Restoration of the colonial past in Argentina : projects by Mario J. Buschiazzo for the intervention of National Historical Monuments (1937-1947)

This research, as part of heritage studies and aims to analyze the relations between heritage assessment and intervention in the context of the reassessment of colonial architecture during the foundational phase of the heritage field in Argentina (1937-1947). With that purpose, this work focuses in analyzing National Historic Monuments from the Colonial period located in the Center, Parana River Coastline and Northwest of Argentina and their interventions considering the projects developed by Mario J. Buschiazzo. Towards the end of 1930, Argentina began a systematic patrimonialization process that consolidated the colonial architecture as a reference of national identity. After a long process initiated, in the architectural field by the neocolonial movement debates, it was time to deal with preservation architecture. Once the political administrative structure to safeguard and protect heritage had been established through the creation of the National Commission of Museums, Monuments and Historical Sites (CNMMyLH in Spanish) the next mandatory step was to decide how to preserve the recently nominated historic monuments. Mario Buschiazzo a reference from history of colonial architecture in America, was in charge of designing the interventions for their re-assessment. Without local experience, with the colonial heritage in a heterogeneous conservation state and in an international context of dissociated criteria between theory and practice, the challenge was raised. Bibliography points to the fact that Argentinian historical studies have assessed the colonial architecture based on a stylistic and synchronic approach, without considering the interventions that had taken place in these buildings. However, the current outlook of many of them is the result of the restorations implemented during the '40ties. Moreover, the approach that summarizes this period prevails in the iconic reconstruction examples from the Independence House in Tucuman and the Town Council from Buenos Aires. Taking this into account, the general purpose of this thesis is to increase the previous knowledge considering variability and new dimensions of analysis. Thus, the proposal is to deepen the analysis and to add specificity by studying the Town Council of Salta, the Posta of Sinsacate, the Uriburu House and the San Francisco Convent and Temple. These examples reflect restorations of monumental and modest architectural, with different valuation, acknowledgement and conservation state that allows to explore the relationship between the theoretical and the practical problems that converge at historic monuments during the foundational period of the CNMMyLH with an integral approach including the context, documental and technical-conservative dimensions.Fil: Herr, Carola Ingrid. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Arquitectura, Diseño y Urbanismo. Buenos Aires, ArgentinaLa presente investigación se inscribe en el ámbito de los estudios patrimoniales y tiene como objetivo problematizar la relación existente entre la valoración y la intervención patrimonial en el escenario de revalorización de la arquitectura colonial durante la etapa fundacional del campo patrimonial (1937-1947). Para ello se centra en el estudio de los Monumentos Históricos Nacionales, correspondientes al período colonial del Centro, Litoral y Noroeste argentino, y de las intervenciones de los que fueron objeto, conforme a los proyectos delineados por el arquitecto Mario J. Buschiazzo. Argentina comenzó, hacia fines de la década de 1930, un proceso sistemático de patrimonialización y "activó" como referentes patrimoniales a obras del período colonial. Tras una dilatada espera, iniciada en el campo arquitectónico con los debates del movimiento neocolonial, había llegado el turno de dar respuesta a la problemática de la preservación arquitectónica. Establecida la estructura político-administrativa para la tutela y protección patrimonial, mediante la creación de la Comisión Nacional de Museos, de Monumentos y de Lugares Históricos (CNMMyLH), el paso siguiente, y casi obligado, consistió en decidir "cómo" preservar a los recientemente catalogados Monumentos Histórico-Nacionales (MHN). Mario J. Buschiazzo (MJB), referente de la historia de la arquitectura colonial americana, fue quien debió proyectar las intervenciones para su revaloración. Sin experiencias previas en el ámbito local, con una herencia colonial heterogénea en su estado de conservación y frente un clima de desacuerdos entre la teoría y la praxis en el ámbito internacional, el desafió estaba planteado. Los antecedentes bibliográficos permiten advertir que la historiografía argentina se focalizó en estudiar aspectos relativos a la valoración de la arquitectura producida en la etapa colonial, desde aproximaciones estilísticas y sincrónicas, con mínima o nula consideración de las intervenciones que acontecieron en ellas. Sin embargo, la imagen actual de muchos de los MHN es producto de las restauraciones practicadas durante la década de 1940. Asimismo, prevalece un enfoque que sintetiza lo actuado en dicho período a partir de explicitar las reconstrucciones llevadas a cabo en obras paradigmáticas tales como la Casa Histórica de la Independencia, en Tucumán, y el Cabildo de Buenos Aires. Bajo estas consideraciones, el propósito general de la tesis es realizar un aporte al conocimiento del campo historiográfico y ampliar la comprensión de lo actuado, incorporando variabilidad y nuevas dimensiones de análisis a los estudios previos. Así, se propone profundizar el análisis e incrementar especificidad a partir del estudio del Cabildo de Salta, la Posta de Sinsacate, la Casa de los Uriburu y el Convento y Templo de San Francisco. Estos reflejan restauraciones realizadas en MH de escala modesta y monumental, con diversos grados de valoración, reconocimiento y estado de conservación para abordar la interrelación entre el problema teórico y el práctico que confluyen en los MHN, durante la etapa fundacional de la CNMMyLH, desde un enfoque integral que incluye su dimensión contextual, documental y técnico-conservativa

