Ecological and Sociodemographic Determinants of House Infestation by Triatoma infestans in Indigenous Communities of the Argentine Chaco

The Gran Chaco ecoregion, a hotspot for Chagas and other neglected tropical diseases, is home to >20 indigenous peoples. Our objective was to identify the main ecological and sociodemographic determinants of house infestation and abundance of Triatoma infestans in traditional Qom populations including a Creole minority in Pampa del Indio, northeastern Argentina.A cross-sectional survey determined house infestation by timed-manual searches with a dislodging aerosol in 386 inhabited houses and administered questionnaires on selected variables before full-coverage insecticide spraying and annual vector surveillance. We fitted generalized linear models to two global models of domestic infestation and bug abundance, and estimated coefficients via multimodel inference with model averaging.Most Qom households were larger and lived in small-sized, recently-built, precarious houses with fewer peridomestic structures, and fewer livestock and poultry than Creoles’. Qom households had lower educational level and unexpectedly high residential mobility. House infestation (31.9%) was much lower than expected from lack of recent insecticide spraying campaigns and was spatially aggregated. Nearly half of the infested houses examined had infected vectors. Qom households had higher prevalence of domestic infestation (29.2%) than Creoles’ (10.0%), although there is large uncertainty around the adjusted OR. Factors with high relative importance for domestic infestation and/or bug abundance were refuge availability, distance to the nearest infested house, domestic insecticide use, indoor presence of poultry, residential overcrowding, and household educational level.Our study highlights the importance of sociodemographic determinants of domestic infestation such as overcrowding, education and proximity to the nearest infested house, and corroborates the role of refuge availability, domestic use of insecticides and household size. These factors may be used for designing improved interventions for sustainable disease control and risk stratification. Housing instability, household mobility and migration patterns are key to understanding the process of house (re)infestation in the Gran Chaco.Fil: Gaspe, Maria Sol. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Provecho, Yael Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Cardinal, Marta Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez, Maria del Pilar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Gurtler, Ricardo Esteban. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentin

The coloniality of metadata : a critical data analysis of the Archive Of Early American Images at the John Carter Brown Library

How do contemporary metadata practices replicate the coloniality of power embedded in European colonial documents describing the Spanish Americas? This report draws from critical theory and postcolonial thought within the field of Latin American studies to explore the extent to which standardized description and categorization practices can perpetuate a Eurocentric colonial gaze on the Spanish Americas. In order to ground this theoretical engagement within the fields of information science and critical data studies, a dataset is compiled and computationally analyzed, which contains metadata records corresponding to images derived from books, manuscripts, and broadsides printed between 1492 and 1825 about the Spanish Americas found in the Archive of Early American Images at the John Carter Brown Library. This report then applies unsupervised machine learning techniques and counts word frequencies to identify broad metadata trends across the collection. Ultimately, this report combines methods from critical data studies and Latin American cultural studies to understand how controlled vocabularies and descriptive practices can perpetuate colonial structures of power.Latin American StudiesInformatio

Evaluation and characterization of nutritional, microbiological and sensory properties of beet greens

Growing interest of consumers on incorporate healthy foods into their diets has triggered extensive research in finding and developing new food products that meet their expectations. Leaves of beet plants are an alternative source of appreciable value albeit they are usually discarded at the time of beetroot harvest. The aim of this study was to evaluate and characterize the nutritional, microbiological and sensory quality of beet greens as a prelude to the development of new products from them. Beet greens represents approximately 50% of harvested material. The proximate composition of leaves and its anti-nutritional factors (oxalate, phytates and tanins) were in the range of commonly consumed leafy vegetables, standing out for its high contents of protein, fat, fiber and iron and low content of phytates and tanins. Contents of phytochemical compounds, especially carotenoids and betalains, were higher than those reported for commonly consumed leafy vegetables, resulting in a high antioxidant potential. Microbiological counts were in the typical range for fresh consumed leafy vegetables while, sensorial quality resulted adequate with highly appreciated characteristics in beet greens such as red veins and green blade. This work sets the basis for several recovery possibilities such as development of a minimally processed product for fresh consumption and the extraction of phytochemical compounds from this resource.Fil: Fernandez, María Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long"; ArgentinaFil: Jagus, Rosa Juana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long"; ArgentinaFil: Agüero, Maria Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long"; Argentin

