Late pre-hispanic societies in Northern region of the Central Argentina (Sierras Del Norte, Córdoba). Approaches from plant resources

El período Prehispánico Tardío (ca. 400-1550 d.C.) se caracteriza porque las comunidades que ocuparon el sector centro-oeste de las Sierras de Córdoba llevaron adelante estrategias y patrones de subsistencia flexibles, donde la movilidad estacional desempeñó un papel fundamental, puesto que permitía un uso diversificado del paisaje mediante la explotación de diversos ambientes, los cuales proporcionaban recursos distribuidos de manera heterogénea a lo largo del año. En este contexto, la agricultura, desarro llada a pequeña escala y con escasa tecnificación, no regía la vida de los grupos prehispánicos, sino que estaba supeditada a la ausencia de otras alternativas al inicio de la estación productiva. Los datos recuperados hasta el momento en el sector septentrional de la región, concretamente en Cerro Colorado (Sierras del Norte), ponen en evidencia procesos históricos similares a la región centro-oeste con respecto al tipo de estrategias económicas y, fundamentalmente, las formas de agricultura (de pequeña escala y a secano). Sin embargo, de manera gradual la información acumulada indica que estas estrategias produjeron paisajes diferentes caracterizados por la variabilidad en el manejo de distintas especies vegetales silvestres y domesticadas, en tanto trajo aparejada la implementación de estrategias variadas vinculadas con los tiempos agrícolas y las pautas de movilidad.The Late Pre-Hispanic Period (ca. 400-1550 AD) is characterized by communities that occupied the central-western area of the Sierras of Córdoba and who developed flexible strategies and patterns of subsistence where seasonal mobility was central. This seasonal mobility allowed exploiting different environments, which provided resources throughout the year. In this context, agriculture, which was small-scale and with scarce or no-mechanization, did not regulate the life of the pre-Hispanic communities but was subject to the absence of other alternatives at the beginning of the productive season. Data recovered in the northern region of Sierras of Córdoba, specifically in Cerro Colorado (Sierras del Norte), reveal similar historical processes to those in the central-western region regarding the type of subsistence strategies and, fundamentally, of (small-scale dryland) agricultural practice. However, the data gathered gradually indicate that these economic strategies produced different landscapes characterized by different ways in handling wild and domesticated plant species. Therefore dissimilar strategies related to agricultural times and mobility patterns were carried out.Fil: Recalde, Maria Andrea. Centro de Estudios Históricos ; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Lopez, María Laura. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Arqueología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Deterioration of willow seeds during storage

Willow (Salix spp.) seeds are able to tolerate desiccation, but differ from typical orthodox seeds in that they lose viability in a few days at room temperature, and in that the chloroplasts in embryo tissues do not dedifferentiate during maturation drying, thus retaining chlorophyll and maintaining intact their thylakoid membranes. In the present study, we investigated the damage generated in willow seeds during storage under appropriate conditions to exclude the eventual generation of reactive oxygen species by photooxidation. To this end, we measured different indicators of molecular damage, such as changes in the fatty acid profile, protein degradation, nuclease activities, and DNA damage, and evaluated normal germination and total germination in seeds stored for one, ten and sixteen years. We found: (i) a decrease in the fraction of unsaturated fatty acids; (ii) changes in the protein profile due to a decrease in protein solubility; (iii) activation of nucleases; and (iv) DNA fragmentation. Taken together, our findings identified programmed cell death as a key mechanism in seed deterioration during storage. We also found that, although the seeds maintained high percentages of total germination, the death program had already started in the seeds stored for ten years and was more advanced in those stored for sixteen years.Fil: Lopez Fernandez, Maria Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Moyano, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Correa, María Daniela. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Vasile, Franco Emanuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Chaco Austral. Departamento de Industrias Alimentarias; ArgentinaFil: Burrieza, Hernán Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Maldonado, Sara Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; Argentin

Aeolian sheets and semi-permanent lakes of the Fueguian Steppe (53°S), Argentina

Morphometric, sedimentary and substrata features of thin, silty-clayed or sandy silty-clayed sheets developed leeward semi-permanent lakes are shown. Their origin is attributed to deflation over the dry bottom lakes. They cover the pre-existing relief without creating new landforms. A multi-temporal analysis using Landsat and QuickBird images was performed in order to record changes in lake, dry bottom and dust sheet sizes; also the spectral signature of these sheets was obtained. It was obtained a statistical relationship among the aeolian sheets size and the dried bottom lakes size. The salinity condition in water and sheet´s sediments is established and is pointed their influence in the vegetation cover.Se presentan las características morfométricas, sedimentarias y del sustrato de delgados mantos limo-arcillosos y areno-limo-arcillosos ubicados a sotavento de lagunas semipermanentes, originados por deflación de los fondos secos de las lagunas. Cubren el relieve pre-existente sin originar nuevas geoformas. Mediante imágenes Landsat y QuickBird se realizó un análisis multi-temporal de la variación del tamaño de los fondos secos de las lagunas y de los mantos eólicos, y se estableció la relación estadística entre ellos. Se analizó la salinidad del agua y de los sedimentos según su posición en el manto eólico, observándose una relación con la distribución de la vegetación.Fil: Villarreal, María Laura. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Coronato, Andrea Maria Josefa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; ArgentinaFil: Mazzoni, Elizabeth. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; ArgentinaFil: Lopez, Carlos Ramiro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentin

Eff ect of a community-led sanitation intervention on child diarrhoea and child growth in rural Mali: a cluster-randomised controlled trial

Background Community-led total sanitation (CLTS) uses participatory approaches to mobilise communities to build their own toilets and stop open defecation. Our aim was to undertake the fi rst randomised trial of CLTS to assess its eff ect on child health in Koulikoro, Mali. Methods We did a cluster-randomised trial to assess a CLTS programme implemented by the Government of Mali. The study population included households in rural villages (clusters) from the Koulikoro district of Mali; every household had to have at least one child aged younger than 10 years. Villages were randomly assigned (1:1) with a computergenerated sequence by a study investigator to receive CLTS or no programme. Health outcomes included diarrhoea (primary outcome), height for age, weight for age, stunting, and underweight. Outcomes were measured 1·5 years after intervention delivery (2 years after enrolment) among children younger than 5 years. Participants were not masked to intervention assignment. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01900912. Findings We recruited participants between April 12, and June 23, 2011. We assigned 60 villages (2365 households) to receive the CLTS intervention and 61 villages (2167 households) to the control group. No diff erences were observed in terms of diarrhoeal prevalence among children in CLTS and control villages (706 [22%] of 3140 CLTS children vs 693 [24%] of 2872 control children; prevalence ratio [PR] 0·93, 95% CI 0·76–1·14). Access to private latrines was almost twice as high in intervention villages (1373 [65%] of 2120 vs 661 [35%] of 1911 households) and reported open defecation was reduced in female (198 [9%] of 2086 vs 608 [33%] of 1869 households) and in male (195 [10%] of 2004 vs 602 [33%] of 1813 households) adults. Children in CLTS villages were taller (0·18 increase in height-for-age Z score, 95% CI 0·03–0·32; 2415 children) and less likely to be stunted (35% vs 41%, PR 0·86, 95% CI 0·74–1·0) than children in control villages. 22% of children were underweight in CLTS compared with 26% in control villages (PR 0·88, 95% CI 0·71–1·08), and the diff erence in mean weight-for-age Z score was 0·09 (95% CI –0·04 to 0·22) between groups. In CLTS villages, younger children at enrolment (<2 years) showed greater improvements in height and weight than older children. Interpretation In villages that received a behavioural sanitation intervention with no monetary subsidies, diarrhoeal prevalence remained similar to control villages. However, access to toilets substantially increased and child growth improved, particularly in children <2 years. CLTS might have prevented growth faltering through pathways other than reducing diarrhoea

Genome-wide analyses of cassava Pathogenesis-related (PR) gene families reveal core transcriptome responses to whitefly infestation, salicylic acid and jasmonic acid.

BACKGROUND:Whiteflies are a threat to cassava (Manihot esculenta), an important staple food in many tropical/subtropical regions. Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating cassava's responses against this pest is crucial for developing control strategies. Pathogenesis-related (PR) protein families are an integral part of plant immunity. With the availability of whole genome sequences, the annotation and expression programs of the full complement of PR genes in an organism can now be achieved. An understanding of the responses of the entire complement of PR genes during biotic stress and to the defense hormones, salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA), is lacking. Here, we analyze the responses of cassava PR genes to whiteflies, SA, JA, and other biotic aggressors. RESULTS:The cassava genome possesses 14 of the 17 plant PR families, with a total of 447 PR genes. A cassava PR gene nomenclature is proposed. Phylogenetic relatedness of cassava PR proteins to each other and to homologs in poplar, rice and Arabidopsis identified cassava-specific PR gene family expansions. The temporal programs of PR gene expression in response to the whitefly (Aleurotrachelus socialis) in four whitefly-susceptible cassava genotypes showed that 167 of the 447 PR genes were regulated after whitefly infestation. While the timing of PR gene expression varied, over 37% of whitefly-regulated PR genes were downregulated in all four genotypes. Notably, whitefly-responsive PR genes were largely coordinately regulated by SA and JA. The analysis of cassava PR gene expression in response to five other biotic stresses revealed a strong positive correlation between whitefly and Xanthomonas axonopodis and Cassava Brown Streak Virus responses and negative correlations between whitefly and Cassava Mosaic Virus responses. Finally, certain associations between PR genes in cassava expansions and response to biotic stresses were observed among PR families. CONCLUSIONS:This study represents the first genome-wide characterization of PR genes in cassava. PR gene responses to six biotic stresses and to SA and JA are demonstrably different to other angiosperms. We propose that our approach could be applied in other species to fully understand PR gene regulation by pathogens, pests and the canonical defense hormones SA and JA

Crosslinked electrospun zein-based food packaging coatings containing bioactive chilto fruit extracts

peer-reviewedIn this work, zein fibers loaded with phenolic-enriched extracts from pulp, seed and skin of orange chilto were collected on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) films through the electrospinning technique, for their potential use as bioactive internal coatings for food packaging applications. The zein fibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The water stability of the zein fibers was improved by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde vapors. The encapsulation efficiency of all bioactive phenolic-enriched extracts was greater than 90%. Encapsulation in the zein fibers improved the thermostability of the extracts. Two food simulants (50% ethanol and 3% acetic acid) were used to evaluate the release of the extracts from the crosslinked zein fibers. It was observed that crosslinking delayed the release of phenolic compounds (rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid and its derivates) in both solvents (80% released after 7 days of contact in 50% ethanol and 23 days in 3% acetic acid) and their antioxidant properties were kept. Therefore, this work demonstrates the potential of the developed zein-based encapsulation structures containing chilto extracts to be applied as antioxidant coatings in food packaging structures to contribute to the preservation of both hydrophilic and lipophilic food products

Inhibition of α(1,6)fucosyltransferase: effects on cell proliferation, migration, and adhesion in an SW480/SW620 syngeneic colorectal cancer model

The present study explored the impact of inhibiting α(1,6)fucosylation (core fucosylation) on the functional phenotype of a cellular model of colorectal cancer (CRC) malignization formed by the syngeneic SW480 and SW620 CRC lines. Expression of the FUT8 gene encoding α(1,6)fucosyltransferase was inhibited in tumor line SW480 by a combination of shRNA-based antisense knockdown and Lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA) selection. LCA-resistant clones were subsequently assayed in vitro for proliferation, migration, and adhesion. The α(1,6)FT-inhibited SW480 cells showed enhanced proliferation in adherent conditions, unlike their α(1,6)FT-depleted SW620 counterparts, which displayed reduced proliferation. Under non-adherent conditions, α(1,6)FT-inhibited SW480 cells also showed greater growth capacity than their respective non-targeted control (NTC) cells. However, cell migration decreased in SW480 after FUT8 knockdown, while adhesion to EA.hy926 cells was significantly enhanced. The reported results indicate that the FUT8 knockdown strategy with subsequent selection for LCA-resistant clones was effective in greatly reducing α(1,6)FT expression in SW480 and SW620 CRC lines. In addition, α(1,6)FT impairment affected the proliferation, migration, and adhesion of α(1,6)FT-deficient clones SW480 and SW620 in a tumor stage-dependent manner, suggesting that core fucosylation has a dynamic role in the evolution of CRC.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia | Ref. AP-FPU12/03662Xunta de Galicia | Ref. GRC 2014/019Xunta de Galicia | Ref. CN 2011/02

Geoarchaeology in the Fueguian Steppe, southern Argentina. Effects of geomorphological processes on archaeological remains from surficial deposits

