Pointwise gradient bounds for entire solutions of elliptic equations with non-standard growth conditions and general nonlinearities

We give pointwise gradient bounds for solutions of (possibly non-uniformly) elliptic partial differential equations in the entire Euclidean space. The operator taken into account is very general and comprises also the singular and degenerate nonlinear case with non-standard growth conditions. The sourcing term is also allowed to have a very general form, depending on the space variables, on the solution itself, on its gradient, and possibly on higher order derivatives if additional structural conditions are satisfied

Unveiling the new generation of stars in NGC 604 with Gemini-NIRI

We present a near infrared study focused on the detection and characterization of the youngest stellar component of the NGC 604 giant star-forming region, in the Triangulum galaxy (M 33). By means of color-color diagrams derived from the photometry of JHKs images taken with Gemini-NIRI, we have found 68 candidate massive young stellar objects. The spatial distribution of these sources matches the areas where previous studies suggested that star formation might be taking place, and the high spatial resolution of our deep NIRI imaging allows to pinpoint the star-forming knots. An analysis of the fraction of objects that show infrared excess suggests that the star formation is still active, supporting the presence of a second generation of stars being born, although the evidence for or against sequential star formation does not seem to be conclusive.Comment: Article accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal. 19 pages, 12 figures, 5 table

Learning of a mimic odor combined with nectar nonsugar compounds enhances honeybee pollination of a commercial crop

The increasing demand on pollination services leads food industry to consider new strategies for management of pollinators to improve their efficiency in agroecosystems. Recently, it was demonstrated that feeding beehives food scented with an odorant mixture mimicking the floral scent of a crop (sunflower mimic, SM) enhanced foraging activity and improved recruitment to the target inflorescences, which led to higher density of bees on the crop and significantly increased yields. Besides, the oral administration of nonsugar compounds (NSC) naturally found in nectars (caffeine and arginine) improved short and long-term olfactory memory retention in conditioned bees under laboratory conditions. To test the effect of offering of SM-scented food supplemented with NSC on honeybees pollinating sunflower for hybrid seed production, in a commercial plantation we fed colonies SM-scented food (control), and SM-scented food supplemented with either caffeine, arginine, or a mixture of both, in field realistic concentrations. Their foraging activity was assessed at the hive and on the crop up to 90 h after treatment, and sunflower yield was estimated prior to harvest. Our field results show that SM + Mix-treated colonies exhibited the highest incoming rates and densities on the crop. Additionally, overall seed mass was significantly higher by 20% on inflorescences close to these colonies than control colonies. Such results suggest that combined NSC potentiate olfactory learning of a mimic floral odor inside the hive, promoting faster colony-level foraging responses and increasing crop production.Fil: Estravis Barcala, Maria Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Palottini, Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Farina, Walter Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; Argentin

Honey bee and native solitary bee foraging behavior in a crop with dimorphic parental lines

Insect pollination is issential for hybrid seed production systems, among which, introduced and native bees are the primary pollinating agents transferring pollen from male fertile (MF) to male sterile (MS) lines. On a highly dimorphic sunflower (Helianthus annuus) crop, we assessed the foraging behavior of solitary Melissodes bees and honey bees Apis mellifera. We found that Melissodes spp. were dominant in and showed fidelity to MF plants, gathering sunflower pollen efficiently throughout the day. In contrast, honey bees dominated on MS lines, mostly gathered nectar and exhibited high floral constancy, even after interacting with a second visitor. Also, honey bees carried sunflower pollen on their bodies while visiting MS inflorescences. This study highlights the need for a thorough understanding of the factors involved in a pollinator-dependent agroecosystem crop to assess the contribution of native bees on pollination of crops which offer resources spatially separated in two highly dimorphic parental lines.Fil: Estravis Barcala, Maria Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Palottini, Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Farina, Walter Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; Argentin

Odor Learning and Its Experience-Dependent Modulation in the South American Native Bumblebee Bombus atratus (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Learning about olfactory stimuli is essential in bumblebees' life since it is involved in orientation, recognition of nest sites, foraging efficiency and food yield for the colony as a whole. To evaluate associative learning abilities in bees under controlled environmental conditions, the proboscis extension response (PER) assay is a well-established method used in honey bees, stingless bees and successfully adapted to bumblebees of the genus Bombus. However, studies on the learning capacity of Bombus atratus (Hymenoptera: Apidae), one of the most abundant native species in South America, are non-existent. In this study, we examined the cognitive abilities of worker bees of this species, carrying out an olfactory PER conditioning experiment. Bumblebees were able to learn a pure odor when it was presented in paired association with sugared reward, but not when odor and reward were presented in an unpaired manner. Furthermore, if the bees were preexposed to the conditioned odor, the results differed depending on the presence of the scent either as a volatile in the rearing environment or diluted in the food. A decrement in learning performance results from the non-reinforced pre-exposure to the to-be-conditioned odor, showing a latent inhibition phenomenon. However, if the conditioned odor has been previously offered diluted in sugared reward, the food odor acts as a stimulus that improves the learning performance during PER conditioning. The native bumblebee B. atratus is thus a new hymenopteran species capable of being trained under controlled experimental conditions. Since it is an insect increasingly reared for pollination service, this knowledge could be useful in its management in crops.Fil: Palottini, Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Estravis Barcala, Maria Cecilia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Farina, Walter Marcelo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; Argentin