Restoration of colonial heritage: Criteria and intervention techniques applied in the first half of the 20th Century in Argentina

La arquitectura del período colonial constituyó el corpus principal de patrimonialización durante el período 1937-1947, cuando se inició la gestión patrimonial en Argentina. Constituida mayoritariamente por tecnologías de construcción con tierra, su valoración se centró en destacar los atributos morfológicos expresivos de estas edificaciones, mientras la dimensión material tuvo escasa consideración. Esta perspectiva también se replicó en la práctica de la restauración en tanto la materialidad y las técnicas fueron utilizadas como instrumentos subordinados a una determinada expresión formal. El presente artículo propone analizar los criterios, principiosy técnicas de intervención implementadas en monumentos arquitectónicos del periodo colonial construidos con tecnologías de tierra durante la etapa fundacional, atendiendo a las relaciones establecidas entre forma y materia. Para ello se presenta un análisis de cuatro casos de estudio que conjuga diversas estrategias teórico-metodológicas. Por un lado, el análisis historiográfico que permite contextualizar la gestión patrimonial y el registro de la arquitectura colonial en el período de estudio, en términos de alteración, conservación y materialidad. Por otro, la caracterización y el análisis de las intervenciones, combinando el análisis historiográfico y el trabajo de campo.The architecture of the colonial period constituted the main corpus of patrimonialisation during the period 1937-1947, when heritage polices began in Argentina. Built mainly of earth construction techniques, its assessment focused on highlighting the morphological and expressive attributes of these buildings while the material dimension was barely considered. This approach was also replicated in the restoration practice, as materiality and techniques were used as subordinate instruments of a specific formal expression. This article proposes to analyze the intervention criteria, principles and techniques implemented in architectural monuments of the colonial period built with earthen technologies during the foundational phase, regarding the relationship established between form and matter. An analysis of four case studies that combines different theoretical and methodological strategies is presented for this purpose. On the one hand, the historiographical analysis to contextualize heritage management and the records of colonial architecture at that period, in terms of alteration, conservation and materiality. On the other, the characterization and analysis of the interventions, combining historiographical analysis with the fieldwork.Fil: Herr, Carola Ingrid. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Centro de Estudios Sobre Patrimonio y Ambiente (cepya) ; Escuela de Arte y Patrimonio  ; Universidad Nacional de San Martin

Establishment of Tumor Treating Fields Combined With Mild Hyperthermia as Novel Supporting Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly malignant tumor with poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. Alternating electrical fields with low intensity called “Tumor Treating Fields” (TTFields) are a new, non-invasive approach with almost no side effects and phase 3 trials are ongoing in advanced PDAC. We evaluated TTFields in combination with mild hyperthermia. Three established human PDAC cell lines and an immortalized pancreatic duct cell line were treated with TTFields and hyperthermia at 38.5°C, followed by microscopy, assays for MTT, migration, colony and sphere formation, RT-qPCR, FACS, Western blot, microarray and bioinformatics, and in silico analysis using the online databases GSEA, KEGG, Cytoscape-String, and Kaplan-Meier Plotter. Whereas TTFields and hyperthermia alone had weak effects, their combination strongly inhibited the viability of malignant, but not those of nonmalignant cells. Progression features and the cell cycle were impaired, and autophagy was induced. The identified target genes were key players in autophagy, the cell cycle and DNA repair. The expression profiles of part of these target genes were significantly involved in the survival of PDAC patients. In conclusion, the combination of TTFields with mild hyperthermia results in greater efficacy without increased toxicity and could be easily clinically approved as supporting therapy