Principais Irrigantes na Endodontia

A terapia endodôntica tem como um dos seus objetivos alcançar a desinfeção do sistema de condutos radiculares para poder garantir o êxito do tratamento. A irrigação na endodontia é definida como a introdução de uma ou mais soluções na câmara pulpar e condutos radiculares antes, durante e depois da preparação biomecânica para desinfetar e limpar o sistema de condutos e garantir o sucesso do tratamento. Atualmente nenhuma das sustâncias utilizadas na irrigação da endodontia cumpre na totalidade com os requisitos ideais, embora o hipoclorito de sódio seja o irrigante que reúne o maior número de requisitos e como tal é o mais utilizado na atualidade. Para uma maior efetividade dos irrigantes temos que ter em conta a sua concentração, a temperatura ideal, a frequência de aplicação e os métodos de administração, associado com o tempo requerido para que as soluções irrigantes limpem e desinfetem o canal radicular, sendo demonstrado que a alternância entre tipos específicos de soluções melhora a eficácia de desinfeção e limpeza no canal radicular. Este trabalho de revisão bibliográfica, tem como objetivo apresentar as diferentes soluções de irrigação que hoje em dia são mais usadas na medicina dentária, na área de endodontia, para o sucesso de um tratamento endodôntico, bem como as respetivas características de cada uma delas. As soluções de irrigação abordadas neste trabalho são: o hipoclorito de sódio (NaOCl), EDTA, gluconato de clorhexidina, acido cítrico, MDTA e álcool

Ultrastructure of Plant Leaf Cuticles in relation to Sample Preparation as Observed by Transmission Electron Microscopy

The leaf cuticular ultrastructure of some plant species has been examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in only few studies. Attending to the different cuticle layers and inner structure, plant cuticles have been grouped into six general morphological types. With the aim of critically examining the effect of cuticle isolation and preparation for TEM analysis on cuticular ultrastructure, adaxial leaf cuticles of blue-gum eucalypt, grey poplar, and European pear were assessed, following a membrane science approach. The embedding and staining protocols affected the ultrastructure of the cuticles analysed. The solubility parameter, surface tension, and contact angles with water of pure Spurr's and LR-White resins were within a similar range. Differences were however estimated for resin : solvent mixtures, since Spurr’s resin is combined with acetone and LR-White resin is mixed with ethanol. Given the composite hydrophilic and lipophilic nature of plant cuticles, the particular TEM tissue embedding and staining procedures employed may affect sample ultrastructure and the interpretation of the results in physicochemical and biological terms. It is concluded that tissue preparation procedures may be optimised to facilitate the observation of the micro- and nanostructure of cuticular layers and components with different degrees of polarity and hydrophobicity

Fruit and vegetable smoothies preservation with natural antimicrobials for the assurance of safety and quality

Current consumption trends indicate a clear increased interest in more natural, nutritious and healthier foods. Accordingly, natural fruits and vegetables (F&V) based beverages (juices, smoothies) companies showed great growth, since perceived as a practical way of ingesting the F&V nutrients and bioactives. However, when untreated, these products have a short shelf-life, mainly due to microbial spoilage. The combination of natural antimicrobials for their preservation constitutes an option in line with consumers’ requirements. This study aims to evaluate different combinations of natural antimicrobials, nisin, natamycin, green tea extract (GTE) and citric acid, to preserve the quality of a mixed F&V smoothie, extending their shelf-life and ensuring their safety. The results obtained suggest that a treatment with nisin 12.5 mg/kg natamycin 200 mg/kg and citric acid (until pH 3.5) could achieve a shelf-life extension of 14 d, a product with great nutritional and microbiological quality until 28 d of storage at 5 °C. Moreover, this treatment would allow controlling a 6 log CFU/mL Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Furthermore, if GTE (0.2%) is added to that combination, a product with fortified antioxidant properties (more than 10 times higher than control) is achieved, fulfilling the requirements of the most demanding natural products consumers.Fil: Nieva, S. G.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Ingeniería Química; ArgentinaFil: Jagus, Rosa Juana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long"; ArgentinaFil: Agüero, Maria Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long"; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez, María Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long"; Argentin

