Assessment of culture and environment in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study: Rationale, description of measures, and early data.

Neurodevelopmental maturation takes place in a social environment in addition to a neurobiological one. Characterization of social environmental factors that influence this process is therefore an essential component in developing an accurate model of adolescent brain and neurocognitive development, as well as susceptibility to change with the use of marijuana and other drugs. The creation of the Culture and Environment (CE) measurement component of the ABCD protocol was guided by this understanding. Three areas were identified by the CE Work Group as central to this process: influences relating to CE Group membership, influences created by the proximal social environment, influences stemming from social interactions. Eleven measures assess these influences, and by time of publication, will have been administered to well over 7,000 9-10 year-old children and one of their parents. Our report presents baseline data on psychometric characteristics (mean, standard deviation, range, skewness, coefficient alpha) of all measures within the battery. Effectiveness of the battery in differentiating 9-10 year olds who were classified as at higher and lower risk for marijuana use in adolescence was also evaluated. Psychometric characteristics on all measures were good to excellent; higher vs. lower risk contrasts were significant in areas where risk differentiation would be anticipated

Desarrollo e implementación de un hormigón reforzado con fibras sintéticas para la repavimentación de la Ruta 24 de Uruguay

Los pavimentos de hormigón son estructuras propensas a la fisuración. El uso de fibras aparece como una de las mejores alternativas técnico-económicas para mejorar el comportamiento del hormigón. Una de las aplicaciones del Hormigón Reforzado con Fibras (HRF) es la reparación o refuerzo (“overlays”) de antiguos pavimentos. En la actualidad se dispone de macrofi bras sintéticas que pueden utilizarse en este tipo de aplicaciones en lugar de las tradicionales fi bras de acero. Este trabajo transmite la experiencia adquirida durante la ejecución de la rehabilitación de la Ruta 24 en Uruguay empleando un “whitetopping” delgado (adherido) de HRF. Se describen los resultados obtenidos durante el control de calidad en obra y se discuten los principales desafíos durante la ejecución como el uso de un aditivo reductor de agua de alto rango, el empleo de tecnología de alto rendimiento y el logro de una adecuada adherencia HRF – sustrato asfáltico.Fil: Miguez Pessada, D.. Hormigones Artigas S.A.; UruguayFil: Gonzalez, A. C. Hormigones Artigas S.A.; UruguayFil: Violini, D.. Cementos Avellaneda S.A; ArgentinaFil: Pappalardi, M.. Cementos Avellaneda S.A.; ArgentinaFil: Zerbino, Raul Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Construcciones; Argentin

Hot-Fire Thruster Testing Approach at University Level

Technological advancements in chemical propulsion systems leading to increased interest and new applications for small satellites in recent years has created a need for additional testing resources and targeted workforce development. Generally, chemical propulsion testing requires interactions with hazardous materials and environments, which presents significant challenges in a university setting. The Center for Aerospace Exploration and Technology Research (cSETR) at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has developed a sustainable hot-fire testing program for chemical thrusters that is operated by undergraduate and graduate students. The program is managed analogous to testing programs in professional settings to enable reliable test results, ensure safety of all participants, and provide appropriate training to student engineers. The day-to-day activities of the test program are managed entirely by the student team. A flow-down mentoring approach is used where graduate students with years of experience in the lab train new students joining the program. Tests are planned and executed using standard industry practices, including approved testing procedures, assigned participant roles, and test readiness reviews. The use of a standardized and systematic approach enhances the repeatability and validity of each test. Safety management is achieved using readily-available, low cost resources to maintain operation within a standard University budget. This program is presented as a working example for other University groups looking to establish or improve in-house chemical testing methods to enable expanded hot-fire chemical propulsion testing capabilities and workforce development