Targeted crop pollination by training honey bees: advances and perspectives

As pollinator-dependent crops continue to expand globally, management strategies are needed to meet the current demand for pollination services. Improving the efficiency of pollinators depends on knowledge about crop plant biology as well as pollinator behavior. In this sense, we will review the scope and challenges of implementing a targeted pollination strategy based on the behavioral individual and social plasticity of the honey bee Apis mellifera. Here we summarize current knowledge on the bees´ ability to perceive, learn and generalize floral odors, the bias of their foraging preferences after in-hive experiences and the transfer of food source information within the social context of the colony, all aspects that impact on foraging decisions and can be used to direct pollinators to target crops. We focused on describing how key olfactory cues that mimic crop floral scents are acquired in the hive and propagate among colony mates to guide foraging to specific crops. Knowledge gaps, including volatiles variability between flowers of the same or different crop varieties, alternative managed pollinators, and potential impact on food industry are discussed.Fil: Farina, Walter Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental. Laboratorio del Grupo de Estudio de Insectos Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Arenas, Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental. Laboratorio del Grupo de Estudio de Insectos Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Estravis Barcala, Maria Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental. Laboratorio del Grupo de Estudio de Insectos Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Palottini, Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental. Laboratorio del Grupo de Estudio de Insectos Sociales; Argentin

CT angiography for the assessment of EVAR complications: a pictorial review

Aortic aneurysm; Blood vessel prosthesis implantation; Endovascular proceduresAneurisma aórtico; Implantación de prótesis de vasos sanguíneos; Procedimientos endovascularesAneurisma aòrtic; Implantació de pròtesis de vasos sanguinis; Procediments endovascularsEndovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is a minimally invasive treatment proposed as an alternative to open repair in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms. EVAR consists in a stent-graft placement within the aorta in order to exclude the aneurysm from arterial circulation and reduce the risk of rupture. Knowledge of the various types of devices is mandatory because some stents/grafts are more frequently associated with complications. CT angiography is the gold standard diagnostic technique for preprocedural planning and postprocedural surveillance. EVAR needs long-term follow-up due to the high rate of complications. Complications can be divided in endograft device-related and systemic complications. The purpose of this article is to review the CT imaging findings of EVAR complications and the key features for the diagnosis

Managed honeybees and South American bumblebees exhibit complementary foraging patterns in highbush blueberry

Despite Apis mellifera being the most widely managed pollinator to enhance crop production, they are not the most suitable species for highbush blueberries, which possess restrictive floral morphology and require buzz-pollination. Thus, the South American bumblebee Bombus pauloensis is increasingly managed as an alternative species in this crop alongside honeybees. Herein, we evaluated the foraging patterns of the two species, concerning the potential pollen transfer between two blueberry co-blooming cultivars grown under open high tunnels during two seasons considering different colony densities. Both managed pollinators showed different foraging patterns, influenced by the cultivar identity which varied in their floral morphology and nectar production. Our results demonstrate that both species are efficient foragers on highbush blueberry and further suggest that they contribute positively to its pollination in complementary ways: while bumblebees were more effective at the individual level (visited more flowers and carried more pollen), the greater densities of honeybee foragers overcame the difficulties imposed by the flower morphology, irrespective of the stocking rate. This study supports the addition of managed native bumblebees alongside honeybees to enhance pollination services and emphasizes the importance of examining behavioural aspects to optimize management practices in pollinator-dependent crops.Instituto de Ingeniería RuralFil: Estravis-Barcala, María Cecilia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Estravis-Barcala, María Cecilia. CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE); ArgentinaFil: Macri, Ivana. CONICET-Universidad de Buenos. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Macri, Ivana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Ingeniería Rural; ArgentinaFil: Nery, Denise. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Nery, Denise. CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE); ArgentinaFil: Farina, Walter M. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Farina, Walter M. CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE); ArgentinaFil: Palottini, Florencia. CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE); ArgentinaFil: Palottini, Florencia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; Argentin

THE EVOLUTION OF DEEP SEA CONTAINER ROUTES: THE ITALIAN CASE

In this study, an analysis of deep sea shipping (DSS) container services, calling at Italian ports, is carried out. A comparison with analogous sets of data collected in the years 2011 and 2014 has been performed. The most important Italian port system is the Ligurian one, which includes the main Italian port, Genoa, which is the main access gate to the Padan Plain, the most productive area of Italy. However, other ports are also important: the Ligurian port of La Spezia and the hub port of Gioia Tauro. The comparison, with 2011 and 2014 data, has shown that while the number of DSS departures, from Italian ports, did not increase, the dimensions of the ships, which call at Italian ports, increased relevantly: this is in line with the current trend in container ship gigantism

Evidencia orientada al problema: beta-bloqueantes y deterioro de la función pulmonar en pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica y cardiopatía isquémica

Objetivo del trabajo: analizar a través de la EOP la relación entre betabloqueantes y el deterioro de la función pulmonar en pacientes EPOC.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse