Magic Squares of Squares of Order Three Over Finite Fields

A magic square M over an integral domain D is a 3 x 3 matrix with entries from D such that the elements from each row, column, and diagonal add to the same sum. If all the entries in M are perfect squares in D, we call M a magic square of squares over D. Martin LaBar raised an open question in 1984, which states, “Is there a magic square of squares over the ring Z of the integers which has all the nine entries distinct?” We approach to answering a similar question in case D is a finite field. Our main result confirms that a magic square of squares over a finite field F of characteristic greater than 3 can only hold 3, 5, 7, or 9 distinct entries. Corresponding to LaBar’s question, we claim that there are infinitely many prime numbers p such that, over a finite field of characteristic p, magic squares of squares with nine distinct elements exist. Constructively, we build magic squares of squares using consecutive quadratic residue triples derived from twin primes. We classify all the magic squares of squares over any finite fields of characteristic 2. Description of magic squares over a finite field of characteristic 3 is provided

Las Relaciones euromediterráneas y el desarrollo sostenible : ¿Un reto imposible?

El desarrollo sostenible es uno de los retos más importantes y complejos, a nivel internacional, de la época en la que vivimos dado que implica que el crecimiento económico y la expansión comercial sean siempre compatibles con el respeto para el medio ambiente y el desarrollo social. Este estudio examinará la posición que ha venido ocupando el tema del desarrollo sostenible en el marco de las relaciones europeas con los países del sur y este del Mediterráneo y cómo ha influido en la acción de la Unión en el ámbito de las iniciativas relacionadas con el Partenariado euromedEl desenvolupament sostenible és un dels reptes més importants i complexos, a nivell internacional, de l'època en què vivim ja que implica que el creixement econòmic i l'expansió comercial siguin sempre compatibles amb el respecte pel medi ambient i el desenvolupament social. Aquest estudi examinarà la posició que ha ocupat el tema del desenvolupament sostenible en el marc de les relacions europees amb els països del sud i est de la Mediterrània i com ha influït en l'acció de la Unió en l'àmbit de les iniciatives relacionades amb el Partenariat eurome

Simulating Domain Changes in Conversational Agents Through Dialogue Adaptation

A major bottleneck for the large diffusion of data-driven conversational agents is that conversational domains are subject to continuous changes, which soon make initial dialogue models inadequate to manage new situations. In the current context, updating training data is usually carried on manually, and, in addition, there are no tools for simulating the impact of a certain domain change on the performance of the dialogue system. This position paper advocates that substantial progress in the capacity to simulate domain changes is based on the ability to automatically adapt training and test dialogues to those changes. We discuss the potential of a simulation framework for task-oriented dialogues, as well as the research challenges that need to be addressed

Infecção por riquétsias em carrapatos de aves silvestres em duas ecorregiões da Argentina

Several tick-borne Rickettsia species are recognized human pathogens in Argentina. Here we evaluated rickettsial infection in ticks collected on passerine birds during 2011-2012 in two eco-regions of Argentina. The ticks were processed by molecular analysis through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection and DNA sequencing of fragments of two rickettsial genes, gltA and ompA. A total of 594 tick specimens (532 larvae and 62 nymphs), representing at least 4 species (Amblyomma tigrinum, Ixodes pararicinus, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris), were evaluated. At least one A. tigrinum larva, collected on Coryphospingus cucullatus in Chaco Seco, was infected with Rickettsia parkeri, whereas at least 12 larvae and 1 nymph of I. pararicinus, collected from Troglodytes aedon, Turdus amaurochalinus, Turdus rufiventris, C. cucullatus and Zonotrichia capensis, were infected with an undescribed Rickettsia agent, genetically related to several rickettsial endosymbionts of ticks of the Ixodes ricinus complex. R. parkeri is a recognized human pathogen in several American countries including Argentina, where a recent study incriminated A. tigrinum as the potential vector of R. parkeri to humans. Birds could play an important role in dispersing R. parkeri-infected A. tigrinum ticks. Additionally, we report for the first time a rickettsial agent infecting I. pararicinus ticks.Algumas espécies de Rickettsia transmitidas por carrapatos são reconhecidos como patógenos humanos na Argentina. Este presente trabalho avaliou a infecção por Rickettsia em carrapatos coletados em aves passeriformes, durante 2011-2012, em duas ecorregiões da Argentina. Os carrapatos foram processados pela reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) e sequenciamento de DNA de dois genes de Rickettsia: gltA e ompA. Ao todo, 594 amostras de carrapatos (532 larvas e 62 ninfas), representando pelo menos 4 espécies (Amblyomma tigrinum, Ixodes pararicinus, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris), foram avaliadas. Pelo menos uma larva de A. tigrinum, coletada de Coryphospingus cucullatus no Chaco Seco, estava infectada com Rickettsia parkeri, enquanto pelo menos 12 larvas e 1 ninfa de I. pararicinus, coletadas de Troglodytes aedon, Turdus amaurochalinus, Turdus rufiventris, C. cucullatus e Zonotrichia capensis estavam infectadas com Rickettsia sp., geneticamente relacionada a vários endossimbiontes riquetsiais de carrapatos do complexo Ixodes ricinus. R. parkeri é reconhecidamente um patógeno humano em alguns países americanos, incluindo a Argentina, onde um estudo recente incriminou A. tigrinum como um provável vetor. Aves poderiam desempenhar um papel importante na dispersão de carrapatos A. tigrinum infectados por R. parkeri. Em adição, relata-se pela primeira vez a infecção por Rickettsia em I. pararicinus.Fil: Flores, Fernando Sebastián. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Virología “Dr. J. M. Vanella”; ArgentinaFil: Borges Costa, Francisco. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Nava, Santiago. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela; ArgentinaFil: Diaz, Luis Adrian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Virología “Dr. J. M. Vanella”; ArgentinaFil: Labruna, Marcelo Bahía. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasi

Ticks of new world tapirs

In this paper, we present an updated list of ticks that have been found infesting New World tapirs. For this purpose, literature records were obtained from the INTA tick database. Data are presented according to tick species, tapir species, and country. A total of 27 tick species have been reported infesting New World tapirs. Most of the reports were on T. terrestris (20 tick species in 10 countries). Thirteen tick species were reported on T. bairdii in 3 countries, and only 2 tick species on T. pinchaque in 2 countries. Ticks reported on tapirs comprised 18 species of the genus Amblyomma, and 7 other species representing the genera Ixodes, Haemaphysalis, Dermacentor, and Rhipicephalus from the Ixodidae family, and at least 2 Ornithodoros species from the Argasidae family. Indeed, tapirs are very significant hosts for the Neotropical tick fauna. Since tapirs are usually found in less fragmented biomes with high biodiversity, and the richness of tick species is higher in tapirs than any other Neotropical vertebrate species, further studies are needed to evaluate the role of tapir-associated ticks on biodiversity. The role of these ticks on tick-borne diseases for tapir and other vertebrates also needs further investigations

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in Dogs, Brazil

Clinical illness caused by Rickettsia rickettsii in dogs has been reported solely in the United States. We report 2 natural clinical cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in dogs in Brazil. Each case was confirmed by seroconversion and molecular analysis and resolved after doxycycline therapy

Rickettsia parkeri in Brazil

We report finding Rickettsia parkeri in Brazil in 9.7% of Amblyomma triste ticks examined. An R. parkeri isolate was successfully established in Vero cell culture. Molecular characterization of the agent was performed by DNA sequencing of portions of the rickettsial genes gltA, htrA, ompA, and ompB

Reinstatement of rhipicephalus (Boophilus) australis (Acari: Ixodidae) with redescription of the adult and larval stages

Rhipicephalus australis Fuller, the Australian cattle tick, is reinstated and the adults and larvae redescribed from material collected in Australia. This long ignored boophilid was previously known as R. microplus Canestrini for specimens reported in Australia and New Caledonia. The adults of R. australis are easily recognized by a combination of characters, such as the ventro-medial spurs in the palpal segments of the male, and the abundant, plumose, pale white setae on the dorsum of the female. Other details, such as coxal and adanal shields are more variable among different populations and may lead to incorrect determinations. Larvae of R. australis are clearly smaller than those of R. microplus. The use of principal components analysis on body measurements leads to a clear separation of larvae of both taxa. A phylogenetic analysis based on 12S- and 16S-rDNA gene sequences supports the conspecificity of the neotype material on which the reinstatement of the species is proposed, and of the specimens used for previous interspecific crosses. R. australis is now known to be present in Australia, New Caledonia, the island of Borneo, Philippines, Sumatra, Java, New Guinea, Cambodia, and Tahiti. Both R. microplus and R. australis coexist in some countries in southeastern Asia. Given the extreme importance of these ticks for the cattle industry, field data on their distribution in the region are required to know the actual range of these species and to understand the evolution of the group.Fil: Estrada Peña, Agustín. Universidad de Zaragoza; EspañaFil: Venzal, José M.. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Nava, Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela; ArgentinaFil: Mangold, Atilio Jose. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; ArgentinaFil: Guglielmone, Alberto Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela; ArgentinaFil: Labruna, Marcelo B.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: de la Fuente, José. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos; Españ