CARE Data Principles Data Curation Primer

The CARE data principles (Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, and Ethics) are a conceptual framework meant to ensure ethical collection, sharing, and stewardship of Indigenous data. As part of a workshop hosted by the Data Curation Network in 2022, librarians created a foundational data curation primer on the CARE data principles and how they apply to data management, curation, and sharing. The primer touches on the cultural context regarding the CARE data principles, the historical misuse of Indigenous data, tribal sovereignty, and Indigenous Peoples\u27 right to governance of their data. This session will discuss how CARE principles can be applied and give specific use examples. Librarians can use the primer and CURATE(D) checklist, to consider the ethical use, sharing and preservation of Indigenous data within their institutional repositories

Determining the Effectiveness of Microbial Protease on Production Variables in Lactating Holstein Cows

Lactating Holstein cows were assigned to a control diet or a diet containing a blend of supplemental protease enzymes (Rumagentin™, Feed Sources LLC, Alta Loma CA) at the Iowa State University Dairy farm. Study objectives were to examine the effects of proteases on milk yield, milk composition, feed intake and feed efficiency in lactating Holstein cows. Our results indicate that protease enzymes enhanced feed conversion efficiency and nitrogen utilization of dairy cows

Using virtual worlds for role play simulation in child psychiatry: an evaluation study

Aims and method: To develop and evaluate a novel teaching session on clinical assessment using role play simulation. Teaching and research sessions occurred sequentially in computer laboratories. Ten medical students were divided into two online small-group teaching sessions. Students role-played as clinician avatars and the teacher played a suicidal adolescent avatar. Questionnaire and focus-group methodology evaluated participants’ attitudes to the learning experience. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS, qualitative data through nominal-group and thematic analyses. Results: Participants reported improvements in psychiatric skills/knowledge, expressing less anxiety and more enjoyment than role-playing face to face. Simulator fidelity correlated positively with utility. Some participants expressed concern about added value over other learning methods and non-verbal communication. Clinical implications: The study shows that virtual worlds can successfully host role play simulation, valued by students as a useful learning method. The potential for distance learning would allow delivery irrespective of geographical distance and boundaries

Ultrasound and Its Combination with Natural Antimicrobials: Effects on Shelf Life and Quality Stability of a Fruit and Vegetable Smoothie

Fruit and vegetable natural beverage market is growing around the world, but their intrinsic characteristics lead to a high microbial and enzymatic activity, showing a short shelf life when not treated. The present work aims to evaluate the effect of ultrasound (US) treatments on the main spoilage factors and some quality indicators of a mixed fruit and vegetable smoothie (F&VS). Likewise, the advantages of combining US with green tea extract (GTE), nisin (Ni), or natamycin (Na) on the shelf life and stability of the F&VS were assessed. Temperature control was needed to avoid high temperatures during treatment and consequent nutrients and organoleptic degradation. Length of treatment lower than 15 min was required to avoid poliphenoloxidase activation. Ultrasound-selected treatment (UST) was of 70% of amplitude during 4 min, since presented the greatest reduction of peroxidase activity (71.6%) and well performance on microbial control. Both UST and UST + GTE treatments extended F&VS microbial shelf life by 1 week, while UST + Na and UST + Ni by at least 2 weeks. UST greatly increased betalain extractability (55–80%). Its combination with GTE significantly increased the TPC and the antioxidant capacity of the product, as well as enhanced betalain stability during storage. Finally, remarkable results on Listeria initial reductions were obtained with UST + Ni (> 4 log) and on Escherichia coli with UST + GTE (1.7 log) when contamination was simulated. Indeed, the potential of US and their combination with natural antimicrobials on quality preservation as well as on shelf life extension and safety assurance of the F&VS was probed with very promising results.Fil: Casco, María de Los Ángeles. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Industrias. Instituto de Tecnología de Alimentos y Procesos Químicos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Tecnología de Alimentos y Procesos Químicos; ArgentinaFil: Jagus, Rosa Juana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long"; ArgentinaFil: Agüero, Maria Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long"; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez, María Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Tecnologías y Ciencias de la Ingeniería "Hilario Fernández Long"; Argentin