La dentición de Priodontes maximus (Kerr, 1972): fórmula, morfología y anomalías

El armadillo gigante Priodontes maximus es el mamífero terrestre con el mayor número de dientes (=molariformes), con un incremento en número relativo a la típica fórmula de Eutheria. Diversos autores han indicado una fórmula dentaria de "hasta 20/19" o "cerca de 18/19" molariformes (Mf/mf) por cuadrante, que la cantidad disminuye con la edad de los individuos, y que todos son de forma laminar, (i.e., elongados anteroposteriormente, comprimidos labiolingualmente). En esta contribución describimos las características, variabilidad y variación en la peculiardentición de P. maximus. Estudiamos 55 especímenes de P. maximus provenientes de Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Perú y Venezuela, depositados en 15 museos (AMNH: n=7, IAvH: n=3, ICN: n=1, FMNH: n=3, MACN: n=6, MHNUD:n=1, MLP: n=1, MLS: n=1, MNHN: n=8, MNNH: n=5, MPEG: n=7, MUSM: n=2, MZUSP: n=5, OSUCOV: n=1, UNEMAT: n=4). Encontramos una fórmula dentaria mínima de 15/15 y máxima de 26/25, siendo la más frecuente 18-22/17-21. No se encontrórelación entre el número de molariformes y la edad relativa de los individuos estudiados. Entre los molariformes se observaron dos formas diferentes, una laminar en los anteriores y otra circular/oval (i.e., no elongados anteroposteriormente) en los posteriores, con una gradual transición anteroposterior entre ambas. Entre los ejemplares estudiados identificamos anomalías dentarias consistentes en: fusiones dentarias (n=8), presencia de molariformes circulares de pequeño tamaño en la región anterior (n=17), medial (n=5) y/o posterior (n=14) de la hilera dentaria, molariformes laminares curvos (n=3), molariformes faltantes (n=4), molariformes no alineados (n=3), y alvéolos dentarios en el paladar (n=2) y en el premaxilar (n=1). Este estudio demuestra que, al igual que para otras especies de armadillos, la variación en elnúmero dentario es un fenómeno común en P. maximus, y aporta aspectos de homologías dentarias entre diferentes grupos de armadillos (que aún no están completamente establecidas) y los demás mamíferos.Fil: Gonzalez Ruiz, Laureano Raul. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica; ArgentinaFil: Aya Cuero, C. A.. Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas; ColombiaFil: Martin, Gabriel Mario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica; ArgentinaXXX Jornadas Argentinas de MastozoologíaBahía BlancaArgentinaSociedad Argentina para el Estudio de los MamíferosConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del SurUniversidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmaci

Study X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy determination of interactions between gold nanoparticles and epidermal growth factor for potential use in biomedicine

Nowadays, biomedical applications of gold nanoparticles coupled with Epidermal Growth Factor have attracted huge attention because of its theranostic activity, which could be useful for diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, there is a great interest to know the nature of the intermolecular interactions between the gold nanoparticles and epidermal growth factor (EGF). A two-step synthesis was performed. In the first step, gold nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical reduction of tetrachloroauric acid using sodium citrate as reducing and capping agent. Secondly, gold nanoparticles were coupled with EGF. The obtained nanoparticles were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and zeta-potential before and after being coupled with the EGF. Gold nanoparticles with an average diameter of 8.09 nm were obtained. After coupled with EGF, the particle average diameter increased to 9.14 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed an electrostatic interaction between gold nanoparticles and EGF. Zeta potential corroborated these results. Thus, it was possible for the first time to identify the interactions between these two chemical species. Since gold nanoparticles may act as carriers of EGF, these results illustrate the great potential for the use of this bionanocomposite in neurodegenerative disease treatment.UAEME

