Rift Valley Fever: An Economic Assessment of Agricultural and Human Vulnerability

This research focused on the assessment of the U.S. agricultural sector and human vulnerability to a Rift Valley Fever (RVF) outbreak and the implications of a select set of alternative disease control strategies. Livestock impact assessment is done by using an integrated epidemic/economic model to examine the extent of RVF spread in the Southeast Texas livestock population and its consequences plus the outcome of implementing two different control strategies: emergency vaccination and larvicide vector control separately plus when they are used simultaneously. Human impact assessment utilized an inferential procedure, which comprises of a cost of illness calculation to assess the dollar cost of human illnesses and deaths, as well as a Disability Adjusted Life Year calculation to give an estimate of the burden of disease on public health as a whole. Results indicate substantial potential losses to the U.S., where combined livestock and human national costs ranged from $121 million to$2.3 billion.Rift Valley Fever, Outbreak, Welfare, Vaccination, Larvicide., Environmental Economics and Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, Health Economics and Policy,

Construyendo una herramienta metodológica para la gestión territorial bajo el enfoque SIAL

El enfoque SIAL ha evolucionado para convertirse en una herramienta de análisis y de activación de los recursos territoriales de concentraciones de Agroindustrias Rurales (AIR). Sin embargo, hasta ahora, este enfoque ha sido sólo aplicado al nivel de concentraciones de AIR y no al análisis sistémico de un territorio y a la articulación de todos sus actores. Esta comunicación se centrará en la discusión de los primeros resultados del proyecto "Desarrollo Territorial Aplicando el Enfoque SIAL" desarrollado en la Comarca Andina Paralelo 42 en la Patagonia Argentina, el Sur Alto (provincias de Coto Brus y Buenos Aires) en Costa Rica, el Valle del Intag en Ecuador y Tenancingo en México. Este proyecto propone transformar el enfoque metodológico de activación de los SIAL en una herramienta operativa para la promoción del desarrollo territorial al articular, reforzar y potencializar las sinergias entre todos los actores locales. (Résumé d'auteur

La calificación territorial y acción colectiva como procesos de innovación y aprendizaje. Un análisis comparado de seis casos de estudio de queserías rurales en América Latina

Diversos estudios han puesto de relieve procesos colectivos de desarrollo de concentraciones de queserías rurales en diversos países de América Latina. Estas pequeñas empresas familiares ofrecen la posibilidad de mejorar los ingresos de los productores valorizando recursos específicos involucrados en los procesos de producción de leche, su trasformación en quesos y posterior comercialización. En la presente comunicación se hace un análisis, a través del enfoque SIAL, de seis casos de estudio sobre concentraciones de queserías rurales en diversos países de América Latina. El análisis comparado de estas experiencias nos permite mostrar la importancia de la acción colectiva y de la calificación territorial como elementos detonadores de un proceso de activación de los recursos específicos de un territorio. Este proceso, que representa un momento de aprendizaje y de innovación, representa la base de un proceso de desarrollo endógeno territorial más amplio, en el que el empoderamiento de actores locales contribuye a mejorar el bienestar y las condiciones de vida de las familias campesinas involucradas. (Résumé d'auteur

A Boilerplate Capsule Test Technique for the Orion Parachute Test Program

The test program developing parachutes for the Orion/MPCV includes drop tests of a Parachute Test Vehicle designed to emulate the wake of the Orion capsule. Delivery of this test vehicle to the initial velocity, altitude, and orientation required for the test is a difficult problem involving multiple engineering disciplines. The available delivery of aircraft options imposed constraints on the test vehicle development and concept of operations. This paper describes the development of this test technique. The engineering challenges include the extraction from an aircraft and separation of two aerodynamically unstable vehicles, one of which will be delivered to a specific orientation with reasonably small rates. The desired attitude is achieved by precisely targeting the separation point using on-board monitoring of the motion. The design of the test vehicle is described. The trajectory simulations and other analyses used to develop this technique and predict the behavior of the test article are reviewed in detail. The application of the technique on several successful drop tests is summarized

