Morphology determined by waves in fluvial beaches. "La Concordia" in the Uruguay River, a case study.

Sediment characteristics and the direction and magnitude of the velocity of the current in the river, amongst other factors, usually established the pro file and the plan shape of fluvial beaches. However, in sorne cases, even far from its estuary or river mouth, this morphology can be determined by the incidence of the waves despite not being a marine environment. In this paper a qualitative methodology will be presented which will allow us to recognize the aspects that influence the existen ce of such morphologies. For this purpose a case study will be analyzed: the beach of La Concordia located on the left bank ofthe Uruguay River, 70 km upstreamfrom its mouth at the estuwy of Rio de la Plata. Furthermore, plan shape will be analyzed and its determination by wave action will be proved.Tanto el perfil como la forma en planta de las playas fluviales vienen establecidos por numerosos factores entre los que cabría destacar las características del sedimento y la dirección y módulo de la velocidad de la corriente en el río. Sin embargo, en ciertos casos, lejos incluso de su estuario o desembocadura, esta morfología puede estar determinada principalmente por la incidencia del oleaje pese a no tratarse de un entorno marítimo. Se presenta aquí una metodología cualitativa que nos permitirá reconocer los aspectos que influyen en la existencia de este tipo de morfologías. Para ello, se estudiará un caso particular, el de la playa de La Concordia ubicada en la margen izquierda del río Uruguay a 70 km de su desembocadura en el estuario del Rio de la Plata. Asimismo se analizará la forma en planta y se verificará que la misma está determinada por la acción del oleaje

Methodologies for teaching an engineering subject in different countries: comparison and results

Engineering or technical degrees are difficult to teach and, consequently, have always been characterized by a large number of academic failures. Therefore, continuous assessment has been applied to classes of similar content, related to Port and Coastal Engineering during these last years in three different Universities worldwide: University of La Republica (Montevideo, Uruguay), Nova de Lisboa (Portugal) and Cadiz (Spain). This paper presents different methodologies used to teach and evaluate these courses at each University, together with the results of the evaluations of the students who were enrolled during the current and previous stages. Generally, a decrease in the number of students who abandon the classes has been noticed together with an increase in the percentage of students who pass and an improvement of their grades, except at the University Nova de Lisboa were the results have remained stable. In addition, changes experienced in the courses are discussed herein by comparing the percentage of success in the different locations. Moreover, influence of the different methodologies and the possible reasons for these changes are also presented and analysed. As a conclusion, the improvement in educational outcomes has been achieved through the concurrence of different factors: the existence of more frequent written and/or oral exams, practical examples of case studies as well as access to specific tools of new technology and to documentation specifically prepared for the classes and available online. Evidently, the above mentioned tasks require a strong commitment and great effort by the teaching staff. If human resources diminish, as it is happening in Spain and Portugal due to the budget reduction in education, two difficult questions arise: For how long will teachers’ current effort be maintained? What impact will have their complete devotion to teaching in their research performance

Sudden chaotic transitions in an optically injected semiconductor laser

We study sudden changes in the chaotic output of an optically injected semiconductor laser. For what is believed to be the first time in this system, we identify bifurcations that cause abrupt changes between different chaotic outputs, or even sudden jumps between chaotic and periodic output. These sudden chaotic transitions involve attractors that exist for large regions in parameter space. © 2001 Optical Society of Americ

Potential ecological and socio-economic effects of a novel megaherbivore introduction: the hippopotamus in Colombia

Introduced species can have strong ecological, social and economic effects on their non-native environment. Introductions of megafaunal species are rare and may contribute to rewilding efforts, but they may also have pronounced socio-ecological effects because of their scale of influence. A recent introduction of the hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius into Colombia is a novel introduction of a megaherbivore onto a new continent, and raises questions about the future dynamics of the socio-ecological system into which it has been introduced. Here we synthesize current knowledge about the Colombian hippopotamus population, review the literature on the species to predict potential ecological and socio-economic effects of this introduction, and make recommendations for future study. Hippopotamuses can have high population growth rates (7–11%) and, on the current trajectory, we predict there could be 400–800 individuals in Colombia by 2050. The hippopotamus is an ecosystem engineer that can have profound effects on terrestrial and aquatic environments and could therefore affect the native biodiversity of the Magdalena River basin. Hippopotamuses are also aggressive and may pose a threat to the many inhabitants of the region who rely upon the Magdalena River for their livelihoods, although the species could provide economic benefits through tourism. Further research is needed to quantify the current and future size and distribution of this hippopotamus population and to predict the likely ecological, social and economic effects. This knowledge must be balanced with consideration of social and cultural concerns to develop appropriate management strategies for this novel introduction