Results from the geoarchaeological analyses carried out at two archaeological localities in the hinterland steppe of Tierra del Fuego (southernmost Argentina), are herein presented. Processes of seasonal running water, mass-wasting and aeolian erosion-accumulation occur over concentration of scarce remains usually recorded at the surface. The two studied cases (the Amalia 5 site and the Duna O´Connor find) come from similar environments of shallow lake surroundings. Each case-study was exposed to different geomorphological processes that altered not only each piece itself but also the integrity and resolution of the archaeological contexts. Wind and water were identified as the main agents acting upon the archaeological remains. The lithic materials were analyzed following several indicators: raw material (lithology and texture), artifact size, percentage of cortex on the lithic surface, degree of fragmentation and surface alteration (polishing and abrasion). Likewise, a detailed description of the geomorphological setting and processes that took place in these sites was done, to identify the possible link between these processes and the characteristics of the archaeological record. The Amalia 5 site is located within a gully excavated on aeolian deposits, some of them edaphized, and overlying finegrain sedimentary rocks and conglomerates. Collectors for sediments were installed, to control dimensions of materials that could be blown by wind. In both localities topographic and stratigraphic profiles were surveyed using Total Station and a differential GPS. In spite of the differences related to the geomorphological and archaeological contexts, the results have shown strong similarities in the use of the raw materials, in the type of artifacts found and in the taphonomic processes that took place over the assemblages. Though both assemblages come from shallow lake environments, they were located in different landforms. The preservation of both contexts shows low variability concerning the degree of abrasion and polishing, depending on the dominant processes in each shallow lake shores (either running water or wind). From the view point of human occupation, the available lithic resources in both localities are different. The local geomorphology and/or the different availability of raw material, allowed to identify different ways in the use of space; whereas the gully of the Amalia 5 site should have been a place where cobbles and pebbles were available for knapping artifacts (demonstrated by the high frequency of recorded items), in the Duna O´Connor the space could have operated as a place to look for animal resources, since lithic raw material was not available.Este trabajo muestra los resultados del análisis geoarqueológico de dos localidades emplazadas en el interior de la estepa de Tierra del Fuego (sur de Argentina), donde dominan procesos de escorrentía estacional, remoción en masa y erosión-acumulación eólica. El registro arqueológico en este sector está representado, en general, por concentraciones poco densas de materiales en superficie, fuertemente condicionadas por la baja visibilidad ambiental vinculada a la cubierta vegetal continua y a la movilización de sedimentos. En los dos casos estudiados, registrados en la costa o en la periferia de lagunas semipermanentes, los conjuntos arqueológicos fueron hallados en superficie, expuestos a diferentes procesos geomorfológicos que alteraron no solo la preservación de las piezas, sino también la integridad y resolución de estos contextos arqueológicos. Se trata del sitio Amalia 5, emplazado en una cárcava de erosión remontante y de los hallazgos aislados en Duna O´Connor, dispuestos superficialmente entre sedimentos eólicos edafizados. Se presentan los conjuntos arqueológicos y se estudian indicadores que evidencian la alteración – tamaño, abrasión y pulido – de los materiales líticos. Asimismo, se describen detalladamente los emplazamientos geomorfológicos y los procesos actuantes en ambos casos con el fin de identificar la vinculación posible entre dichos procesos y las características del registro arqueológico.Fil: Oria, Jimena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Villarreal, María Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Coronato, Andrea Maria Josefa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; ArgentinaFil: Salemme, Monica Cira. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego; ArgentinaFil: Lopez, Carlos Ramiro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentin

DmeRF system is required for nickel and cobalt resistance in Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae.

A member of the Cation Diffusion Facilitator (CDF) family with high sequence similarity to DmeF (Divalent metal efflux) from Cupridavirus metallidurans was identified in Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae UPM1137. The R. leguminosarum dmeF mutant strain was highly sensitive to Co2+ and moderately sensitive to Ni2+, but its tolerance to other metals such as Zn2+, Cu2+ or Mn2+ was unaffected. An open reading frame located upstream of R. leguminosarum dmeF, designated dmeR, encodes a protein homologous to the nickel and cobalt regulator RcnR from E.coli. Expression of the dmeRF operon was induced by nickel and cobalt ions in free-living cells, likely by alleviating DmeR-mediated transcriptional repression of the operon

Red light delays programmed cell death in non-host interaction between Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 and tobacco plants

Light modulates almost every aspect of plant physiology, including plant-pathogen interactions. Among these, the hypersensitive response (HR) of plants to pathogens is characterized by a rapid and localized programmed cell death (PCD), which is critical to restrict the spread of pathogens from the infection site. The aim of this work was to study the role of light in the interaction between Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pto DC3000) and non-host tobacco plants. To this end, we examined the HR under different light treatments (white and red light) by using a range of well-established markers of PCD. The alterations found at the cellular level included: i) loss of membrane integrity and nuclei, ii) RuBisCo and DNA degradation, and iii) changes in nuclease profiles and accumulation of cysteine proteinases. Our results suggest that red light plays a role during the HR of tobacco plants to Pto DC3000 infection, delaying the PCD process.Fil: Moyano, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Lopez Fernandez, Maria Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Carrau, Analía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Nannini, Julian Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Petrocelli, Silvana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Orellano, Elena Graciela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Maldonado, Sara Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada; Argentin