Desing of plasmomic nano-structures for SERS ultrasensitive spectroscopy: comparison between self-assembly and bioconjugation

En este trabajo, se presenta una estrategia sencilla para generar nanoestructuras plasmónicas por autoensamblado y bioconjugación de nanoesferas (NSs) de Au, para ser aplicadas como plataformas de espectroscopia Raman incrementada por superficie (SERS). Mediante el reconocimiento molecular altamente específico entre biotina y estreptavidina (STV) se generan dímeros con una distancia interpartícula de alrededor de 8 nm, mientras que en ausencia de STV la agregación no direccionada de la superficie de las NSs genera aglomerados compactos con distancia interpartícula de 5 nm debido a los puente hidrógeno que se establecen entre moléculas de biotina funcionalizadas. Ambos sustratos permiten detectar concentraciones de biotina picomolares (1x10-12 M). Sin embargo, los factores de incremento analíticos (AEF) son un orden de magnitud mayor en el caso de los dímeros (107) que en el caso de los aglomerados compactos (106). Utilizando los grandes incrementos de campo eléctrico se utilizaron estos sustratos para detectar un analito externo, Rodamina 6G (RH6G), y se determino que los dímeros generan incrementos de un orden de magnitud mayor (105) que el uso de aglomerados compactos (104). La dependencia de la longitud de onda y las diferencias en los AEF para los sustratos diméricos y los aglomerados compactos de NSs de Au se correlacionaron con simulaciones electrodinámicas rigurosas. Los dímeros generados son en sí un nuevo tipo de un sustrato SERS que puede ser autocalibrado donde selectivamente se puede “atrapar” moléculas biotiniladas por STV y situándolas en la zona de máximo incremento de campo electromagnético. Por otra parte, el estudio de las propiedades ópticas de los aglomerados compactos permitió el desarrollo de un procedimiento general para hacer una predicción cuantitativa de la respuesta SERS de este tipo de nanoestructuras.In this work, we report a simple strategy to obtain ultrasensitive SERS nanostructures by self-assembly and bioconjugation of Au nanospheres (NSs). Homodimer aggregates with an interparticle gap of around 8 nm are generated in aqueous dispersions by the highly specific molecular recognition of biotinylated Au NSs to streptavidin (STV), while compact-tight Au NS aggregates with a gap of 5 nm are formed in the absence of STV due to hydrogen bonding among biotinylated NSs. Both types of aggregates depict the capability to detect biotin concentrations lower than 1x10-12 M. Nevertheless, it was found that dimers are better SERS substrates as they generate enhancements one order of magnitude bigger than the compact-tight aggregates (107 and 106, respectively). Quite interesting, the AEF for an external analyte, Rhodamine 6G (RH6G), using the dimer aggregates is also 1 order of magnitude greater (105) than using compact-tight aggregates (around 104). The dependence on the wavelength and the differences of the AEF for Au random aggregates and dimers are rationalized with rigorous electrodynamic simulations. The dimers obtained afford a new type of an in situ self-calibrated and reliable SERS substrate where biotinylated molecules can selectively be “trapped” by STV and located in the nanogap enhanced plasmonic field. On the other hand, the study of the optical properties of compact-tight aggregates allow to develop a general procedure to make a quantitative prediction of the SERS response tight-compact clusters that is demonstrated to be quite general independent of the metal (Ag or Au) and size of the individual NSs of the cluster.Fil: Fraire, Juan Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Coronado, Eduardo A.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba; Argentin

Delivery of mixed-lineage kinase domain-like protein by vapor nanobubble photoporation induces necroptotic-like cell death in tumor cells