Clinically Valuable Quality Control for PET/MRI Systems:Consensus Recommendation From the HYBRID Consortium

International audienceQuality control (QC) of medical imaging devices is essential to ensure their proper function and to gain accurate and quantitative results. Therefore, several international bodies have published QC guidelines and recommendations for a wide range of imaging modalities to ensure adequate performance of the systems. Hybrid imaging systems such as positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) or PET/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI), in particular, present additional challenges caused by differences between the combined modalities. However, despite the increasing use of this hybrid imaging modality in recent years, there are no dedicated QC recommendations for PET/MRI. Therefore, this work aims at collecting information on QC procedures across a European PET/MRI network, presenting quality assurance procedures implemented by PET/MRI vendors and achieving a consensus on PET/MRI QC procedures across imaging centers. Users of PET/MRI systems at partner sites involved in the HYBRID consortium were surveyed about local frequencies of QC procedures for PET/MRI. Although all sites indicated that they perform vendor-specific daily QC procedures, significant variations across the centers were observed for other QC tests and testing frequencies. Likewise, variations in available recommendations and guidelines and the QC procedures implemented by vendors were found. Based on the available information and our clinical expertise within this consortium, we were able to propose a minimum set of PET/MRI QC recommendations including the daily QC, cross-calibration tests, and an image quality (IQ) assessment for PET and coil checks and MR image quality tests for MRI. Together with regular checks of the PET-MRI alignment, proper PET/MRI performance can be ensured

Ciencia a Mano: Estudiantes sordos de escuela Secundaria y Universidad se acercan a través de la Biología

La iniciativa “Ciencia a Mano” (CaM) surgió como un espacio de acercamiento entre estudiantes sordos de escuela secundaria y un grupo de becarios, docentes e investigadores de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales de la Universidad de Buenos Aires (FCEN-UBA) a través del desarrollo de actividades en el área de las ciencias biológicas. Los objetivos fueron:estimular el pensamiento científico, priorizar el bilingüismo Lengua de Señas Argentina(LSA)-español, compartir estrategias pedagógicas que se adapten mejor a las características de cada grupo, sensibilizar a la comunidad universitaria oyente sobre las barreras que aún persisten para las personas sordas y transformar a la universidad en un ámbito inclusivo del cual los alumnos sordos se sientan parte integral. Las actividades incluyeron:trabajo en conjunto de los temas por parte de los docentes e intérpretesen la escuela, clases teóricas y prácticas en laboratorios de la FCEN-UBA y presentación de los resultados. CaM representa una experiencia única en la que se potencia el intercambio de saberes entre oyentes y sordos en el ámbito universitario.“Science at Hand” (“CaM”, for its initials in Spanish) was created as a space to bring together deaf high school students and a team of fellows, teachers and researches from the School of Exact and Natural Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires (FCEN-UBA) through the development of activities in Biological Sciences. The objectives were: to stimulate scientific thinking, prioritize bilinguism Argentine Sign Language (ArgSL)-Spanish, share teaching strategies that better suit the needs of each group, raise awareness within the hearing university community about the obstacles that still persist for deaf people, and transform the university space into an inclusive environment of which deaf students feel completely part of. Activities included: introductory approach of concepts by teachers and ArgSL interpreters at school, theoretical and practical classes in laboratories at FCEN-UBA, and presentation of results. CaM represents a unique experience in which exchange of knowledge between hearing and deaf people is potentiated in a university environment.Fil: Portela, Paula. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Cañonero, Luciana. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Carrizo, Gustavo Ezequiel. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Solari, Clara Andrea. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Corapi, Enrique Sebastian. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Barraza, Carla Eliana. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Chertoff, Mariela Sandra Juana. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Pozner, Roberto Gabriel. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; ArgentinaFil: Surace, Ezequiel Ignacio. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular; Argentin

