 and A2065, we find decrements of approximately 2σ each. Our main result is the detection of two strong and resolved negative features at −70 ± 12 mJy beam⁻¹ (−157 ± 27 μK) and −103 ± 10 mJy beam⁻¹ (−230 ± 23 μK), respectively, located in a region with no known clusters, near the centre of the supercluster. We discuss their possible origins in terms of primordial cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies and/or SZ signals related either to unknown clusters or to a diffuse extended warm/hot gas distribution. Our analyses have revealed that a primordial CMB fluctuation is a plausible explanation for the weaker feature (probability of 37.82 per cent). For the stronger one, neither primordial CMB (probability of 0.38 per cent) nor SZ can account alone for its size and total intensity. The most reasonable explanation, then, is a combination of both primordial CMB and SZ signal. Finally, we explore what characteristics would be required for a filamentary structure consisting of warm/hot diffuse gas in order to produce a significant contribution to such a spot taking into account the constraints set by X-ray data

A Very Small Array search for the extended Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect in the Corona Borealis supercluster

We present interferometric imaging at 33 GHz of the Corona Borealis supercluster, using the extended configuration of the Very Small Array. A total area of 24 deg² has been imaged, with an angular resolution of 11 arcmin and a sensitivity of 12 mJy beam⁻¹. The aim of these observations is to search for Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) detections from known clusters of galaxies in this supercluster and for a possible extended SZ decrement due to diffuse warm/hot gas in the intercluster medium. Hydrodynamical simulations suggest that a significant part of the missing baryons in the Local Universe may be located in superclusters. The maps constructed from these observations have a significant contribution from primordial fluctuations. We measure negative flux values in the positions of the 10 richest clusters in the region. Collectively, this implies a 3.0σ detection of the SZ effect. For two of these clusters, A2061 and A2065, we find decrements of approximately 2σ each. Our main result is the detection of two strong and resolved negative features at −70 ± 12 mJy beam⁻¹ (−157 ± 27 μK) and −103 ± 10 mJy beam⁻¹ (−230 ± 23 μK), respectively, located in a region with no known clusters, near the centre of the supercluster. We discuss their possible origins in terms of primordial cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies and/or SZ signals related either to unknown clusters or to a diffuse extended warm/hot gas distribution. Our analyses have revealed that a primordial CMB fluctuation is a plausible explanation for the weaker feature (probability of 37.82 per cent). For the stronger one, neither primordial CMB (probability of 0.38 per cent) nor SZ can account alone for its size and total intensity. The most reasonable explanation, then, is a combination of both primordial CMB and SZ signal. Finally, we explore what characteristics would be required for a filamentary structure consisting of warm/hot diffuse gas in order to produce a significant contribution to such a spot taking into account the constraints set by X-ray data