Modern molecular medicine demands techniques to efficiently deliver molecules directly into mammalian cells. As proteins are the final mediators of most cellular pathways, efficient intracellular protein delivery techniques are highly desired. In this respect, photoporation is a promising recent technique for the delivery of proteins directly into living cells. Here, we show the possibility to deliver a model saccharide (FD70) and a model protein (FITC-BSA) into murine B16 melanoma cells by using the vapor nanobubble photoporation technique with an efficiency of 62% and 38%, respectively. Next, we delivered the mixed-lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL) protein, the most terminal mediator of necroptosis currently known, and caspase-8 and -3 protein, which are important proteins in the initiation and execution of apoptosis. A significant drop in cell viability with 62%, 71% and 64% cell survival for MLKL, caspase-8 and caspase-3, respectively, was observed. Remarkably, maximal cell death induction was already observed within 1 h after protein delivery. Transduction of purified recombinant MLKL by photoporation resulted in rapid cell death characterized by cell swelling and cell membrane rupture, both hallmarks of necroptosis. As necroptosis has been identified as a type of cell death with immunogenic properties, this is of interest to anti-cancer immunotherapy. On the other hand, transduction of purified recombinant active caspase-3 or -8 into the tumor cells resulted in rapid cell death preceded by membrane blebbing, which is typical for apoptosis. Our results suggest that the type of cell death of tumor cells can be controlled by direct transduction of effector proteins that are involved in the executioner phase of apoptosis or necroptosis

Proposed Framework for Determining Added Mass of Orion Drogue Parachutes

The Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) Parachute Assembly System (CPAS) project is executing a program to qualify a parachute system for a next generation human spacecraft. Part of the qualification process involves predicting parachute riser tension during system descent with flight simulations. Human rating the CPAS hardware requires a high degree of confidence in the simulation models used to predict parachute loads. However, uncertainty exists in the heritage added mass models used for loads predictions due to a lack of supporting documentation and data. Even though CPAS anchors flight simulation loads predictions to flight tests, extrapolation of these models outside the test regime carries the risk of producing non-bounding loads. A set of equations based on empirically derived functions of skirt radius is recommended as the simplest and most viable method to test and derive an enhanced added mass model for an inflating parachute. This will increase confidence in the capability to predict parachute loads. The selected equations are based on those published in A Simplified Dynamic Model of Parachute Inflation by Dean Wolf. An Ames 80x120 wind tunnel test campaign is recommended to acquire the reefing line tension and canopy photogrammetric data needed to quantify the terms in the Wolf equations and reduce uncertainties in parachute loads predictions. Once the campaign is completed, the Wolf equations can be used to predict loads in a typical CPAS Drogue Flight test. Comprehensive descriptions of added mass test techniques from the Apollo Era to the current CPAS project are included for reference

Extraction-Separation Performance and Dynamic Modeling of Orion Test Vehicles with Adams Simulation: 2nd Edition

NASA's Orion Capsule Parachute Assembly System (CPAS) project has advanced into the third generation of its parachute test campaign and requires technically comprehensive modeling capabilities to simulate multi-body dynamics (MBD) of test articles released from a C-17. Safely extracting a 30,000 lbm mated test article from a C-17 and performing stable mid-air separation maneuvers requires an understanding of the interaction between elements in the test configuration and how they are influenced by extraction parachute performance, aircraft dynamics, aerodynamics, separation dynamics, and kinetic energy experienced by the system. During the real-time extraction and deployment sequences, these influences can be highly unsteady and difficult to bound. An avionics logic window based on time, pitch, and pitch rate is used to account for these effects and target a favorable separation state in real time. The Adams simulation has been employed to fine-tune this window, as well as predict and reconstruct the coupled dynamics of the Parachute Test Vehicle (PTV) and Cradle Platform Separation System (CPSS) from aircraft extraction through the mid-air separation event. The test-technique for the extraction of CPAS test articles has evolved with increased complexity and requires new modeling concepts to ensure the test article is delivered to a stable test condition for the programmer phase. Prompted by unexpected dynamics and hardware malfunctions in drop tests, these modeling improvements provide a more accurate loads prediction by incorporating a spring-damper line-model derived from the material properties. The qualification phase of CPAS testing is on the horizon and modeling increasingly complex test-techniques with Adams is vital to successfully qualify the Orion parachute system for human spaceflight