Investigation of the Role of Protein Kinase D in Human Rhinovirus Replication

Picornavirus replication is known to cause extensive remodeling of Golgi and endoplasmic reticulum membranes, and a number of the host proteins involved in the viral replication complex have been identified, including oxysterol binding protein (OSBP) and phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase III beta (PI4KB). Since both OSBP and PI4KB are substrates for protein kinase D (PKD) and PKD is known to be involved in the control of Golgi membrane vesicular and lipid transport, we hypothesized that PKD played a role in viral replication. We present multiple lines of evidence in support of this hypothesis. First, infection of HeLa cells with human rhinovirus (HRV) induced the phosphorylation of PKD. Second, PKD inhibitors reduced HRV genome replication, protein expression, and titers in a concentration-dependent fashion and also blocked the replication of poliovirus (PV) and foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in a variety of cells. Third, HRV replication was significantly reduced in HeLa cells overexpressing wild-type and mutant forms of PKD1. Fourth, HRV genome replication was reduced in HAP1 cells in which the PKD1 gene was knocked out by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9. Although we have not identified the molecular mechanism through which PKD regulates viral replication, our data suggest that this is not due to enhanced interferon signaling or an inhibition of clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and PKD inhibitors do not need to be present during viral uptake. Our data show for the first time that targeting PKD with small molecules can inhibit the replication of HRV, PV, and FMDV, and therefore, PKD may represent a novel antiviral target for drug discovery. IMPORTANCE Picornaviruses remain an important family of human and animal pathogens for which we have a very limited arsenal of antiviral agents. HRV is the causative agent of the common cold, which in itself is a relatively trivial infection; however, in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, this virus is a major cause of exacerbations resulting in an increased use of medication, worsening symptoms, and, frequently, hospital admission. Thus, HRV represents a substantial health care and economic burden for which there are no approved therapies. We sought to identify a novel host target as a potential anti-HRV therapy. HRV infection induces the phosphorylation of PKD, and inhibitors of this kinase effectively block HRV replication at an early stage of the viral life cycle. Moreover, PKD inhibitors also block PV and FMDV replication. This is the first description that PKD may represent a target for antiviral drug discovery

Promoción de la huerta orgánica y de alimentación saludable en niños de la EEP Nº7 de Puerto Tirol, Chaco

El modelo educativo que tienen actualmente los niños de nuestra región nordeste no desarrolla su capacidad para elegir alimentos saludables, así van adquiriendo hábitos de alimentación no saludables que mantendrán durante toda su vida, a menos que se realice una intervención integral efectiva. La Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura (FAO) considera que los huertos escolares pueden ayudar a mejorar la nutrición y la educación de los niños y familiares, tanto en zonas rurales como urbanas, por lo que alienta a las Escuelas a crear huertos de aprendizaje que puedan ser manejados por los mismos escolares, profesores y padres, que incluyan una variedad de hortalizas y frutas. Se trabajó en una Escuela Primaria de la localidad de Puerto Tirol, Chaco, a la que asisten 575 alumnos con edades de 6 a 14 años, distribuidos en turnos mañana y tarde. Los Objetivos fueron: a) Detectar niños con alteraciones nutricionales y/o hábitos de alimentación saludables, b) Promover hábitos saludables de alimentación, y c) Promover prácticas agroecológicas al reinstalar la huerta orgánica escolar. Materiales y métodos: Se evaluó el estado nutricional y hábitos alimentarios de los alumnos a través de encuestas alimentarias, datos antropométricos y de laboratorio. Se usó la huerta como aula práctica para aprender sobre agroecología, nutrición, disfrute y esparcimiento.Se realizó asistencia técnica, acompañamiento y provisión de insumos para la producción de la huerta. Se realizaron talleres informativos con tutores y docentes, y actividades lúdicas con alumnos de ambos turnos. Resultados: Se encuestó a 258 niños (45% del total): al 99% le gustaban las frutas y al 88% las verduras, pero consumían con frecuencia un 53% frutas y un 59% verduras en sus hogares. Compraban en el kiosco escolar alimentos ricos en azúcar, sal y grasas trans. Los niños expresaron su interés en disponer de frutas y licuados en el kiosco. Respecto a los datos antropométricos sobre 150 niños, un 20 % presentaba bajo peso para su talla y un 10 % sobrepeso.Sobre los análisis de laboratorio realizados a 39 alumnos: un 15% presentaba anemia, un7,7% creatininemias bajas y ninguno elevada. La albúmina resultó normal en todos. Se reinstaló la huerta escolar con participación de alumnos de 5° a 7° grado. Las hortalizascosechadas fueron consumidas por la Escuela y por los alumnos en sus hogares.

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Fragment-derived inhibitors of human N-myristoyltransferase block capsid assembly and replication of the common cold virus

Rhinoviruses (RVs) are the pathogens most often responsible for the common cold, and are a frequent cause of exacerbations in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis. Here we report the discovery of IMP-1088, a picomolar dual inhibitor of the human N-myristoyltransferases NMT1 and NMT2, and use it to demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of host-cell N-myristoylation rapidly and completely prevents rhinoviral replication without inducing cytotoxicity. The identification of cooperative binding between weak-binding fragments led to rapid inhibitor optimization through fragment reconstruction, structure-guided fragment linking and conformational control over linker geometry. We show that inhibition of the co-translational myristoylation of a specific virus-encoded protein (VP0) by IMP-1088 potently blocks a key step in viral capsid assembly, to deliver a low nanomolar antiviral activity against multiple RV strains, poliovirus and foot and-mouth disease virus, and protection of cells against virus-induced killing, highlighting the potential of host myristoylation as a drug target in picornaviral infections