Lipoprotein Profiles in Class III Obese Caucasian and African American Women with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Triglyceride content in the liver is regulated by the uptake, production and elimination of lipoproteins, and derangements in these processes contribute to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Previous studies show a direct relationship between intrahepatic fat and production of apolipoprotein B100 (apoB100) containing particles, VLDL and LDL, but little consensus exists regarding changes in lipoprotein production in the development of simple steatosis (SS) versus nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Further, ethnic variations in lipoproteins among SS and NASH are unknown as is how such variations might contribute to the differential prevalence of disease among Caucasians versus African Americans. In this study, we assessed plasma lipoprotein profiles by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in 70 non-diabetic class III obese females recruited from the surgical weight loss clinic. Of these, 51 females were stratified by biopsy-staged NAFLD severity (histologically normal, SS, or NASH). NASH females displayed increased circulating triglycerides and increased VLDL particle number and size relative to those with histologically normal livers, while total and large LDL concentration decreased in SS versus NASH and correlated with increased insulin resistance (via HOMA2-IR). When Caucasian women were examined alone (n = 41), VLDL and triglycerides increased between normal and SS, while total LDL and apoB100 decreased between SS and NASH along with increased insulin resistance. Compared to Caucasians with SS, African American women with SS displayed reduced triglycerides, VLDL, and small LDL and a more favorable small to large HDL ratio despite having increased BMI and HOMA2-IR. These findings suggest that ApoB100 and lipoprotein subclass particle number and size can delineate steatosis from NASH in obese Caucasian females, but should be interpreted with caution in other ethnicities as African Americans with SS display relatively improved lipoprotein profiles. This may reflect variation in the relationship between dyslipidemia and NAFLD progression across gender and ethnicity

Archaeosomes made of Halorubrum tebenquichense total polar lipids: a new source of adjuvancy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Archaeosomes (ARC), vesicles prepared from total polar lipids (TPL) extracted from selected genera and species from the Archaea domain, elicit both antibody and cell-mediated immunity to the entrapped antigen, as well as efficient cross priming of exogenous antigens, evoking a profound memory response. Screening for unexplored Archaea genus as new sources of adjuvancy, here we report the presence of two new <it>Halorubrum tebenquichense </it>strains isolated from grey crystals (<it>GC</it>) and black mood (<it>BM</it>) strata from a littoral Argentinean Patagonia salt flat. Cytotoxicity, intracellular transit and immune response induced by two subcutaneous (sc) administrations (days 0 and 21) with BSA entrapped in ARC made of TPL either form <it>BM </it>(ARC-BM) and from <it>GC </it>(ARC-GC) at 2% w/w (BSA/lipids), to C3H/HeN mice (25 μg BSA, 1.3 mg of archaeal lipids per mouse) and boosted on day 180 with 25 μg of bare BSA, were determined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>DNA G+C content (59.5 and 61.7% mol <it>BM </it>and <it>GC</it>, respectively), 16S rDNA sequentiation, DNA-DNA hybridization, arbitrarily primed fingerprint assay and biochemical data confirmed that <it>BM </it>and <it>GC </it>isolates were two non-previously described strains of <it>H. tebenquichense</it>. Both multilamellar ARC mean size were 564 ± 22 nm, with -50 mV zeta-potential, and were not cytotoxic on Vero cells up to 1 mg/ml and up to 0.1 mg/ml of lipids on J-774 macrophages (XTT method). ARC inner aqueous content remained inside the phago-lysosomal system of J-774 cells beyond the first incubation hour at 37°C, as revealed by pyranine loaded in ARC. Upon subcutaneous immunization of C3H/HeN mice, BSA entrapped in ARC-BM or ARC-GC elicited a strong and sustained primary antibody response, as well as improved specific humoral immunity after boosting with the bare antigen. Both IgG1 and IgG2a enhanced antibody titers could be demonstrated in long-term (200 days) recall suggesting induction of a mixed Th1/Th2 response.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We herein report the finding of new <it>H. tebenquichense </it>non alkaliphilic strains in Argentinean Patagonia together with the adjuvant properties of ARC after sc administration in mice. Our results indicate that archaeosomes prepared with TPL from these two strains could be successfully used as vaccine delivery vehicles.</p