Corticosteroid co-treatment induces resistance to chemotherapy in surgical resections, xenografts and established cell lines of pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy for pancreatic carcinoma often has severe side effects that limit its efficacy. The glucocorticoid (GC) dexamethasone (DEX) is frequently used as co-treatment to prevent side effects of chemotherapy such as nausea, for palliative purposes and to treat allergic reactions. While the potent pro-apoptotic properties and the supportive effects of GCs to tumour therapy in lymphoid cells are well studied, the impact of GCs to cytotoxic treatment of pancreatic carcinoma is unknown. METHODS: A prospective study of DEX-mediated resistance was performed using a pancreatic carcinoma xenografted to nude mice, 20 surgical resections and 10 established pancreatic carcinoma cell lines. Anti-apoptotic signaling in response to DEX was examined by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: In vitro, DEX inhibited drug-induced apoptosis and promoted the growth in all of 10 examined malignant cells. Ex vivo, DEX used in physiological concentrations significantly prevented the cytotoxic effect of gemcitabine and cisplatin in 18 of 20 freshly isolated cell lines from resected pancreatic tumours. No correlation with age, gender, histology, TNM and induction of therapy resistance by DEX co-treatment could be detected. In vivo, DEX totally prevented cytotoxicity of chemotherapy to pancreatic carcinoma cells xenografted to nude mice. Mechanistically, DEX upregulated pro-survival factors and anti-apoptotic genes in established pancreatic carcinoma cells. CONCLUSION: These data show that DEX induces therapy resistance in pancreatic carcinoma cells and raise the question whether GC-mediated protection of tumour cells from cancer therapy may be dangerous for patients

MRI follow-up of conservatively treated meniscal knee lesions in general practice

Objective: To evaluate meniscal status change on follow-up MRI after 1 year, prognostic factors and association with clinical outcome in patients with conservatively treated knee injury. Methods: We analysed 403 meniscal horns in 101 conservatively treated patients (59 male; mean age 40 years) in general practice who underwent initial knee MRI within 5 weeks of trauma. We performed ordinal logistic regression analysis to analyse prognostic factors for meniscal change on follow-up MRI after 1 year, and we assessed the association with clinical outcome. Results: On follow-up MRI 49 meniscal horns had deteriorated and 18 had improved. Age (odds ratio [OR] 1.3/decade), body weight (OR 1.2/10 kg), total anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture on initial MRI (OR 2.4), location in the posterior horn of the medial meniscus (OR 3.0) and an initial meniscal lesion (OR 0.3) were statistically significant predictors of meniscal MRI appearance change after 1 year, which was not associated with clinical outcome. Conclusion: In conservatively treated patients, meniscal deterioration on follow-up MRI 1 year after trauma is predicted by higher age and body weight, initial total ACL rupture, and location in the medial posterior horn. Change in MRI appearance is not associated with clinical outcome

Predictive factors for new onset or progression of knee osteoarthritis one year after trauma: MRI follow-up in general practice

Objective: To prospectively evaluate prognostic factors for new onset or progression of degenerative change on follow-up MRI one year after knee trauma and the association with clinical outcome. Methods: Within a prospective observational cohort study in general practice, we studied a subgroup of 117 patients with acute knee trauma (mean age 41 years, 43% women). Degenerative change was scored on MRI at baseline and after one year follow-up. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate prognostic factors for new onset or progressive degenerative change on follow-up MRI. Association between new or progressive degeneration and clinical outcome after one year was assessed. Results: On follow-up MRI 15% of patients with pre-existing knee osteoarthritis showed progression and 26% of patients demonstrated new degenerative change. The only statistically significant prognostic variable in the multivariate analysis was bone marrow oedema on initial MRI (OR 5.29 (95% CI 1.64-17.1), p∈=∈0.005). A significant association between new or progressive degenerative change and clinical outcome was found (p∈=∈0.003). Conclusion: Bone marrow oedema on MRI for acute knee injury is strongly predictive of new onset or progression of degenerative change of the femorotibial joint on follow-up MRI one year after trauma, which is reflected in clinical outcome

A Multilaboratory Comparison of Calibration Accuracy and the Performance of External References in Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) is a first principles based method to determine absolute sedimentation coefficients and buoyant molar masses of macromolecules and their complexes, reporting on their size and shape in free solution. The purpose of this multi-laboratory study was to establish the precision and accuracy of basic data dimensions in AUC and validate previously proposed calibration techniques. Three kits of AUC cell assemblies containing radial and temperature calibration tools and a bovine serum albumin (BSA) reference sample were shared among 67 laboratories, generating 129 comprehensive data sets. These allowed for an assessment of many parameters of instrument performance, including accuracy of the reported scan time after the start of centrifugation, the accuracy of the temperature calibration, and the accuracy of the radial magnification. The range of sedimentation coefficients obtained for BSA monomer in different instruments and using different optical systems was from 3.655 S to 4.949 S, with a mean and standard deviation of (4.304 ± 0.188) S (4.4%). After the combined application of correction factors derived from the external calibration references for elapsed time, scan velocity, temperature, and radial magnification, the range of s-values was reduced 7-fold with a mean of 4.325 S and a 6-fold reduced standard deviation of ± 0.030 S (0.7%). In addition, the large data set provided an opportunity to determine the instrument-to-instrument variation of the absolute radial positions reported in the scan files, the precision of photometric or refractometric signal magnitudes, and the precision of the calculated apparent molar mass of BSA monomer and the fraction of BSA dimers. These results highlight the necessity and effectiveness of independent calibration of basic AUC data dimensions for reliable quantitative studies